Bolster spring suspension assembly
AssigneeE-Z Ride Corp.
InventorHoward E. Sellers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bolster spring assembly is adapted for securement to a vehicle having a primary suspension system for securing an axle to the vehicle. The bolster spring assembly is located and secured between the leaf spring over the axle and the undercarriage of the vehicle as a supplement to the primary suspension system.
Claims17
A suspension assembly mounted to a vehicle having a leaf spring suspension system including a wheel journalled to an axle, a leaf spring secured to said axle, said leaf spring having opposite ends, said leaf spring secured at one of said ends to an undercarriage of said vehicle, said suspension assembly comprising a single resilient bolster spring having opposite ends interposed between said leaf spring and said undercarriage, one of said ends of said bolster spring secured to said leaf spring over said axle, the other of said ends of said bolster spring extending over and along said leaf spring and being secured to said undercarriage wherein the suspension assembly includes only one resilient bolster spring connected to both said leaf spring and said undercarriage.
A method of securing a single bolster spring assembly to a suspension system of a vehicle, said suspension system including a wheel journalled to an axle, said axle secured to an undercarriage of said vehicle with a resilient suspension means including a leaf spring, said bolster spring including a plurality of stacked planar resilient cores, each core laterally offset from said adjacent core;
- a rigid planar separator between each adjacent pair of said cores;
- said cores and separators maintained between a first endplate and a second endplate;
- a bracket carried by said first endplate adapted for connection to said leaf spring over said axle, a second bracket carried by said second endplate adapted for connection to said undercarriage, said method comprising the steps:
- a. securing said second bracket to said undercarriage such that said bolster spring assembly is angularly positioned between said axle and said undercarriage;
- and b. securing said first bracket to said leaf spring over said axle wherein no other bolster spring assemblies are connected to both said leaf spring and said undercarriage.
A suspension system configured to be added to a vehicle including a vehicle frame, a leaf spring connected to the vehicle frame at a first end and a second end, and an axle connected to the leaf spring intermediate the first end and the second end by way of at least one u-bolt, the suspension system comprising:
- a single bolster spring assembly comprising a bolster spring positioned intermediate a first bracket and a second bracket, said first bracket being connected to the leaf spring and said second bracket being connected to the vehicle frame;
- wherein said single bolster spring is the only bolster spring connecting the leaf spring to the vehicle frame.
A suspension system configured to be added to a vehicle including a vehicle frame, a leaf spring connected to the vehicle frame at a first end and a second end, and an axle connected to the leaf spring intermediate the first end and the second end by way of at least one u-bolt, the suspension system comprising:
- a single bolster spring assembly comprising a bolster spring positioned intermediate a first bracket and a second bracket, said first bracket being connected to the leaf spring and said second bracket being connected to the vehicle frame
- wherein the first bracket includes a horizontal plate adjacent the leaf spring, a vertical plate connected to said bolster spring and a pair of plates in a vertical plane having an upper surface extending from a rear edge of said horizontal plate to a top edge of said vertical plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.