Patent GB-773671-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to vehicle axle and suspension assemblies
Inventor: HILL CLAUDE
IPC: B60K17/30
Filed: 1952-01-25
Abstract: 773,671. Motor vehicles. FERGUSON RESEARCH, Ltd., H. Jan. 26, 1953 [Jan. 25, 1952], No. 2059/52. Classes 79(2), 79(4) and 79(5). [Also in Group XXXII] Relates to vehicles of the type having for each steered road wheel an independently sprung axle-and-suspension assembly, which is pivoted at its inside end to the chassis for up-and-down swinging movement, and a road wheel stub-axle assembly pivoted to the outside end of the firstmentioned assembly for up-anddown angular movement relative thereto, the stub-axle assembly incorporating a kingpin device about whose axis steering of the road wheel is effected. According to the invention the axle-and-suspension assembly comprises a main linkage which is pivoted to the stub-axle assembly by means of a hollow ball joint and which is associated with an axle having concentrically inside said ball joint a universal joint with the stub-axle, so that this axle rotates with the road wheel and a compensating linkage which extends between a pivot with the chassis and a universal joint with the stub-axle assembly, said compensating linkage being so arranged that during up-and-down swinging movement of the suspension assembly the stub-axle assembly is given an appositely swinging compensating movement to restrict movement of the kingpin device to up-and-down swinging movement and to cause the point of contact of the road wheel with the ground to move substantially vertically relative to the chassis, and in which an inboard brake is applied directly to said axle or alternatively to a shaft driving the axle, but not to the road wheel, so that during the brake action the main and corresponding linkages and also the kingpin device are relieved of braking stresses. In the arrangement according to Fig. 1, a driven half-axle 8 is connected through a universal joint 9 to a differential gear 10 and through a universal joint 16 to a stub-axle 18 carrying a road wheel. The axle 8 is enclosed in a tubular casing 4 connected through universal joints to the differential gear casing 52 and to a casing 7, 19, 23 enclosing the universal joint 16 and the stub-axle 18. A sleeve 25 keyed to the axle 18, carries the road wheel hub 27 on a ball bearing 29 mounted on the casing part 23, the arrangement of the half-axle, stub-axle and the universal joints being such that all bearings are lubricated from the differential gear without the need for grease nipples. The wheel is steered by rack and pinion steering mechanism comprising for each wheel a steering arm 36 attached to the casing part 7, 19 and to a tie rod 37 which is connected to a central link 39, Fig. 8. The link 39 is attached to a rod 40 which is guided in casings 41 and 42 rigid with the differential casing 10 and closed by extension tubes 81. At one end, the rod 40 is formed as a rack 83 which is engaged by a pinion 85 on a steering shaft 86. The remainder of the rod 40 at this end is formed with a flat 83A coplanar with the tips of the rack teeth. The casings 41 and 42 form oil baths for the mechanism, the casing 42 being sealed by a cylindrical seal 87 and the casing 41 being sealed by a bearing ring 89 and sealing ring 90 which are substantially of D- shaped cross-section, corresponding to the crosssection of that end of the rod 40. The rack 83 is biased into engagement with the pinion 85 by a spring-loaded bearing 92, Fig. 7 (not shown). Vertical swinging movement of the wheel and half-axle is controlled by a duplex link 43 pivotally connected between a nut 34 secured to a downward extension 32 of the casing part 7, 19, and a guide 44 slidable on the half-axle casing 4. A duplex radius rod 50 is also pivotally connected to the upper side of the guide 44 and at its inner end to the differential casing 52, and a rod 53 having cranked ends if pivotally connected between the lower part of the guide 44 and a bracket 58B on the vehicle chassis. A coil spring 55A and hydraulic telescopic damper 55B are pivotally connected between the guide 44 and a chassis bracket 56. The arrangement is such that the inner ends os the rods 50 and 53 are pivotally mounted on the same fore-and-aft axis, the pivotal connections of the link 43 and rod 50 to the guide 44 are in vertical alignment, and the forward end motmting of the rod 53 on the guide 44 is coaxial with the pivotal connection thereto of the link 43. The rod 53 consists of a main tubular part and pivot pins having semispherical ends by which the pins are welded to the tubular part at the desired angle thereto. The pivotal connections of the rods 50, 53 and the links 43 include deformable rubber bushes of known type. A disc-type brake is mounted on a transmission shaft 101 driving the differential gear 10. In the arrangement according to Figs. 9 and 12, the guide 44 is replaced by a shackle device 95 comprising a pair of links pivotally mounted on a pin 96 which is attached to a bracket 97 on the casing 4. In this arrangement the forward pivot pin 58 of the rod 53 is pivotally secured through the intermediary of rubber bushes, to the fore-and-aft spaced limbs of the shackle 95, between which are pivotally secured, also through the intermediary of rubber bushes, the outer ends of the link 43 and the rod 50. The damper 55B projects beyond the upper end of the spring 55A, and is attached to an inverted cup member 55F secured to a chassis bracket 55E.