Patent GB-967386-A (GB)
Title: Vehicle with improved spring suspension and curve banking means
IPC: B62D9/02
Filed: 1961-10-16
Abstract: 967,386. Road vehicle spring suspensions. J. KOLBE. Oct 16, 1961 [Oct 26, 1960], No. 37002/61. Heading B7D. [Also in Division F2] The suspension of a vehicle which banks inwardly when cornering comprises a torsion bar spring 4 connected at its ends by ball joints 3, 5 and lever arms 13, 16, which apply the torsional load to the spring, to a chassis or body support member 1 and a wheel support member 2, one of the connections at least between a lever arm and a support member comprising a rubber block. In Fig 2 the rear wheel support member comprises a line axle 2 also connected to chassis 1 by longitudinal links 25 with resilient joints 28, 29 and to anti-sway bar 64 by upwardly and inwardly inclined links 68 which cause the chassis to tilt when it moves transversely relative to the axle. The upper mounting plates 19 of the blocks 18 are adjustable by rotation of the nuts 22 on the stems 20 to vary the vehicle height. The rubber blocks (Fig. 12) comprise three layers of rubber bonded to layers 121 of belting to provide greater resistance to compression loads than to shear loads and to layers 122 to resist shear forces between the block and mounting plates. The axis of each block 18 is parallel to the axis 15 about which the corresponding ball joint 5 moves and the inclination of the rear blocks 23 limit additional wind up of the torsion springs when cornering. The front suspension may comprise a beam axle but preferably comprises wheel support members 40, each mounted on an upper wishbone 37 and a transverse arm 42 pivoted at its inner end on a bell-crank lever 46 pivoted on a vertical axis 47. A laminated torsion bar spring 43 is pivoted on an axis 50 to each arm 42 at one end and by ball joint 52 to the chassis at the other end. Lever 53 and rubber block 55 also connect the chassis and spring. On a curve to move the chassis away from the centre of the curve but tilt it towards the centre a mass 93 on vertical spring leaf 92 moves transversely to operate control valve 91, introducing hydraulic pressure fluid to cylinder 90 and hence rotating lever 88 of steering gear 87 and through steering gear 76 rotating lever 74. Rotation of lever 74 moves rear link 72 and hence lever 70 attached to left-hand rear spring 4 and front link 78 and bell-crank 46 connected to the transverse arms 42. The torsion springs are laminated to resist bending loads and are preferably arranged with the individual leaves parallel to the line of action of the bending force 116 on them (Fig. 11) or as shown in section in Fig. 10 so that the resistance to bending in the vertical and horizontal planes is proportional to the components of force 117, 118 in those planes. The angular position of the spring 4 in the box 6 may be adjusted by use of tapered shims 119 and hence the vehicle height may be altered. To limit tilting of the vehicle when running straight due to asymmetrical loading, a precompressed centring spring 109 is mounted between sleeves 110, 111 which abut chassis brackets 112, 113 and pull plates 114, 115 are provided on link 78 to compress the spring 109 further when the vehicle tilts.