Ridewell Corporation

John Raidel, Ii

Bruce Barton

Emmitt A Scammahorn

Jason M Klein

Mark Holt

William Chaffin

Provided are wedging and clamping mechanisms for securing an axle to a suspension member. The suspension member has a integral axle shell for seating the axle to be attached. An axle wedging shell is provided which mates to the axle shell via aligning angled grooves and flanges which, as the flanges are forced into the grooves, creates a significant clamping force trapping the axle in place. The orientation and placement of angled grooves and flanges varies through several embodiments. Some embodiments alternately use a retention plate. Adhesive may be applied to the axle and the inner surfaces of the axle shell and wedge member to limit axle twist or rotation.

Wedged axle connection

The present invention provides a suspension beam and bush attachment assembly. The assembly comprises a longitudinally extending control arm, a bush eye clamp, and a mounting bracket. The control arm has a bush end, a mid-region, an axle mount formed opposite of the bush end, and one or more fastener bore. The bush eye clamp is transversely mounted to the bush end of the control arm and has a center bore configured for receiving a bush therein and an axial slot biasing the bushing eye clamp open for bush insertion. To securely position the bush within the bush eye clamp, the mounting bracket is affixed to the bushing eye clamp and has one or more fastener bores substantially aligned with the one or more fastener bores of the control arm such that securing a fastener through each of the bores of the bracket and control arm couples the bracket to the control arm and biases the axial slot into a substantially closed position to contact and compress a perimeter of the bush with the bush eye clamp.

Suspension beam and bush attachment assembly

A suspension hanger assembly for receiving the bush end of a control arm is provided for adjusting axle alignment, without vertical displacement, and includes spaced-apart sides; each having aligned bores for a spindle, a bush pin and a fastening bolt. Two cams, having openings for the spindle, bush pin and fastening bolt, are aligned with the bracket bores. The bush pin bore of the bracket is horizontally elongated limiting vertical displacement of the bush pin. The fastening bolt opening of each cam is arcuate-shaped which allows cam actuation in an eccentric pattern. As the cam is moved, the bush pin moves horizontally respective to the bracket. The control arm bush is secured via the bush pin and fastening bolt. The control arm is fixed to the axle and horizontal movement of the control arm within the hanger bracket results in linear movement of that axle respective to the vehicle chassis.

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Springfield, MO, United States of America

John Raidel, Ii