Suspension apparatus
OwnerDavid A. Baxterinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A suspension assembly for vehicles has an elastomeric spring contained in a rigid, telescoping housing and a torque arm. The spring resists and transmits vertical forces, the torque arm resists and transmits longitudinal forces and the rigid housing resists and transmits transverse or side forces.
Claims20
A suspension apparatus for a vehicle having an axle positioned beneath a frame member comprising:
- a housing means installable between the axle and a frame member, the housing having a first rigid section rigidly attachable to a frame member above the axle and a second rigid section rigidly attachable to an axle member, and the first section and the second section including means telescopically joining the first section and the second section for sliding, telescoping movement of one section within the other section;
- a plate across the internal end of the inner section, a spring means positioned within the outer section in the form of a resilient spring adapted to be compressed by the plate as the housing sections telescope together, and a housing section travel limiter adapted to restrict travel of the housing sections so that on compression of the spring the outer housing section does not strike the member to which the inner housing section is attached, to restrict travel of the housing sections on spring decompression, and to prevent separation of the housing sections, the rigid housing sections forming means for transmitting side loads between the housing sections and between the axle and a vehicle frame.
A suspension apparatus for a vehicle having an axle positioned beneath a frame member comprising:
- rigid housing means installable between the axle and a frame member, the housing having a first second attachable to a frame member and a second section attachable to the axle and telescopically received in the first section, the housing means including means for transmitting side loads between the axle and a vehicle frame;
- spring means positioned within the housing and including a resilient spring movable by the housing sections as they telescope together, and
- the resilient spring having an elastomeric spring, the spring means including means for dampening road shocks otherwise transmitted through the axle to the frame member,
- the first housing section being rectangular in cross-section and the springs having a flat head portion rectangularly shaped and sized to be received within the first housing section.
- the spring further including a pair of generally hexagonally shaped spring elements depending from the underside of the head, and
- torque arm means installable between the axle and the frame member for transmitting longitudinal loads between the suspension and a trailer mounted thereon.
A suspension assembly for load carrying vehicles having an axle and a frame member, comprising a first rigid housing member, the first rigid housing member including means for attaching to a vehicle frame, and a second rigid housing member, the second rigid housing member including means for attaching to a vehicle axle, the first and second housing members including means for telescoping engagement and movement, the first and second housing members further including means for receiving a spring means therein, the spring means including means for resiliently bearing vertical loads and transmitting vertical loads between an axle and a frame of a vehicle on which the suspension assembly is mounted, the spring means including means for damping motion between the first and second housing members, the suspension assembly including a hanger, the hanger including means for attaching to a vehicle frame at a location spaced from the first housing member, the hanger including means for pivotally attaching a torque arm thereon, the second housing member also including means for pivotally attaching a torque arm thereon, a torque arm pivotally connected to the hanger and pivotally connected to the second housing member, the torque arm bearing and transmitting longitudinal loads between a vehicle frame and an axle on which the suspension assembly is mounted, the first and second housing means including means for bearing and transmitting transverse loads between a vehicle frame and an axle on which the suspension assembly is mounted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.