Lift axle control system
AssigneeSMC Corporation of America
InventorsAlexander M. Mlsna, Paul D. Mundie, Robert L. Thommen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lift axle control system is provided for a vehicle that has fixed axles and a lift axle. The lift axle is configured to move between a raised position spaced apart from the ground and a lowered position in contact with the ground to reduce the load carried by the fixed axles. The lift axle control system is configured to control the raising and lowering of the lift axle. According to a preferred embodiment of the disclosure, the lift axle control system includes a housing and a valve configured to control the flow of air to a lower bag that lowers the lift axle into contact with the ground.
Claims48
A lift axle control system for a vehicle having a forward condition providing forward movement of the vehicle and a reverse condition providing reverse movement of the vehicle, the vehicle including a chassis, a plurality of fixed axles supporting the chassis and having wheels normally in contact with the ground, a lift axle having wheels movable between a lifted position and a lowered position supporting the chassis, a lift axle mover configured to move the wheels of the lift axle between the lifted and lowered positions, and a source of pressurized fluid, the lift axle control system comprising,
- a housing,
- a control valve configured to move between a lift position permitting the lift axle mover to move the wheels of the lift axle to the lifted position and a lower position controlling the flow of fluid between the source of pressurized fluid and the lift axle mover to move the wheels of the lift axle to the lowered position, and
- a switch configured to move between a lift position controlling movement of the control valve to the lift position and a lower position controlling movement of the control valve to the lower position, the switch being configured to automatically move to the lift position when the vehicle is in the reverse condition, the switch being configured to automatically move to the lower position when the vehicle is out of the reverse condition.
A vehicle configured to transport objects, the vehicle comprising
- a chassis,
- a plurality of fixed axles having wheels normally in contact with the ground to support the chassis and permit movement of the chassis in forward and reverse directions,
- a vehicle direction controller configured to move between a drive position permitting movement of the chassis in the forward direction and a reverse position permitting movement of the chassis in the reverse direction,
- a lift axle having wheels movable between a lifted position spaced apart from the ground and a lowered position supporting the chassis, and
- a lift axle mover configured to move the lift axle between the lifted and lowered positions, the lift axle mover being configured to automatically raise the lift axle upon movement of the vehicle direction controller from the reverse position.
The vehicle of 18, wherein the vehicle direction controller includes an electrical component having a first state when the vehicle direction controller is in the reverse position and a second state when the vehicle direction controller is not in the reverse position, the switch is configured to detect when the electrical component of the vehicle direction controller is in the second state to automatically command the lift axle actuator to lower the lift axle to the lowered position when the second state is detected.
A lift axle control system for a vehicle having a forward condition providing forward movement of the vehicle and a reverse condition providing reverse movement of the vehicle, the vehicle including a chassis, a plurality of fixed axles supporting the chassis and having wheels normally in contact with the ground, a lift axle having wheels movable between a lifted position and a lowered position supporting the chassis, a lift axle mover configured to move the wheels of the lift axle between the lifted and lowered positions, and a source of pressurized fluid, the lift axle control system comprising,
- a housing,
- a control valve coupled to the housing, the control valve being configured to move between a lift position permitting the lift axle mover to move the wheels of the lift axle to the lifted position and a lower position controlling the flow of fluid between the source of pressurized fluid and the lift axle mover to move the wheels of the lift axle to the lowered position, and
- a pressure regulator coupled to the housing to control the pressure level of the fluid provided to the lift axle mover from the source of pressurized fluid.
A lift axle control system for a vehicle having a forward condition providing forward movement of the vehicle and a reverse condition providing reverse movement of the vehicle, the vehicle including a chassis, a plurality of fixed axles supporting the chassis and having wheels normally in contact with the ground, a lift axle having wheels movable between a lifted position and a lowered position supporting the chassis, a lift axle mover configured to move the wheels of the lift axle between the lifted and lowered positions, and a source of pressurized fluid, the lift axle control system comprising,
- a housing,
- a control valve coupled to the housing, the control valve being configured to move between a lift position controlling the flow of fluid from the source of pressurized fluid to the lift axle mover to move the wheels of the lift axle to the lifted position and a lower position controlling the flow of fluid from the source of pressurized fluid to the lift axle mover to move the wheels of the lift axle to the lowered position, and
- a first pilot valve coupled to the housing, the first pilot valve being configured to control movement of the control valve between the lift and lower positions.
A lift axle control system configured to control raising and lower of a lift axle of a vehicle, the vehicle including a lift bag positioned to lift the lift axle, a lower bag configured to lower the lift axle, and a source of pressurized fluid, the lift axle control system comprising
- a housing including a lift bag port in fluid communication with the lift bag, a lower bag port in fluid communication with the lower bag, and a source port in fluid communication with the source of pressurized fluid, and
- a control valve configured to control the flow of fluid from the source of pressurized fluid to the lift and lower bags of the vehicle, the valve being configured to automatically move to a lift position providing fluid from source of pressurized fluid to the lift bag and exhausting the lower bag when the vehicle is placed in reverse, the valve being configured to automatically move to a lower position providing fluid from the source of pressurized fluid to the lower bag and exhausting the lift bag when the vehicle is taken out of reverse.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.