GB662538A - Improvements relating to suspension systems for motor vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

662,538. Vehicle frames, engine mountings. MORRIS MOTORS Ltd. Nov. 24, 1949. No. 30842/48. Classes 79(iii) and 79(iv) Also in Group XXXII] In a motor vehicle of the type having a combined body and underframe and in which the wheel suspension means are attached to a sub-frame on which the engine and the end of the vehicle body are separately mounted resiliently, the body is attached to the sub-frame by resilient mountings which are spaced apart longitudinally, the mounting means carrying the major load being fixed to a bridgelike structure and located substantially in the same horizontal plane as the centre of gravity of the vehicle body, to minimize body roll relative to the sub-frame. As shown, the power unit and the front wheel suspension are mounted on a triangular underframe G which is resiliently connected to the combined body and frame B. The underframe has a front transverse member D3 and corner bracing members D7, D8 The front end of the power unit is mounted on the bracing members, with the interposition of inclined rubber blocks E1, E2. The rear end of the power unit is supported by a rubber block E3 on the transverse member D9. The wheels are independently suspended by parallel links and sprung by torsion springs. Each wheel is carried by a lower articulated link C3 whose inner end is fast with one end of a torsion bar C1 or C2, and an upper link C4 constituted by the arm of a shock absorber C5 which is secured to the bridgelike cross member G. The bars C1 and C2 are secured to the ends of an underthe floor of the body being reinforced adjacent such mountings with a channel member U, and by a pair of resilient mountings F1, F2 which connect the bridge-piece G of the underframe with dashboard N and toe board M. The two resilient mountings F1, F2, which may be replaced by a single centrally disposed mounting, are disposed at approximately the same height as the centre of gravity of the body. Since the power rear ends of the torsion unit is separated from the frame cross member D4. The underframe is secured to the body by a pair of resilient mountings F3, F4, body by two lots of resilient mountings, the mountings E1-E3 between the power unit and underframe may be made stiffer than usual, with the result that the mass of the power unit contributes materially towards damping the vibrations induced by the wheels in the underframe before they are passed on to the body via the mountings F1-F4.