I-beam axle suspension system

An axle bearing suspension system and method has a pair of elongated beams having an upper section and lower section with T-shaped cross sections. The T-shaped cross sections are welded together to form beams having an I-beam cross section. The beams have attachment portions which are preferably arc shaped cylindrical portions for fixing the beams to the axle with the upper section being welded to an upper part of the axle and the lower section being welded to a lower part of the axle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to axle suspension systems for wheeled vehicles and to a method of construction of axle suspension systems. More particularly, this invention relates to an axle suspension system in which the beams are I-beams and the I-beams have an upper section and a lower section, the upper and lower sections being installed on the axle laterally.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Axle suspension systems are known. In one such system described in the Dilling et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,237, each beam has a pair of side walls extending in substantially the vertical direction with respect to the vehicle with an orifice in each sidewall through which the axle extends and is rigidly attached thereto. To install the axle suspension system on an axle, the beams must be placed over a free end of the axle and slid longitudinally along the axle to the appropriate location with the axle extending through the orifices in the two sides walls of each beam.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an axle bearing suspension system in which each beam has an upper section and a lower section that together form an I-Beam when the two sections are installed laterally on an axle.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an axle bearing suspension system wherein each section of each beam has an attachment portion at an end that is affixed to the axle, the attachment portions of each section corresponding to the cross sectional shape of the axle and being sized to be affixed around the axle with the lower section being substantially on the bottom half of the axle and the upper section being substantially on the upper half of the axle.

An axle bearing suspension system of a leading or trailing beam type for an axle of a wheeled vehicle has a pair of elongated beams. One of the beams is located adjacent to each side of the vehicle and the beams are spaced from one another. The axle extends across an entire width of the vehicle, the axle having at least one wheel located at each end thereof. The axle has a pneumatic bellows located on each of the beams and a hanger bracket located at one end of each beam for connecting the axle to a frame of the vehicle. Each beam has an upper section and a lower section, the upper and lower sections each having a T-shaped cross section. The lower section is inverted relative to the upper section, the upper and lower sections having a corresponding shape to one another to fit together to form an I-Beam when the two sections are installed on an axle. Each section has an attachment portion on an end that is to be affixed to the axle, the attachment portions corresponding to a cross sectional shape of the axle and being sized to be affixed around the axle with the lower section substantially on a bottom half of the axle and the upper section being substantially on an upper half of the axle.

A method of installing an axle bearing suspension system of a leading of trailing beam type for an axle of a wheeled vehicle, the suspension system having a pair of elongated beams, one of the beams being located adjacent to each side of the vehicle and the beams being spaced from one another. The axle extends across an entire width of the vehicle, the axle having at least one wheel located on each end thereof. A pneumatic bellows is located on each of the beams and a hanger bracket is located on one end of each beam for connecting the axle to the frame of the vehicle. Each beam has an upper and lower section, the upper and lower sections each having a T-shaped cross section with an attachment portion on an end that is to be affixed to the axle. The attachment portions have a cross sectional shape corresponding to a cross sectional shape of the axle. The method comprises connecting to the hanger bracket an end of each of the upper and lower sections that is located opposite to the attachment portions to the hanger bracket, positioning the attachment portions at the ends of the upper and lower sections that are to be affixed to the axle around the axle with the lower section being substantially on the bottom half of the axle and the upper section being substantially on an upper half of the axle and affixing the attachment portions to the axle and affixing a lower edge of the upper section and an upper edge of the lower section located between the axle and the hanger bracket to one.

Preferably, the method comprises of fixing the attachment portions to the axle another by one of welding, brazing, soldering and adhesively bonding and affixing the lower section to the upper section by one of welding brazing, soldering and adhesively bonding.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

InFIGS. 1,2and3, an axle bearing suspension system2is used with an axle4of a wheeled vehicle (not shown). The suspension system2has a pair of elongated beams6,8, one of the beams being located adjacent to each side of the vehicle (not shown), the beams being spaced from one another. The axle4has a cross sectional configuration and attends across an entire width of the vehicle (not shown). The axle has at least one wheel (not shown) located on each end thereof. Each of the beams6,8each have an upper section10and a lower section12. Each section10,12has a T-shaped cross section, the lower section12being inverted relative to the upper section10. The upper and lower sections10,12respectively have a corresponding shape to one another to fit together to form an I-beam (best seen inFIGS. 9 and 10).

Each section10,12has an attachment portion14,16respectively at an end that is affixed to the axle4. The attachment portions14,16have a cross sectional shape corresponding to the cross sectional shape of the axle and being sized to be affixed around the axle4with the attachment portion16of the lower section12being substantially on a bottom half of the axle4and the attachment portion14of the upper section10being substantially on an upper half of the axle4. A pneumatic bellows18is located on each of the beams6,8. The pneumatic bellows18has a plate20containing openings22that are sized and located to fit over bolts24of the bellows18. A hanger bracket26is located on at end of each beam opposite to the bellows18for connecting each of the beams to a frame (not shown) of the vehicle (not shown). A pneumatic cylinder27extends between the hanger bracket26and an axle end of the beams6,8.

The beams6,8each have a cylindrical connector28for pivotally connecting each beam to one of the hanger brackets26. The connector28is pivotally connected to the hanger bracket by a bolt29, washers30,31, sleeve32and nut33.

InFIGS. 4 to 7, it can be seen that each upper section has a web34and a flange36and that each lower section12has a web38and a flange40.

InFIG. 6, it can be seen that the beam8is angled toward a centre of the axle4on a side44thereof.

InFIGS. 8 to 11, various views of the beam8are shown. InFIGS. 8 to 10, it can be seen that the lower section12has a convex curve along an upper edge48thereof and that the upper section10has a concave curve50along a lower edge thereof between the cylinder28and the attachment portion14. The convex curve48corresponds to the concave curve50so that when the lower section12and the upper section10are in the position that they would be in when installed on the axle (not shown inFIG. 10), the curves48,50form a line of contact52and the attachment portion14is connected to the web34and flange36by radial gussets54. The attachment portions14,16are arc shaped, but can have other cross sectional shapes for connection to the axle. Preferably the attachment portions are shaped to conform to the size of the axle.

InFIG. 12, there shown a side view of a further embodiment of a suspension axle. InFIG. 13, there shown a top view and inFIG. 14there shown a perspective view of part of the embodiment shown inFIG. 12installed on an axle4. The suspension system60has a beam61with an upper section62and a lower section64. The upper section has a web66with a flange68and the lower section has a web70with two flanges71,72. The upper section62has an attachment portion74at an end that is connected to the axle4. The lower section64has an attachment portion78that is connected to the axle4. The lower section64extends beyond the axle4and the flange72is an upper flange that supports a bellows80. The lower section64has gussets82on either side of the web70(only one side of which is shown). The gussets82strengthen the lower section64. An end of the upper section62and an end of the lower section64away from the axle4are pivotally connected to a hanger bracket26.

In the top view shown inFIG. 13, it can be seen that a left hand edge86of the flange68of the upper section62and a left hand edge87of the upper flange72of the lower section64is angled inward so that the flange72of the beam61can be centered beneath the bellows80. This configuration eliminates or at least reduces any twisting forces on the beam61that would exist if the bellows80was not centered on the beam. The U-shaped brackets88,90on the hanger bracket26and the attachment portion74of the upper section62are connected to a pneumatic cylinder (not shown) but to further cushion movement between the frame (not shown) of the vehicle (not shown) and the axle4.FIG. 14is a perspective and partially exploded view of part of the suspension system on the axle4. The suspension60has a second beam that is not shown inFIGS. 12 to 16. The second beam is a mirror image of the first beam61.

InFIGS. 15 and 16, the shape of the upper section62and the lower section64is clearly shown. A cylindrical connector96is connected to the lower section64when the upper and lower sections6264are separate and apart from one another.

InFIG. 17, there is shown two attachment portions that are substantially half cylinders98,100. Each of the attachment portions98,100have one straight edge102and one uneven edge104. The uneven edge has a shape similar to the numeral 3 and the two uneven edges104are on opposite sides of the two half cylinders so that the uneven edge of one half cylinder98is adjacent to the straight edge102of the other half cylinder100and vice-versa. There are linear edges106at either end of the uneven edge104. The linear edges106are welded to that part of the straight edge102that is immediately adjacent to the linear edges106, but are not welded to the axle (not shown inFIG. 17). The remaining length of the straight edge102and the uneven edge104are welded to the axle (not shown inFIG. 17).

The cross sectional shape of the axle will usually be circular, but other cross sectional shapes will be suitable including, rectangular, square and oval. Also, the axle will usually be hollow, but axles can also be solid.