Tandem axle vehicle suspension

Claim 2

A tandem wheel vehicle spring suspension adapted to be interposed between the frame of a vehicle and a pair of tandem rubber tired wheels at each side of the vehicle, each pair of said rubber tired wheels on each side of the vehicle being journalled to the opposite ends of a generally horizontal walking beam extending lengthwise of the line of vehicle travel; wherein the improvement comprises said frame including a generally horizontal rigid bed panel having recesses extending inwardly from its opposite longitudinal edges and each housing one pair of said tandem wheels, and the frame also having generally horizontal main longitudinal side frame beams supporting said bed panel and arranged along the inner parts of said recesses, a bed panel edge bar secured to said bed panel to extend along each of said opposite longitudinal edges thereof and each having a portion bridging the outer part of the corresponding recess, a first frame bracket secured to a central portion of each of said bridging portions, a second frame bracket fixed to each main longitudinal side frame beam centrally of the corresponding recess, and rectilinear movement shear rubber spring means supporting each pair of said first and second frame brackets on the corresponding walking beam near the center thereof.

Claim 3

A tandem wheel vehicle spring suspension as set forth in claim 1 additionally including vertical stud bars rising from each of said bed panel edge bars to support side walls for said frame and to reinforce said bed panel edge bars.

Claim 4

A tandem wheel vehicle spring suspension as set forth in cLaim 2 wherein at least one of said stud bars is secured to and rises from a central part of each of said bridging portions to reinforce the central portions of said bridging portions so carried by said first frame brackets.

Claim 5

A tandem wheel vehicle spring suspension as set forth in claim 1 wherein each said first bracket comprises an upright plate fixed to and projecting downwardly from its bridging portion generally parallel to the line of vehicle travel, each said second bracket comprises an upright plate fixed to and projecting downwardly from its main longitudinal side frame beam generally parallel and adjacent the corresponding first frame bracket, and said spring means at each side of the vehicle comprises a pair of spaced upright plates interposed between and secured at their edges to said first and second bracket plates, and a pair of rectilinear movement shear rubber bodies operatively interposed between each of said pair of spaced upright plates and the corresponding walking beam.

Claim 6

A tandem wheel vehicle spring suspension as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spring means includes a generally horizontal cross shaft extending transversely of the line of vehicle travel with its opposite ends arranged adjacent the central portions of said walking beams, a flexible joint mounting said central portion of each of said walking beams on the corresponding end of said cross shaft, an upright metal member fixed to each end of said cross shaft, at least one upright metal plate secured at its inner vertical edge to the outer face of each said upright metal member and extending outwardly therefrom between the corresponding pair of tandem wheels transversely of the line of vehicle travel, and a pair of rectilinear movement shear rubber springs fixed to opposite sides of each said upright plate and operatively connected to both the corresponding first and second frame brackets.

Claim 7

A tandem wheel vehicle spring suspension as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spring means includes a generally horizontal cross shaft extending transversely of the line of vehicle travel with its opposite ends arranged adjacent the central portions of said walking beams, a flexible joint mounting said central portion of each of said walking beams on the corresponding end of said cross shaft, an upright metal member fixed to each end of said cross shaft, a pair of back-to-back plates welded along their inner vertical edges to each upright metal member and extending outwardly therefrom between the corresponding pair of tandem wheels transversely of the line of vehicle travel, each of said plates having upper and lower edge flanges converging toward the corresponding wheel, a pair of rectilinear movement shear rubber springs at each side of the vehicle, each comprising spaced inner and outer metal plates and a flexible rubber body vulcanized to the opposing faces thereof, the inner plate of each of said rectilinear movement shear rubber springs being slidingly fitted against the exposed face of a corresponding one of said back-to-back plates between the upper and lower flanges thereof, and means connecting the outer plate of each of said rectilinear movement shear rubber springs to both of the corresponding first and second frame brackets.

Claim 8

A tandem wheel vehicle spring suspension as set forth in claim 6 wherein said last means comprises metal plates arranged between and welded at their vertical edges to the corresponding first and second frame brackets and extending transversely of the line of vehicle travel with their inner faces engaging and fastened to the outer faces of the outer plates of the corresponding rectilinear movement shear rubber springs.

Claim 9

A tandem wheel vehicle spring suspension as set forth in claim 7 wherein said first and second frame brackets comprise vertical metal plates arranged in planes lengthwise of the line of vehicle travel and welded at their upper edges, respectively, to the corresponding bridge portions and main longitudinal side frame beams.

Claim 10

A taNdem wheel vehicle spring suspension as set forth in claim 1 additionally including four short horizontal beams end welded to said main longitudinal side frame beams to project outwardly therefrom along the front and rear edges of said recesses under said bed panel edge bars to support the latter at the bases of the bridging portions thereof.