Control means for a motor vehicle suspension system of the pneumatic type

Claim 1

IN A FLUID SUSPENSION SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING THE CLEARANCE HEIGHT BETWEEN THE UNSPRUNG MASS AND THE SPRUNG MASS INCLUDING A LONGITUDINAL CHASSIS FRAME OF A VEHICLE, COMPRISING, A SOURCE OF FLUID UNDER PRESSURE; A FLUID EXPANSIBLE SPRING POSITIONED BETWEEN THE UNSPRUNG MASS AND THE CHASSIS FRAME OF THE VEHICLE; HEIGHT CONTROL MEANS RESPONSIVE TO CHANGES IN CLEARANCE HEIGHT BETWEEN THE CHASSIS FRAME AND THE UNSPRUNG MASS FOR CONTROLLING INFLATION AND DEFLATION OF SAID SPRING TO THEREBY MAINTAIN A PREDETERMINED HEIGHT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SAID CHASSIS FRAME AND SAID UNSPRUNG MASS INCLUDING A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING SHAFT JOURNALLED IN SAID CHASSIS FRAME, A LEVELING VALVE STRUCTURE CONNECTED TO SAID SOURCE OF FLUID UNDER PRESSURE AND SAID SPRING AND INCLUDING A VALVE BODY RIGIDLY SECURED TO ONE END OF SAID SHAFT, SAID LEVELING VALVE STRUCTURE FURTURE INCLUDING A VALVE ELEMENT ROTATABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID VALVE BODY IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM A NEUTRAL SETTING CORRESPONDING TO SAID PREDETERMINED HEIGHT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SAID CHASSIS FRAME AND SAID UNSPRUNG MASS WHEREIN FLUID IS NEITHER BEING SUPPLIED NOR BEING EXHAUSTED FROM SAID SPRING TO A FIRST POSITION WHEREIN FLUID IS SUPPLIED TO SAID SPRING AND A SECOND POSITION WHERE FLUID IS EXHAUSTED FROM SAID SPRING, SAID VALVE BODY HAVING A PREDETERMINED ROTATIVE ATTITUDE WITH RESPECT TO THE ROTATIONAL AXIS OF SAID SHAFT WHEN SAID VALVE ELEMENT IS IN ITS NEUTRAL SETTING AND SAID PREDETERMINED HEIGHT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SAID CHASSIS FRAME AND SAID UNSPRUNG MASS IS BEING MAINTAINED, SAID HEIGHT CONTROL MEANS FURTHER INCLUDING ACTUATING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE ELEMENT AND SAID UNSPRUNG MASS TO BE RESPONSIVE TO VARIATIONS IN THE HEIGHT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SAID CHASSIS FRAME AND SAID UNSPRUNG MASS TO ROTATE SAID VALVE ELEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID VALVE BODY; AND MANUALLY OPERABLE ADJUSTMENT MEANS FOR ROCKING SAID SHAFT AND SAID VALVE BODY TO VARY THE ROTATIVE ATTITUDE OF SAID VALVE BODY WITH RESPECT TO THE ROTATIONAL AXIS OF SAID SHAFT AND ESTABLISH DIFFERENT HEIGHT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SAID CHASSIS FRAME AND SAID UNSPRUNG MASS.