Patent GB-701623-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in spring suspension for vehicles
IPC: B60G11/22
Filed: 1952-02-08
Abstract: 701,623. Spring suspensions; resilient mountings. HICKMAN INDUSTRIES Inc. Feb. 8, 1952 [Feb. 28, 1951], No. 3412/52. Classes 108(2) and 108(3) A vehicle spring suspension adapted to be interposed between a vehicle frame member and an axle member comprises a pair of frame brackets secured to the frame member at one side thereof on opposite sides of the axle member and spaced from. each other a distance at least equal to the diameter of the vehicle wheel and each having a generally vertical face arranged generally parallel with the axle member, an axle bracket structure fast to the axle member and having faces generally parallel with and opposed to the vertical faces of the frame brackets, a plate interposed between each pair of opposing faces of the frame brackets and axle structure and arranged generally parallel therewith, and a rubber block fast to the opposite faces of each of the plates and also fast to the corresponding faces of the corresponding frame bracket and axle bracket structure respectively. In the arrangement shown, an axle bracket 24 is mounted'at each end. of an axle housing 20 and supports on a top plate 25, a pair of split rubber-bushed bearings 26 for a rod or tube 38 The ends of the tube 38 are welded to flanges 42 of a pair of upwardly converging angle irons 43 and the tube is. braced to the latter by T-irons 45, the lower ends of which are secured to the angle irons and to opposite ends of a lower tube 51. Rubber, blocks 54, 54 are vulcanized to a plate 52 attached to each angle iron 43 and to the opposing side of an intermediate plate 55, and a rubber block 56 is vulcanized to the other face of the plate 55 and to a plate 58 attached to a flange 60 of a frame bracket 61. Stops 65 and 69 are mounted on the plates 52 and 55 respectively and each is of upwardly pointed V- shaped section in a direction parallel with the plates to insure interaction of the stops when the latter approach each other out of alignment. A flange 75 projecting from the flange 60 of. the bracket 61 over each plate 55 and a rubber block 56 constitutes a stop to prevent overstressing of the block 56. The lower end of each plate 55 is formed with a portion 78, which, under shock loads on the suspension when the vehicle is fully loaded, engages a wedge member 80 which is secured to the attachment point, of the T-iron 45, angle iron 43 and tube 51. In operation, the arrangement is such that under light load conditions the blocks 54, 54 are only stressed to the limit corresponding to the engagement of the stops 65 and 69, after which the load is supported by the blocks 56 to the limit corresponding to the engagement of the steps 75 and the plates 55. In another arrangement, Figs. 12-14 (not shown), the tubes 38 and 51 are both located above the axle housing 20, the space between the tubes being reinforced by a pair of plates arranged intermediate the rubber bushed bearings and the lower tube. In a further arrangement, Figs. 15-17 (not shown), in which both tubes are mounted above the axle housing, the axle bracket comprises a group of plates arranged face to face and disposed at right angles to the axle housing. The outermost plate is arranged on top of the axle housing, the other plates being recessed to fit around the housing and being of less height than the first plate to provide a step. The step supports a pair of rubber bushed bearings carrying the lower tube, the bore for each rubber bush comprising a pair of vertically arranged half-bearing sections bolted together and to the outermost plate. The tubes are braced by a pair of vertical and longitudinally extending plates and by a pair of traversely extending plates located between the rubber bearings. The plates for the rubber blocks at both ends of the tubes are parallel and the tubes are adjustable in length at one end thereof to permit adjustment of the compression of the rubber blocks.