GB1583009A - Vehicle frame adapted for mounting steering gear - Google Patents

Description

(54) A VEHICLE FRAME ADAPTED FOR MOUNTING STEERING GEAR (71) We, DAIMLER-BENZ AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, a Company organised under the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany, of 7000 Stuttgart 60, Federal Republic of Germany, do hereby declare the invention for which we ray that a Patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to a vehicle frame adapted for mounting steering gear.

On what are called light motor vehicles it is customary to make the longitudinal girders of the frame or the bodywork section of thin-walled plates. In this respect hollow girders are used which are made from a hattype section with a cover plate mounted on by spot welding. In order to attach the steering to such relatively thin-walled structural components, comphcated welding sections have been necessary, in order to create a stable location for the fitment of the steering gear housing. Since the forces acting on the steering gear arm are relatively large, there frequently occurs a unilateral deformation of the girders and, at the same time, a twisting movement of the housing. The transfer of the forces from the stable steering housing to the thin wall of the girder sections or the bodywork excludes the use of the usual screw couplings.

The present invention provides a vehicle frame including an elongate hollow section girder having longitudinally extending portions meeting at an obtuse angle to define a rebate, a bearing plate mounted in said rebate and having one end part secured to one of said portions and an opposite end part secured to the opposite of said portions, the bearing plate carrying steering gear or being adapted for carrying steering gear.

It is an advantage when using the customary mass-produced steering gear housings, which still have a flat footplate for their attachment, to use an intermediate bearing plate, which is bent through an angle the same as that between the attachment surfaces and is fastened both to the footplate of the steering gear housing and also to the two attachment surfaces for example by screw fasteners.

This angled intermediate plate also allows optional fitment of various types of steering gears, such as a mechanical steering system or servo steering system. In addition it is possible with the aforementioned inter mediate plate to bring the usual mass produced steering gear into the optimum installation position.

Reference is now made to the accompany ing drawings wherein: Figure 1 is an elevation of a part of a vehi cle frame, shown mounting steering gear and constructed according to the invention, Figure 2 is a section along line a-b of Fig ure 1; Figure 3 is a section along line c-d of Fig ure 1; Figure 4 is a side view of part of another embodiment of a vehicle frame according to the invention; and Figure 5 is a plan view of the part of the vehicle frame shown in Figure 4.

The usual vehicle steering gear arrange ment, as shown in Figure 1, consists of a steering gear 1, which mounts a steering gear arm 2, which is connected to steering connecting rod 3 through a ball joint 4 and operated through steering-wheel spindle 5.

The attachment of the steering gear is effected on thin-walled elongate, hollow section girders, which in cross-section have a hat-shaped profile, i.e. in a bottom section girder 6 a top girder is inserted. The top girder consists of two parts 7 and 7' (Figures 2 and 3), and the open top end of the top girder is covered by a cover plate 8.

The girders are usually connected together spot-welding or the like.

The girder parts 7, 7 and 8 are designed so that the top girder has longitudinally extending portions, which meet at an obtuse angle to define a rebate in which the steer ing gear 1 is mounted, the rebate being defined by surfaces 9, 10, which meet at an edge 1 transverse to the longitudinal centre line of the girder. - The steering gear arrangement is.provided with a bent footp late having angled parts 11, 11'. The footp late is complementary to, and seats in, the rebate and is secured to the attachment surfaces 9, 10. The footplate parts, 11, 11' are secured to the surfaces 9, 10 respectively by screw fasteners 12. This provides a stable steering attachment, resistant to distortion.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, a standard, mass-produced steering gear is used, which is mounted on a single flat footplate 13. In this case an intermediate bent plate 14 is provided, which has end parts 15, 16 separated from each other by a rebate 17 and relatively inclined at an obtuse angle equal to the angle between the surfaces 9, 10. The footplate 13 is attached to this intermediate plate 14 by means of screw fasteners 18, which extend into the rebate the latter facilitating such attachment. The intermediate plate 14 has its end parts 15, 16 attached, by means of screw fasteners 19, 20 respectively to the respective attachment surfaces 9, 10.

The intermediate plate 14 offers the possibility of attaching the steering gear 1 to the intermediate plate displaced sideways or longitudinally, so that, as a result, the connection of intermediate plate 14 to the girders is not prejudicially affected. It is possible to use other types of steering gear than that shown, using intermediate plate 14.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A vehicle frame including an elongate hollow section girder having longitudinally extending portions meeting at an obtuse angle to define a rebate, a bearing plate mounted in said rebate and having one end part secured to one of said portions and an opposite end part secured to the opposite of said portions, the bearing plate carrying steering gear or being adapted for carrying steering gear.

2. A vehicle frame according to Claim 1, wherein said end parts of the bearing plate are relatively inclined at an obtuse angle equal to the angle between said portions of the girder.

3. A vehicle frame according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the bearing plate is formed with a rebate between said end parts, the rebate defining a gap between the girder and the bearing plate to facilitate securance of steering gear to the plate.

4. A vehicle frame in combination with steering gear and constructed substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

5. A vehicle frame in combination with steering gear and constructed substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. late is complementary to, and seats in, the rebate and is secured to the attachment surfaces 9, 10. The footplate parts, 11, 11' are secured to the surfaces 9, 10 respectively by screw fasteners 12. This provides a stable steering attachment, resistant to distortion. Referring to Figures 4 and 5, a standard, mass-produced steering gear is used, which is mounted on a single flat footplate 13. In this case an intermediate bent plate 14 is provided, which has end parts 15, 16 separated from each other by a rebate 17 and relatively inclined at an obtuse angle equal to the angle between the surfaces 9, 10. The footplate 13 is attached to this intermediate plate 14 by means of screw fasteners 18, which extend into the rebate the latter facilitating such attachment. The intermediate plate 14 has its end parts 15, 16 attached, by means of screw fasteners 19, 20 respectively to the respective attachment surfaces 9, 10. The intermediate plate 14 offers the possibility of attaching the steering gear 1 to the intermediate plate displaced sideways or longitudinally, so that, as a result, the connection of intermediate plate 14 to the girders is not prejudicially affected. It is possible to use other types of steering gear than that shown, using intermediate plate 14. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A vehicle frame including an elongate hollow section girder having longitudinally extending portions meeting at an obtuse angle to define a rebate, a bearing plate mounted in said rebate and having one end part secured to one of said portions and an opposite end part secured to the opposite of said portions, the bearing plate carrying steering gear or being adapted for carrying steering gear.

2. A vehicle frame according to Claim 1, wherein said end parts of the bearing plate are relatively inclined at an obtuse angle equal to the angle between said portions of the girder.

3. A vehicle frame according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the bearing plate is formed with a rebate between said end parts, the rebate defining a gap between the girder and the bearing plate to facilitate securance of steering gear to the plate.

4. A vehicle frame in combination with steering gear and constructed substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

5. A vehicle frame in combination with steering gear and constructed substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.