Helical Form Patents (Class 280/124.168)
  • Patent number: 11419265
    Abstract: A self-adjusting mower deck gauge wheel includes a first hydraulic cylinder fluidly connected to a second hydraulic cylinder. A gauge wheel is rotatably mounted on a gauge wheel shaft slideable in the first hydraulic cylinder between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position. In the fully retracted position, the mower deck rests flat on the ground and is not supported by gauge wheels. An orifice between the first and second hydraulic cylinders provides a high damping rate to slow travel of the gauge wheel shaft between the fully extended and fully retracted positions. A coil spring with a low spring rate also may be connected to a piston in the second hydraulic cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventor: Matthew T Martin
  • Patent number: 8573619
    Abstract: In a suspension assembling structure, a suspension link has an engagement hole formed in a mounting face for a spring seat. The spring seat has a protrusion formed on the lower face of a seat body and configured to be brought into engagement with the suspension link by insertion into the engagement hole. Also, the spring seat has a flange formed on the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical portion in a manner so as to radially protrude through a clearance space defined between adjacent wires of a coil spring, and configured to hold the wire of a first turn at the lower end of the coil spring, while being kept in abutted-engagement with the upper face of the first turn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Reo Koide, Keiichi Nakajima
  • Patent number: 8505938
    Abstract: A sway bar assembly includes a sway bar, a biasing member, and a winder assembly. The sway bar includes a central portion, a left end portion, and a right end portion. The central portion is configured for pivotal coupling to a frame of a vehicle. The left end portion is configured for coupling with a left support arm. The right end portion is configured for coupling with a right support arm. The biasing member is configured to be fixed to a frame of a vehicle. The winder assembly is coupled with the biasing member and configured to facilitate selective movement of the biasing member with respect to the sway bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Darin D. King
  • Patent number: 8398091
    Abstract: A suspension system for a vehicle, including: an electromagnetic actuator configured to generate an actuator force and including a sprung-side unit supported by a sprung portion, an unsprung-side unit supported by an unsprung portion, a screw mechanism, and an electromagnetic motor; a connecting mechanism including a support spring for permitting one of the sprung-side and unsprung-side units to be floatingly supported as a floating unit by a unit-floatingly support portion that is one of the sprung and unsprung portions by which the floating unit is supported; and a controller including a sprung-vibration-damping control portion and a relative-vibration-damping control portion that is configured to execute a relative-vibration damping control for damping a vibration of the floating unit caused by the structure in which the floating unit is floatingly supported by the support spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Kayaba Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Inoue, Takuhiro Kondo
  • Patent number: 8181976
    Abstract: On a jackscrew used to adjust spring tension on the suspension of some vehicles, a bearing is provided to allow one or both spring cups (and hence one or both ends of the spring) to rotate freely relative to each other about the axis of the spring. This relieves undesirable forces between the vehicle body and its undercarriage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Inventor: Brian A. Ross
  • Patent number: 7387307
    Abstract: A suspension system includes a lower arm having an I-shaped cross section. A coil spring seat portion is formed on the lower arm for supporting a coil spring. A center of stiffness of the lower arm is so located with respect to a centerline of load applied to the lower arm that the lower arm bends upward when a compressive force is applied thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Masaaki Tanaka, Shinichi Konuma
  • Patent number: 6869089
    Abstract: A roll decreasing structure of a suspension for front and dead axles of a commercial vehicle, wherein an axle is inserted into a body of a mounting member mounted at a frame. A base arm mounted with a wheel attached to an external side of the axle via a key, whereby the axle is mounted at the other end with a torsion bar case to which an end of a torsion bar composed of a straight spring steel is mounted by way of serrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Yong-Soo Lee
  • Patent number: 6752406
    Abstract: An air-free, relatively lightweight lift assembly for an axle/suspension system of a highway/rail convertible semi-trailer, utilizes a transversely-oriented coil torsion spring having a relatively low spring rate. The torsion spring is captured between a stationary plate and a rotatable plate. A flexible link is pivotally attached at its upper end to the rotatable plate and at its lower end to the axle. This assembly results in a variable rate moment arm and continuously increasing leverage when the suspension air spring is overinflated to lower the system for transfer of the trailer from a highway tractor to a rail bogie, thus enabling use of a less robust air spring. The assembly conversely creates a decrease in leverage at the lifted rail transport position, to securely maintain the axle/suspension system in the rail position. For highway use, the lift assembly provides suspension damping without shock absorbers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: The Boler Company
    Inventors: Phillippi R. Pierce, Timothy V. Hess
  • Patent number: 6474662
    Abstract: A snowmobile ski suspension system for increasing the overall performance and adjustability of a snowmobile front suspension. The snowmobile ski suspension system includes a collar member attached to the chassis of the snowmobile, a torsion spring attached about the collar member, a first arm extending radially from the torsion spring engaging the ski support structure, a second arm extending radially from the torsion spring, and an adjustment member attached to the second arm for allowing adjustment of the stiffness of the torsion spring. The first arm may be attached at various locations along the ski support structure in various manners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Inventor: Dale D. Cormican