Suspension and steering system for a vehicle

An agricultural vehicle for moving over agricultural terrain comprising:

• a vehicle frame structure for supporting elements to be transported;
• a pair of ground wheels each having a wheel hub mounted on a respective side of the frame structure for rotation of the ground wheel about the wheel hub for transporting the frame structure across the ground in a direction of travel;
• two suspension assemblies each for supporting a respective side of the frame structure on a respective one of the wheel hubs for suspension movement of the frame structure in a suspension direction generally upwardly and downwardly relative to the respective hub in response to changes in ground level;
• each suspension assembly comprising:
• a first member carried on the respective side of the frame structure;
• a second member attached to the respective hub;
• a pair of pivotal links interconnecting the first and second members to allow generally up and down suspension movement of the second member relative to the first member;
• the second member being mounted outwardly of the first member such that the pivotal links extend outwardly from the first member to the second member and such that the first member, the second member and the links all lie generally in a common vertical plane at right angles to the direction of travel;
• one of the pivotal links being mounted above the other;
• each of the pivotal links being mounted on the first member for pivotal movement relative thereto about a respective pivot axis parallel to the direction of travel and each of the pivotal links being mounted on the second member for pivotal movement relative thereto about a respective pivot axis parallel to the direction of travel
• and a spring connected between the first and second member so as to generate a spring bias in a direction along the suspension direction to support the respective side of the frame structure on the respective hub;
• the first member including two parallel side mounting plates each lying in a vertical plane at right angles to the direction of travel and a pair of vertically spaced horizontal pins carried by the side mounting plates at right angles thereto, each pin defining a respective pivot mounting for a respective end of a respective one of the links;
• the second member comprising a generally vertically extending channel member to which the hub is attached defining a back plate and two parallel side mounting plates each lying in a vertical plane at right angles to the direction of travel and a pair of vertically spaced horizontal pins carried by the side mounting plates at right angles thereto, each pin defining a respective pivot mounting for a respective end of a respective one of the links;
• each link including two end collars and a connecting bar therebetween, each collar being mounted on a respective one of the pins so that an axis of the collar is maintained coincident with an axis of the pin to define said pivot axis, and each collar being confined against forward and rearward movement in the direction of travel by the side mounting plates so that the links hold the second member in said common vertical plane.

An agricultural vehicle for moving over agricultural terrain comprising:

• a vehicle frame structure for supporting elements to be transported;
• the frame structure including at each side an outwardly extending axle member having an outer end;
• each axle member being extendible to increase and decrease the spacing between the outer ends;
• a pair of ground wheels each having a wheel hub at a respective side of the frame structure for rotation of the ground wheel about the wheel hub for transporting the frame structure across the ground in a direction of travel;
• two suspension assemblies each for supporting a respective side of the frame structure on a respective one of the wheel hubs for suspension movement of the frame structure in a suspension direction generally upwardly and downwardly relative to the respective hub in response to changes in ground level;
• each suspension assembly comprising:
• a first member carried on an outer end of a respective one of the axle members;
• a second member attached to the respective hub;
• a pair of pivotal links interconnecting the first and second members to allow generally up and down suspension movement of the second member relative to the first member;
• the second member being mounted outwardly of the first member such that the pivotal links extend outwardly from the first member to the second member and such that the first member, the second member and the links all lie generally In a common vertical plane at right angles to the direction of travel;
• one of the pivotal links being mounted above the other;
• each of the pivotal links being mounted on the first member for pivotal movement relative thereto about a respective pivot axis parallel to the direction of travel and each of the pivotal links being mounted on the second member for pivotal movement relative thereto about a respective pivot axis parallel to the direction of travel
• and a spring connected between the first and second member so as to generate a spring bias in a direction along the suspension direction to support the respective side of the frame structure on the respective hub.