Including Adjustment For Spring Loading Patents (Class 267/242)
  • Patent number: 11001115
    Abstract: A traction bar prevents rotation of an axle housing for a vehicle utilizing leaf springs. A traction bar has a rigid rail member having a first end and a second end. The traction bar also has a pivoting shackle member having a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end of the shackle member is pivotally attached to the vehicle frame or to a vehicle frame bracket attached to the vehicle's frame. The distal end of the shackle member is pivotally attached to the first end of the rigid rail member. An axle bracket is pivotally attached to the second end of the rigid rail member. The three pivots provided with the traction bar provide for normal movement of the suspension without binding. However, upon acceleration or high torque load, the shackle member is thrust into axial alignment with the rigid rail member, stopping forward motion of the rigid rail member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Inventor: Justin Lambert
  • Patent number: 10071780
    Abstract: A narrow gauge two-wheeled trailer mounted on spaced apart elongated beams and split axles is stabilized against rolling or tilting about the longitudinal axis with a leaf spring suspension and a universal joint coupling. The split axles are mounted on an axle arms pivoted to the beams and supported by leaf springs configured to lengthen or shorten along the beams. The universal joint coupling permits pitch and yaw movement of the trailer but resists rolling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Inventor: Eric S. Burka
  • Patent number: 8505942
    Abstract: A suspension device having a leaf spring and a piston-cylinder unit. The leaf spring has a first end that is movably attached to a frame and a second end pivotally attached to the piston-cylinder unit. In addition, the piston-cylinder unit is pivotally attached to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd Rupert Muck
  • Patent number: 6994358
    Abstract: Bump stop for an amphibious vehicle suspension having a member selectively movable between an operating position, and an inoperative position. This allows the suspension to retract road wheels along locus for conversion to marine mode. Bump stop free end may be moved by filling cavities with pressurized fluid. Alternatively, the entire bump stop may be rotated on a pivot by a hydraulic cylinder, an electric solenoid, manually or by any other mechanical means. Alternatively, the movable member may be a position in a cylinder, withdrawn against a return spring by hydraulic pressure, and may act against resilient snubber on the vehicle suspension. Bump pad has a curved undersurface, allowing the bump stop to be bent out of the way when the suspension is lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Gibbs Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Terence James Roycroft
  • Patent number: 6764087
    Abstract: A cargo carrier suspension for installation on a cargo carrier having a seat and wheels, skis or rollers on which the seat rides, the cargo carrier suspension comprising: a leaf spring connectable on a cargo carrier between the seat and the wheels, skis or rollers, and a clamping device for engagement on the leaf spring and adjustable to select the degree of flexibility of the leaf spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: 634182 Alberta Ltd.
    Inventors: Imad Assaf, Daniel William Britton
  • Patent number: 6595483
    Abstract: A vibration isolator including a bearing support and an elastic member that communicates with a vibration source. The elastic member is capable of bending from an original position to assume a more or less bowed position in response to changes in a load applied to the midportion of the elastic member intermediate its ends and returning essentially to its original position when the original load is restored. The elastic member engages a friction-resistant bearing surface on the bearing support at a distance spaced from each of its ends and moves relative to the bearing surface in response to a bending of the elastic member. The apparatus may be tuned to effectively isolate a particular vibration frequency, for example, by altering the properties of the elastic member or by changing the distance between the points on the bearing support that engage the elastic member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Inventor: John Cunningham
  • Patent number: 6367831
    Abstract: The adjustable suspension includes a first and second pair of transversely disposed leaf springs supporting the vehicle. Each leaf spring includes a threaded aperture formed therein. A first and second threaded, rotatable, spindle respectively engages the apertures of the first and second pair of leaf springs. The adjustable suspension further includes actuating means for rotatably driving at least one of the spindles and mode selection means for selectively engaging the actuation means with at least one of the spindle in response to a preferred operating mode. Such arrangement facilitates manual height adjustment of the vehicle suspension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen Lim, Michael Smith
  • Patent number: 5380028
    Abstract: A torsion bar suspension system for a trailer that includes a suspension frame having a spindle at one end for rotatably carrying a wheel. The suspension frame is mounted to the trailer frame to pivot about an axis spaced from the wheel axis of rotation. A torsion bar is mounted to the trailer frame between the wheel end of the suspension frame and the suspension frame pivot axis. The torsion bar is operatively coupled to the suspension frame such that torque at the torsion bar resists pivoting of the suspension frame about its pivot axis. The torsion bar/suspension frame coupling comprises an arm of variable length to accommodate changing radius between the torsion bar and the suspension frame as the frame rotates about its pivot axis. The torsion bar and suspension frame are mountable and demountable to and from the trailer frame as an assembly. The suspension frame includes facility for adjusting height, camber and toe-in of the wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1995
    Assignees: John R. Ferris, Thomas P. Daniels
    Inventors: John R. Ferris, Thomas P. Daniels
  • Patent number: 5354092
    Abstract: A traction device for a motor vehicle, includes a rear support assembly bolted adjacent to a leaf spring opposite to a rear axle, a front support assembly which is pivotally attached to a front end of the leaf spring, and a rigid link which extends between and is attached to both the front and rear support assemblies at locations spaced from the leaf spring. The front support assembly includes a pair of generally triangular plates wherein a bolt at each apex connecting the plates performs a defined function. Specifically, a first upper bolt extends through a front spring eye of the leaf spring to provide a pivot axis for the front support assembly. A second upper bolt is positioned to extend across an upper surface of the leaf spring at a location spaced rearwardly from the front spring eye, to limit pivotal movement of the front support assembly relative to the leaf spring. A third bolt extends between the plates at a lower end thereof to secure a front end of the rigid link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1994
    Inventor: John Calvert
  • Patent number: 5308140
    Abstract: A shock-absorbing device includes a saddle support which is to be mounted to a bottom side of a saddle of a bicycle seat. The saddle support is made of metal and has a substantially U-shaped horizontal portion with left and right arms. Each of the left and right arms has a distal upwardly curving end. The saddle support further has a pair of extensions which extend respectively from the upwardly curving end of the left and right arms. The extensions are disposed above and are parallel to a respective one of the left and right arms. Each of the extensions has a distal outwardly bent hook end. The shock-absorbing device further includes an adjustment unit with a pair of cylindrical portions, which are clamped tightly between a respective one of the left and right arms and a respective one of the extensions, and a retaining unit which extends across the left and right arms so as to retain the adjustment unit on the saddle support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Inventor: Stella Yu
  • Patent number: 4821393
    Abstract: Apparatus especially useful for centering an electronic component on a surface for subsequent pickup and placement on a circuit board. The apparatus includes a pair of jaws which are driven in unison toward and away from each other by a lead screw or similar mechanism, each of the jaws having a part adapted to engage a respective side of a component to be positioned. The engagement part of each jaw is resiliently loaded such as by a spring or air cylinder and is in a normally outward position. The jaws are pre-aligned so that they drive in unison toward a predetermined center line. A component place between the jaws is contacted by the engagement parts of the jaws when the jaws move toward each other, and is moved into alignment on the center line. The jaws over-travel the aligned position against the spring pressure of the jaws, this spring pressure providing an intended over-travel force which prevents excessive force on the component by the engaged jaws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1989
    Assignee: Srtechnologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald J. Spigarelli