VEHICLE SUSPENSION

• US 3,706,481 A
• Filed: 05/15/1970
• Issued: 12/19/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James H. Kramer
• Original Assignee: James H. Kramer
• Inventors: Kramer, James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Richard J.
• Application Number:
  US05/037,512
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 305/27 267/57.1,57.1A,63 280/124A,124R 180/5R
• US Class Current: 305/134
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/108 with mechanical springs, e.g. torsion bars

Abstract

A suspension for traction belt driven vehicles in which each arm of the suspension is permitted to deflect independently of the remaining arms. Movement of the suspension arms about a common pivot shaft is resisted by elastomeric torsion springs attached to the ends of the suspension arms surrounding spaced axial portions of the pivot shaft such that the arms extend in cantilevered arrangement from the shaft. Idler pulleys are rotatably attached to the free end of each arm for contacting the running traction belt.

Claims

1. A suspension for track propelled vehicles comprising:

a. rigid pivot means including a rigid bar having a polygonal transverse cross section and a pair of support brackets each having an end portion rigidly attached respectively one to each end of said bar with mounting portions formed on the free end of each bracket for attachment to the frame of a vehicle to be suspended;

b. a plurality of torsion springs formed of elastomeric material each circumferentially engaging individual axially spaced portions of the bar of said pivot means in a manner independently and resiliently resisting rotation of each of said springs about said pivot means;

c. a plurality of rigid arms each having an end portion surrounding and engaging one of said springs in a manner resiliently resisting rotation of each arm about said pivot means, respectively, with each of said arms extending in cantilevered arrangement from said pivot means with at least two of said arms disposed in diverging relationship with respect to each other about said pivot means; and

, d. an idler member attached to each of said arm members and adapted to operatively contact guide portions of an endless track.

2. The suspension defined in claim 1, wherein each torsion spring comprises:

a. a metallic inner shell having a polygonally shaped axially extending central opening and a cylindrical outer surface, b. an annular metallic outer shell coaxial with said inner shell and radially spaced therefrom, c. an annulus of elastomeric material between said inner and outer shell integrally bonded to both, d. the said pivot means having the said axially spaced portions formed with a cross section of polygonal shape complementary to and axially interfitting with the central opening of each of said inner shells, and e. the outer surface of said outer shell and the inner surface of the portion of each of said arms surrounding said pivot means having cooperating complementarily shaped portions for preventing relative rotation.