US 4,736,964 A · Locking cam for adjustment of automobile wheel alignment

Abstract

An apparatus for guarding against accidental displacement of two members of an automotive vehicle, after an adjustment of an alignment characteristic has been made, involving the use of cams which are used to adjust the alignment characteristic and which have prongs which are pressed into the adjacent surfaces of a member of the suspension system. The prongs are of case hardened steel so as to be capable of penetrating the adjacent material and thus prevent shifting of the position of the cam after tightening has been accomplished. The cams may be non-rotatably secured to a bolt with which they are associated so that the cams are adjusted by turning of the bolt. Or, they can be provided with slots or other openings which are placed over the bolt, the cams being adjusted after being placed over the bolt. In one form, a plurality of sets of cams are employed, each set having the opening for the bolt displaced from other sets of cams so that by selecting a cam having an opening displaced the proper amount, the bolt can be shifted in position to obtain the desired adjustment of the alignment characteristic.

Claims19

Dependent claims

Means for adjusting at least one alignment characteristic in a suspension system for an automotive vehicle in which there is a first member secured to a wheel axle of a vehicle and a second member secured to a frame of a vehicle;

said adjusting means including a first element rigidly secured to and projecting from one of said members and a second element secured to the other of said members;
means for coupling said elements together including a bolt extending through openings in both of said elements;
a cam disposed on the bolt and engaging a relatively smooth face of one of the elements, means for guiding said cam for bolt shifting motion with respect to one of said elements while restraining it from lateral movement with respect to such element so that manipulation of the cam will cause the bolt to move laterally with respect to the element to change the relationship of the elements and hence the angular relationship of the first and second members;
and
means secured to the bolt for tightening the cam against the relatively smooth faces of one of the elements, the cam having a plurality of inwardly facing, spaced prongs which upon tightening of the cam against the smooth surface engaged by it will penetrate such smooth surface to prevent subsequent shifting of the cam.

2 more elements

said adjusting means including a first element rigidly secured to and projecting from one of said members and a second element secured to the other of said members;
means for coupling said elements together including a bolt extending through openings in both of said elements;
a cam having an opening through which the bolt extends, said cam engaging a relatively smooth face of one of the elements, means for holding said cam against lateral movement with respect to one of said elements so that the position of the bolt is dependent upon the lateral position of the opening, said cam being one of a plurality of cams in each of which the opening is spaced laterally by a different amount so that the cam that is selected determines the amount of movement of the bolt and hence the change in the relationship of the elements and thus the angular relationship of the first and second members;
and
means secured to the bolt for tightening the cam against the element engaged by the cam.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Locking cam for adjustment of automobile wheel alignment

Life of this patent

Locking cam for adjustment of automobile wheel alignment

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19