AXLE CLAMP ATTACHMENT SYSTEM

Abstract: The invention relates to suspensions for trucks and trailers and to systems for clamping an axle housing to a combination suspension support member and spring in such a way that the axle housing is clamped and compressed uniformly on all four sides whereby there is no appreciable tendency for the axle housing to collapse or become deformed so as to require frequent retorquing of the clamping bolts. The system as shown in figure 10 uses interfitting bottom (7) and top (8) axle housing wraps. The bottom axle wrap (7) has upwardly extending sides (16) engaging opposite sides of the axle housing either directly or against interfitting downward extensions (17) on the top axle housing wrap (8). Vertical clamping bolts (11) cause the upwardly extending sides (16) on the bottom wrap (7) to press inwardly against the sides of the axle housing (5).

Description: AXLE CLAMP ATTACHMENT SYSTEM Ashley T. Dudding and Lawrence Miller SPECIFICATION Brief Description of the Invention Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to suspensions for trucks and trailers and m particular to innovations ana 5 . improvements m the system for clamping an axle housing to a combination suspension support member and spring m such a way that the axle housing is clamped and compressed uniformly on all four sides whereby there is no appreciable tendency for the axle housing to collapse or become deformed 0 so as to require frequent re-torqumg of the clamping bolts Discussion In truck and trailer suspensions the opposite ends of the axle housings must be securely clamped to a support such as a combination suspension support and spring. Heretofore, 5 various clamping systems have been used, usually resulting m compressive forces being applied to the top and bottom cf an axle housing with the clamp bolt load being very high, typically m the range of 30,000 to 50,000 pounds per bolt Usually four bolts are used together at each clamping site 0 making the total load there m the range of 120,000 to 200,000 pounds. Clamp bolt loads in this range generate a very high bending load on the bottom plate which engages ^e underside of an axle housing thereby requiring the plate tc be very thick and heavy m order to sustain the load to 5 which it is subjected. The thickness takes up ground clearance and the bending load produces a "spring" effect causing flexing of the bottom plate, making it very difficult to obtain a secure clamping joint. Further, tne: j has been no convenient method to positively locate the ootto plate relative to the axle housing. This results _r the bolts not being perpendicular to the axle housing whicn m turn, detracts from the security of the joint. With the clamping forces m prior clamping systems 5 . being essentially confined to the bottom and top plates, there was a tendency for the sidewalls of the axle housing to deform or collapse allowing the clamping bolts to looser, whereupon the bolts had to be re-tightened or re-torqued after relatively short periods of service. 0 According to the present invention novel bottom axle housing wraps and top axle housing wraps are provided whicn act to apply the clamping forces substantially uniformly tc all four sides of an axle housing thereby eliminating any appreciable tendency for the axle housing to be deformed or 5 for the clamping joint to become loose. The invention involves the use of novel bottom and top axle housing wraps The bottom axle housing wraps have upwardly extending fingers or sides the inner surfaces of which bear against the opposite sides of the axle housing 0 either directly or against interfitting downward extensions on the top axle housing wrap. The vertical clamping bolts extend between the top and bottom axle housing wraps and clamping plate on a leaf spring or other support with the bolts being spaced from the sides of the axle housing so as 5 to allow the fingers or upwardly extending sides on the bottom wrap to press inwardly against the sides of the axle housin . In a preferred embodiment, the top axle housing wrap has depending or downwardly extending sides which engage f ~ e 0 sidewalls of the axle housing and telescope into the upwardly extending sides or fingers on the bottom axle housing wrap. For a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of the invention reference may be had to the follow---g 5 detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, where-.- Brief Description of the Drawings FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a system for clamping an end of an axle housing to a combination support member and spring m accordance with the present 5 . invention; FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the bottom axle housing wrap and top axle housing wrap of FIG. 1 in interfitting relationship on an axle housing; FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the bottom axle housing 0 wrap of FIGS . 1 and 2 ; FIG. 4 is a side elevational view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a side elevational view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3; 5 FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 3, - FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 3 ; FIG. 8 is a plan view of the bottom side of the bottom axle housing wrap of FIG. 3; FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 of FIG. 3 ,- 0 FIG. 10 is an end elevational view taken on line 10-10 of FIG. 2; and FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of the top axle wrap of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a fabricated axle housing 5 is indicated generally at 5 which is the axle housing for the front axle of a truck but which is representative of any axle housing, front or rear, of a truck. The system for clamping the axle housing 5 to a combination suspension support member and leaf spring indicated generally at 6 0 comprises a bottom axle housing wrap indicated generally at 7, a top axle housing wrap indicated generally at 8 , a top clamping plate or top spring pad indicated generally at 10 and four clamping bolts indicated generally at 11-11. The spring 6 may correspond to the tapered convolute leaf spring 5 shown and described in U.S. patent No. 5,938,221 the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. The bottom axle housing wrap 11 is shown in greater detail m FIGS. 3-10 to which reference is now naαe The bottom axle wrap 11 may oe either a casting or a forging with relatively wide openings m the interest of weight and cost reduction. It has two narrow side members 12-12 and a 5 . wider central member 13. The opposite ends of the members 12 and 13 are turned up and integrally joined by end cross members 14-14 m each of which two bolt holes 15-15 for the bolts 11 are located. Integrally formed on each of the end cross members 14 is an upwardly extending side or extension 0 16. The bottom axle housing wrap 11 is designed to telescopically mate with a top axle housing wrap 8 (FIG 11) m the manner shown m FIG. 10. The top axle wrap 8 has a width approximately equal to the distance between each pair of bolts 11 and the width of the combination suspension member and spring 6 so as to permit the assembly shown m FIG. 1. The top axle housing 8 has a pair of downwardly extending side members 17 which fit over the opposite sides of the axle housing 5 and between the upward extensions 16 on the bottom axle housing wrap 7 as shown m FIG. 10. As will be seen from FIG. 10 the bolts 11 are spaced an appreciable distance from the downwardly extending sides 17 of the top axle housing wrap 8 as well as from the opposite sides of the bottom wall 18 of the axle housing 5. As a result of this spacing, when the bolts 11 are tightened and placed under tension the opposite bottom edges of the axle housing 5 will act as fulcrums and allow the extensions 16 on the bottom axle housing wrap 7 to be tilted inwardly a small but appreciable amount against the downwardly extending sides 17 on the top axle wrap 8. This m turn will cause the downward extensions 17 to press against the opposite sides 20-20 of the axle housing 5. The result will be m the assembly shown m FIG. 1 that compressive forces will be uniformly applied to all four sides of the axle housing 5 whereby the tendency of the axle housing 5 to deform or collapse will be substantially eliminated. If desired, the bottom and top axle housing wraps may be provided with liners (not shown) which act to improve the security of the clamped assembly.

Claims: What Is Claimed Is: 1. In an axle suspension, duplicated on each side of a vehicle and having at least one axle housing and including a combination support member and spring, a system for clamping said axle housing adjacent one end to said combination 5 support member and spring comprising, a bottom axle wrap on which the bottom side of said axle housing is seated, a top axle wrap seated on tne top side of said axle housing and engaging the underside of said combination 0 support member and spring, a clamping plate seated on tne top of said combination support member and spring, and a plurality of bolts clamping together the assembly comprising in upward vertical orientation, said bottom axle 5 housing wrap, said axle housing, said top axle housing wrap, said combination support member and spring and said clamping plate, said bottom axle housing wrap having upwardly extending sides which act against opposite sides of said axle housing, 0 and said bolts extending between said bottom axle wrap and said clamping plate and spaced outwardly of said axle housing whereby tensionmg of said bolts applies compressve forces against all four sides of said axle housing. 2. In the axle suspension of claim 1, said top axle wrap having downward extensions which embrace opposite siαes of said axle housing and mterfit between said axle housing and said upwardly extending sides on said bottom axle 5. housing wrap. 3. In the axle suspension of claim 2 the tightening _ : said u-bolts causing said upwardly extending sides to tilt inwardly and cause said downward extensions to bear agair- opposite sides of the axle housing whereby said axle hc--smg is embraced on all four sides, on the bottom by said bottom axle wrap, on the top by said top axle wrap, and opposite sides by said downward extensions and said upwardly extending sides.

Inventors: DUDDING ASHLEY T, MILLER LAWRENCE, DUDDING, ASHLEY, T., MILLER, LAWRENCE
Applicants: BOLER CO, THE BOLER COMPANY
Application year: 2001
Main classification: B60G11
IPC codes: B60G9, B60G11