The Boler Company

Serge Alexander Barlas

Michael Brannigan

Tjong T Lie

David Harry Hillman

Jonathan Mark Bunne

Tjong Thiam Lie

An axle connection device designed to be welded to an axle housing to permit a vehicle suspension system to be connected to the axle housing is disclosed. The device includes a generally flat baseplate having curvilinear ends separated by a relatively long and narrow waist. Each end includes a curvilinear side rim and two rounded corners from which longitudinally extending edges positioned on opposite sides of the device smoothly taper towards the waist. The device also includes a generally horizontally projecting plane having a waist aligned with the waist of the baseplate to divide the plane into two distinct portions. The plane also has two supporting sidewalls. Both sidewalls extend from just inside the rounded corners of a respective end of the baseplate and taper towards associated corners of the horizontally projecting plane. Each portion of the plane includes a generally rounded boss extending from the plane. A slot extending from the intersection of the baseplate and the plane is incorporated in each boss to allow a connection bolt to pass through the device. The construction of the device permits it to accommodate varying pinion angles and axle housing mismatch. The preferred method of welding the axle connection device to the axle housing is also disclosed.

Device for connecting suspension system components for axle housing

Vehicles, notably heavy duty trucks, equipped with torque reactive suspensions, such as trailing arm air suspensions, are susceptible to driveline vibration and wheel hop due to engine produced torque. According to this invention such driveline vibration and wheel hop can be suppressed by preventing frame rise from occurring. Suppression can be accomplished by providing one of several forms of frame rise control means operative between the vehicle drive axle and the vehicle frame. One form of frame rise control means utilizes rebound control leaf springs on opposite sides of a vehicle. Another form utilizes shock absorbers each of which incorporates a spring mounted on the piston rod. Another form utilizes hydraulic cylinders, each having a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid connected to the chamber of the cylinder on the rebound side of the piston and the chamber on the opposite side of the piston vented to atmosphere. Another form utilizes hydraulic cylinders each having a source of hydraulic fluid connected to the chambers on opposite sides of the piston with a valve operative to block flow of hydraulic fluid from the chamber on the rebound side of the piston. Still another form utilizes an elongated endless elastic strap embracing the shock absorbers.

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St. Charles, IL, United States of America

Serge Alexander Barlas