Rear axle arrangement for motor vehicles

Claim 2

A suspension system for driving wheels of a motor including a rigid live rear axle guided during oscillation solely by a single link and spring strut arrangement located adjacent each wheel, said link extending longitudinally of the vehicle and having one end thereof pivotally connected to the motor vehicle and the other end thereof connected to the rear axle for relative pivoting therebetween about an axis transverse the motor vehicle, said spring strut extending generally vertically between the motor vehicle and said rear axle and being a radially rigid member, means pivotally connecting one end of the spring strut to the motor vehicle, and means hingedly connecting the other end of the spring strut to the rear axle along a pivot axis extending transversely to the rear axle and forming a rigid connection longitudinally of the vehicle, said rigid connection being established between the rear axle and said other end of the spring strut through at least two connecting points spaced substantially from each other generally along said hinge pivot axis sufficiently to enable the application to said other end of the spring strut of the reaction force couples acting on the rear axle during braking and acceleration of the motor vehicle, said reaction force couples thereby being borne by the spring strut in a bending mode about said one pivotally connected end thereof.

Claim 3

The suspension system of claim 1 wherein said connecting means comprises a bifurcated shackle fixed to said other end of the spring strut, the spaced legs of said bifurcated shackle being connected to pin means fixed to said rear axle and defining said hinge pivot axis.

Claim 4

A suspension system for driving wheels of a motor including a rigid live rear axle guided during oscillation solely by a single link and spring strut arrangement located adjacent each wheel, said link extending longitudinally of the vehicle and having one end thereof pivotally connected to the motor vehicle and the other end thereof connected to the rear axle for relative pivoting therebetween about an axis transverse the motor vehicle, said spring strut extending generally vertically between the motor vehicle and said rear axle and being a radially rigid member, means pivotally connecting one end of the spring strut to the motor vehicle, and means hingedly connecting the other end of the spring strut to the rear axle along a pivot axis extending transversely to the rear axle and forming a rigid connection longitudinally of the vehicle, said connecting means comprising a bifurcated shackle fixed to said lower end of the spring strut and overlying and partially embracing said rear axle, the legs of said shackle receiving pins extending fore and aft of the rear axle from fixed connection thereto along said hinge pivot axis thereby defining at least two connecting points spaced substantially from each other generally along said hinge pivot axis sufficiently to enable the application to said other end of the spring strut of the reaction force couples acting on the rear axle during braking and acceleration of the motor vehicle, said reaction force couples thereby being borne by the spring strut in a bending mode about said one pivotally connected end thereof.

Claim 5

A suspension system for driving wheels of a motor including a rigid live rear axle guided during oscillation solely by a single link and spring strut arrangement located adjacent each wheel, said link extending longitudinally of the vehicle and having one end thereof pivotally connected to the motor vehicle and the other end thereof connected to the rear axle for relative pivoting therebetween about an axis transverse the motor vehicle, said spring strut extending generally vertically between the motor vehicle and said rear axle and being a radially rigid member, means pivotally connecting one end of the spring strut to the motor vehicle, and means hingedly connecting the other end of the spring strut to the rear axle along a pivot axis extending transversely to the rear axle and forming a rigid connection longitudinally of the vehicle, said connecting means comprising a bifurcated shackle fixed to said lower end of the spring strut and overlying and partially embracing said rear axle, the legs of said shackle receiving pins extending fore and aft of the rear axle from fixed connection thereto along said hinge pivot axis thereby defining at least two connecting points spaced substantially from each other generally along said hinge pivot axis sufficiently to enable the application to said other end of the spring strut of the reaction force couples acting on the rear axle during braking and acceleration of the motor vehicle, said reaction force couples thereby being borne by the spring strut in a bending mode about said one pivotally connected end thereof.

Claim 6

In a suspension system for driven wheels of a motor vehicle which are rotatably mounted on a rigid live rear axle, the improvement which comprises a spring strut that is articulated at one end to the vehicle and at its other end is hingedly connected to the rear axle by a hinge connection having a pivot axis which extends transversely to the rear axle and is located below the level of the centerline of the axle, such that the hinge connection permits pivoting of the strut relatively to the rear axle in a transverse plane of the vehicle but forms a rigid connection between the strut and axle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, said hinge connection including a pin which extends between the extremities of a bifurcated shackle with the centerline of the pin forming the pivot axis of the hinge connection, and a pair of longitudinal links serving as further guiding means for the rear axle and articulated at one end to the vehicle and at the other end to each spring strut at the point of connection between the spring strut and the pin.

Claim 7

In a suspension system for driven wheels of a motor vehicle which are rotatably mounted on a rigid live rear axle, the improvement which comprises a spring strut that is articulated at one end to the vehicle and at its other end is hingedly connected to the rear axle by a hinge connection having a pivot axis which extends transversely to the rear axle and is located below the level of the centerline of the axle, such that the hinge connection permits pivoting of the strut relatively to the rear axle in a transverse plane of the vehicle but forms a rigid connection between the strut and axle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, said hinge connection including a pin which extends between the extremities of a bifurcated shackle with the centerline of the pin forming the pivot axis of the hinge connection, and a pair of longitudinal links serving as further guiding means for the rear axle and articulated at one end to the vehicle and at the other end to each spring strut at the point of connection between the spring strut and the pin.

Claim 8

The improvement of claim 4 wherein said bifurcated shackle is fixed to the rear axle and said pin is fixed at said other end of said spring strut and is pivotally received in the spaced legs of said shackle along said pivot axis.