Air spring suspension with angular torque beam, U-joint mount therefor, and lateral guides

Claim 2

A suspension system for supporting the chassis of a vehicle from at least one axle comprising a relatively rigid, non-yieldable torque beam adapted to mount to the axle, a spring means mounted to an end of said torque beam and adapted to mount to the chassis, and means to mount the other end of said torque beam to the chassis, said beam mounting means having means less rigid and more yieldable than the torque beam to permit limited revolution of said beam thereabout in a longitudinal plane, and to permit limited rotation of said beam about its longitudinal axis to minimize torsional forces in the torque beam as the axle moves with respect to the chassis.

Claim 3

The suspension of claim 1 wherein the torque beam mounting means includes a universal joint.

Claim 4

The suspension of claim 2 wherein the spring means is an air spring.

Claim 5

The suspension of claim 2 further comprising a hanger assembly for mounting to the chassis and depending downwardly therefrom, said universal joint including a pair of transversely oriented bushings, one of said bushings being adapted to pivotally mount thereto to the hanger assembly.

Claim 6

The suspension of claim 4 further comprising a shock absorber pivotally mounted to the beam and adapted to pivotally mount to the chassis.

Claim 7

The device of claim 4 further comprising a second suspension system mounted to the other side of the vehicle and wherein said hanger assemblies include a first portion mounted substantially beneath the chassis, and a second portion mounted outboard thereof, said second portion having means to pivotally mount said universal joint, and a bolster beam extending between said hanger assemblies.

Claim 8

The device of claim 4 wherein the beam is mounted to the axle in an overslung manner, and the bushing mounted to the hanger assembly is oriented below the other bushing comprising the universal joint.

Claim 9

The device of claim 4 wherein the beam is mounted to the axle in an underslung manner, and the bushing mounted to the hanger assembly is oriented above the other bushing comprising the universal joint.

Claim 10

The suspension of claim 2 wherein the universal joint comprises a first elastomeric bushing coaxially mounted to the beam and a second elastomeric bushing transversely mounted to said first bushing and adapted to mount to the chassis.

Claim 11

The suspension of claim 9 wherein at least one of said bushings includes at least one generally cylindrical elastomeric member and means to compress said elastomeric member comprising at least one compression plate, and means to tighten said compression plate against said elastomeric member.

Claim 12

The device of claim 9 wherein said transversely mounted bushing has its axis oriented substantially along the same horizontal plane as the axle.

Claim 13

The suspension of claim 1 wherein the beam comprises two beam members, and further comprising at least one bushing pivotally connecting said beam members.

Claim 14

The suspension of claim 12 wherein said beam members comprise a fore beam and an aft beam, and wherein the aft beam member is rigidly connected to the axle, the spring means being mounted to said aft beam member, and wherein two spaced apart bushings join the beam members, the fore beam member extending forwardly from the axle, and further comprising a hanger assembly depending downwardly from the chassis, said beam mounting means mounting the forward end of sad fore beam member to the hanger assembly.

Claim 15

The suspension of claim 12 wherein a pair of spaced bushings are each pivotally connected between said beam members.

Claim 16

The suspension of claim 14 wherein both of said bushings and the beam are mounted substantially above the horizontal centerline of the axle, and one of said bushings is substantialy aligned with the vertical centerline of the axle.

Claim 17

The suspension of claim 14 wherein both of said bushings and the beam are mounted substantially below the horizontal centerline of the axle, and one of said bushings is mounted fore of the axle and the other of said bushings is mounted aft of the axle.

Claim 18

The suspension of claim 14 wherein each bushing has an elastomeric member to permit limited oscillation between said beam members.

Claim 19

In a suspension assembly for supporting a vehicle chassis from at least one vehicle axle, said chassis having a longitudinally extending rail frame undercarriage, said suspension having a longitudinally extending torque arm, the improvement comprising means to pivotally connect the forward end of the torque arm outboard of said rail frame including a hanger assembly adapted to mount to the rail frame and depend downwardly therefrom, said hanger assembly including a pair of spaced vertically depending brackets, said rackets having means to mount a bushing therebetween, and a bolster beam extending between said brackets and laterally underneath the rail frame to strengthen said vertical brackets.

Claim 20

In a suspension assembly for supporting a vehicle chassis from at least one vehicle axle, said chassis having a longitudinally extending rail frame undercarriage, said suspension having a longitudinally extending torque arm, the improvement comprising means to pivotally connect the forward end of the torque arm outboard of said rail frame including a hanger assembly adapted to mount to the rail frame and depend downwardly therefrom, said hanger assembly including a pair of spaced vertically depending brackets, said rackets having means to mount a bushing therebetween, and a bolster beam extending between said brackets and laterally underneath the rail frame to strengthen said vertical brackets.

Claim 21

The device of claim 18 wherein a suspension is mounted between the axle and chassis on both sides of the vehicle, and wherein the bolster beam extends between hanger assemblies on both sides of the vehicle.

Claim 22

A suspension system for supporting the chassis of a vehicle from at least one axle comprising a rigid, relatively non-yieldable torque beam having first and second ends, means spaced from the first end for joining the torque beam to the axle, spring means connected between the torque beam and the chassis at a position spaced from the first end of the torque beam, the chassis having a torque beam support, connector means to support the first end of the torque beam by the support, the connector means including a first element that is more yieldable than the torque beam and being positioned intermediate the torque beam and the support to permit limited pivoting about a transverse axis at the first element, and including a second element that is more yieldable than the torque beam and being positioned intermediate the torque beam and the support to permit limited rotation of the torque beam about a longitudinal axis upon yielding of the second element to forces applied in torsion to the torque beam, whereby the torque beam can be of rigid, relatively non-yieldable construction and yet have limited revolution about a transverse axis and limited rotation about a longitudinal axis.

Claim 23

A suspension system for supporting the chassis of a vehicle from at least one axle comprising a rigid, relatively non-yieldable torque beam having first and second ends, means spaced from the first end for joining the torque beam to the axle, spring means connected between the torque beam and the chassis at a position spaced from the first end of the torque beam, the chassis having a torque beam support, connector means to support the first end of the torque beam by the support, the connector means including a first element that is more yieldable than the torque beam and being positioned intermediate the torque beam and the support to permit limited pivoting about a transverse axis at the first element, and including a second element that is more yieldable than the torque beam and being positioned intermediate the torque beam and the support to permit limited rotation of the torque beam about a longitudinal axis upon yielding of the second element to forces applied in torsion to the torque beam, whereby the torque beam can be of rigid, relatively non-yieldable construction and yet have limited revolution about a transverse axis and limited rotation about a longitudinal axis.

Claim 24

The suspension system of claim 20 wherein the first element is an elastomer member having one side fixed to the support and the other side fixed to the second element.

Claim 25

The suspension system of claim 21 wherein the second element comprises an elastomer member having one side fixed to the first element and another side fixed to the torque beam.

Claim 26

The suspension system of claim 20 wherein the axle is between the spring means and the first end of the torque beam.

Claim 27

The suspension system of claim 20 wherein the spring means is adjacent the second end of the torque beam.

Claim 28

The suspension system of claim 20 wherein the torque beam has a first horizontal section, a second horizontal section vertically offset from the first horizontal section, and a generally vertical section between the first and second horizontal sections; and the spring means is mounted to the second horizontal section.

Claim 29

The suspension system of claim 25 wherein the second horizontal section is lower than the first horizontal section.

Claim 30

The suspension system of claim 26 wherein the axle is mounted to the first horizontal section.

Claim 31

The suspension system of claim 27 wherein the first horizontal section is mounted to the axle in an overslung manner.

Claim 32

The suspension system of claim 20 wherein the spring means comprises an air spring.

Claim 33

The suspension system of claim 20 further comprising a hanger assembly depending downwardly from the chassis, the first element comprising a bushing adapted to pivotally mount to the hanger assembly.

Claim 34

The suspension system of claim 30 further comprising a second suspension system, the first mentioned and the second suspension system being on opposite sides of the vehicle, the hanger assembly of each system having at least a portion mounted outboard of the chassis.