Nai Anchorlok Inc.

Nai Neway, Inc.

Lear Siegler, Inc.

Holland Neway International, Inc.

Neway Corp.

Neway Anchorlok International, Inc.

The Holland Group, Inc.

Lear Siegler Truck Products Corporation

The Hammerblow Corporation

Lear Siegler Neway Corp.

William C Pierce

William J Hicks

Gregory T Galazin

Gregory A Richardson

Steven M Stojic

John Pearson Smith

Lyle M Hagan

Raymond D Subdon

Donovan B Wallace

Daniel G Greenzweig

John Michael Douglass

John P Bowyer

A modular suspension ( ) adapted to mount on a vehicle frame having a pair of spaced C-shaped frame rails ( ). The modular suspension comprises a pair of trailing arm assemblies ( ) connected by a cross beam ( ) and a trailing arm connection. Each of the trailing arm assemblies comprises a frame bracket ( ) adapted to be mounted to one of the frame rails and a trailing arm ( ) having one portion pivotally mounted to the frame bracket for pivotal movement about a pivot axis. The trailing arm connection ( ) extends between and is coupled to a portion of the trailing arms rearward of the pivot axis. The cross beam extends between and connects to the frame brackets such that a rail opening ( ) having a shape for slidably receiving at least a portion of one of the frame rails is formed between each of the frame brackets and the cross beam. The modular suspension can be mounted to the frame rails by aligning each of the frame rails with each of the rail openings and moving the modular suspension longitudinally relative to the frame rails.

Modular trailing arm suspension

A vehicle trailing arm suspension has an axle mounted to a pair of trailing arms through axle-mounting assemblies that include one or two beam-axle connectors mounted to one of the arms through a bushed connection and connected to the axle through a collar that receives the axle. An elastomeric layer is positioned between the axle and the collar for articulation. Each beam-axle connector can include an arcuate plate at the other end thereof and through which the beam-axle connector is mounted to the axle through welding or a compression mounting. The compression mounting includes a hollow wrapper band under tension sufficient to compress the axle to prevent movement of the axle with respect to the wrapper band under ordinary service conditions. A radius tower can also be mounted to an axle through the hollow wrapper band.

Trailing arm suspension with wrapper compression axle mounting and articulated axle mounting

A drive axle suspension for maintaining a differential pinion gear at a substantially constant position in response to engine torque induced or vehicle roll induced twisting forces acting on the differential axle housing. The drive axle suspension comprises a trailing arm having one end pivotally mounted to the vehicle through a hanger bracket, depending from a frame rail of the vehicle, and another end connected to the vehicle frame rail through an air spring. The trailing arms have a blade-like configuration that permits the blades to twist longitudinally and bend laterally to relieve the axle twisting forces that would otherwise rotate the differential and undesirably rotate the pinion gear, changing its angular orientation.

Drive axle suspension

An anti-creep device for a trailing arm suspension. The anti-creep device comprises an arm that is extended and retracted relative to a trailer frame and trailing arm of the suspension to prohibit their relative movement. The arm is connected to either the trailer frame or trailing arm by a frangible coupling designed to break at a predetermined load to prevent damage to the trailer or suspension from overloading or operation when the arm is extended.

Anti-creep device

A fluid-operated brake actuator having a housing with one or more vent openings in communication with an interior chamber is provided with a filter assembly mounted to the housing over the vent openings. The filter assembly includes a gas permeable filter element, with oleophobic and homophobic characteristics so that air entering the service brake inner chamber from the atmosphere will be substantially free of contaminants

Spring brake actuator with filtered service vent opening

A fluid-operated combination diaphragm spring brake has a tamper-resistant connection between a head and a flange case which together form a spring chamber housing a power spring. The head has an annular flange and an axial rim, and the flange case has an annular flange and an axial rim, The flanges of the head and the flange case and at least one of the rims of the head and the flange case define an annular recess. A diaphragm is sandwiched between the flanges and substantially fills the annular recess, removing substantially all the air within the annular recess. A welded connection radially adjacent the diaphragm secures head rim to the flange case rim.

Tamper-resistant brake actuator

A suspension system for a vehicle includes a longitudinally extending frame, an axle connected to the frame for relative movement with respect thereto, an air spring mounted between the frame and the axle to yieldably support the axle with respect to the frame, and upper and lower trailing arms attached to each side of the frame. A first torsion bar extends between and is rigidly attached to the upper trailing arms and a second torsion bar extends between and is rigidly attached to the lower trailing arms. The torsion bar cooperates with the springs during deflection of the suspension system with respect to the frame to thereby yieldably resist relative movement between the trailing arms and the frame. In one embodiment, the upper and lower trailing arms are parallel to each other. This arrangement results in load equalization between the suspension assemblies. Any relative torque caused by deflection of the trailing arms is equally distributed between both torque bars. In another embodiment, the upper and lower trailing arms are non-parallel, and arranged such that when the trailing arms pivot due to road conditions or vehicle loading, fore and aft movement of the air spring and axle due to arcuate swing of the trailing arms is minimized.

Dual trailing arm vehicle suspension

Air spring with internal support member

A two-ply pressure plate (36) for use in an air brake system (10) for a vehicle, such as a bus, truck or the like, is shown. The two-ply pressure plate (36) includes a diaphragm plate (92) which abuts a diaphragm (32) of an air brake system (10) and a support plate (98) which abuts the rear surface of the diaphragm plate (92). A control rod (18) is welded to the support plate (98) and diaphragm plate (92). Some form of mechanical or metallurgical interconnection between the support plate (98) and diaphragm plate (92) is formed in between the mounting point of the rod (18) and the outer perimeter of the smaller of the two plates.

Spring brake actuator having two-ply pressure plate assembly

A valve assembly for controlling the delivery and exhaustion of pressurized air to and from an air spring. The valve assembly comprises a body having a bore and a port in communication with the bore. The port is adapted to receive an air connection with an air spring. Actuator shaft having a first end and a second end, is disposed coaxially in the valve bore for reciprocal movement between actuating and rest positions, and is biased toward the rest position. A valve block fixes within the bore and has an internal end and an external end. A stop chamber is disposed between the external end and the internal end. A stop member mounts on the actuator shaft within the stop chamber. Actuator shaft movement relative to the valve body is limited to the distance the stop moves within the stop chamber. The valve bore is filled with an incompressible fluid and the actuator has a piston disposed within the valve bore in order to dampen movement of the actuator shaft to provide a time delay in actuating the valve. The piston includes an aperture that passes therethrough and a hollow metering tube that extends from the aperture. The size of the tube controls the damping effect of the piston and thus the actuator shaft as the actuator shaft moves toward the valve seat.

Bypass tube for time delay height control valve

A connector for a spring brake actuator comprises a threaded bolt having at least one flat portion on an outer surface thereof, a nut having a threaded central aperture threaded onto the bolt, and an embossment on the nut, extending inwardly of the central aperture to frictionally engage the flat portion of the bolt, so that the embossment prevents rotation of the nut with respect to the bolt. A method for fixedly attaching a nut onto a bolt comprises forming a flat portion on an outer surface of the bolt, threading the nut onto the bolt in alignment with the flat portion, and pressing inwardly of the nut with a punching tool to cause a portion of the material of the nut to extend inwardly of the central aperture forming an embossment in engagement with the flat portion on the bolt to hold the nut rigid with respect to the bolt.

Growing community of inventors

Muskegon, MI, United States of America

William C Pierce