H.o. Bostrom Company, Inc.

The Boler Company

Gabriel Ride Control Products, Inc.

Charles A Van Breemen

John M Bostrom

Douglas P Gennrich

John Edward Ramsey

Michael J Keeler

Tjong T Lie

Gareth A Wallace

Allen Hatch

Michael Gottshalk

Richard S Holum

A vehicle seat suspension includes a bottom frame adapted to be mounted on the vehicle and a top frame located above the bottom frame and adapted to support a seat thereon. A substantially fully collapsible scissors linkage is interconnected between the bottom frame and the top frame enabling the bottom frame and the top frame to move relative to each other substantially in parallelism. A biasing arrangement is disposed between the top frame and the bottom frame and has a preload force urging the top frame away from the bottom frame. A first adjustment mechanism is located in the top frame and selectively enables fore and aft adjustment of the top frame relative to the bottom frame. A second adjustment mechanism is located between the bottom frame and the top frame and selectively enables an adjustment on the biasing arrangement in accordance with the weight of an occupant in the seat by translating a horizontal force applied along the bottom frame into a vertical force affecting the preload force of the biasing arrangement.

Low profile seat suspension

A vehicle suspension system particularly useful in the heavy duty truck and trailer industry is disclosed. The suspension features lower control rods that are pivotally connected at their leading ends to hangers attached to each side frame member. The rearward ends of the lower control rods are attached to axle seats, one at each end of the axle, which are connected to the axle of the vehicle. Air springs and shock absorbers or, alternatively, hydraulic cylinders with accumulators, are mounted between each axle seat and each side frame member. The lower control rods are in an inclined orientation with their forward ends above their trailing ends. Additionally, some embodiments of the suspension feature upper control rods with their forward ends pivotally attached to the two opposing truck side frame members. The rearward ends of the upper control rods are attached to the top center of the axle by either a bolt and bushing mount or a ball and socket mount so that the upper control rods form a 'V'. The upper control rods lay in a nearly horizontal plane. As an alternative to the 'V' configuration of the upper control rods, a single, nearly horizontal, longitudinal upper control rod mounted between the centers of the frame cross member and the vehicle axle may be used in conjunction with either a control rod or a Watt linkage transverse to the side frame members. The suspension eliminates the heavy and costly Z-springs commonly used in air or hydraulic suspensions. The suspension has a lower frequency and is not torque reactive. Both of these features reduce vibration and provide for a better vehicle ride. The suspension also offers improved vehicle traction.

Linkage suspension system

A two-way valve for introducing pressurized air into the air chamber of an air shock absorber, and for maintaining a preselected minimum pressure within the air chamber. The valve includes a valve body and a valve cover mounted thereon. The valve body has an orifice in communication with the air chamber, and the valve cover has a fluid port in communication with a source of pressurized air. The valve cover includes a downwardly extending exhaust seat which surrounds the fluid port. Disposed within a recessed chamber in the valve body are an armature, an elastomeric diaphragm mounted on and supported by the armature, and a spring arrangement operatively positioned between the armature and the floor of the recessed chamber. The diaphragm is adapted to engage the exhaust seat when the pressure outside the air chamber is greater than the pressure inside the air chamber to permit the free flow of pressurized air into the air chamber, is adapted to unseat from the exhaust seat when the pressure inside the air chamber is greater than the pressure outside the air chamber and exceeds a preselected minimum pressure, to permit the controlled flow of air out of the air chamber, and is adapted to engage the exhaust seat when the pressure inside the air chamber reaches the preselected minimum pressure.

Valve in an air shock absorber

Growing community of inventors

Glen Ellyn, IL, United States of America

Charles A Van Breemen