Suspension hydraulic roll stabilizer with leveling

Claim 2

In a vehicle suspension system having hydraulic struts between a sprung mass and its wheeled supports with hydraulic chambers in the struts cross-connected across the vehicle, means for leveling the sprung mass relative to its wheeled support comprising: a pair of hydraulic conduits extending across the vehicle and cross-connecting the hydraulic chambers of the struts to provide horizontal stability of the sprung mass upon the wheeled support, each conduit and connected chambers providing a separate hydraulic system, a controllable conduit communicating only with and connecting said hydraulic systems, a valve controlling fluid flow through said controllable conduit, and a puMp for moving fluid from one hydraulic conduit to the other selectively.

Claim 3

Means for leveling a sprung mass as specified in claim 1 wherein the controllable conduit extends between and connects said systems by connection to the cross-connecting hydraulic conduits.

Claim 4

Means for leveling a sprung mass as specified in claim 1 in which each separate hydraulic system is a closed system and said controllable conduit is arranged to transfer hydraulic fluid only between said systems.

Claim 5

Means for leveling a sprung mass as specified in claim 3 in which each separate hydraulic system is provided with a pneumatic-hydraulic accumulator in communication with the system providing the latter with a spring rate.

Claim 6

Means for leveling a sprung mass as specified in claim 1 in which the pump for moving fluid through the controllable conduit is a hand pump controllable in direction of flow through the conduit.

Claim 7

Means for leveling a sprung mass as specified in claim 1 in which the pump for moving fluid through the controllable conduit is a motor driven pump controllable in direction of flow through the conduit.

Claim 8

A suspension system for a wheeled vehicle having a sprung mass supported upon wheeled supports, comprising: hydraulic fluid filled struts extending between the sprung mass and each wheeled support, each strut having a cylinder, a piston rod and a piston in the cylinder fixed to the rod with the cylinder and rod each pivoted respectively to one of said mass and wheeled support, said piston dividing the cylinder interior into separate hydraulic fluid cap end and rod end chambers, each variable in volume upon movement of the piston in the cylinder, fluid conduits respectively connecting cap end to rod end fluid chambers of each pair of struts across the vehicle and an accumulator operatively connected with each such fluid conduit forming a pair of hydraulic systems providing a spring rate for the mass supported, and conduit means connecting said pair of fluid systems only with each other and having a valve and a pump therein for selective transfer of hydraulic fluid from one to the other of said systems for leveling the sprung mass relative to its wheeled support.

Claim 9

A suspension system for a wheeled vehicle having a sprung mass supported upon wheeled supports, comprising: hydraulic fluid filled struts extending between the sprung mass and each wheeled support, each strut having a cylinder, a piston rod and a piston in the cylinder fixed to the rod with the cylinder and rod each pivoted respectively to one of said mass and wheeled support, said piston dividing the cylinder interior into separate hydraulic fluid cap end and rod end chambers, each variable in volume upon movement of the piston in the cylinder, fluid conduits respectively connecting cap end to rod end fluid chambers of each pair of struts across the vehicle and an accumulator operatively connected with each such fluid conduit forming a pair of hydraulic systems providing a spring rate for the mass supported, and conduit means connecting said pair of fluid systems only with each other and having a valve and a pump therein for selective transfer of hydraulic fluid from one to the other of said systems for leveling the sprung mass relative to its wheeled support.