Rear axle-drawbar oscillation support system
AssigneeCaterpillar Tractor Co.
InventorsElmer R. Crabb, Nick D. Hoyle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An oscillating rear axle assembly (30) and associated drawbar (40) which oscillates therewith. The rear axle (24) protrudes from an axle housing (32) which is joined to a support structure (34) extending forwardly therefrom. The support structure (34) is oscillatably joined to a rear frame (14) by two axially separated bearings (36,38) disposed therebetween. The drawbar (40) is laterally guided by the rear axle assembly (30) and a pivot support structure (84) and is axially fixed as well as oscillatably joined to the rear frame (14) by a spherical bearing (52) to permit drawbar oscillation with the rear axle assembly (30).
Claims7
A vehicle (10) comprising:
- a front frame (12);
- a rear frame (14) being articulatable relative to said front frame (12) and having a longitudinal axis (AA), said rear frame (14) including a forward end (14a) adjacent said front frame (12) and a rearward end (14b) remote thereto;
- a rear axle assembly (30) including an axle housing (32) disposed adjacent said rear frame's rearward end and
- a support structure (34) extending toward said front frame (12) and being connected to said axle housing (32), and having a longitudinal center line (AA);
- a first (36) and a second (38) bearing disposed between said support structure (34) and said rear frame (14) forwardly of said axle housing (32) for oscillatably connecting said rear axle assembly (30) to said rear frame (14);
- a drawbar (40) for pulling loads, said drawbar (40) extending below said axle housing (32) and said rear frame (14);
- means (86,88,90,112) for oscillatably guiding said drawbar (40) with said rear axle assembly (30);
- and
- means (52) for oscillatably connecting said drawbar (40) to said rear frame (14) about said longitudinal centerline (AA).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.