GB1032239A - Motor vehicle suspension systems - Google Patents

Abstract

1,032,239. Vehicle suspension. VAUXHALL MOTORS Ltd. Nov. 5, 1964 [Dec. 19, 1963], No. 50146/63. Heading B7D. A motor vehicle suspension comprises a fluid suspension unit, which may be a bellows or resilient diaphragm, each associated with a helical spring, or a piston 32 operating in a cylinder 34 against a spring 36, associated with each wheel. The units may be connected, e.g. to transverse suspension arms 14, 16 in the case of independently suspended wheels, or to a beam axle 22. The units on each side of the vehicle are connected by conduits 38, 40, which are connected in parallel to a control unit which may comprise a stepped cylinder 42 in which is disposed a stepped piston 44 acted upon by a spring 48. The larger portion of cylinder 46 also contains a piston 56 acted upon on one side by a spring 64 and on the other by fluid from the conduit 38. The smaller portion of the cylinder 46 contains a piston 62 acted upon on one side by a spring 68 and on the other by fluid from the conduit 40. Alternatively, the control unit may comprise separate cylinders 78 and 80, Fig. 2 (not shown), containing pistons 86 and 88 acted upon by fluid from the conduits 38 and 40, respectively, on their one sides, and on their other sides by springs 82 and 84 which act against pistons 74 and 76 connected to a plate 70 to which is applied a resilient biasing force by a coil spring, pneumatic device or rubber block. In a further modification, Fig. 3 (not shown), the control unit comprises a pair of plates 90, 104, against one of which a resilient biasing force 92 is applied, and between which are disposed bellows 94, 96 connected to the conduit 38 and 98, 100 connected to the conduit 40. If one wheel moves upwardly, due to a bump, the other wheel on the same side moves downwardly and, in Fig. 1, the pressure in space 52 increases moving the pistons 56 and 54 upwardly, whereby the wheels on the opposite side also move upwardly. Roll forces on cornering and loading forces act on the wheels jointly and thus against the control spring and pitch forces act against the coil springs 36 which may be disposed remotely from the suspension units, e.g. a single spring may be used at the centre of a beam axle.