Axle attachment arrangement for tag axle
AssigneeMcNeilus Truck and Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorChad O. Konop
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A swing-frame auxiliary axle system for a work vehicle and method of assembling is disclosed that includes a pivot frame having a pair of spaced pivot arms having a pivot end and a free end and being connected to carry a common transverse torque tube close to the free end thereof, each arm being pivotally mounted to a vehicle chassis rail near the pivot end, the torque tube including a pair of tag axles attached thereto and wheels. The system is provided with a pivot frame alignment system for intrinsically aligning the pivot spaced arms and the torque tube in proper transverse relation for ease in assembling or re-assembling and stability in operating.
Claims11
A swing-frame auxiliary axle system for a work vehicle having a main frame including spaced chassis rails comprising:
- (a) an auxiliary axle assembly which includes a pivot frame having a pair of spaced pivot arms having a pivot end and a free end and being connected by a cross member toward the pivot end and connected to carry a common transverse torque tube close to the free end thereof, each said pivot end being pivotally mounted to a vehicle, said torque tube carrying a pair of tag axles attached thereto and wheels;
- (b) an operating system for moving the auxiliary axle assembly between a stowed position in which the wheels are elevated and a support position in which the wheels engage the ground;
- (c) wherein said pivot frame further includes a pivot frame alignment system for inherently aligning said spaced pivot arms and said torque tube in proper transverse relation;
- and
- (d) removable fastening devices for fastening said torque tube to said pivot arms.
A swing-frame auxiliary axle system for a work vehicle having a main frame including spaced chassis rails comprising:
- (a) an auxiliary axle assembly which includes a pivot frame having a pair of spaced pivot arms having a pivot end and a free end and being connected by a cross member toward the pivot end and connected to carry a common transverse torque tube close to the free end thereof, each said pivot end being pivotally mounted to a vehicle, said torque tube carrying a pair of tag axles attached thereto and wheels;
- (b) an operating system for moving the auxiliary axle assembly between a stowed position in which the wheels are elevated and a support position in which the wheels engage the ground;
- (c) wherein said pivot frame further includes a pivot frame alignment system for inherently aligning said spaced pivot arms and said torque tube in proper transverse relation;
- (d) wherein said pivot frame alignment system further comprises pivot arm mounting devices fixed to the free ends of said pivot arms and providing aligned arm mounting holes, torque tube mounting devices fixed to said torque tube and including aligned tube mounting holes such that alignment of said tube mounting holes with said arm mounting holes aligns said torque tube in the desired transverse relation to said pivot arms;
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- (e) removable fastening devices for fastening said torque tube to said pivot arms.
The method of assembling a tag axle having spaced pivot arms with free ends carrying torque tube in a swing-frame auxiliary axle system that includes the steps of:
- (a) locating and fixing an arm alignment device along the free end of each of said pivot arms;
- (b) locating and fixing a pair of spaced torque tube alignment devices to said torque tube;
- (c) providing aligning fastening openings in said arm alignment devices and said torque tube alignment devices;
- and
- (d) fastening said arm alignment devices to said torque tube alignment by inserting removable fastening devices through said fastening openings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.