Wheel suspension system

Claim 2

A wheel suspension system for a wheeled vehicle having a frame, an axle and a wheel supported on said axle, said system including, rigid arm means supporting said axle, means pivotedly supporting one end of said arm means on said frame whereby said arm means is supported for pivotal movement toward and away from said frame, air spring means supported on said frame and operatively connected to said arm means, and biasing means acting between said frame means and said arm means and normally acting to bias said arm means toward said frame, said biasing means comprises leaf spring means rigidly connected at one end to said arm means, and means movably supporting the other end of said leaf spring means on said frame, said latter means comprises linkage means pivotally supported at one end on said frame and connected at the other end to said leaf spring means.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 wherein the distance between the pivotal Support of said arm means and the rigid connection of spring means is greater than the length of said linkage means.

Claim 4

A wheel suspension system for a wheeled vehicle having a frame, an axle and a wheel supported on said axle, said system including, rigid arm means supporting said axle, means pivotedly supporting one end of said arm means on said frame whereby said arm means is supported for pivotal movement toward and away from said frame, air spring means supported on said frame and operatively connected to said arm means, and biasing means acting between said frame means and said arm means and normally acting to bias said arm means toward said frame, said biasing means comprises a stressable deflectable link, means connecting said stressable link with said arm means and said frame to form a structure having three links and three revolute pairs with said stressable link providing freedom of movement of said arm means in one plane.

Claim 5

A wheel suspension system for a wheeled vehicle having a frame, an axle and a wheel supported on said axle, said system including, rigid arm means supporting said axle, means pivotedly supporting one end of said arm means on said frame whereby said arm means is supported for pivotal movement toward and away from said frame, air spring means supported on said frame and operatively connected to said arm means, and biasing means acting between said frame means and said arm means and normally acting to bias said arm means toward said frame, said biasing means comprises a stressable deflectable link, means connecting said stressable link with said arm means and said frame to form a structure having three links and three revolute pairs with said stressable link providing freedom of movement of said arm means in one plane.

Claim 6

The system of claim 3 wherein said arm means includes an arm and an axle bracket, connector bolt means connecting said axle bracket to said arm, said connector bolt means including flexible bushing means between bracket and said arm.

Claim 7

The system of claim 3 wherein said connecting means includes means for moving one end of said link through a first arc and the other end of said link through a second arc different from said first arc as said arm means is pivoted away from said frame whereby said link is deflected to store energy in said link.

Claim 8

A suspension system for supporting a wheel of a vehicle for movement between a raised position in which the wheel is disposed above and spaced from a road and a lowered position in which the wheel engages the road to at least partially support the vehicle, said suspension system comprising rigid arm means for supporting the wheel for movement relative to a frame of the vehicle, connector means for pivotally connecting a first end portion of said arm means with the frame of the vehicle, air spring means operable from a retracted condition to an expanded condition to effect downward pivotal movement of said arm means away from the frame of the vehicle, said air spring means being connected with a second end portion of said arm means, mounting means for connecting an axle of the which with an intermediate portion of said arm means at a location between said first and second end portions of said arm means to mount said wheel for movement with said arm means, leaf spring means for moving said arm means upwardly toward the frame of the vehicle upon operation of said air spring means from the expanded condition to the retracted condition, said leaf spring means having a first end portion connected with said intermediate portion of said arm means and a second end portion connected to the frame of the vehicle to provide for a resilient stressing and storing of potential energy in said leaf spring means upon operation of said air spring means from the retracted condition to the expanded condition and pivotal of said arm means, linkage means for interconnecting said arm means, leaf spring means, and frame of the vehicle to form a structure having three pivotably interconnected links with said leaf spring means being resiliently deflectable to enable said arm means to pivot away from the frame of the vehicle under the influence of said air spring means and toward the frame of the vehicle under the influence of said leaf spring means to thereby move the wheel of the vehicle between the raised and lowered positions.

Claim 9

A suspension system for supporting a wheel of a vehicle for movement between a raised position in which the wheel is disposed above and spaced from a road and a lowered position in which the wheel engages the road to at least partially support the vehicle, said suspension system comprising rigid arm means for supporting the wheel for movement relative to a frame of the vehicle, connector means for pivotally connecting a first end portion of said arm means with the frame of the vehicle, air spring means operable from a retracted condition to an expanded condition to effect downward pivotal movement of said arm means away from the frame of the vehicle, said air spring means being connected with a second end portion of said arm means, mounting means for connecting an axle of the which with an intermediate portion of said arm means at a location between said first and second end portions of said arm means to mount said wheel for movement with said arm means, leaf spring means for moving said arm means upwardly toward the frame of the vehicle upon operation of said air spring means from the expanded condition to the retracted condition, said leaf spring means having a first end portion connected with said intermediate portion of said arm means and a second end portion connected to the frame of the vehicle to provide for a resilient stressing and storing of potential energy in said leaf spring means upon operation of said air spring means from the retracted condition to the expanded condition and pivotal of said arm means, linkage means for interconnecting said arm means, leaf spring means, and frame of the vehicle to form a structure having three pivotably interconnected links with said leaf spring means being resiliently deflectable to enable said arm means to pivot away from the frame of the vehicle under the influence of said air spring means and toward the frame of the vehicle under the influence of said leaf spring means to thereby move the wheel of the vehicle between the raised and lowered positions.