Vehicle suspension system

Claim 2

In a vehicle body suspension System including a solid axle, a pair of wheels rotatably disposed on opposite ends of said axle, means connecting said axle at the center thereof to said body at the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the latter for limited universal movement including pivotal movement about a transverse deflection axis of said body and a longitudinal roll axis of said body intersecting said deflection axis, and axle control means disposed between said body and said axle on opposite sides of said connecting means for effecting control of the path of motion of said axle, the improvement comprising, spring means mounted on said vehicle body for compression and expansion deflection, and connecting means disposed in the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said body between said spring means and said axle for effecting compression deflection of said spring means in response to pivotal movement of said axle about said deflection axis corresponding to jounce deflection of said wheels thereby to provide suspension system ride rate while effecting substantially no deflection of said spring means in response to pivotal movement of said axle about said roll axis so that the roll stiffness of said suspension system is substantially completely independent of the ride rate of said system.

Claim 3

In a vehicle body suspension system including a solid axle, a pair of wheels rotatably disposed on opposite ends of said axle, means connecting said axle at the center thereof to said body at the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the latter for limited universal movement including pivotal movement about a transverse deflection axis of said body and a longitudinal roll axis of said body intersecting said deflection axis, and axle control means disposed between said body and said axle on opposite sides of said connecting means for controlling the path of motion of said axle about said deflection axis and for effecting roll steer, the improvement comprising, means defining a spring seat on said vehicle body situated symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said body, a coil spring seated at one end on said spring seat, and connecting link means disposed in the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said body between the free end of said coil spring and said axle for effecting compression deflection of said coil spring in response to pivotal movement of said axle about said deflection axis corresponding to jounce deflection of said wheels thereby to provide suspension system ride rate while effecting substantially no deflection of said coil spring in response to pivotal movement of said axle about said roll axis so that the roll stiffness of said suspension system is substantially completely independent of the ride rate of said system.

Claim 4

In a vehicle body suspension system including a solid axle, a pair of wheels rotatably disposed on opposite ends of said axle, means connecting said axle at the center thereof to said body at the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the latter for limited universal movement including pivotal movement about a transverse deflection axis of said body and a longitudinal roll axis of said body intersecting said deflection axis, and axle control means disposed between said body and said axle on opposite sides of said connecting means for controlling the path of motion of said axle about said deflection axis and for effecting roll steer, the improvement comprising, means defining a spring seat on said vehicle body situated symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said body, a coil spring seated at one end on said spring seat, and connecting link means disposed in the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said body between the free end of said coil spring and said axle for effecting compression deflection of said coil spring in response to pivotal movement of said axle about said deflection axis corresponding to jounce deflection of said wheels thereby to provide suspension system ride rate while effecting substantially no deflection of said coil spring in response to pivotal movement of said axle about said roll axis so that the roll stiffness of said suspension system is substantially completely independent of the ride rate of said system.

Claim 5

The improvement as recited in claim 2 further including adjustment means associated with said connecting link means and actuable to change the length of said connecting link means for adjusting the standing height of said body.

Claim 6

In a vehicle body suspension system including a solid axle, a pair of wheels rotatably disposed on opposite ends of said axle, means connecting said axle at the center thereof to said body at the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the latter for limited universal movement including pivotal movement about a transverse deflection axis of said body and a longitudinal roll axis of said body intersecting said deflection axis, and axle control means disposed between said body and said axle on opposite sides of said connecting means for controlling the path of motion of said axle about said deflection axis and for effecting roll steer, the improvement comprising, means defining a spring seat on said body situated symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said body, a coil spring seated at one end on said spring seat, a connecting rod disposed within said coil spring in the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said body, means connecting the free end of said coil spring to one end of said connecting rod so that bodily shiftabLe movement of said rod effects compression deflection of said spring, means defining a rigid bellcrank on said axle situated in the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said body and pivotable as a unit with said axle about said deflection axis, and means pivotally connecting the other end of said connecting rod to said bellcrank at a location on the latter spaced from said deflection axis so that pivotal movement of said axle about said deflection axis corresponding to jounce deflection of said wheels effects bodily shiftable movement of said connecting rod against a resisting force generated by said spring and directed longitudinally of said rod, said resisting force developing a variable turning moment on said bellcrank and said axle about said deflection axis proportional to the amount of pivotal movement of said axle about said deflection axis thereby to provide shiftable movement of said connecting rod against a resisting force generated by said spring and directed longitudinally along said rod, said resisting force through said bellcrank developing a variable turning moment on said axle about said deflection axis proportional to the amount of pivotal movement of said axle thereby to provide variable suspension system ride rate while pivotal movement of said axle about said roll axis effects substantially no bodily shiftable movement of said connecting rod so that the roll stiffness of said suspension system is substantially completely independent of the ride rate of said system.

Claim 7

In a vehicle body suspension system including a solid axle, a pair of wheels rotatably disposed on opposite ends of said axle, means connecting said axle at the center thereof to said body at the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the latter for limited universal movement including pivotal movement about a transverse deflection axis of said body and a longitudinal roll axis of said body intersecting said deflection axis, and axle control means disposed between said body and said axle on opposite sides of said connecting means for controlling the path of motion of said axle about said deflection axis and for effecting roll steer, the improvement comprising, means defining a spring seat on said body situated symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said body, a coil spring seated at one end on said spring seat, a connecting rod disposed within said coil spring in the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said body, means connecting the free end of said coil spring to one end of said connecting rod so that bodily shiftabLe movement of said rod effects compression deflection of said spring, means defining a rigid bellcrank on said axle situated in the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said body and pivotable as a unit with said axle about said deflection axis, and means pivotally connecting the other end of said connecting rod to said bellcrank at a location on the latter spaced from said deflection axis so that pivotal movement of said axle about said deflection axis corresponding to jounce deflection of said wheels effects bodily shiftable movement of said connecting rod against a resisting force generated by said spring and directed longitudinally of said rod, said resisting force developing a variable turning moment on said bellcrank and said axle about said deflection axis proportional to the amount of pivotal movement of said axle about said deflection axis thereby to provide shiftable movement of said connecting rod against a resisting force generated by said spring and directed longitudinally along said rod, said resisting force through said bellcrank developing a variable turning moment on said axle about said deflection axis proportional to the amount of pivotal movement of said axle thereby to provide variable suspension system ride rate while pivotal movement of said axle about said roll axis effects substantially no bodily shiftable movement of said connecting rod so that the roll stiffness of said suspension system is substantially completely independent of the ride rate of said system.

Claim 8

A vehicle body suspension system having roll steer capability wherein the suspension system roll stiffness is independent of the system ride rate comprising, in combination, a solid axle having a generally U-shaped configuration and defining a wheel axis, a pair of wheels supported on said axle at opposite ends thereof for rotation about said wheel axis, means connecting the center of said solid axle to said body at the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the latter for limited universal movement including pivotal movement about a transverse deflection axis of said body forward on said body of said wheel axis and a longitudinal roll axis of said body disposed in the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said body and intersecting said deflection axis, a pair of control arms supported on said vehicle body symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the latter for limited universal movement including pivotal movement about said deflection axis, means connecting each of said control arms to said axle for limited universal movement relative to the latter, said control arms controlling the path of motion of said axle about said deflection axis and providing roll steer, means defining a spring seat on said body situated symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said body, a coil spring seated at one end on said spring seat, a connecting rod disposed within said coil spring and in the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said body, means connecting the free end of said coil spring to one end of said connecting rod so that bodily shiftable movement of said rod effects compression deflection of said spring, means defining a rigid bellcrank on said axle disposed in the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said body and pivotable as a unit with said axle about said deflection axis, and means pivotally connecting the other end of said connecting rod to said bellcrank at a location on the latter spaced from said deflection axis so that pivotal movement of said axle about said deflection axis corresponding to jounce deflection of said wheels effects bodily shiftable movement of said connecting rod against a resisting force generated by said spring and directed longitudinally of said rod, said resisting force through said bellcrank developing a variable turning moment on said axle about said deflection axis proportional to the amount of pivotal movement of said axle about said deflection axis thereby to provide a variable suspension system ride rate while pivotal movement of said axle about said roll axis effects substantially no bodily shiftable movement of said connecting rod so that the roll stiffness of said suspension system is substantially completely independent of the ride rate of said system.

Claim 9

A vehicle body suspension system having roll steer capability wherein the suspension system roll stiffness is independent of the system ride rate comprising, in combination, a solid axle having a generally U-shaped configuration and defining a wheel axis, a pair of wheels supported on said axle at opposite ends thereof for rotation about said wheel axis, means connecting the center of said solid axle to said body at the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the latter for limited universal movement including pivotal movement about a transverse deflection axis of said body forward on said body of said wheel axis and a longitudinal roll axis of said body disposed in the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said body and intersecting said deflection axis, a pair of control arms supported on said vehicle body symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the latter for limited universal movement including pivotal movement about said deflection axis, means connecting each of said control arms to said axle for limited universal movement relative to the latter, said control arms controlling the path of motion of said axle about said deflection axis and providing roll steer, means defining a spring seat on said body situated symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said body, a coil spring seated at one end on said spring seat, a connecting rod disposed within said coil spring and in the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said body, means connecting the free end of said coil spring to one end of said connecting rod so that bodily shiftable movement of said rod effects compression deflection of said spring, means defining a rigid bellcrank on said axle disposed in the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said body and pivotable as a unit with said axle about said deflection axis, and means pivotally connecting the other end of said connecting rod to said bellcrank at a location on the latter spaced from said deflection axis so that pivotal movement of said axle about said deflection axis corresponding to jounce deflection of said wheels effects bodily shiftable movement of said connecting rod against a resisting force generated by said spring and directed longitudinally of said rod, said resisting force through said bellcrank developing a variable turning moment on said axle about said deflection axis proportional to the amount of pivotal movement of said axle about said deflection axis thereby to provide a variable suspension system ride rate while pivotal movement of said axle about said roll axis effects substantially no bodily shiftable movement of said connecting rod so that the roll stiffness of said suspension system is substantially completely independent of the ride rate of said system.