Automobile vehicles

Claim 2

In a motor vehicle including front and rear axles, the invention which comprises: an engine; a chassis for connecting the front axle with the rear axle, said chassis including a pair of parallel spaced longitudinal members each having at one end a raised portion; a body connected to the chassis through resilient means enabling deflections between the body and the chassis in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and substantially preventing other deflections; and means connecting said engine to and between said raised portions so that the engine extends transversely between said longitudinal members, thereby causing said engine to serve as a cross member for contributing to the rigidity of the chassis by opposing any substantial deflection between the engine and the chassis in longitudinal and transverse directions of the vehicle.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said raised portions are arranged at the front ends of said longitudinal members; and further wherein said connecting means comprises on each side of the engine a rigid support element (8) having the form of a hollow caisson, said engine being rigidly connected with said support elements, and means (14) fastening said support elements with said raised portion, said fastening means opposing any substantial deflection of the support elements with respect to the chassis.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said connecting means for connecting the engine with the chassis are rigid.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said connecting means includes elastic linking means (14) connected between said engine and said chassis for causing the longitudinal and transverse forces acting on the engine to be applied to said linking means as forces of compression and extension, the thickness of said elastic linking means, in thE compression direction, being slight, the arrangement of said elastic linking means being such that the angular deflections of the engine caused by variations in the torque thereof are transferred to the elastic linking means in the shear direction.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said elastic linking means include blocks of elastomeric material.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said connecting means comprise on each side of the engine a rigid support element in the form of a hollow caisson, said engine being rigidly fastened to said support elements, and suspension arm means connected with said support means and extending longitudinally of the engine for supporting wheels of the vehicle at the level thereof, whereby the engine, the support members, the suspension arm means and the associated wheels may be removed as a unit from the chassis.

Claim 8

In a motor vehicle including front and rear axles, the invention which comprises an engine; a chassis for connecting the front axle with the rear axle, said chassis including a pair of parallel spaced longitudinal members (31) each having at its forward end a raised portion (4) which defines a caisson; means for connecting transversely between said raised portions only said engine, said connecting means including a plurality of linking elements having blocks of elastic material operable in compression or extension, said blocks being arranged to prevent any substantial deflection of the engine in the longitudinal and transverse directions relative to the vehicle while permitting oscillation of the engine about its axis.

Claim 9

In a motor vehicle including front and rear axles, the invention which comprises an engine; a chassis for connecting the front axle with the rear axle, said chassis including a pair of parallel spaced longitudinal members (31) each having at its forward end a raised portion (4) which defines a caisson; means for connecting transversely between said raised portions only said engine, said connecting means including a plurality of linking elements having blocks of elastic material operable in compression or extension, said blocks being arranged to prevent any substantial deflection of the engine in the longitudinal and transverse directions relative to the vehicle while permitting oscillation of the engine about its axis.

Claim 10

In a motor vehicle including front and rear axles, the invention which comprises: an engine; a chassis for connecting the front axle with the rear axle, said chassis including a pair of parallel spaced longitudinal members each having at the front end thereof a raised portion; means connecting said engine between said raised portions, thereby causing said engine to serve as a cross member for contributing to the rigidity of the chassis by opposing any substantial deflection between the engine and the chassis in longitudinal and transverse directions of the vehicle, said connecting means comprising on each side of the engine a rigid support element; said engine being rigidly connected with said support elements; means fastening said support elements with said raised portions, said fastening means opposing any substantial deflection of the support elements with respect to the chassis, said fastening means comprising elastic means adapted to filter noise and vibration, and the lower portion of each support element being rigidly connected with said chassis; and cross member means for connecting the upper portions of said raised portions with each other, the lower portions of said support elements being connected together by said engine.

Claim 11

In a motor vehicle including front and rear axles, the invention which comprises: an engine; a chassis for connecting the front axle with the rear axle, said chassis including a pair of parallel spaced longitudinal members each having at the front end thereof a raised portion; means connecting said engine between said raised portions, thereby causing said engine to serve as a cross member for contributing to the rigidity of the chassis by opposing any substantial deflection between the engine and the chassis in longitudinal and transverse directions of the vehicle, said connecting means comprising on each side of the engine a rigid support element; said engine being rigidly connected with said support elements; means fastening said support elements with said raised portions, said fastening means opposing any substantial deflection of the support elements with respect to the chassis, said fastening means comprising elastic means adapted to filter noise and vibration, and the lower portion of each support element being rigidly connected with said chassis; and cross member means for connecting the upper portions of said raised portions with each other, the lower portions of said support elements being connected together by said engine.