Self-levelling lamps

Claim 2

In a lamp self-levelling system comprising front and rear vehicle body angle signal generating means, and a lamp tilting linkage connected to at least one lamp to be levelled; signal mixing means operably connected to said vehicle body angle signal generating means and said lamp tilting linkage; a pair of springs in said mixing means operably connecting the lamp tilting linkage with respective ones of the front and rear body angle signal generating means; adjuster means in at least one of said front and rear body angle signal generating means for initially prestressing said springs; and indicator means responsive to the strain of said springs for indicating when the prestressing of said springs by said adjustor means has attained a strain value equivalent to a predetermined operating stress value.

Claim 3

A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said signal mixing means includes a housing and an elongate member extending into said housing for connection to one of said springs, the other spring being connected to said housing, wherein said adjuster means is effective to modify the rear body angle signal to stress said springs and wherein said indicating means comprises a pin loosely extending transversely through said elongate member and frictionally held in position by the strain in said springs at a position such that adjustment of the rear body angle signal generating means to said predetermined strain will expand the springs and allow the pin to fall from the elongate member.

Claim 4

A vehicle including a lamp self-levelling system, and comprising ground wheels and a body, at least one lamp to be levelled, means for sensing the angle of the vehicle body relative to the ground wheels, means for effecting pivoting of said at least one vehicle lamp about a horizontal axis in response to said angle to retain the lamp beam at a constant inclination relative to the ground wheels, and means for damping movement of said lamp, said damper comprising a cylinder having a longitudinal axis, a loose fitting two-part piston slidably mounted within said cylinder and a liquid damping medium within said cylinder damping movement of said piston along said cylinder, said piston comprising first and second parts, means biasing said first and second parts apart, respective through passage means in said first and second parts defining together tortuous fluid flow passage means, said piston parts being constructed with said respective through passage means arranged at different radial distances relative to the longitudinal axis of said cylinder.

Claim 5

A vehicle including a lamp self-levelling system, and comprising ground wheels and a body, at least one lamp to be levelled, means for sensing the angle of the vehicle body relative to the ground wheels, means for effecting pivoting of said at least one vehicle lamp about a horizontal axis in response to said angle to retain the lamp beam at a constant inclination relative to the ground wheels, and means for damping movement of said lamp, said damper comprising a cylinder having a longitudinal axis, a loose fitting two-part piston slidably mounted within said cylinder and a liquid damping medium within said cylinder damping movement of said piston along said cylinder, said piston comprising first and second parts, means biasing said first and second parts apart, respective through passage means in said first and second parts defining together tortuous fluid flow passage means, said piston parts being constructed with said respective through passage means arranged at different radial distances relative to the longitudinal axis of said cylinder.

Claim 6

A vehicle having a front suspension anti-roll bar extending transversely of the vehicle, a rear axle and a lamp self-levelling system comprising: a. at least one lamp to be levelled; b. an arm extending vertically from the front anti-roll bar; c. a cylindrical housing; d. pivot means for hooking said housing to said arm at a location remote from the front anti-roll bar; e. an output signal piston slidably carried within said housing; f. a lamp tilting linkage connected to said output signal piston and to said at least one lamp; g. a first coil spring in said housing and having a first enD connected to said output signal piston and a second end connected to said housing; h. a second coil spring in said housing and having first and second ends, said first end being operably connected to said output signal piston; i. a cable having a first end operably connected to the second end of said second spring and having a second end disposed at a location on the vehicle remote from said housing; and j. means operably connecting said second end of the cable with said rear axle for pulling said second end of the cable away from said housing in response to a vertical movement of the rear of the vehicle body.

Claim 7

A vehicle having a front suspension anti-roll bar extending transversely of the vehicle, a rear axle and a lamp self-levelling system comprising: a. at least one lamp to be levelled; b. an arm extending vertically from the front anti-roll bar; c. a cylindrical housing; d. pivot means for hooking said housing to said arm at a location remote from the front anti-roll bar; e. an output signal piston slidably carried within said housing; f. a lamp tilting linkage connected to said output signal piston and to said at least one lamp; g. a first coil spring in said housing and having a first enD connected to said output signal piston and a second end connected to said housing; h. a second coil spring in said housing and having first and second ends, said first end being operably connected to said output signal piston; i. a cable having a first end operably connected to the second end of said second spring and having a second end disposed at a location on the vehicle remote from said housing; and j. means operably connecting said second end of the cable with said rear axle for pulling said second end of the cable away from said housing in response to a vertical movement of the rear of the vehicle body.

Claim 8

A vehicle as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means operably connecting the second end of said cable with the rear axle comprises an L-shaped arm having a first limb resting on the rear axle and a second limb operably connected to said second end of the cable, and a bracket secured to the vehicle body supporting said arm for pivoting movement whereby raising of the vehicle rear ground wheels relative to the vehicle body effects rearward movement of said second limb relative to the vehicle body.

Claim 9

A vehicle as set forth in claim 4 and including a rear body angle signal transmission piston slidable within said housing, said second spring being compressed between said output signal transmission piston and said rear body angle signal transmission piston; and a front body angle signal transmission abutment member secured within said housing, the said first spring being compressed between said output signal transmission piston and said front body angle signal transmission abutment member.

Claim 10

A vehicle having a lamp self-levelling system comprising: a. at least one lamp to be levelled; b. a cylindrical housing; c. first and second springs in said cylindrical housing and each having first and second ends; d. an output signal transmission piston slidably mounted in said housing and operably engaging said first ends of said first and second springs; e. means responsive to movement of the vehicle body for generating a front body angle signal, said front body angle signal generating means including a front body angle transmission piston operably engaging said second end of said first spring and secured within said housing and being connected to said front signal generating means movement longitudinally in response to vertical for movement of the front of the vehicle body relative to the vehicle point ground wheels; f. means responsive to movement of the vehicle body for generating a rear body angle signal, said rear body angle signal generating means including a rear body angle transmission piston connected to slide longitudinally of said housing in response to vertical movement of the rear of the vehicle body relative to the vehicle rear ground wheels, said second spring being compressed between said output signal transmission piston and said rear body angle signal transmission piston; g. lamp tilting linkage connected to said output signal transmission piston and to said at least one lamp for tilting said at least one lamp in response to movement of the vehicle body; and h. damper means operably connected to said lamp tilting linkage for damping lamp tilting movements; j. said rear vehicle body angle signal generating means further comprising a tubular piston support passing through said front body angle signal transmission piston and protruding from said housing for attachment to the remainder of the rear body angle signal generating means; k. said lamp tilting linkage further including: (ka) a diametrically extending pin on said output signal transmission piston; (kb) a piston rod mounted slidably within said tubular piston support; (kc) a pair of diametrically opposed slots extending longitudinally of said tubular piston support and slidably receiving said pin to lock the output signal transmission piston to said piston rod.

Claim 11

A vehicle having a lamp self-levelling system comprising: a. at least one lamp to be levelled; b. a cylindrical housing; c. first and second springs in said cylindrical housing and each having first and second ends; d. an output signal transmission piston slidably mounted in said housing and operably engaging said first ends of said first and second springs; e. means responsive to movement of the vehicle body for generating a front body angle signal, said front body angle signal generating means including a front body angle transmission piston operably engaging said second end of said first spring and secured within said housing and being connected to said front signal generating means movement longitudinally in response to vertical for movement of the front of the vehicle body relative to the vehicle point ground wheels; f. means responsive to movement of the vehicle body for generating a rear body angle signal, said rear body angle signal generating means including a rear body angle transmission piston connected to slide longitudinally of said housing in response to vertical movement of the rear of the vehicle body relative to the vehicle rear ground wheels, said second spring being compressed between said output signal transmission piston and said rear body angle signal transmission piston; g. lamp tilting linkage connected to said output signal transmission piston and to said at least one lamp for tilting said at least one lamp in response to movement of the vehicle body; and h. damper means operably connected to said lamp tilting linkage for damping lamp tilting movements; j. said rear vehicle body angle signal generating means further comprising a tubular piston support passing through said front body angle signal transmission piston and protruding from said housing for attachment to the remainder of the rear body angle signal generating means; k. said lamp tilting linkage further including: (ka) a diametrically extending pin on said output signal transmission piston; (kb) a piston rod mounted slidably within said tubular piston support; (kc) a pair of diametrically opposed slots extending longitudinally of said tubular piston support and slidably receiving said pin to lock the output signal transmission piston to said piston rod.