Mts Systems Corporation

Ricky L Zieman

Steven R Haeg

Paul J Leska, Sr

Joseph W Daley

Glen Charles Grenier

Chad E Brose

A loading assembly used in a vehicle spindle test fixture includes a wheel adapter housing that is mountable to a vehicle spindle. A pair of vertical struts are provided. Each vertical strut is joined to the wheel adapter housing at spaced-apart first pivot connections. A bell crank is coupled to each end of the vertical struts at spaced-apart second pivot connections. An actuator is pivotally coupled to the bell crank at a third pivot connection. The location of the second pivot connections relative to the third pivot connection approximates the location of the first pivot connections relative to the spindle axis.

Loading assembly for a vehicle spindle test fixture

A loading assembly used in a vehicle spindle text fixture to apply a lateral force parallel to a spindle axis of a vehicle spindle includes a support frame and a wheel adapter housing mountable to the vehicle spindle. A pair of vertical struts are pivotally joined to the wheel adapter housing. A first actuator is operably coupled to the vertical struts to apply a force along a vertical axis substantially perpendicular to the spindle axis and substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle. A pair of lateral struts are provided. Each lateral strut is pivotally joined to one of the vertical struts. A second actuator is operably coupled to the lateral struts to apply a lateral force.

A loading assembly for a vehicle spindle test fixture includes a belt crank that pivots on a first axis to differentially displace two vertical struts which are attached to a wheel adapter housing in order to apply a braking moment to the vehicle spindle. A lever pivotally supported about a second axis is pivotally joined to the bell crank and is used to displace the bell crank, the vertical struts and the wheel adapter housing to apply a vertical force. A control link controls rotation of the bell crank about the first axis and is pivotally joined to the bell crank about a third axis. A second lever is pivotally supported for movement about the second axis and is pivotally joined to an end of the control link about a fourth axis. When a trailing arm suspension is to be tested, the bell crank, the first lever, the control link and the second lever are arranged to form a non-parallelogram linkage in order to induce a brake axis rotation when a vertical displacement is applied.

A loading assembly used to apply selected forces and moments to a vehicle spindle includes a wheel adapter housing mounted to the vehicle spindle. In a first embodiment, the loading assembly reduces crosstalk between application of lateral forces and unintended braking moments, and lateral forces and unintended longitudinal forces. In a second embodiment, a second loading assembly is adjustable so that braking moments are induced when a vertical force is applied when the loading assembly is used on trailing arm suspensions.

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Chaska, MN, United States of America

Ricky L Zieman