Back to results
US RE34,659 EGranted
Apparatus to vary axle orientation
OwnerBruce J. Reillyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for changing the axle orientation in a balance beam suspension operates by introducing a variable axial eccentricity between an axle carrier and the beam hanger to vary the amount of yaw on the axle to enable the wheels on the axle to be oriented in alignment with the vehicle axis.
Claims8
An axle alignment device for a balance beam suspension system, said axle alignment device comprising:
- an axially extending sleeve engageable in an equalizer beam and movably insertable within a sleeve of a bushing, said axially extending sleeve having two ends;
- a pair of adaptors, each adaptor having a first longitudinally extending part of circular transverse cross-section, said first longitudinally extending part being rotatably engageable within a respective end of said axially extending sleeve and each adaptor having a second longitudinally extending part of circular transverse cross-section rotatably engageable within a respective beam hanger of an axle saddle bracket associated with said bushing, the longitudinal dimension of said second longitudinally extending part being no more than the thickness of the respective beam hanger;
- said second longitudinally extending part of each adaptor being axially eccentric relative to its respective first longitudinally extending part and relative to said axially extending sleeve;
- and
- a control tension member including a bolt extending axially through both adaptors and said axially extending sleeve, and a nut secured to said bolt to apply a force to each of said adaptors to urge said second longitudinally extending part of each of said adaptors into compression against a different one of said two ends of said axially extending sleeve to form a compressively prestressed unit.
2 more elements
An axle alignment device for a balance beam suspension system, said axle alignment device comprising:
- axially extending sleeve means for engagement as a part of a bushing, said axially extending sleeve means having two ends;
- a pair of adaptors, each adaptor having a first longitudinally extending part of circular transverse cross-section, said first longitudinally extending part being rotatably mounted within a respective end of said axially extending sleeve means and each adaptor having a second longitudinally extending part of circular transverse cross-section rotatably engageable within a respective beam hanger of an axle saddle bracket associated with said bushing, the longitudinal dimension of said second longitudinally extending part being no more than the thickness of the respective beam hanger;
- said second longitudinally extending part of each adaptor being axially eccentric relative to its respective first longitudinally extending part and relative to said axially extending sleeve means;
- and
- a control tension member including a bolt extending axially through both adaptors and said axially extending sleeve, and a nut secured to said bolt to apply a force to each of said adaptors to urge at least one of said second longitudinally extending part of said adaptors and said respective beam hangers into compression against said axially extending sleeve means to form a compressively prestressed unit.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.