Suspension system including an integrally formed axle seat
AssigneeWatson & Chalin Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorThomas N. Chalin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A suspension system including an integrally formed axle seat provides reduced suspension system maintenance, increased reliability, reduced number of parts, reduced stress on axles, reduced manufacturing cost, and more convenient assembly as compared to conventional suspension systems. In a preferred embodiment, a suspension system has a hanger attachable to a vehicle frame, a bushing received in the hanger and fastened thereto, a spring beam pivotably attached to the bushing, an integrally formed axle seat coupling the spring beam to an axle, and an air spring mounted between the axle seat and the vehicle frame.
Claims20
A device for coupling an axle to a spring beam in a suspension system of a vehicle, the axle extending generally transverse to a direction of travel of the vehicle and having a vertical midpoint on an external surface thereof, the device comprising:
- a generally tubular body having interior and exterior side surfaces, said body interior side surface being complementarily shaped to receive the axle cooperatively therein;
- a generally planar first plate integrally formed with said body, said first plate being tangentially attached to said body exterior side surface, and said first plate further having a first series of spaced apart openings formed therethrough;
- a generally planar second plate having a second series of spaced apart openings formed therethrough, each of said second series of openings being axially aligned with one of said first series of openings, and said second plate engaging said first plate to thereby form an elongated aperture therebetween, said aperture being shaped to complementarily receive the spring beam therein;
- and
- a plurality of fasteners, each of said fasteners extending into an axially aligned pair of said first and second openings to thereby fasten said first plate to said second plate.
A suspension system for suspending a vehicle frame relative to an axle, the suspension system comprising:
- a bracket mountable to the vehicle frame;
- a bushing received in said bracket and fastened thereto;
- a spring beam pivotably attached to said bushing;
- and
- an axle seat, said axle seat including a body having interior and exterior side surfaces, said body interior side surface being complementarily shaped to cooperatively receive the axle therein, a first plate integrally formed with said body, said first plate being tangentially attached to said body exterior side surface, and a second plate engaging said first plate to thereby form an elongated aperture therebetween, said aperture complementarily receiving the spring beam therein.
A suspension system for a vehicle having a frame and a road-engaging portion, the road-engaging portion having an axle transversely disposed relative to a direction of travel of the vehicle, the suspension system comprising:
- a hanger mountable to the vehicle frame;
- a bushing received in said hanger and secured thereto;
- a spring beam pivotably attached to said bushing;
- an air spring mountable to the vehicle frame;
- and
- means for intersecuring said air spring and said spring beam, said intersecuring means being couplable to the axle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.