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US 4,577,711 AGranted
Tandem wheel flexible drive suspension
OwnerClaude O. Butlerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention is a tandem wheel suspension which may be utilized on a vehicle to replace a single axle suspension and increase vehicle performance. The single axle suspension can be incorporated into the tandem wheel suspension. Claims are made to the tandem wheel suspension and to a method of replacing a single axle suspension with such tandem wheel suspension.
Claims16
A tandem rear wheel assembly for a vehicle, the assembly comprising:
- (a) an axle having a drivable first pair of wheels mounted thereon;
- (b) a pair of arms, each arm having its one end secured to the axle at a position between the centre of the axle and a respective one of the wheels mounted thereon, the arms extending from the axle in generally parallel spaced relation and being of equal length;
- (c) a second pair of wheels, each wheel of the second pair of wheels being mounted for rotation on the other end of a respective one of the pair of arms, the rotational axes of the second pair of wheels being parallel to the axle;
- (d) actuable drive connection means being positioned between each wheel of the second pair of wheels and a respective one of the first pair of wheels, each wheel of the second pair of wheels being adapted to be driven by the respective one of the first pair of wheels during actuation of the drive connection means;
- and
- (e) a suspension assembly, the suspension assembly extending from the frame of the vehicle to a central position on the arms.
3 more elements
A tandem rear wheel assembly as in any one of the claims 1 or 4, wherein each second wheel extends in the same plane as the respective one of the first pair of wheels.
A tandem rear wheel assembly for a vehicle, the assembly comprising:
- (a) an axle having a drivable first pair of wheels mounted thereon;
- (b) a pair of arms, each arm having its one end secured to the axle at a position between the centre of the axle and a respective one of the wheels mounted thereon, the arms extending from the axle in generally parallel spaced relation and being of equal length;
- (c) a second pair of wheels, each wheel of the second pair of wheels being mounted for rotation on the other end of a respective one of the pair of arms, the rotational axes of the second pair of wheels being parallel to the axle;
- (d) a pair of clutch assemblies, each clutch assembly being positioned between one of the wheels of the first pair of wheels and the respective one of the second pair of wheels, each clutch assembly being secured to a respective one of the arms and having engageable first and second gear wheel elements;
- (e) a pair of first gear wheel members secured to the first pair of wheels to rotate with those wheels, each first gear wheel member having a common axis of symmetry with the first pair of wheels;
- (f) a pair of second gear wheel members, each second gear wheel member being secured to one of the wheels of the respective one of the second pair of wheels and having a common axis of symmetry with that wheel;
- (g) a pair of first endless loop means, each first loop means extending around a respective first gear wheel element and around a respective one of the first gear wheel members;
- (h) a pair of second endless loop means, each second loop means extending around a respective second gear wheel element and around a respective one of the second gear wheel members;
- and
- (i) actuation means to actuate the pair of clutch assemblies, actuation of the clutch assemblies engaging each of the first gear wheel elements with the respective second gear wheel elements.
7 more elements
A tandem rear wheel assembly for a vehicle, the assembly comprising:
- (a) an axle having a drivable first pair of wheels mounted thereon;
- (b) a pair of arms, each arm having its one end secured to the axle at a position between the centre of the axle and a respective one of the wheels mounted thereon, the arms extending from the axle in generally parallel spaced relation and being of equal length;
- (c) a second pair of wheels, each wheel of the second pair of wheels being mounted for rotation on the other end of a respective one of the pair of arms, the rotational axes of the second pair of wheels being parallel to the axle;
- (d) a pair of clutch assemblies, each clutch assembly being positioned between one of the wheels of the first pair of wheels and the respective one of the wheels of the second pair of wheels, each clutch assembly being secured to a respective one of the arms and having engageable first and second gear wheel elements;
- (e) a pair of gear wheel assemblies, each gear wheel assembly comprising an engaged pair of third gear wheel members mounted on a respective one of the arms to rotate together around a common axis of symmetry;
- (f) a pair of first gear wheel members secured to the first pair of wheels to rotate with those wheels, each first gear wheel member having a common axis of symmetry with the first pair of wheels;
- (g) a pair of second gear wheel members, each second gear wheel member being secured to a respective one of the second pair of wheels and having a common axis of symmetry with that wheel;
- (h) a pair of first endless loop means, each first loop means extending around a respective first gear wheel element and around a respective one of the first gear wheel members;
- (i) a pair of second endless loop means, each second loop means extending around a respective second rear wheel element and around a respective one of the third gear wheel members;
- (j) a pair of third endless loop means, each third loop means extending around the respective other one of the third gear wheel members and around a respective one of the second gear wheel members;
- and
- (k) actuation means to actuate the pair of clutch assemblies, actuation of the clutch assemblies engaging each of the first gear wheel elements with the respective second gear wheel elements.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.