AU620516B2 - Apparatus to adjust wheel alignment geometry - Google Patents

Description

Registered Patent Attorney.

TO: THE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS

AUSTRALIA

KEH/8092T

I;

L '1 i:: 1

VA

I I-YX,?I-Cf~FII I 6205 16 FORM COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION S F Ref: 97504

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int. Class o o a 0008 00 0( 0 0 o o o o 00 «Q9 o 0o a Application Number: Lodged: PJ4460 30 May 1989 Cognated With: PJ5233 Lodged: 12 July 1989 Accepted: Publi shed: 0080 0 0« 0008 oo0 0 08 a o 0 9 a 00 0 a a a 0 0 A oo 1 I I

II

I I t |l Priority: Related Art: Name and Address .C e. C.l U 'p Lrn of Applicant: -TGAL-Pty-ttd- 86 Camder Valley Nay Narpllan New South Wales 2567 AUSTRALIA

T

Actual Inventor: Matthew Joseph Leighton, Colin Brendan Powers Address for Service: Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys, Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street, Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia Complete Specification for the invention entitled: Apparatus to Adjust Wheel Alignment Geometry The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us 03C 14991 22/05/90 5815/4

/Y

I a 1 ADJUSTABLE OFFSET BEARING BOSS ASSEMBLY The following invention relates to an adjustable offset bearing boss assembly to adjust wheel alignment geometry in road vehicles and more particularly though not exclusively to the adjustment of wheel caster and camber in the front wheels of four wheel drive vehicles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Typical four wheel drive vehicles have the camber and caster of the front wheels set at the factory. Such a set condition is a result of the inner axle housing being pivotally attached to the outer stub axle housing via pins located within both upper and lower tapered roller bearings.

This pre-set condition can often result in rapid tyre wear depending amongst other factors on the terrain over which the vehicle is 1 driven and the speed at which the vehicle is driven.

Apparatus to adjust wheel alignment geometry in four wheel drive vehicles to individual requirements are known. Once such known apparatus comprises a device to replace the standard zero offset lower bearing cap on the stub axle housing. This known apparatus has a fixed offset pin and accordingly, in order to carry out any further adjustment, a new 20 replacement part having a different fixed offset is required. The cost of such adjustment and time required to remove and replace the part are o +high.

0 Another known apparatus, comprises a replacement for the standard 0 zero offset lower bearing cap, wherein the replacement comprises an 9 409 S 25 adjustable cranked pin member mountable on a block which in turn is to mounted on the outer stub axle housing. The cranked pin member being rt" adapted to receive a self adjusting bearing mounted on the Inner axle housing. Such known replacement parts have the disadvantage that the too, cranked pin member often rattles loose causing loss of wheel alignment.

30 OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages. i There is disclosed herein an apparatus comprising: a boss, a mounting block supporting the boss in a selected orientation, 2 a protrusion extending from a first side of the boss remote from the mounting block and radially offset from said axis, the protrusion being adapted to locate a bearing assembly, attachment means to fix the boss to the mounting block, the attachment means comprising an elongated threaded member adapted to be received, or formed integrally with the boss so as to extend from a second side of the boss adjacent the mounting block through a hole in the mounting block at an acute angle approaching 900 with respect to the second side, and a nut adapted to be received by the longitudinal threaded member so that upon tightening of the nut, a combined tension and bending moment is imparted to the threaded member so as to securely fix the boss to the mounting block.

o, oBRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: j Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 3 a part sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 taken °0 20 along line 2-2 when partly assembled.

Fig. 3 is a part sectional view of the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2 when installed on a stub axle housing of a vehicle.

°4 Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a further embodiment of 099 this invention.

25 Fig. 5 is a part sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 4 taken ,S along line 5-5 when partly assembled.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An adjustable offset bearing boss assembly 1 cf this invention comprises a boss 3 formed integrally with a pin 2 as best seen in Figs. 2 30 and 5. Boss 3 sits in a circular recess 10 of mounting block Threaded into hole 11 of boss 3 is a threaded rod 4. The longitudinal axis of boss 3 is angularly offset with respect to the longitudinal axis of rod 4 by angle o. It should be noted t;hat a as depicted in Figs. 2 and 5 is exaggerated for the purpose of clarity. Onto rod 4 is placed washer 6 and nut 7 which when tightened, bends rod 4 as washer 6 is pressed essentially flush against surface 12 of block 5. As best shown In Figure 3, block 5 is attached by bolts through holes to the r TMS/29381 l. M i' L 'i'li:

I

2A outer stub axle housing 9. Onto pin 2 is mounteu 'elf aligning bearing 13 which is mounted to axle housing 8. The relative pivotal positioning of stub axle housing 9 with respect to axle housing 8 determines both the camber and caster of road wheel (not shown) attached to stub axle 15. A steering linkage (also not shown) is attached to stub axle housing 9. A ball joint 16 to transmit torque from axle 17 to stub axle 15 is located in between bearing 13 and bearing 19.

or 4 o Sa a oo a 0000 0* 0° 0 a a o o e *a 0 aa. oa ea a9 0 o a a Oa 0.0 O 0 0 a 0 a Si a a Soua a 00 0~ a6u9 a 0 00l 8 a oa 0 0 4 a 101000 .000 4r a a 0 I 0 I 00* a..

!fTS/29381 3 It should be noted that bearing 19 is also a self aligning type but need not necessarily be associated with another adjustment device 1, but rather with a standard zero offset pin.

Boss 3 and mounting block 5 may be provided with oil/grease holes 21 a.nd 20 respectively.

Two preferred embodiments of the present invention are depicted in Figures (1 to 4) and (5 to 6) respectively. The former being suitable for use in certain TOYOTA vehicles, the latter being suitable for use in certain FORD and NISSAN vehicles. The main differences being in the shape of mounting block 5. Block 5 in Fig. 1 is substantially rectangular in plan and recess 10 is formed below the upper surface of block 5. Block in Figure 4 is substantially square in plan and recess 10 is formed in a raised portion 23 of mounting block oi l In use, boss 3 is rotated into position in recess 10 of housing 5 so 000 I that pin 2 which is offset with respect to axis acquires a suitable orientation, both with respect to transverse and longitudinal directions of stub axle 15. Accordingly, caster and camber respectively of the road wheel are set. When the correct rotational orientation of boss 3 with respect to block 5 is achieved, nut 7 is tightened onto threaded rod 4.

0,.20 Upon tightening, rod 4 is flexed into a relatively straight position with a 0 0 residual bending and tensile stress therein. These combined stresses o" 0 firmly secure boss 3 to block a 0 0 Nut 7 may be of the nylon locking type to further assist in the retention of boss 3. Rod 4 in the preferred embodiment has a hexagonal recess in its end distal from boss 3. This recess is engagable by an Allan key or tHs like during the manufacturing process to thread rcJ 4 into hole 11.

It should be noted that changes obvious to those in related fields are not to be considered as beyond the scope of this invention. For example, threaded rod 4 could be formed integrally with boss 3.

KLN/23021

Claims (9)

1. Apparatus comprising: a boss, a mounting block supporting the boss in a selected orientation, a protrusion extending from a first side of the boss remote from the mounting block and radially offset from said axis, the protrusion being adapted to locate a bearing assembly, attachment means to fix the boss to the mounting block, the attachment means comprising an elongated threaded member adapted to be i received, or formed integrally with the boss so as to extend from a second side of the boss adjacent the mounting block through a hole in the mounting block at an acute angle approaching 900 with respect to the second side, and a nut adapted to be received by the longitudinal threaded member so ii ;15 that upon tightening of the nut, a combined tension and bending moment is imparted to the threaded member so as to securely fix the 1',ss to the Ssomounting block.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mounting is 4 011 essentially rectilinear and comprises a hole formed through regions of the block proximate each respective corner thereof, each hole being 'adapted to receive a threaded fastener which in use each attach the omounting block to a stub axle housing of a vehicle. S0

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the radially offset protrusion is a pin which is adapted to receive a self-aligning oo o 25 bearing in communication with an inner axle housing.

4. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims wherein the mounting block is provided with a recess into which the boss is adapted to sit.

The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a washer adapted to be received between the nut and the mounting block.

6. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims further comprising an oil/grease hole formed in the second side of the boss and/or an upper surface of the mounting block.

7. The apparatun of any one of the preceding claims wherein the longitudinal threaded member has fored in a distal end thereof an Allan key recess or the like so as to provide means by which the longitudinal threaded member may be secured to the boss. TMS/29381 "f i

8. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims wherein the boss is essentially cylindrical.

9. An apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this FOURTH day of DECEMBER 1991 Pro-Axle Australia Pty Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON 0 0 a 0000 00 00 0 0 0 0 40*0 0 00 0 0 0 0 9 0 R c a 0 00 0? 04 0 0* 0 a a 0 00 0 004 o.0 00 0 0 0^0 0 00 0 a OS 040 00 00n 000 0 0*; J *n AI wTMS/29381 A4 i