Vehicle load sensing arrangements

Claim 1

In or for a vehicle having an unsprung part and a sprung part and road spring means between said parts, a vehicle load sensing arrangement for a vehicle braking system, said arrangement comprising means defining a first bore, an input member slidably operating in said first bore and being subjected to the force of said road spring means, a stop formed on said input member, a plate engageable with said stop, resilient means having two opposed ends, one end of said resilient means engaging said plate to urge it into engagement with said stop, said resilient means applying a predetermined force which is transmitted through said plate and said stop to said input member in opposition to said road spring means, and the other end of said resilient means engaging said sprung part of said vehicle, means defining a second bore having a cross-sectional area less than said first bore, a valve having a valve member slidably operating in said second bore and movable to control the flow of pressure fluid through said valve, said input member and said valve member being substantially in alignment, and elastomeric means located between and engaging said input member and said valve member and being capable of being urged into said second bore, whereby only a proportion of the force of said road spring means applied to said input member in excess of said resilient means force is transmitted by said elastomeric means to the said valve member, the remaining proportion of said excess force being transmitted to said sprung part of said vehicle.