Wheeled vehicle suspensions

An air-ride suspension for a vehicle comprising:

• at least one pair of hangers, one for the left side and the other for the right side of the vehicle,
• each hanger comprising a head and a pair of side members at opposite sides of the head extending down from the head, one of the hangers being mounted extending down from the bottom of the vehicle adjacent its left side and the other being mounted extending down from the bottom of the vehicle adjacent its right side, the hangers being aligned transversely with respect to the vehicle and with the side members of the hangers spaced transversely with respect to the vehicle;
• at least one pair of composite leaf springs, one for the left and one for the right side of the vehicle, each having an upwardly facing surface and a downwardly facing surface,
• each composite leaf spring comprising fibers embedded in a resin matrix, the fibers extending lengthwise of the spring;
• means for resiliently mounting each leaf spring in a respective hanger with the leaf spring extending longitudinally of the vehicle between the side members of the hanger below the head,
• said resilient mounting means comprising a lower elastomeric cushion retained in the hanger below the leaf spring engaged by the downwardly facing surface of the leaf spring and an upper elastomeric cushion retained in the hanger above the leaf spring and between the leaf spring and the head of the hanger and engaging the upwardly facing surface of the leaf spring,
• the portion of the leaf spring extending between said elastomeric members being resiliently cushioned therebetween and thereby resiliently yieldable up and down in the hanger,
• the leaf springs being resiliently mounted in the hangers generally at the center of length of the leaf springs and extending generally equally forward and rearward from the hangers, and having free ends spaced longitudinally with respect to the vehicle from the hangers and aligned transversely with respect to the vehicle, said head of each hanger having a downwardly opening recess therein and the upper elastomeric cushion being pocketed in the recess to limit the longitudinal movement of the upper elastomeric cushion;
• an axle secured to the leaf springs adjacent their forward free ends and an axle secured to the leaf springs adjacent their rearward free ends, said axles extending transversely with respect to the vehicle;
• air springs interposed between the leaf springs and the body of the vehicle adjacent both the forward and rearward free ends of the leaf springs;
• and
• means limiting the longitudinal movement of each leaf spring in the respective hanger comprising link means pivotally connected at one end to the respective hanger and at the other end to the leaf spring adjacent one of the free ends of the leaf spring.

An air-ride suspension for a vehicle comprising:

• at least one pair of hangers, one for the left side and the other for the right side of the vehicle;
• each hanger comprising a head and a pair of side members at opposite sides of the head extending down from the head,
• one of the hangers being mounted extending down from the bottom of the vehicle adjacent its left side and the other being mounted extending down from the bottom of the vehicle adjacent its right side, the hangers being aligned transversely with respect to the vehicle and with the side members of the hangers spaced transversely with respect to the vehicle,
• at least one pair of composite leaf springs, one for the left and one for the right side of the vehicle, each having an upwardly facing surface and a downwardly facing surface;
• each composite leaf spring comprising fibers embedded in a resin matrix, the fibers extending lengthwise of the spring;
• means for resiliently mounting each leaf spring in a respective hanger with the leaf spring extending longitudinally of the vehicle between the side members of the hanger below the head, p1 said resilient mounting means comprising a lower elastomeric cushion retained in the hanger below the leaf spring engaged by the downwardly facing surface of the leaf spring and an upper elastomeric cushion retained in the hanger above the leaf spring and between the leaf spring and the head of the hanger and engaging the upwardly facing surface of the leaf spring;
• the portion of the leaf spring extending between said elastomeric members being resiliently cushioned therebetween and thereby resiliently yieldable up and down in the hanger;
• the leaf springs having free ends spaced longitudinally with respect to the vehicle from the hangers and aligned transversely with respect to the vehicle,
• said head of each hanger having a downwardly opening recess therein and the upper elastomeric cushion being pocketed in the recess to limit the longitudinal movement of the upper elastomeric cushion;
• an axle secured to the leaf springs adjacent one their ends and extending transversely with respect to the vehicle;
• air springs interposed between the leaf springs and the vehicle adjacent said one end of the leaf springs;
• and
• means limiting the longitudinal movement of each leaf spring in the respective hanger comprising link means pivotally connected at one end to the respective hanger and at the other end to the leaf spring adjacent said one end of the leaf spring where the axle is secured to the leaf spring.

An air-ride suspension for a vehicle comprising:

• two pairs of hangers, the first pair constituting a rearward pair of hangers and the second pair constituting a forward pair of hangers spaced longitudinally with respect to the vehicle,
• each hanger comprising a head and a pair of side members at opposite sides of the head extending down from the head,
• two of the hangers being mounted extending down from the bottom of the vehicle adjacent its left side and the other two being mounted extending down from the bottom of the vehicle adjacent its right side, each pair of hangers being aligned transversely with respect to the vehicle and with the side members of respective hangers spaced transversely with respect to the vehicle;
• at least one pair of composite leaf springs, one for the left and one for the right side of the vehicle, each having an upwardly facing surface and a downwardly facing surface,
• each composite leaf spring comprising fibers embedded in a resin matrix, the fibers extending lengthwise of the spring,
• means for resiliently mounting each leaf spring in respective hangers with the leaf springs extending through both pairs of hangers and extending generally equally rearward from the rearward pair of hangers and forward from the forward pair of hangers, the leaf springs having forward and rearward free ends,
• said resilient mounting means comprising a lower elastomeric cushion retained in the hanger below the leaf spring engaged by the downwardly facing surface of the leaf spring and an upper elastomeric cushion retained in the hanger above the leaf spring and between the leaf spring and the head of the hanger and engaging the upwardly facing surface of the leaf spring,
• the portion of the leaf spring extending between said elastomeric members being resiliently cushioned therebetween and thereby resiliently yieldable up and down in the hanger,
• the free ends of the leaf springs being spaced longitudinally with respect to the vehicle from the hangers and aligned transversely with respect to the vehicle,
• said head of each hanger having a downwardly opening recess therein and the upper elastomeric cushion being pocketed in the recess to limit the longitudinal movement of the upper elastomeric cushion;
• an axle secured to the leaf springs adjacent their rearward free ends and an axle secured to the leaf springs adjacent their forward free ends;
• air springs interposed between the leaf springs and the body of the vehicle adjacent both the forward and rearward free ends of the leaf springs;
• and
• means limiting the longitudinal movement of each leaf spring in the respective hanger comprising link means pivotally connected at one end to the respective rearward hanger and at its other end to the respective leaf spring adjacent the rearward free end of the leaf spring.

An air-ride suspension for a vehicle comprising:

• two pairs of hangers, the first pair constituting a rearward pair of hangers and the second pair constituting a forward pair of hangers spaced longitudinally with respect to the vehicle;
• each hanger comprising a head and a pair of side members at opposite sides of the head extending down from the head,
• two of the hangers being mounted extending down from the bottom of the vehicle adjacent its left side and the other two being mounted extending down from the bottom of the vehicle adjacent its right side, each pair of hangers being aligned transversely with respect to the vehicle and with the side members of respective hangers spaced transversely with respect to the vehicle;
• at least one pair of composite leaf springs, one for the left and one for the right side of the vehicle, each having an upwardly facing surface and a downwardly facing surface,
• each composite leaf spring comprising fibers embedded in a resin matrix, the fibers extending lengthwise of the spring,
• means for resiliently mounting each leaf spring in respective hangers with the leaf spring extending through both pairs of hangers and extending generally equally rearward from the rearward pair of hangers and forward from the forward pair of hangers, the leaf springs having forward and rearward free ends,
• said resilient mounting means comprising a lower elastomeric cushion retained in the hanger below the leaf spring engaged by the downwardly facing surface of the leaf spring and an upper elastomeric cushion retained in the hanger above the leaf spring and between the leaf spring and the head of the hanger and engaging the upwardly facing surface of the leaf spring,
• the portion of the leaf spring extending between said elastomeric members being resiliently cushioned therebetween and thereby resiliently yieldable up and down in the hanger,
• the free ends of the leaf springs being spaced longitudinally with respect to the vehicle from the hangers and aligned transversely with respect to the vehicle,
• said head of each hanger having a downwardly opening recess therein and the upper elastomeric cushion being pocketed in the recess to limit the longitudinal movement of the upper elastomeric cushion;
• a rear axle secured to the leaf springs adjacent their rearward free ends, a forward axle secured to the leaf springs adjacent their forward free ends, and an intermediate axle secured to the leaf springs intermediate the rearward and forward pairs of hangers;
• air springs interposed between the leaf springs and the body of the vehicle adjacent both the forward and rearward free ends of the leaf springs and between the rearward and forward pairs of hangers;
• and
• means limiting the longitudinal movement of each leaf spring in the respective hanger comprising link means pivotally connected at one end to the respective forward hanger and at the other end to the leaf spring adjacent the intermediate axle.