US2357370A

US2357370A - Elastic suspension of axle aggregates

Info

Publication number: US2357370A
Application number: US327769A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wilfert Karl
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1939-04-20
Filing date: 1940-04-04
Publication date: 1944-09-05
Anticipated expiration: 1961-09-05
Also published as: FR866183A; DE966500C; DE963302C

Description

Sept; 5, 1944. K., WILFERT 2,357,370

ELASTIC SUSPENSION 0F AXLE AGGREGATES Filed April 4, 1940 1 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR A w/ M/ ATTORNEY p 5; 1944; K. wm'mz 2,357,370

MSTIG SUSPHNSION 0F AXLE AGGBEEATES Filed @111 4, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN-TO-R B fir/ mytrt Y I. v -woman Sept. 5,1944.

K. WILFERT ELASTIC SUSPENSION OF AXLE AGGREGATES Filed April 4, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 4 [Vi/fart 'rrbRNEY Sept. 5, 1944. S K. WILFERT 7 2,357,370

ELASTIC SUSPENSION 0F AXLE AGGREGATBS Filed April 4, 1940 4 Shets-Sheet 4" INVENTOR fir/ Grt a 9 TTORNEY wheels onto the vehicle frame.

Patented Sept. 5, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

sms'rro SUSPENSION F AXLE AGGREGATES Karl Wilfert, Sindelflngen, Germany; vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application April 4, 1940, Serial No. 327,769 In Germany April 19, 1939 12 Claims.

of the vehicle. but as also comprehending arrangements, known to the art, wherein such body or coach work forms the main vehicle frame itself or the frame is formed integrally with such body or coach work. Above all the invention is important for bodies manufactured of sheet steel, because such steel bodies are specially inclined to vibrations or to a roaring noise, proceeding from the oscillations of the wheels.

A further object of the invention is an elastic connection of the vehicle axles with the vehicle frame in such a manner that, in spite of interposing elastic means, a secure position of the car on the road is reached, free of undesirable vibrations, difficult to deal with. For this purpose the elastic means particularly are so arranged and provided that they allow a greater yielding capacity between the axle or a carrier for the axle parts. and the vehicle frame in approximately vertical direction, but only a small yielding capacity in lateraldireotion. Specially practical in this case may be the arrangement of the elastic members in such a way, that the main yielding capacity between the axle-supporting sub-frame and the main vehicle frame may exist in a direction coincident with the shock direction of the wheels. The shock direction principally resultshere by the fact that the shock forces arising at the wheel during running have in longitudinal direction a small horizontal and backward directed component and a larger vertical and upward directed component, so that the resulting shock force will be directed steeply upward and backward, deviating from the perpendicular by an angle of to 30.

Furthermore the invention provides an elastic connection of such a kind that the forces arismain vehicle frame and being preferably so arranged that the axes of the bushes extend about vertically and if possible in the shock direction of the wheels. By arranging two rubberbushes axially to each other and in a certain distance from each other, a particularly good reception of the forces and moments can be obtained.

Furthermore the invention provides an arrangement infwhich the axles of all wheels, 1. e. the front and the rear wheels of the vehicle are connected yieldingly with the frame or the body.

By these means the, advantages aimed at will be reached most completely. Eventually the axle piece carrying the wheels yieldingly may be connected to the vehicle by one or more thrust members, between the axle piece and the main vehicle frame, elastic members being interposed, allowing a small swinging motion of the axle together with the thrust member around its pivoting point at the vehicle frame.

In the drawings several types of the invention are illustrated by way of example.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective illustration of a car frame in which the front axle aggregate as well as the rear axle aggregate are yieldingly connected to the frame by-means of rubbermetal members.

Fig. 2 shows a. partial sectional view of the rear axle aggregate according to Fig. 1, in which the rubber-metal connection between the rear axle aggregate-and the frame is shown in section.

Fig. 3 shows a top plan view of the arrangement according to Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows a section through the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a partial view of the front axle aggregate according to Fig. 1, in which the rubber metal connection between the front axle aggregate and the frame is again shown in section.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the arrangement according to Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 shows a section through the line 1-1 of Fig. 5

Fig. 8 shows a somewhat different form 0:

the rubber metal connection in a sectional vievi within the hollow beam Fig. 13 a sectional view of the front axle aggregate, while Fig. 14 shows in perspective illustration a somewhat modified form of the front axle suspension.

A third type of a vehicle formed in accordance with the invention is illustrated in the Figs. 15 and 16 or 1'7, in which Fig. 15 shows the rear axle arrangement,

Fig. 16 the front axle arrangement of this vehicle in side view, partially in section and Fig, 17 a corresponding, somewhat altered front axle construction for this vehicle.

In the design according to the Figs. 1 to 7 the main frame is formed by the longitudinal beams and by the cross beams 2 rigidly connected with it. Furthermore a rear cross beam 3 for the rear axle and a front cross beam 4 for the front axle is provided, being connected to the frame, interposing a metal connection 5, 6, 1 and 8 to the longitudinal beams of the main frame.

To the cross beam or sub-frame 3 the differential gear 9 is rigidly or yieldingly connected. To the casing for the gears the swinging semiaxles Ill with the rear wheels H are laterally swivelled. For the shock absorption serve the spiral springs i2 secured on one side to the cross beam 3 and on the other side to the semiaxles Ill. The drive is transferred by the motor (not shown) through the Cardan shaft l3 and the differential gear 3 onto the swinging semiaxles l0.

The cross beam or sub-frame 4 furthermore carries the front axle aggregate with the steering gear, the front wheels |4 being secured for instance to a spring carrier H by means of two leaf springs l and 6 arranged on top of each stance for the rear axle, is shown in enlarged scale. Preferably the inner sleeve 2| extends from the. middle to both sides somewhat conical as shown at 29 and 30, receiving in a bore 3| the connecting bolts (here not shown), for instance the bolt or the bolt 23 when applied to the front axle. The inner sleeve 2| is surrounded by the rubber sleeve 22 which again is enclosed and held by the outer sleeve 23. The outer sleeve has the solid supporting flange 32 and the screwed-in flange 33 between which for instance the cross-'

beams

3 or 4 are held. Furthermore the sleeve 23 is so shaped that between the two flanges 32 and 33 it is cylindrical at both ends, however at 34 it is conical, and more conical than the surfaces 29 and of the inner sleeve. The result will be that the thickness of the rubber sleeve in axle direction is of unequal size, and that according to the size of the arising forces a progressive damping action will take place. At the same time the loading forces acting in vertical direction will be sure to be securely received.

With the further designs given e. g. in the Figs. 11 to 14 the frame for instance consists of longitudinal beams 35 ending in backward formed arms 33 and 31 respectively, arranged in a vertical plane, essentially one above the other. In this place however a correspondingly shaped self-supporting body could be used. The frame is similar to the one shown in Fig. 1, provided with cross beams connecting rigidly the longitudinal beams, and has at the same time further cross beams on sub-frames 33 and 39 being yieldingly connected to the longitudinal beams in the manner hereafter described, and serving as car- 'rying pieces for the rear axle and the front axle: Onto the rear crossbeam 33 the rear axle gear 40 is secured rigidly or with interposition of rubber pieces tightened by means of clamping screws or in any other suitable way. The rear wheels 4| are iournaled on the axle cas- 7 ing 40 for instance by means of pivoted semiother, the carrier being secured to the cross beam 4. To the

cross beams

3 and 4 furthermore the shock absorbers l8 are fastened.

The details of the rear axle bearings illustrated in the Figs. 2 and 4 show the rubber-metal connection 2|, 22, 23, the inner metal sleeve 2| of which is in connection with the longitudinal frame through the bolt 20 and its outer metal sleeve 23, beingin connection with the cross beam 3. By these means the rubber sleeve 22 which is securely fastened to the sleeves 2| and 23, for instance by vulcanization, is inserted into the power transmission between the cross beam 3 and the longitudinal beams and the small high frequency oscillations which, as is known, cause the roaring noise are kept away from the body.

In the Figs. 5 to '7 the connection of the front cross beam 4 or of the front axle aggregate to the longitudinal beams of the frame is illustrated. Here the rubber bushing 21 is connected to the longitudinal beam of the frame by means of an inner metal sleeve 26and a bolt 23, and to the cross beam 4 by means of an outer sleeve 28, the rubber being preferably adhesively connected to the metal sleeves by vulcanization.

In Fig. 8, there is illustrated a somewhat altered connection of the rear cross beam 3 with one of the longitudinal beams i. In this form, the beams l are hollow and a hollow casing i9 is mounted at each end of the beams and attached The bolt 2|) is journaled in the casing l9.

In Fig. 10 the rubber metal connection, f r 1 axles 42 swingingly secured by cylindrical'pins and supported by unguided spiral springs 43 thrusting with their upper end against the ends of the cross beam 38. On the'ends of the cross beam also the shock absorbers 44 are arranged.

The yielding connection of the cross beam 33 with the longitudinal beams 35 is provided as follows: Between the forked ends 36 and 31 of each of the longitudinal beams of the frame conical pins 45 and 46 are inserted and secured by means of

screws

41 and 48, serving for the receptlon of the conical rubber bushings 43 and '50 which are surrounded by a specially formed steel sleeve 5|. The arrangement is thus, that the axis 52 of the parts 45 to SI forms an angle with the road, amounting to about the axis 52 extending steeply forward and downward meets the road before the middle of the wheel.

Evidently the entire axle aggregate consisting of the crossbeam 38, the differential gear 40, the semiaxles 42, the wheels 4|, the springs 43 and the shock absorbers 44 is so connected to the main frame, interposing the rubber bushings 49 and 50, that there is no metallic contact between the axle aggregate and the frame and the car body respectively. An inclined arrangement of the axis 52 of the yielding connection has the advantage that the shocks which the wheel is met with on its course on the road are effective about in the axle direction of the rubber bushings so that the yielding capacity of these rubber bushings in their longitudinal direction may fully be made use of. The distance between the rubber bushaeeasro lugs 45 and 50 is chosen comparatively great; their guided length, i. e. the distance e of the upper end of the upper rubber bushing 49 from the lower end of the rubber bushing 50 amounts to more than half the wheel diameter in the illustrated example, with the efi'ect that the axle aggregate is most securely supported. The rubber bushing 49 may then be within the range of the upper wheel covering, and the rubber bushing 50 within the range of the lower wheel covering.

The front cross beam 39 is formed essentially as a hollow beam, as shown in Fig. 13, through which the longitudinal beam 35 of the main frame is led, having a vertical bore 53 in the plane of the cross beam. Into this bore, by means of a metal sleeve 54 a rubber sleeve 55 is inserted being for instance vulcanized to this metal sleeve, through which a connecting bolt 55 is led, fastened in the upper and lower walls of the cross beam 39. Preferably the connecting bolt is also fastened to the rubber sleeve 55 by means of vulcanization. The wheel 51 of the vehicle is guided in parallel by means of the'two guiding levers 55 and 53 which are jointed to the cross beam 39. For the shock absorption of the wheel serves the spiral spring 60 the upper thrust bearing of which is also on the cross beam at 6|. The bolt 55 may be arranged perpendicular orin a certain angle to the road, for instance corresponding to the shock direction of the wheel.

The design according to Fig. 14 is distinguished from the one according to Fig. 13 only by the fact that the cross beam 39 is formed of two tubesor rods 62 and 63 connected to each other by the thrust bearing 6| for the springs 60.

With the design according to Figs. 15 and 16 the entire backward driving gear, consisting of the motor 64, the change speed gear 65 and the differential gear 66 is fastened by means of the two bows 81 and 68 to the metal sleeve 69 made in one or two pieces, and being journalled -.all around yieldingly on the frame 10, similar to Fig. 11. The shock absorption of the swinging semiaxles ll ensues by means of a laminated spring 72. The outer covering 13 enclosing the driving aggregate may be secured directly to the subframe in order to avoid a metallic contact between it andthe frame and the rest" of the body. I

As shown in Fig. 16 the main frame terminates into a fork the ends 14 and of which frame 10 by means of two rubber bushings 88 and or by means of two pairs of such bushings, having eachshnilarly to the before mentioned examples, a longitudinal axis extending slantingly to the road, but having in the 'longitudinal direction of the vehicle axes so transposed relative' to each other that the bushing 85 will be before, and the bushing 88 will be about by the equal amount in back of the wheel cen- 'ter.

The acting direction of the

springs

85, 58 lies in this instance in a vertical plane, I

In all cases the rubber bushings, as partly described above, can be rigidly connected with the parts penetrating or surrounding them, as bolts and sleeves, by means of vulcanization. The connection may however'be made in another suitable manner, for instance by pressing the rubber into fittings provided with corresponding flanges. Furthermore adjusting devices for ad- Justing the angle may be provided, for instance by forming the

pins

45, 43, shown in Fig. 12, in the shape of eccentrics, or for instance by lengthening or shortening the arms 36, 31 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle by suitable arrangements. Also the pivoting point 82 in the design according to Fig. 16 might be displaced for this purpose in vertical direction.

The invention is not limited to the types illustrated and described above. Particularly the front and rear axle constructions used for the different designs may b interchanged, and the rear .axle constructions may be used as front axle constructions by making corresponding alterations, and vice versa.

Under circumstances it maybe sufllcient if only one of the axle sub-frames willbe connected yieldingly with the main vehicle frame, while the other axle sub-frame is rigidly secured to it. Preferably both axl sub-frames will be connected yieldingly with the main vehicle frame. The 'invention may be applied to all kinds of .wheel suspensions, consequently also for rigid 3| which are jointed on one side respectively by encircling with their sleeve-formed end 33, ex-

tended across the axle member the rubber bushing I1, interposing for instance a metal bushing 84 which might be vulcanized with it. In this case the

springs

18 and 19 act in the same direction as the rubber bushing '11 arrangedesing axles, as here the origin of noises and vibrating symptoms is particularly to be apprehended.

The expression sub-frame as used throughout the specification and claims is to be understood to include not only simple frame means as, for example, illustrated in the front wheel suspension of Fig. 1, but also to include such constructions as shown, for example, in the rear suspension in Fig. 1 in which the drive gear casing is combined and rigidly attached to the cross beam, and also constructions, such as illustrated in Fig. 15, wherein the sub-frame also includes the driving engine, speed-change gearing and senti'ally tangentially to the swinging radius of I the pertaining thrust member 8|, inorder to have the full benefit of its comparatively great yielding capacity inthe axle direction of the bushing. The thrust member 8l' may bearranged in the longitudinal center plane of the vehicle for instance at a crossbeam. As already hinted at, two thrust members at both the drive gearing, all connected with one another as a drive unit.

As th main frame a usual frame formed of longitudinal and cross beams may beused or for instance a frame consisting of a central longitudinal beam, extending eventually at one or at both ends into a frame fork with two lateral fork arms, which may be understood by the expression of longitudinal frame beam." The term main frame as used throughout the description and claims is also to be understood to cover those constructions in which the body itself of the vehicle forms the main vehicle frame, as, for example, in the so-called well-known "frameless" vehicles.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 'I claim is:

1. In a vehicle having a main frame which includes a pair of substantially longitudinal beams, formed with forked extensions at their ends. a sub-frame member resiliently connected and mounted transversely to said beams in said forked extensions, a pair of swinging half-axles pivetally connected to said sub-frame member for relative up and down movement, spiral springs intermediate said half-axles and said sub-frame member, and ground-engaging wheels on said half-axles.

2. In a vehicle havin a main frame, a subframe member, ground-engaging wheels resiliently connected to said sub-frame member for relative up and down movement, and means for resiliently connecting said sub-frame member to said main frame comprising a pair of devices each consistingof a pair of concentric metallic sleeves with an elastic sleeve pressed between 'them, a bolt passing through the inner sleeve for attaching the same to said main frame, and a pair of axially displaced flanges on said outer sleeve holding the sub-frame member between them.

3. The combination according to claim 2, in

which one of said flanges is threadably attached.

each hollow beam, and means for resiliently 6011-. necting said sub-frame member to said main frame comprising a pair of devices each consisting of a pair of concentric metallic sleeves with an elastic sleeve pressed between them, a bolt passing through the inner sleeve for attaching the same to and within said hollow casing, and means for attaching said sub-frame member to each outer metallic sleeve.

5. The combination according to claim 4, in which said last means includes a pair of axially spaced flanges on said outer metallic sleeve holding the sub-frame member between them.

6. The combination according to claim 2, in

which the means for resiliently suspending the ground-engaging wheels to the sub-frame member includes swinging half-axles pivotally connected at one end'to said sub-frame member and supporting a ground-engaging wheel at its other end, and spring means intermediate each halfaxle and said sub-frame member.

7. The combination according to claim 2, in which said main frame includes a pair of substantially longitudinal beams formed with forked extensions at their ends, and in which said subframe member is positioned in said forked extensions and connected to th same through said devices.

8. The combination according to claim 2, in

I which said sub-frame member includes a drive gear casing, and the means for resiliently suspending said ground-engaging wheels through swinging half-axles pivotally connected to said casing, and springing means intermediate each half-axle and the sub-frame member.

9. In a vehicle frame having a main frame, a sub-frame member, ground-engaging wheels resiliently supportin said sub-frame member for relative up and down movement, and means for resiliently interconnecting said main frame and sub-frame member, comprising a pair of devices consisting of a pair of concentric metallic sleeves with an elastic sleeve pressed between them, a bolt passing through the inner sleeve for attaching the same to said main frame, and a pair of axially displaced flanges on the outer sleeve holding said sub-frame member between them.

10. In a vehicle havinga main fram provided with a plurality of pairs of ears, a sub-frame member, and means for resiliently connecting said member to said main frame, comprising a plurality of pairs of concentric sleeves, one sleeve of each pair being mounted in one of the pairs of ears on the main frame, and th other sleeve of each pair having means for gripping one end 'of said member, and a'resilient sleeve disposed between the sleeves of each of said pairs and attached to its adjacent sleeves.

11. In a vehicle havin a main frame which includes a pair of longitudinal beams, each formed with a forked end, a sub-frame member, and

means for resiliently connecting said member with said frame, comprising a plurality of pairs of concentric sleeves, one sleeve of each pair being mounted in one of said forked ends, and the other sleeve of each pair having means for gripping one end of said member, and a resilient sleeve disposed between the sleeves of each of said pairs and attached to its adjacent sleeves.

12. In a vehicle, the combination according to claim 10, the resilient sleeves tapering conically in at least one direction.

KARL WIIFERT.