Fabricated vehicle axle
AssigneeHendrickson USA, L.L.C.
InventorsJohn Stephen Bubulka, Ashley Thomas Dudding, Jerome Lim Cortez
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fabricated vehicle axle is provided with a single piece main body having an inverted U-shaped configuration. The ends of the main body are curved upwardly to define a pair of gooseneck portions. A first king pin fixture having a king pin bore is secured to one of the gooseneck portions, while a second king pin fixture having a king pin bore is secured to the other gooseneck portion. A bottom plate is secured to the main body and has ends extending beyond the gooseneck portions to provide seats for the king pin fixtures.
Claims35
A fabricated vehicle axle, comprising:
- a single piece main body having an inverted U-shaped configuration and including
- a midsection,
- an upwardly curved first gooseneck portion at an end of said midsection and integrally formed with the same, and
- an upwardly curved second gooseneck portion at an opposite end of said midsection and integrally formed with the same;
- a bottom plate secured to said main body and having a first end adjacent to the first gooseneck portion and a second end adjacent to the second gooseneck portion;
- a first king pin fixture secured to said first gooseneck portion and having a first king pin bore extending therethrough;
- and
- a second king pin fixture secured to said second gooseneck portion and having a second king pin bore extending therethrough.
A fabricated vehicle axle and steering assembly comprising, in combination:
- a single piece main body having an inverted U-shaped configuration and including
- a midsection,
- an upwardly curved first gooseneck portion at an end of said midsection and integrally formed with the same, and
- an upwardly curved second gooseneck portion at an opposite end of said midsection and integrally formed with the same;
- a bottom plate secured to said main body and having
- a first end adjacent to and extending beyond the first gooseneck portion and including a first king pin bore extending therethrough, and
- a second end adjacent to and extending beyond the second gooseneck portion and including a second king pin bore extending therethrough;
- a first king pin fixture secured to said first gooseneck portion and said first end of the bottom plate and having a third king pin bore extending therethrough and in substantial alignment with said first king pin bore;
- a second king pin fixture secured to said second gooseneck portion and said second end of the bottom plate and having a fourth king pin bore extending therethrough and in substantial alignment with said second king pin bore;
- a first king pin received in said first and third king pin bores;
- a second king pin received in said second and fourth king pin bores;
- a first steering knuckle connected to the first king pin and including a first tie rod arm;
- a second steering knuckle connected to the second king pin and including a second tie rod arm;
- and
- a tie rod having an end connected to the first tie rod arm and having an opposite end connected to the second tie rod arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.