Abstract A vehicle having an air supply conduit therethrough has pneumatic bellows supporting both sides of the vehicle body. An axle-driven compressor pumps air from one bellows to another depending on the direction of the curved path the vehicle is travelling. An air supply reservoir is connected through a check valve to the air supply conduit and to the bellows. A pressure regulator is connected to the compressor discharge and to the air reservoir. A valve system connects the compressor intake and discharge to the bellows on both sides of the vehicle when the vehicle travels along a curved path to pump air from the bellows on the inside of a curve to the bellows on the outside of a curve. When the vehicle travels along a straight path air is pumped to the air supply reservoir whose maximum filled pressure is greater than the pressure in the air supply conduit. In response to the maximum filled pressure of the reservoir the pressure regulator will connect the compressor discharge to the atmosphere so that air is pumped to the atmosphere after the reservoir has been filled.
In a pneumatic suspension systems for vehicles, the combination of pneumatic supporting bellows means on each side of the vehicle body, a compressor having an intake and a discharge, valve means connecting said compressor intake and discharge and said bellows means for opening said intake and discharge to the atmosphere and for connecting said bellows means to said intake discharge, means responsive to the angular accelerations of the vehicle about a vertical axis for actuating said valve means to connect said intake with the bellows means on the vehicle side acted upon by the angular acceleration with respect to the front of the vehicle and said discharge to the bellows means on the other side of the vehicle so that air is pumped from the bellows on the inside of the curve to the bellows on the outside of the curve, an air reservoir connected to said bellows means to supply air thereto, and means responsive to the pressure in said air reservoir for connecting said compressor discharge from the reservoir to the atmosphere when a maximum pressure is reached within said reservoir.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
183 words
In a pneumatic suspension systems for vehicles, the combination of pneumatic supporting bellows means on each side of the vehicle body, a compressor having an intake and a discharge, valve means connecting said compressor intake and discharge and said bellows means for opening said intake and discharge to the atmosphere and for connecting said bellows means to said intake discharge, means responsive to the angular accelerations of the vehicle about a vertical axis for actuating said valve means to connect said intake with the bellows means on the vehicle side acted upon by the angular acceleration with respect to the front of the vehicle and said discharge to the bellows means on the other side of the vehicle so that air is pumped from the bellows on the inside of the curve to the bellows on the outside of the curve, an air reservoir connected to said bellows means to supply air thereto, and means responsive to the pressure in said air reservoir for connecting said compressor discharge from the reservoir to the atmosphere when a maximum pressure is reached within said reservoir.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
In an air suspension system as claimed in claim 1 with said means comprising a pressure regulator connected between said compressor discharge and said air reservoir.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
83 words
In an air suspension system as claimed in claim 2 and comprising an air supply conduit for the vehicle connected to said air reservoir, a check valve in the connection between said supply conduit and the reservoir, the pressure within the air supply conduit being less than the maximum filling pressure of said reservoir, said pressure regulator being responsive to the air reservoir pressure to open the compressor discharge to the atmosphere when the pressure in the reservoir reaches its maximum filled pressure.