Weld-on axle bracket with U-bolt connection
AssigneeThe Boler Company
InventorTjong T. Lie
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for mounting a vehicle axle housing to a vehicle suspension member, such as a main support member, Z-spring or a gooseneck spring, is disclosed. The invention utilizes a bracket welded onto the axle housing so as to eliminate excessive compressive stresses on the axle housing. The suspension member is sandwiched between a top pad and an axle seat. A pair of downwardly extending U-bolts have their bight portions seated on the top pad with their distal ends extending through holes in the axle bracket. Nuts are attached to the U-bolt distal ends to secure the entire assembly together. The system can accommodate a variety of axle seat sizes which in turn allows for a variety of pinion angles to be effected without necessitating the use of a different axle bracket design for each pinion angle.
Claims8
A system for mounting a vehicle suspension member to a vehicle axle housing comprising at each end of the axle housing:
- a) an axle bracket welded to the axle housing;
- b) an axle seat disposed between the bottom of said suspension member and the top of said axle bracket;
- c) a top pad disposed on top of the suspension member;
- d) downwardly extending front and rear U-bolts, the bight portions of which seat on the top pad;
- and
- e) means for securing the distal ends of the U-bolts to the axle bracket.
A system for mounting a vehicle suspension member to a vehicle axle housing comprising at each end of the axle housing:
- a) an axle bracket welded aid the axle housing;
- b) an axle seat disposed between the bottom of said suspension member and the top of said axle bracket;
- c) a top pad disposed on top of the suspension member;
- d) downwardly extending front and rear U-bolts, the bight portions of which seat on the top pad;
- and,
- e) means for securing the distal ends of the U-bolts to the axle bracket;
- and wherein the distal ends of the U-bolts are threaded and the axle bracket has a plurality of holes therethrough and one of each of the U-bolt distal ends passes through one of each of the plurality of holes and said means for securing the distal ends of the U-bolts to the axle bracket is a plurality of nuts where one of each of the plurality of nuts is in threaded engagement with one of each of the U-bolt distal ends;
- and further, wherein the plurality of holes of the axle bracket each includes a hemispherical socket portion and further comprising a plurality of spherical washers, one of each of the plurality of spherical washers disposed upon one of each of the distal ends of the U-bolts between one of each of the plurality of nuts and the axle bracket, the spherical washers received within the hemispherical socket portions of the axle bracket.
A method of mounting a vehicle suspension member to a vehicle axle housing comprising:
- a) welding an axle bracket to the axle housing;
- b) sandwiching the suspension member between a top pad and an axle seat;
- and
- c) clamping the top pad, suspension member and axle seat to the axle bracket by way of U-bolts.
A kit of parts for use in attaching a vehicle suspension member to a vehicle axle housing comprising:
- a) an axle bracket adapted to be welded to the axle housing;
- b) an axle seat with a bottom surface shaped so as to engage the top of the axle bracket and a top surface shaped for interfacing with the bottom surface of the suspension member;
- c) a top pad with a bottom surface shaped for interfacing with the top surface of the suspension member;
- and
- d) a U-bolt sized and shaped for securing the top pad, suspension member and axle seat to the axle bracket when the kit is assembled.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.