A-arm frame with bearing for hauling devices
AssigneeRoller Bearing Company of America, Inc.
InventorBrian Gaumer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An A-arm frame 10 for a vehicle has two arms 12, 14 that converge at an apex 16. Each arm has a mounting end opposite the apex for mounting to the housing for an axle of the vehicle. A pivot joint at the apex connects the A-arm frame to the vehicle frame. The pivot joint includes a case-hardened spherical plain bearing 22 that includes an inner ring 26 and an outer ring 28. The inner ring 26 may have a lubrication aperture therethrough, but the outer ring 28 has no lubrication aperture therethrough. The outer ring 28 may have a multi-fracture configuration and, therefore, a greater wrap-around of the inner ring 26 than it otherwise would have.
Claims26
An A-arm frame for joining an axle housing to a vehicle frame, the A-arm frame comprising two arms that converge at an apex, each of the arms having a mounting end opposite from the apex for mounting to the axle housing, the A-arm frame further having a pivot joint at the apex for connecting the A-arm frame to the vehicle frame, the pivot joint comprising a spherical plain bearing that comprises an inner ring and an outer ring;
- wherein the spherical plain bearing is a case-hardened bearing.
In a vehicle comprising a vehicle frame, an axle having an axle housing and an A-arm frame joining the axle housing to the vehicle frame, the A-arm frame comprising two arms that converge at an apex, each of the arms having a mounting end opposite from the apex for mounting to the housing for an axle of the vehicle, the A-arm frame further having a pivot joint at the apex for connecting the A-arm frame to the vehicle frame, the pivot joint comprising a spherical plain bearing, and the spherical plain bearing comprising an inner ring and an outer ring;
- the improvement comprising that the spherical plain bearing is a case-hardened bearing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.