US3822757A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Individual vehicle wheel drive and suspension assembly
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1972-06-26
•
Granted: 1974-07-09
•
Expires: 1992-06-26
Abstract
Abstract A drive and suspension assembly for an individual roadwheel of a vehicle including a rearwardly and downwardly inclined lever arm pivotally connected to the vehicle frame at its upper end and rotatably supporting the roadwheel at its lower end, a main gear fast with the roadwheel and a drive pinion journalled on the lever arm and meshing with the main gear to drive the same. The pinion, during rotation to produce forward movement of the vehicle tends to walk around the main gear so as to produce an upward bias on the lever arm and consequently on the vehicle frame thereby forming a drive induced suspension for the vehicle and increasing the traction of the roadwheel. Abutment means limit the rotation of the lever arm with respect to the vehicle frame in both directions of rotation. The driving train includes a serially connected yieldable drive link to absorb the variations in the rotational speed of the driving pinion caused pivoting movement of the lever arm with respect to the vehicle frame. The pivotal mounting of the lever arm on the vehicle frame is angularly adjustable to allow the use of the drive assembly on either side of the vehicle. The assembly is adapted for steerable mounting of the roadwheel.
Inventors
- 👤 W Spence
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 16:05
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60K; B60K17/00; B60K17/04; B60K17/043; B60B; B60B9/00; B60B9/005; B62; B62D; B62D49/00; B62D49/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
171 words
In an individual wheel drive and suspension assembly for a motor vehicle having a vehicle frame, the combination comprising a wheel axle, a main gear connected to said wheel axle for rotation therewith, a pinion gear meshing with said main gear, a lever arm rotatably supporting said main gear and said pinion gear, pivotally mounted on said vehicle frame about an axis extending substantially parallel to and spaced from said wheel axle and adapted to be inclined downwardly and rearwardly about said axis relative to said vehicle frame and relative to the forward direction of travel of the vehicle, and drive means connected to said pinion gear to rotate the same and drive said main gear and wheel axle whereby the pinion during its rotation in a direction to produce forward travel of the vehicle tends to walk around said main gear and lift said vehicle frame thereby providing a drive induced suspension of the vehicle, and means to limit the extent of lever arm pivotal movement about said vehicle frame.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
171 words
In an individual wheel drive and suspension assembly for a motor vehicle having a vehicle frame, the combination comprising a wheel axle, a main gear connected to said wheel axle for rotation therewith, a pinion gear meshing with said main gear, a lever arm rotatably supporting said main gear and said pinion gear, pivotally mounted on said vehicle frame about an axis extending substantially parallel to and spaced from said wheel axle and adapted to be inclined downwardly and rearwardly about said axis relative to said vehicle frame and relative to the forward direction of travel of the vehicle, and drive means connected to said pinion gear to rotate the same and drive said main gear and wheel axle whereby the pinion during its rotation in a direction to produce forward travel of the vehicle tends to walk around said main gear and lift said vehicle frame thereby providing a drive induced suspension of the vehicle, and means to limit the extent of lever arm pivotal movement about said vehicle frame.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
In an individual wheel drive and suspension assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said motor vehicle includes a drive train for said pinion gear and further including a yieldable drive link serially connected to said drive train to absorb the variations of pinion gear rotational speeds caused by pivoting of the lever arm about said vehicle frame.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
In an individual wheel drive and suspension assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotational axis of said pinion gear is coaxial with the pivotal axis of said lever arm on said vehicle frame.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
In an individual wheel drive and suspension assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said limiting means include interdigitated elastic abutments fast with said lever arm and with said vehicle frame to elastically limit pivoting of said lever arm with respect to said vehicle frame in both directions of rotation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
94 words
In an individual wheel drive and suspension assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein said vehicle frame has a pivot mounting means fixed thereto and defining an upright pivot axis, said wheel drive and suspension assembly further including an upright pivot member journalled in said upright pivot mounting means for rotation about said upright pivot axis, said lever arm being pivotally connected to said pivot member with said lever arm axis extending transversely of said upright pivot axis and intersecting the same to produce steering of said roadwheel upon rotation of said pivot member.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
108 words
In an individual wheel drive and suspension assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein said pivot member constitutes an upright tube section, a gear housing is secured to and communicates with the lower end of said upright tube section, said lever arm is a casing pivoted to said gear housing in an operative plane laterally offset from said upright pivot axis, communicating with the interior of said gear housing and forming a receptacle for said pinion gear and said main gear, And said drive train includes portions extending through said tube section said gear housing and said casing and connected to said pinion gear to rotate the latter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
73 words
An individual wheel drive and suspension assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said drive train includes an upright drive shaft rotatably mounted within said upright tube section, a pulley rotatably mounted on said upright drive shaft at the upper end thereof and serving as an input drive means and said yieldable drive link consisting of a torsion spring joined at opposite ends to said pulley and to said upright drive shaft respectively.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
94 words
An individual wheel drive and suspension assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said drive train includes an upright drive shaft rotatably mounted in said tube section, a first bevelled gear is fixed to the lower end of said upright drive shaft, a cross shaft extending within said housing and casing, and intersecting the axis of said upright drive shaft, a second bevel gear secured to one end of said cross shaft in meshing engagement with said first bevel gear, and said pinion gear being fixed to the other end of said cross shaft.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
201 words
An individual wheel drive and suspension assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein said gear housing forms a first tubular member at the lower end of said upright tube section, which surrounds said cross shaft and is coaxial therewith, said casing forms a second tubular member which surrounds said cross shaft, is coaxial therewith, and is rotatably inserted within said first tubular member for rotation of said casing about said upright tube section, said limiting means including external rigid abutments circumferentially spaced from each other around said first tubular member and rigidly secured thereto and radially outwardly extending therefrom, a third tubular member surrounding said external abutments, internal abutments rigidly secured to said third tubular member and extending radially inwardly therefrom in interdigitated relation with said first abutment members, resiliently compressible blocks disposed between each pair of one external and one internal abutment, said third tubular member being rotatably mounted on said first tubular member and further including clamp means to angularly adjustably secure said third tubular member on said first tubular member to selectively vary the angle of the lever arm relative to the vehicle and to allow the use of the drive assembly on either side of the latter.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-07-08 | 1978-01-07 | 1978-07-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-07-08 | 1982-01-07 | 1982-07-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-07-08 | 1986-01-07 | 1986-07-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |