US 5,308,105 AGranted

Steerable dual rear axle system for large vehicles

AssigneeTerex Corporation

InventorsSteven J. Fujan, Frederick W. Loeber

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A steerable dual rear axle system for large vehicles in which the vehicle has a frame, and the axle system includes a forward axle housing, a draft arm having one arm affixed to the forward axle housing and the other pivotally affixed to the vehicle frame, a rearward axle housing spaced from the forward axle housing, an axle extending through both axle housings having wheels and tires thereon, an upper linkage having one end pivotally attached to the upper portion of the forward axle housing and the other end pivotally attached to the upper portion of the rearward axle housing, a lower linkage having one end pivotally attached to the lower portion of the forward axle housing and the other end pivotally attached to the lower portion of the rearward axle housing so that the axle housings are supported in spaced apart relationship with the axle housings being independently free to move in vertical planes, compressible strut members extending between the axle housings and the frame for spring supporting the frame, and a hydraulically actuatable cylinder-piston member extending between the forward and rearward axle housings for steerably pivoting the rearward relative to the forward axle housing.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A steerable dual rear axle system for large vehicles comprising:

a frame with a longitudinal axis in the direction of normal travel, the frame having a front end and a rear end;
a forward axle housing having an axis and opposed ends and having an upper portion and a lower portion;
a draft arm having one end affixed to said forward axle housing and the other end pivotally affixed to said frame in the direction towards said frame front end;
a rearward axle housing having an axis and opposed ends, the rearward axle housing being spaced from said forward axle housing and their axii being in vertical planes, the rearward axle housing having an upper portion and a lower portion;
axle means rotatably supported by both said forward and rearward axle housings;
wheel means secured to said axle means;
upper linkage means having opposed ends, one end being pivotally attached to said upper portion of said forward axle housing and the other end being pivotally attached to said upper portion of said rearward axle housing;
lower linkage means having opposed ends, one end being pivotally attached to said lower portion of said forward axle housing and the other end being pivotally attached to said lower portion of said rearward axle housing, said upper and lower linkage means being in a common vertical plane of said frame longitudinal axis intermediate said forward and rearward axles opposed ends;
means providing spring support between said forward and rearward axle housings and said frame to thereby transfer weight from said frame to said forward and rearward axle housings;
and
means of steerably pivoting said rearward axle housing relative to said forward axle housing.

8 more elements

For use with a large vehicle having a frame, a steerable rear axle system comprising:

an assembly formed of a forward and a rearward axle housing each providing means for rotatably supporting an axle and wheel assemblies on the ends of the axles, each axle housing being in the form of a tubular member having opposed ends and an upper and a lower portion, the axle housings being spaced apart from each other;
upper linkage means having opposed ends, one end being pivotally attached to said upper portion of said forward axle housing and the other end being pivotally attached to said upper portion of said rearward axle housing;
lower linkage means having opposed ends, one end being pivotally attached to said lower portion of said forward axle housing and the other end being pivotally attached to said lower portion of said rearward axle housing, said lower linkage means being in the form of a single lower link arm, the lower link arm being pivotally attached to said lower portions of said forward and rearward axle housing midway between said opposed ends thereof;
means to pivotally couple said assembly below a vehicle frame;
means to provide spring support between said assembly and a vehicle frame;
and
means to steerably pivot said rearward axle housing relative to said forward axle housing.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.