The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 16, 1994
Filed:
Apr. 22, 1992
Gordon S Kranick, Snohomish, WA (US);
Paccar Inc., Bellevue, WA (US);
Abstract
A vehicle dual axle suspension comprising a force transmitting structure connected at one end thereof to a forward axle of the vehicle, and at the opposite end thereof to the rear axle, and a central resilient bushing for fastening the force transmitting structure to a cross member of the frame of the vehicle at the mid-point of the force transmitting structure. In one embodiment, the force transmitting structure is a spring plate having a relatively small thickness extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle and having a relatively large width extending in the transverse direction with respect to the vehicle. Other embodiments include resilient bars, and rigid arms pivotally attached to one another. The forward and rear axles are permitted to move substantially independently of one another in the vertical direction as necessary to provide a soft ride when traveling down the highway. In contrast, the force transmitting structure has a relatively high horizontal stiffness such that the suspension is extremely stiff in roll about the longitudinal roll axis of the vehicle. Slew control rods are provided to limit the rotation of the force transmitting structure about the fore-aft axis of the bushing. The central resilient bushing has a sinusoidal height variation with the minimum height being at the fore and aft locations and the maximum heights being transversely spaced from one another. A suspension using pivotally connected suspension beams in which primary shock absorbers control one vibration mode between the axles and the vehicle and a second shock absorber is connected between the suspension beams to dampen a second vibration made between the axles and the vehicle.