Benteler Industries, Inc.

Other

James A Alberda

Gary L Wells

Clarke E Alatalo

James L Floyd

The specification discloses a vehicle twist beam axle subassembly incorporating a twist beam axle of generally V-shaped cross section formed of two legs which diverge away from the integral bight thereof, the ends of the legs being curled back into elongated generally circular loops weldably bonded to the legs, and the loops having flattened portions to be tuned to a predetermined torsional resistance.

Twist beam axle

An elongated, tubular, steel, vehicle door impact beam, each end of which has a convex curvilinear outer surface to form opposite curvilinear, outwardly facing connector surfaces, a steel plate at each end having at least one portion which is generally flat, and having a pair of opposite faces, a pair of elongated beads upstanding from one of these faces of the steel plate, each bead having a convex curvilinear cross section, the beads being spaced from and parallel to each other, defining elongated, adjacent, mutually facing, curvilinear surfaces engaging the opposite curvilinear, outwardly facing surfaces of the tubular impact beam, and each curvilinear bead surface being welded to one of the curvilinear beam surfaces of one of the beam ends. The beads are formed from the steel plate, each having a radius of curvature smaller than the radius of curvature of the ends of the beam. The mutually facing curvilinear bead surfaces are spaced apart an amount less than the diameter of the beam end.

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Shelbyville, MI, United States of America

James A Alberda