CA2090068A1 - Rigid beam suspension assembly for trailers - Google Patents
Rigid beam suspension assembly for trailersInfo
- Publication number
- CA2090068A1 CA2090068A1 CA 2090068 CA2090068A CA2090068A1 CA 2090068 A1 CA2090068 A1 CA 2090068A1 CA 2090068 CA2090068 CA 2090068 CA 2090068 A CA2090068 A CA 2090068A CA 2090068 A1 CA2090068 A1 CA 2090068A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- tube
- trailer
- shaft
- frame
- vehicle
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
- B60G11/00—Resilient suspensions characterised by arrangement, location or kind of springs
- B60G11/26—Resilient suspensions characterised by arrangement, location or kind of springs having fluid springs only, e.g. hydropneumatic springs
- B60G11/27—Resilient suspensions characterised by arrangement, location or kind of springs having fluid springs only, e.g. hydropneumatic springs wherein the fluid is a gas
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
- B60G3/00—Resilient suspensions for a single wheel
- B60G3/02—Resilient suspensions for a single wheel with a single pivoted arm
- B60G3/12—Resilient suspensions for a single wheel with a single pivoted arm the arm being essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle
- B60G3/14—Resilient suspensions for a single wheel with a single pivoted arm the arm being essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle the arm being rigid
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
- B60G7/00—Pivoted suspension arms; Accessories thereof
- B60G7/02—Attaching arms to sprung part of vehicle
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
- B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
- B62D21/00—Understructures, i.e. chassis frame on which a vehicle body may be mounted
- B62D21/11—Understructures, i.e. chassis frame on which a vehicle body may be mounted with resilient means for suspension, e.g. of wheels or engine; sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
- B60G2200/00—Indexing codes relating to suspension types
- B60G2200/10—Independent suspensions
- B60G2200/13—Independent suspensions with longitudinal arms only
- B60G2200/132—Independent suspensions with longitudinal arms only with a single trailing arm
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
- B60G2202/00—Indexing codes relating to the type of spring, damper or actuator
- B60G2202/10—Type of spring
- B60G2202/15—Fluid spring
- B60G2202/152—Pneumatic spring
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
- B60G2204/00—Indexing codes related to suspensions per se or to auxiliary parts
- B60G2204/10—Mounting of suspension elements
- B60G2204/14—Mounting of suspension arms
- B60G2204/143—Mounting of suspension arms on the vehicle body or chassis
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
- B60G2204/00—Indexing codes related to suspensions per se or to auxiliary parts
- B60G2204/40—Auxiliary suspension parts; Adjustment of suspensions
- B60G2204/41—Elastic mounts, e.g. bushings
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
- B60G2206/00—Indexing codes related to the manufacturing of suspensions: constructional features, the materials used, procedures or tools
- B60G2206/01—Constructional features of suspension elements, e.g. arms, dampers, springs
- B60G2206/10—Constructional features of arms
- B60G2206/123—Constructional features of arms the arm having T-shape
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
- B60G2300/00—Indexing codes relating to the type of vehicle
- B60G2300/02—Trucks; Load vehicles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
- B60G2300/00—Indexing codes relating to the type of vehicle
- B60G2300/03—Silo or fluid transporting vehicles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
- B60G2300/00—Indexing codes relating to the type of vehicle
- B60G2300/04—Trailers
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
- B60G2300/00—Indexing codes relating to the type of vehicle
- B60G2300/38—Low or lowerable bed vehicles
Abstract
ABSTRACT
A rigid beam suspension assembly for trailers is provided having a transverse pivot shaft rigidly affixed to a frame of the trailer and projecting horizontally outwardly therefrom; a cylindrical bearing rotatably mounted on the pivot shaft; a rigid beam member rigidly affixed at a forward end thereof to the cylindrical bearing at its outer end and perpendicular thereto, and adapted at a mid portion to support a wheel axle; and the rigid beam member having a compression spring means affixed at a rear end thereof to meet the vertical frame.
A rigid beam suspension assembly for trailers is provided having a transverse pivot shaft rigidly affixed to a frame of the trailer and projecting horizontally outwardly therefrom; a cylindrical bearing rotatably mounted on the pivot shaft; a rigid beam member rigidly affixed at a forward end thereof to the cylindrical bearing at its outer end and perpendicular thereto, and adapted at a mid portion to support a wheel axle; and the rigid beam member having a compression spring means affixed at a rear end thereof to meet the vertical frame.
Description
o ~
RIGID B~AM SUSP~NSION ASS~MBLY FOR TRAILERS
BACKGROUND OF TH~ INVENTION
Field_of the Lnven~ion The present invention ~elates to tractor-trailer rigs in general, and in particular to semi-trailers and the like such as over-the-ruad haulers, liquid tank trailers, and so forth. More particularly still, it relates to wheel suspensions of the rigid beam type.
Prior Art of the Invention Rigid beam suspensions are known from Vnited States Patent 3,332,701 ~ranted July 2S, 1967, to Lloyd D.
Masser and titled "Suspension For Automotive Vehicles."
The patent states that the suspension disclosed is especially adapted ~or the use of air sprin~s in commercial vehicles, and continues:
"The inherent lack of lateral stability of an air ~pring, which e6sentially is an air-in~late~ bag9 has necessitated in previous air suspensions the use of relatively complicated systems of torque rods, lateral stabi.lizer bars, bolsters, a~d the like, esPeciallY in tandem structures. Such :.
RIGID B~AM SUSP~NSION ASS~MBLY FOR TRAILERS
BACKGROUND OF TH~ INVENTION
Field_of the Lnven~ion The present invention ~elates to tractor-trailer rigs in general, and in particular to semi-trailers and the like such as over-the-ruad haulers, liquid tank trailers, and so forth. More particularly still, it relates to wheel suspensions of the rigid beam type.
Prior Art of the Invention Rigid beam suspensions are known from Vnited States Patent 3,332,701 ~ranted July 2S, 1967, to Lloyd D.
Masser and titled "Suspension For Automotive Vehicles."
The patent states that the suspension disclosed is especially adapted ~or the use of air sprin~s in commercial vehicles, and continues:
"The inherent lack of lateral stability of an air ~pring, which e6sentially is an air-in~late~ bag9 has necessitated in previous air suspensions the use of relatively complicated systems of torque rods, lateral stabi.lizer bars, bolsters, a~d the like, esPeciallY in tandem structures. Such :.
2~0fi~
~ 2 equipment is relatively heavy and reduces the amount of payload which can be carried by the vehicle where load restrictions are in force.
Moreover, such equipment is expensive and gives rise to design problems in the relatively crowded understructures of commercial vehicles.
The object of this invention is to provide a simple, light-weight, relatively inexpensive air spring suspension s-tructure which eliminates the necessity for torque rods, stabilizer bars, bolsters, and the like and which can he used in either sin~le- or multiple-axle arrangements.
In general, the invention contemplates the use of substantially rigid control arms extending longitudinally away from pivotal mounts at opposite sides of the vehicle, the springs being disposed in load-transmittin~ relation between portions of the arms and vehicle frame.
.: , A substantially rigid wheel-carrying axle is attached to the arms, and each axle attachment includes two pins which extend generally parallel :: , - 3 - ~0~3~3 to the axle, the pins being spaced apar~ to provide a broad base for support a~ainst lateral thrust on the control arms and against drive or braking torque on the a~le. Bodies of ruhber or the like are confined between the pins and adjacent portions of the axle attachments. The arms and their pivotal mounts and the axle and axle attachments are capable of themselves of withstanding the torsional and lateral forces thereon incidental to operation of the vehicle."
A generally useful bac~ground discussion of rigid beam type suspensions is found in United States Patent 4,566,719 g-ranted January 28, 1986 to Ervin K. Van Denberg. The patent states:
"Rigid beams> while denoted 'rigid', do, of course, flex during operation of the vehicle. This flexing is, simply stated, less than tha~ of a conventional, flexible leaf spring type of beam;
t~us requiring resilient mountings at either or both of the two aforementioned points. Not only do such beams flex during operation, but they must be :
- . ~ , .: :. ............................ :
,.
- 4 - 2~9~
allowed to flex or, given reasonable sizes and thicknesses, they wilL hreak during vehicle operation, Indeed, early attempts to rigidity connection~s in the beams either at the frame connecting member (e.g. a hanger bracket) or at the axle connection (or at both) without providing sufficient resiliency at one or both of the connections proved futile in that frequent beam breakage was experienced."
The patent continues to state that one early solution to this problem was to provide a relatively small resilient pivot bushing at the hanger (connection) and that while somewhat success~ul, wear-out of the resilient bushing was a frequent problem.
Both United States Patents 3,332,701 and 4,566,7l9 are incorporated herein by reference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
T~e present invention provides a rigid beam suspension system exhibiting improved torsional 2~ stability while being simple in design and construction.
: :
.: , , ." . .
2~9~JlJ~
In a narrower aspect, the present invention provides a combined main frame and suspension assembly, which7 in cer-tain embodiments permits a decrease in trailer height and/or lower center of gravity for improved stability.
In a preferred embodiment of the pre~ent invention, the conventional I-beams, running the length of the trailer, are replaced by a tubular beam, such as a rectangular tube, which provides additional ~apacity for carrying fuel or other liquids.
It is expected that the present invention will lead to the design of multi-wheel vehi~les, especially semi-trailers, which exhibit improved stability and safety of operation. It appears that such vehicles may provide better load weight distribution among the wheels, and should improve ~he durability of the unit in road use.
In the embodiments incorporating a closed or open ~ubular longitudinal beam additional load may be accomodated, leading ~o lar~er loads for light materials, or lower center of gravity for heavy materials such as liquids, or additional fuel capacity.
" . . :: :
, B ,' ~901)~3 Accordingly, the present i.nvention provides a rigid beam type wheel suspension for a wheeled vehicle7 comprising, on each side of said vehicle: a transverse pivot shaft rigidly affixed to a frame of said wheeled vehicle and proJecting horizontally outwardly therefrom;
a cylindrical bearing rotatably mounted on said pivot shaft; a ri~id beam memb0r rigidly affixed at a forward end thereof to said cylindrical bearing at its outer end and perpendicular thereto, and adapted at a mid portion to support a wheel axle; and said rigid beam member havin~ a compression spring means affixed at a rear end thereof ~o meet said vertical frame.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a combined main frame and suspension assembly for trailer lS vehicles and the like, comprising: a main load carrying frame for said trailer vehicle, a longitudinal tubular main frame beam extending substantially along the length of said main frame at a lower part thereof and adapted ~o-r storage of cargo therein; and at least a pair of wheel suspension assemblies affixed one on either side of said tubular main beam.
.
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In a further embodimPnt, the invention prDvides a combination oE a main frame with suspension assemblies for a trailer vehicle, or the like, comprising: a main load carrying frame for a trailer bndy or load, having a S main tubular beam longitudinally extendin~ along said main frame providing the vehicle with torsional stability and with tank capacity Por carryin~ fuel or other cargo, said main frame further having a number of pairs of cross beams spaced along the length of said tube beam, extending from both sides of said tube beam at its upper portion and forming a base for positioning the trailer body or loads, a number of pairs of suspension assemblies corresponding to a number of said cross beams, each pair of said suspension assemblies lS linking a pair of split-wheel axles to the two sides of said tube beam respectively, each suspension assembly further comprisin& on each side of said tube beam a cushioning pneumatic spring, a wheel axis support arm : which extends parallel to said tube beam and is pivoted at~ its one end on a shaft extending transversely through said tube beam at its lo~er portion, and attached at its other end to the spring ~which is secured to said tub~
beam, said shaf~ bein& held at its outer end by a 2 ~ 8 bracket depending from said cross beam, said wheel axles being incorporated into said support arm at its middle portion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The preferred embodiment o~ the present invention will now be described in detail in corlJunction with the at~ached drawing fi~ures, in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevation o~ a wheel suspension and partial view o~ the frarne of a trailer in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is a view alon~ the line A-A in Figure l;
and Figure 3 is a top partially exploded view of the ri-~ht-hand suspension shown in Figure 2 without the trailer frame.
.. . . .
. . .
. .
~` ` ' ' `
2 0 9 ~
_ 9 _ Figures 4, 5, and 6 show additional embodiments of the tubular longitudinal beam~ and of the loading portion of the vehicle.
DESCRIPTION OF THE. PREFERRED EMBO~IMENT
With reference to Fi~ures 1 and 2 of the drawings there is illustrated part of a trailer showing one set of two dual wheels on either side, usually being one of several sets of such wheels supporting the trailer on the road surface along the length thereof. The trailer lQ frame comprises a supportin~ rectangular tubular beam 10 running along the length of the trailer, which is shown here only in the vicinity of a set of trailer wheels 11.
An axle 12 of the wheels 11 is anchored in a suitable and conventional manner on a rigid beam 13 having at one end thereof a conventional air bag spring 14 and welded ; at its other end to a swivelling pivot bearin~ (fulcrum) 15, the bearing 15 surrounding and mounted on a fixed -shaft 16 with a cylindrical TEFLON (TM) bushing 17 between the swivelling bearing 15 and the fixed shaft 16. The shaft 16 extends on either side of the .~ rectangular beam lO, piercing throu~h and being welded 2 ~ 9 ~
to the latter. Between the outer wall of the rectangular beam 10 and the acljacent end of the bearing 15 there is a w~sher 18 welded~ to the outer wall o~ the rectangular beam 10 in order to protect it frorn wear and friction due to the movement of the cylindrical bearing 15. The outside end of the cylinder 15 i5 prevented from axial movement by means of a bolt 19 bolted tu a bracket 20 at the end of which the shaft lh is anchored.
The upper end of the bracket 20 is affixed to cross beam 21, which, together with the rectangular beam 10 to which it is welded, forms part of the supporting frame of the trailer. Cross beam 21 also terminates at its outer end in a vertical stake well 22 for receiving a stake 23 which forms part of the frame superstructure of the trailer. A trailer load is shown symbolically as tree logs 24.
In the above description only the right-hand side suspens:ion was described, the other (left-hand) side bein~ a mirror image thereof. As may be seen f rom the description the simple eonstruction of the rigid beam suspension exhibits a pivot joint with a long inCerface between the pivoting cylin~ical bearing 15 and the fixed pivot shaft 19, thereby improving the stability of the independent wheel suspension. A shaft 16 thickness of three inches in diameter is suf`ficient for an eight ~oot long shaft spanning the width of a conventional heavy duty hauler.
In the disclosed embodimen-t, the shaft 16 extends transversely through the main support beam 10 at a level 9.5 inches above its bottom wall, which is itself approximately 12 inches above ground in operation. In cross section the main support beam 10 is 24 inches by 30 inches and is made of 3/8 inch thick steel. The pivo~ cylindrical bearing 15 is made from steel tubing havin~ 4 inches internal diameter and is 3~ inches long.
Thus the nylon bushing 17 is made from a 1 inch thick nylon tube having a 3 inches internal diameter and is also 35 inches long. The washer 18 is a 112 inch thick steel washer with 4 inches internal diameter.
As may be seen from Figure 2, the fact that the shaft 16 goes through the main support beam 10, permits smaller trailer height with the load being closer to the :,:. ~ .
.
:
., , , 2 ~
ground and thereEore increa~sed stability due to the lower center of gravity of the entire trailer. This would be particularly advantageous for liquid tank trailers9 especially when they are not completely filled. Figure 5 shows a flalt bed 25 trailer profile, in which some of the aforementioned advantages would still be obtained.
A further advantage of using a sealed reetan~ular or otherwise tubular box or cylindrical for ~he main frame beam lO is that the enclosed volume may be used for additional fuel tank capacity, or for any other purpose. Of course, the advantages of the ri~id beam suspension itself, as disclosed herein, are independent of whether the main support beam lO is a volume enclosing tube or not. For it may be any other type of sufficiently rigid support beam for anchoring a fixed pivot shaft on either side thereof.
- - The rigid beam 13 itself is square in cross section measuring 6 inches nn each side with the axle 12 anchored through it a~ a distance of 27 inches from the center cf the shaft 16. The cen-tral axis of the air bag - . .
' - 13 - 2~9~
14, which is preferably bolted to a plate welded to the ri&id beam 13, is at a distance of 23 inches from the center of the axle 12.
Figures 4 and 6 show such rigid beams 10 which are S at least partly open at the top to communicate with the main volume containin~ enclosures 26 (Figure 4) and 27 (Figure 6), and so are adapted to increase directly the load capacity of the trailer, even for solid or granular loads; but more importantly for tank trailers, where given the same capacity the centre of gravity is lowered as in Figure 6.
.
- , , -; - .: : :-, . , , : . : - :
:. . :
~ 2 equipment is relatively heavy and reduces the amount of payload which can be carried by the vehicle where load restrictions are in force.
Moreover, such equipment is expensive and gives rise to design problems in the relatively crowded understructures of commercial vehicles.
The object of this invention is to provide a simple, light-weight, relatively inexpensive air spring suspension s-tructure which eliminates the necessity for torque rods, stabilizer bars, bolsters, and the like and which can he used in either sin~le- or multiple-axle arrangements.
In general, the invention contemplates the use of substantially rigid control arms extending longitudinally away from pivotal mounts at opposite sides of the vehicle, the springs being disposed in load-transmittin~ relation between portions of the arms and vehicle frame.
.: , A substantially rigid wheel-carrying axle is attached to the arms, and each axle attachment includes two pins which extend generally parallel :: , - 3 - ~0~3~3 to the axle, the pins being spaced apar~ to provide a broad base for support a~ainst lateral thrust on the control arms and against drive or braking torque on the a~le. Bodies of ruhber or the like are confined between the pins and adjacent portions of the axle attachments. The arms and their pivotal mounts and the axle and axle attachments are capable of themselves of withstanding the torsional and lateral forces thereon incidental to operation of the vehicle."
A generally useful bac~ground discussion of rigid beam type suspensions is found in United States Patent 4,566,719 g-ranted January 28, 1986 to Ervin K. Van Denberg. The patent states:
"Rigid beams> while denoted 'rigid', do, of course, flex during operation of the vehicle. This flexing is, simply stated, less than tha~ of a conventional, flexible leaf spring type of beam;
t~us requiring resilient mountings at either or both of the two aforementioned points. Not only do such beams flex during operation, but they must be :
- . ~ , .: :. ............................ :
,.
- 4 - 2~9~
allowed to flex or, given reasonable sizes and thicknesses, they wilL hreak during vehicle operation, Indeed, early attempts to rigidity connection~s in the beams either at the frame connecting member (e.g. a hanger bracket) or at the axle connection (or at both) without providing sufficient resiliency at one or both of the connections proved futile in that frequent beam breakage was experienced."
The patent continues to state that one early solution to this problem was to provide a relatively small resilient pivot bushing at the hanger (connection) and that while somewhat success~ul, wear-out of the resilient bushing was a frequent problem.
Both United States Patents 3,332,701 and 4,566,7l9 are incorporated herein by reference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
T~e present invention provides a rigid beam suspension system exhibiting improved torsional 2~ stability while being simple in design and construction.
: :
.: , , ." . .
2~9~JlJ~
In a narrower aspect, the present invention provides a combined main frame and suspension assembly, which7 in cer-tain embodiments permits a decrease in trailer height and/or lower center of gravity for improved stability.
In a preferred embodiment of the pre~ent invention, the conventional I-beams, running the length of the trailer, are replaced by a tubular beam, such as a rectangular tube, which provides additional ~apacity for carrying fuel or other liquids.
It is expected that the present invention will lead to the design of multi-wheel vehi~les, especially semi-trailers, which exhibit improved stability and safety of operation. It appears that such vehicles may provide better load weight distribution among the wheels, and should improve ~he durability of the unit in road use.
In the embodiments incorporating a closed or open ~ubular longitudinal beam additional load may be accomodated, leading ~o lar~er loads for light materials, or lower center of gravity for heavy materials such as liquids, or additional fuel capacity.
" . . :: :
, B ,' ~901)~3 Accordingly, the present i.nvention provides a rigid beam type wheel suspension for a wheeled vehicle7 comprising, on each side of said vehicle: a transverse pivot shaft rigidly affixed to a frame of said wheeled vehicle and proJecting horizontally outwardly therefrom;
a cylindrical bearing rotatably mounted on said pivot shaft; a ri~id beam memb0r rigidly affixed at a forward end thereof to said cylindrical bearing at its outer end and perpendicular thereto, and adapted at a mid portion to support a wheel axle; and said rigid beam member havin~ a compression spring means affixed at a rear end thereof ~o meet said vertical frame.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a combined main frame and suspension assembly for trailer lS vehicles and the like, comprising: a main load carrying frame for said trailer vehicle, a longitudinal tubular main frame beam extending substantially along the length of said main frame at a lower part thereof and adapted ~o-r storage of cargo therein; and at least a pair of wheel suspension assemblies affixed one on either side of said tubular main beam.
.
~,. ~ . . .
g~ f) ~
In a further embodimPnt, the invention prDvides a combination oE a main frame with suspension assemblies for a trailer vehicle, or the like, comprising: a main load carrying frame for a trailer bndy or load, having a S main tubular beam longitudinally extendin~ along said main frame providing the vehicle with torsional stability and with tank capacity Por carryin~ fuel or other cargo, said main frame further having a number of pairs of cross beams spaced along the length of said tube beam, extending from both sides of said tube beam at its upper portion and forming a base for positioning the trailer body or loads, a number of pairs of suspension assemblies corresponding to a number of said cross beams, each pair of said suspension assemblies lS linking a pair of split-wheel axles to the two sides of said tube beam respectively, each suspension assembly further comprisin& on each side of said tube beam a cushioning pneumatic spring, a wheel axis support arm : which extends parallel to said tube beam and is pivoted at~ its one end on a shaft extending transversely through said tube beam at its lo~er portion, and attached at its other end to the spring ~which is secured to said tub~
beam, said shaf~ bein& held at its outer end by a 2 ~ 8 bracket depending from said cross beam, said wheel axles being incorporated into said support arm at its middle portion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The preferred embodiment o~ the present invention will now be described in detail in corlJunction with the at~ached drawing fi~ures, in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevation o~ a wheel suspension and partial view o~ the frarne of a trailer in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is a view alon~ the line A-A in Figure l;
and Figure 3 is a top partially exploded view of the ri-~ht-hand suspension shown in Figure 2 without the trailer frame.
.. . . .
. . .
. .
~` ` ' ' `
2 0 9 ~
_ 9 _ Figures 4, 5, and 6 show additional embodiments of the tubular longitudinal beam~ and of the loading portion of the vehicle.
DESCRIPTION OF THE. PREFERRED EMBO~IMENT
With reference to Fi~ures 1 and 2 of the drawings there is illustrated part of a trailer showing one set of two dual wheels on either side, usually being one of several sets of such wheels supporting the trailer on the road surface along the length thereof. The trailer lQ frame comprises a supportin~ rectangular tubular beam 10 running along the length of the trailer, which is shown here only in the vicinity of a set of trailer wheels 11.
An axle 12 of the wheels 11 is anchored in a suitable and conventional manner on a rigid beam 13 having at one end thereof a conventional air bag spring 14 and welded ; at its other end to a swivelling pivot bearin~ (fulcrum) 15, the bearing 15 surrounding and mounted on a fixed -shaft 16 with a cylindrical TEFLON (TM) bushing 17 between the swivelling bearing 15 and the fixed shaft 16. The shaft 16 extends on either side of the .~ rectangular beam lO, piercing throu~h and being welded 2 ~ 9 ~
to the latter. Between the outer wall of the rectangular beam 10 and the acljacent end of the bearing 15 there is a w~sher 18 welded~ to the outer wall o~ the rectangular beam 10 in order to protect it frorn wear and friction due to the movement of the cylindrical bearing 15. The outside end of the cylinder 15 i5 prevented from axial movement by means of a bolt 19 bolted tu a bracket 20 at the end of which the shaft lh is anchored.
The upper end of the bracket 20 is affixed to cross beam 21, which, together with the rectangular beam 10 to which it is welded, forms part of the supporting frame of the trailer. Cross beam 21 also terminates at its outer end in a vertical stake well 22 for receiving a stake 23 which forms part of the frame superstructure of the trailer. A trailer load is shown symbolically as tree logs 24.
In the above description only the right-hand side suspens:ion was described, the other (left-hand) side bein~ a mirror image thereof. As may be seen f rom the description the simple eonstruction of the rigid beam suspension exhibits a pivot joint with a long inCerface between the pivoting cylin~ical bearing 15 and the fixed pivot shaft 19, thereby improving the stability of the independent wheel suspension. A shaft 16 thickness of three inches in diameter is suf`ficient for an eight ~oot long shaft spanning the width of a conventional heavy duty hauler.
In the disclosed embodimen-t, the shaft 16 extends transversely through the main support beam 10 at a level 9.5 inches above its bottom wall, which is itself approximately 12 inches above ground in operation. In cross section the main support beam 10 is 24 inches by 30 inches and is made of 3/8 inch thick steel. The pivo~ cylindrical bearing 15 is made from steel tubing havin~ 4 inches internal diameter and is 3~ inches long.
Thus the nylon bushing 17 is made from a 1 inch thick nylon tube having a 3 inches internal diameter and is also 35 inches long. The washer 18 is a 112 inch thick steel washer with 4 inches internal diameter.
As may be seen from Figure 2, the fact that the shaft 16 goes through the main support beam 10, permits smaller trailer height with the load being closer to the :,:. ~ .
.
:
., , , 2 ~
ground and thereEore increa~sed stability due to the lower center of gravity of the entire trailer. This would be particularly advantageous for liquid tank trailers9 especially when they are not completely filled. Figure 5 shows a flalt bed 25 trailer profile, in which some of the aforementioned advantages would still be obtained.
A further advantage of using a sealed reetan~ular or otherwise tubular box or cylindrical for ~he main frame beam lO is that the enclosed volume may be used for additional fuel tank capacity, or for any other purpose. Of course, the advantages of the ri~id beam suspension itself, as disclosed herein, are independent of whether the main support beam lO is a volume enclosing tube or not. For it may be any other type of sufficiently rigid support beam for anchoring a fixed pivot shaft on either side thereof.
- - The rigid beam 13 itself is square in cross section measuring 6 inches nn each side with the axle 12 anchored through it a~ a distance of 27 inches from the center cf the shaft 16. The cen-tral axis of the air bag - . .
' - 13 - 2~9~
14, which is preferably bolted to a plate welded to the ri&id beam 13, is at a distance of 23 inches from the center of the axle 12.
Figures 4 and 6 show such rigid beams 10 which are S at least partly open at the top to communicate with the main volume containin~ enclosures 26 (Figure 4) and 27 (Figure 6), and so are adapted to increase directly the load capacity of the trailer, even for solid or granular loads; but more importantly for tank trailers, where given the same capacity the centre of gravity is lowered as in Figure 6.
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:. . :
Claims (8)
1. A rigid beam type wheel suspension for a wheeled vehicle, comprising, on each side of said vehicle: a transverse pivot shaft rigidly affixed to a frame of said wheeled vehicle and projecting horizontally outwardly therefrom; a cylindrical bearing rotatably mounted on said pivot shaft; a rigid beam member rigidly affixed at a forward end thereof to said cylindrical bearing at its outer end and perpendicular thereto, and adapted at a mid portion to support a wheel axle; and said rigid beam member having a compression spring means affixed at a rear end thereof to meet said vertical frame.
2. A combined main frame and suspension assembly for trailer vehicles and the like, comprising: a main load carrying frame for said trailer vehicle, a longitudinal tubular main frame beam extending substantially along the length of said main frame at a lower part thereof and adapted for storage of cargo therein; and at least a pair of wheel suspension assemblies affixed one on either side of said tubular main beam.
3. A combination of a main frame with suspension assemblies for a trailer vehicle, or the like, comprising: a main load carrying frame for a trailer body or load, having a main tubular beam longitudinally extending along said main frame providing the vehicle with torsional stability and with tank capacity for carrying fuel or other cargo, said main frame further having a number of pairs of cross beams spaced along the length of said tube beam, extending from both sides of said tube beam at its upper portion and forming a base for positioning the trailer body or loads, a number of pairs of suspension assemblies corresponding to a number of said cross beams, each pair of said suspension assemblies linking a pair of split-wheel axles to the two sides of said tube beam respectively, each suspension assembly further comprising on each side of said tube beam a cushioning pneumatic spring, a wheel axle support arm which extends parallel to said tube beam and is pivoted at its one end on a shaft extending transversely through said tube beam at its lower portion, and attached at its other end to the spring which is secured to said tube beam, said shaft being held at its outer end by a bracket depending from said cross beam, said wheel axles being incorporated into said support arm at its middle portion.
4. A combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein said shaft has a length of about the width of said trailer, each portion of said shaft which projects out of each side of said tube beam being essentially covered in its length by a low friction bushing which permits an outer pivot tube to slide thereover, permitting rotary movement to said support arm which is attached to said outer pivot tube.
5. A combination as claimed in claim 4 wherein a plate washer is provided on said elastic bushing between inner end of said outer pivot tube and the side of said tube beam for reducing friction.
6. A combination as claimed in claim 5 wherein said outer pivot tube at the outer end is held on said shaft and bushing by a cap together with said bracket depending from said cross beam.
7. A combination as claimed in claim 6 wherein said low friction bushing is made from nylon.
8. A combination as claimed in claim 7 in which said pneumatic spring is an air bag, which is installed between two air bag brackets one, of which is fixed to a side of said tube beam at its upper portion and the outer of which is secured at the rear extremity of said support arm thereon.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US89977992A | 1992-06-17 | 1992-06-17 | |
| US07/899,779 | 1992-06-17 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2090068A1 true CA2090068A1 (en) | 1993-12-18 |
Family
ID=25411552
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2090068 Abandoned CA2090068A1 (en) | 1992-06-17 | 1993-02-22 | Rigid beam suspension assembly for trailers |
Country Status (4)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU4304493A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2090068A1 (en) |
| MX (1) | MX9303603A (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1993025401A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN117508352B (en) * | 2023-12-28 | 2024-03-22 | 河南德野专用车辆股份有限公司 | Adjustable car as a house facial make-up stable balance frame |
Family Cites Families (10)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2554261A (en) * | 1946-11-05 | 1951-05-22 | Ormond S Munger | Vehicle wheel suspension with hydraulic steering |
| DE1927340A1 (en) * | 1969-05-29 | 1970-12-03 | Kaessbohrer Fahrzeug Karl | Crank axle pair for a wheel set of a truck |
| AU417166B2 (en) * | 1969-10-23 | 1971-09-20 | HEINE GERKE ROUKEMA and JOHANNES HENRICUS JOSEPHUS VANEGMOND | Vehicle chassis |
| IT1082517B (en) * | 1977-01-25 | 1985-05-21 | Fiat Spa | FRAME FOR VEHICLES TOWED PARTICULARLY CARAVAN PROVIDED WITH A SUSPENSION WITH INDEPENDENT WHEELS |
| NL179565C (en) * | 1984-05-18 | 1988-10-17 | Welgro Bv | SEMI-TRAILER EQUIPPED WITH A BULK RESERVOIR INCLUDING A DISCHARGE LINE AND AXLE SUB-CONSTRUCTION FOR SUCH A TRAILER. |
| GB2209715A (en) * | 1987-09-11 | 1989-05-24 | Solaglas Ltd | Vehicle chassis, wheel mounting, loadsupport and body rear closure |
| US4878691A (en) * | 1988-03-23 | 1989-11-07 | Dbx Corporation | Trailer suspension apparatus |
| US5071164A (en) * | 1989-07-11 | 1991-12-10 | 501 Peerless Page Industries Ltd. | Truck trailer |
| SE9002782D0 (en) * | 1990-08-31 | 1990-08-31 | Anders Sjoelund | HJULUPPHAENGNINGSANORDNING |
| DE9113357U1 (en) * | 1991-10-24 | 1992-02-27 | Schulz, Erich, 4052 Korschenbroich, De |
-
1993
- 1993-02-22 CA CA 2090068 patent/CA2090068A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 1993-06-16 MX MX9303603A patent/MX9303603A/en unknown
- 1993-06-16 WO PCT/CA1993/000251 patent/WO1993025401A1/en active Application Filing
- 1993-06-16 AU AU43044/93A patent/AU4304493A/en not_active Abandoned
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| AU4304493A (en) | 1994-01-04 |
| MX9303603A (en) | 1994-05-31 |
| WO1993025401A1 (en) | 1993-12-23 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |