Linkage type rear suspension system for a motor vehicle

Claim 1

A VEHICLE FRAME, A VEHICLE AXLE, SUSPENSION MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID AXLE AND SAID FRAME, SAID SUSPENSION MEANS COMPRISE A PAIR OF LEFT AND RIGHT SUSPENSION LINKS EACH HAVING ONE OF THEIR ENDS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID AXLE AND THE OTHER OF THEIR ENDS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID FRAME, SAID SUSPENSION LINKS BEING ARRANGED IN A FORWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY DIVERGING RELATIONSHIP, SAID SUSPENSION LINKS BEING FORMED OF LEAF SPRING MATERIAL AND HAVING LATERALLY RESILIENT SPRING PORTIONS, A PAIR OF LEFT AND RIGHT BRACKETS SECURED TO SAID FRAME ADJACENT TO SAID LINKS, A PAIR OF LEFT AND RIGHT U-SHAPED TORSION BARS, EACH OF SAID BARS HAVING ONE LEVER ARM END SECURED TO A BRACKET AND ANOTHER PORTION PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE SAME BRACKET, SAID TORSION BARS EACH HAVING A LATERALLY EXTENDING LEVER ARM PORTION CONNECTED TO A SUSPENSION LINK, A BALL AND SOCKET JOINT INTERCONNECTING THE ENDS OF SAID LATERALLY EXTENDING LEVER ARMS AND SAID SUSPENSION LINKS, A TORQUE ARM INTERCONNECTING SAID AXLE AND SAID FRAME, MEANS CONNECTING ONE END OF SAID TORQUE ARM TO SAID AXLE AND CONSTRUCTED TO PERMIT LATERAL DISPLACEMENT OF SAID AXLE RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME WHILE AT THE SAME TIME RESISTING ROTATION OF SAID AXLE ABOUT ITS OWN AXIS, AND MEANS COMPRISING A BRACKET SECURED TO SAID AXLE AND HAVING VERTICALLY SPACED APART RESILIENT BUSHINGS, SAID ONE END OF SAID TORQUE ARM BEING CONNECTED TO SAID SPACED APART BUSHINGS, MEANS CONNECTING THE OTHER END OF SAID TORQUE ARM TO SAID FRAME AND CONSTRUCTED TO PERMIT SAID OTHER END TO BE DISPLACED LONGITUDINALLY WHILE RESISTING VERTICAL DISPLACEMENT OF SAID OTHER END RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A SHACKLE PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID FRAME AT ONE OF ITS ENDS AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID TORQUE ARM AT THE OTHER OF ITS ENDS, SAID SUSPENSION MEANS PERMITTING SAID VEHICLE FRAME TO MOVE LATERALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID AXLE WHEREBY ONE END OF SAID AXLE IS MOVED FORWARDLY AND THE OTHER END OF SAID AXLE IS MOVED REARWARDLY TO PROVIDE AN UNDERSTEER EFFECT.