Vehicle suspension system

Claim 2

Wheel suspension means for a vehicle having a frame comprising: a wheel suspension arm extending generally longitudinally of said frame, wheel mounting means at one end of said arm for rotatably mounting a wheel on said arm end on a transverse rotation axis of the arm, arm mounting means at the other end of said arm for pivotally mounting said other arm end on said frame on a transverse pivot axis of said arm and frame, whereby said arm is rotatable in a normally vertical longitudinal plane of said frame and said arm is subjected to lateral loads during cornering and under various other driving conditions in a manner which tends to deflect said arm laterally of said frame, and restraining means attached to said frame and operatively engaging said arm between its ends for yieldably resisting, cushioning, and damping lateral deflection of said arm while permitting vertical swinging movement of said arm on said pivot axis.

Claim 3

Wheel suspension means according to claim 1 wherein: said restraining means Comprises a guide having a normally vertical guideway receiving said arm for vertical movement of the arm in said guideway during rotational movement of the arm on said pivot axis, and said guideway is bounded by confronting vertical wall members which are laterally engageable with said arm to resist lateral deflection of said arm.

Claim 4

Wheel suspension means according to claim 2, wherein: one wall member is resiliently yieldable in the lateral direction of said guideway.

Claim 5

Wheel suspension means according to claim 3, wherein: said guide comprises a rigid body mounted on said frame, and said yieldable wall member is carried by said body.

Claim 6

Wheel suspension means for a vehicle having a frame, comprising: a one-piece metal rod having a laterally turned end forming a wheel support, an opposite laterally turned end forming a torsion spring bar, and an intermediate central portion forming a wheel suspension arm, said torsion bar being adapted to be rotatably supported on said frame with the longitudinal axis of the bar extending crosswise of the frame and to be anchored to said frame at a position spaced along said bar from said arm for yieldable swinging movement of said arm in a normally vertical longitudinal place of said frame, whereby said arm is subjected to lateral loads during cornering and under various other driving conditions in a manner which tends to deflect said arm laterally of said frame, and restraining means attached to said frame and operatively engaging said suspension arm between its ends for yieldably resisting, cushioning, and damping lateral deflection of said arm while permitting swinging movement of said arm on said torsion bar axis.

Claim 7

Wheel suspension means for a vehicle having a frame, comprising: a one-piece metal rod having a laterally turned end forming a wheel support, an opposite laterally turned end forming a torsion spring bar, and an intermediate central portion forming a wheel suspension arm, said torsion bar being adapted to be rotatably supported on said frame with the longitudinal axis of the bar extending crosswise of the frame and to be anchored to said frame at a position spaced along said bar from said arm for yieldable swinging movement of said arm in a normally vertical longitudinal place of said frame, whereby said arm is subjected to lateral loads during cornering and under various other driving conditions in a manner which tends to deflect said arm laterally of said frame, and restraining means attached to said frame and operatively engaging said suspension arm between its ends for yieldably resisting, cushioning, and damping lateral deflection of said arm while permitting swinging movement of said arm on said torsion bar axis.

Claim 8

Wheel suspension means according to claim 5 wherein: said restraining means comprises a guide having a normally vertical guideway receiving said arm for vertical movement of the arm in said guideway during rotational movement of the arm on said torsion bar axis, and said guideway is bounded by confronting vertical side wall members which are laterally engageable with said arm to resist lateral deflection of the arm.

Claim 9

Wheel suspension means according to claim 6, wherein: said guide comprises a rigid body attached to said frame, and one of said guideway wall members is resiliently yieldable laterally of said guideway and carried by said body.

Claim 10

In a vehicle, the combination comprising: a frame, a wheel suspension arm extending generally longitudinally of said frame, a ground wheel mounted on one end of said arm on a transverse rotation axis of the arm, means pivotally mounting the other end of said arm on said frame on a transverse pivot axis of the arm and frame, said means including a torsion bar on said pivot axis rigidly joined to said other arm end, anchored to said frame at a position spaced along said bar from said arm and rotatably supported adjacent said arm on said frame, whereby said arm is rotatable in a normally vertical longitudinal plane of said frame and said arm is subjected to lateral loads during cornering and under other driving conditions in a manner which tends to deflect said arm laterally of said frame and said upward and downward rotation of said arm relative to said frame is yieldably resisted, and restraining means comprising a guide mounted on said frame and having a normally generally vertical guideway receiving said arm between its ends, whereby said arm is vertically moveable in said guideway during vertical swinging movement of said arm on said pivot axis, and confronting vertical wall members bounding the vertical sides of said guideway which are engageable laterally with said arm to resist lateral deflection thereof.

Claim 11

In a vehicle, the combination comprising: a frame, a wheel suspension arm extending generally longitudinally of said frame, a ground wheel mounted on one end of said arm on a transverse rotation axis of the arm, means pivotally mounting the other end of said arm on said frame on a transverse pivot axis of the arm and frame, said means including a torsion bar on said pivot axis rigidly joined to said other arm end, anchored to said frame at a position spaced along said bar from said arm and rotatably supported adjacent said arm on said frame, whereby said arm is rotatable in a normally vertical longitudinal plane of said frame and said arm is subjected to lateral loads during cornering and under other driving conditions in a manner which tends to deflect said arm laterally of said frame and said upward and downward rotation of said arm relative to said frame is yieldably resisted, and restraining means comprising a guide mounted on said frame and having a normally generally vertical guideway receiving said arm between its ends, whereby said arm is vertically moveable in said guideway during vertical swinging movement of said arm on said pivot axis, and confronting vertical wall members bounding the vertical sides of said guideway which are engageable laterally with said arm to resist lateral deflection thereof.

Claim 12

The vehicle combination according to claim 8, wherein: one wall member of said guide is resiliently yieldable laterally of said guideway.