VEHICLE SPRING SUSPENSION
United States Patent 3806148
A twin-axle bogie suspension having vertical axle carriers mounted near the end of each axle. The upper ends of the carriers on adjacent ends of the axles are pivotably linked to the extremities of a leaf spring which is rotatably mounted at its centre to a bracket. The lower ends of the carriers and adjacent ends of the axles are each resiliently pivotably linked to the bracket by a radius arm.
US Patent References:
Car truck
McWhirter - November 1937 - 2098459
Side-frame and journal-box mounting
Drenning - February 1929 - 1701558
Car structure
Aspinwall - February 1925 - 1526410
Rolling stock for railways and tramways
Barbey et al. - March 1926 - 1576298
Running gear
Low - July 1932 - 1868173
Car truck
McWhirter - November 1937 - 2098459
Side-frame and journal-box mounting
Drenning - February 1929 - 1701558
Car structure
Aspinwall - February 1925 - 1526410
Rolling stock for railways and tramways
Barbey et al. - March 1926 - 1576298
Running gear
Low - July 1932 - 1868173
Application Number:
05/168605
Publication Date:
04/23/1974
Filing Date:
08/03/1971
View Patent Images:
Export Citation:
Assignee:
British Leyland Truck and Bus Division Limited (Leyland, EN)
Primary Class:
Other Classes:
105/197.050, 105/218.200, 280/681, 105/213, 105/198.700
International Classes:
B60G5/053; B61F5/32; B60G5/00; B61F5/00; B62D19/00; B61F5/38; B60G11/12
Field of Search:
105/179,182R,197R,211,218A,197R,213,218A 280/14.5A,14.5R
US Patent References:
Primary Examiner:
Forlenza, Gerald M.
Assistant Examiner:
Beltran, Howard
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Stowell & Stowell
Claims:
I claim
1. A twin-axle bogie suspension for a highway vehicle which comprises:
2. A twin-axle bogie suspension as claimed in claim 1 in which the first cross-member is of cross-section providing the highest section moduli at the outer ends of the cross-member in the region of the bogie brackets.
3. A twin-axle bogie suspension as claimed in claim 1 in which the two bogie brackets are also interconnected by a second cross-member which is parallel to said first cross-member and is located below the latter.
1. A twin-axle bogie suspension for a highway vehicle which comprises:
2. A twin-axle bogie suspension as claimed in claim 1 in which the first cross-member is of cross-section providing the highest section moduli at the outer ends of the cross-member in the region of the bogie brackets.
3. A twin-axle bogie suspension as claimed in claim 1 in which the two bogie brackets are also interconnected by a second cross-member which is parallel to said first cross-member and is located below the latter.
Description:
This invention relates to bogie suspensions for vehicles.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:
FIG. 1 is a side view of a four-wheel bogie according to the invention showing portions in section;
FIG. 2 is a vertical part section on section line II--II of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of half a cross-member; and
FIG. 4 is a section on section line IV--IV of FIG. 3.
FIG. 1, and in part FIG. 2, show one side of a four wheel bogie suspension for a lorry.
One bogie bracket 11 is shown (of a pair of such brackets) mounted on the outer face of a side member 40 of a lorry chassis. The inner face of the side members carrying the brackets, and so the brackets themselves, are spaced apart by way of a cross-member 25 fabricated from pressings and described hereafter in connection with FIGS. 3 and 4. The lower parts of the brackets are spaced by a welded cross member 26, which is triangulated up to the main cross member centre line. The bogie brackets are made up of two pressings 11a, 11b (FIG. 2) bolted together. For reasons of clarity of description FIG. 1 shows only the rear pressing 11a.
Driven axles 12, 13 are carried at their outer ends in bearings mounted in carriers 14, 15 respectively.
The upper end of each carrier is pivotably attached to spring eyes 10 at the extremities of leaf spring 16 made up of three tapered leaves 16a, b, c. If preferred a plurality of untapered levels may be used.
The leaf spring 16 is clamped at its centre to a trunnion 17 which is pivoted on a rubber bush 18 bonded on a centre tube 19. The centre tube 19 is bolted between the two parts 11a, b by bolt 20.
The opposite ends of the carriers 14, 15 to those attached to the leaf spring 16 are attached by spherical rubber bushes 23 to one end of respectively radius arms 21, 22. The other ends of the radius arms 21, 22 are attached to the bogie bracket 11 also by way of spherical rubber bushes 24.
FIGS. 3 and 4 show welded pressings made up to form the cross-member 25 spacing apart the upper end of the bogie bracket 11 from the other bracket of the pair on the opposite side of the lorry chassis. As the cross-member 25 is of symmetrical form about the longitudinal centreline 30, only half the cross-member is shown in FIG. 3. The cross-member is made up of two pressings 31, 32 which are welded together. Stiffening strips 33 are spot welded in the corners of both pressings. Four drain holes 34 (only three being shown) are provided in the lower pressings 32. The two lateral edges (only one edge 35 being shown) of the cross-member are bolted to the bogie brackets through the vehicle chassis side member 40.
Under vertical loads from the leaf springs acting on both bogie brackets the bending moment across the cross-member is substantially constant.
However, under any slewing moment from the four wheels (as when cornering for example) the bending moment distribution under horizontal loads across the cross-member reaches a maximum at the lateral extremities of the member. In this condition very high section moduli are required at each end of the member and as a consequence the X-shaped form of member shown (with a substantially constant vertical section modules) is derived.
Under loaded conditions the leaf spring 16 and trunnion 17 act as a balance ensuring equal reactions on the two axles 12, 13.
The configuration of the bogie suspension is such that the braking and driving torques are fed back into the chassis by the spring 16 and radius arms 21, 22 without causing weight to be transferred between the axles in the designed laden condition. Weight transfer due to braking and driving torques in other than design laden conditions are insignificant.
Three types of axle movement are permitted by this arrangement:
1. spring deflection on vertical acceleration;
2. fore-and-aft articulation - the axles can be displaced in the vertical plane relative to each other, by the spring rocking on its trunnion and the radius rods pivoting on their rubber bearings;
3. cross-articulation - diagonally opposite wheels can roll over the bumps at the same time, causing each axle to roll about its centre line, when seen in rear elevation. In order to achieve cross-articulation, the spring is twisted between its centreline and the rolled eye, and the radius rods twist on their spherical bearings.
Lateral location of the axles is by means of spring 16. The high slewing loads which occur on cornering with two-axle bogies are resisted initially by the resistance of the rubber trunnion bush 18 to coning. Rubbing plates 51 (FIG. 1) of hardened steel are interposed between the sides of spring 16 and the edges of the bogie bracket 11. When initial clearance between plate 51 and spring 16 is taken up during cornering the slewing loads are transmitted back into the vehicle frame through the rubbing plates. This construction yields a dampening or scrubbing effect on the springs 16 whenever they frictionally engage the rubbing plates 51 during cornering.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:
FIG. 1 is a side view of a four-wheel bogie according to the invention showing portions in section;
FIG. 2 is a vertical part section on section line II--II of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of half a cross-member; and
FIG. 4 is a section on section line IV--IV of FIG. 3.
FIG. 1, and in part FIG. 2, show one side of a four wheel bogie suspension for a lorry.
One bogie bracket 11 is shown (of a pair of such brackets) mounted on the outer face of a side member 40 of a lorry chassis. The inner face of the side members carrying the brackets, and so the brackets themselves, are spaced apart by way of a cross-member 25 fabricated from pressings and described hereafter in connection with FIGS. 3 and 4. The lower parts of the brackets are spaced by a welded cross member 26, which is triangulated up to the main cross member centre line. The bogie brackets are made up of two pressings 11a, 11b (FIG. 2) bolted together. For reasons of clarity of description FIG. 1 shows only the rear pressing 11a.
Driven axles 12, 13 are carried at their outer ends in bearings mounted in carriers 14, 15 respectively.
The upper end of each carrier is pivotably attached to spring eyes 10 at the extremities of leaf spring 16 made up of three tapered leaves 16a, b, c. If preferred a plurality of untapered levels may be used.
The leaf spring 16 is clamped at its centre to a trunnion 17 which is pivoted on a rubber bush 18 bonded on a centre tube 19. The centre tube 19 is bolted between the two parts 11a, b by bolt 20.
The opposite ends of the carriers 14, 15 to those attached to the leaf spring 16 are attached by spherical rubber bushes 23 to one end of respectively radius arms 21, 22. The other ends of the radius arms 21, 22 are attached to the bogie bracket 11 also by way of spherical rubber bushes 24.
FIGS. 3 and 4 show welded pressings made up to form the cross-member 25 spacing apart the upper end of the bogie bracket 11 from the other bracket of the pair on the opposite side of the lorry chassis. As the cross-member 25 is of symmetrical form about the longitudinal centreline 30, only half the cross-member is shown in FIG. 3. The cross-member is made up of two pressings 31, 32 which are welded together. Stiffening strips 33 are spot welded in the corners of both pressings. Four drain holes 34 (only three being shown) are provided in the lower pressings 32. The two lateral edges (only one edge 35 being shown) of the cross-member are bolted to the bogie brackets through the vehicle chassis side member 40.
Under vertical loads from the leaf springs acting on both bogie brackets the bending moment across the cross-member is substantially constant.
However, under any slewing moment from the four wheels (as when cornering for example) the bending moment distribution under horizontal loads across the cross-member reaches a maximum at the lateral extremities of the member. In this condition very high section moduli are required at each end of the member and as a consequence the X-shaped form of member shown (with a substantially constant vertical section modules) is derived.
Under loaded conditions the leaf spring 16 and trunnion 17 act as a balance ensuring equal reactions on the two axles 12, 13.
The configuration of the bogie suspension is such that the braking and driving torques are fed back into the chassis by the spring 16 and radius arms 21, 22 without causing weight to be transferred between the axles in the designed laden condition. Weight transfer due to braking and driving torques in other than design laden conditions are insignificant.
Three types of axle movement are permitted by this arrangement:
1. spring deflection on vertical acceleration;
2. fore-and-aft articulation - the axles can be displaced in the vertical plane relative to each other, by the spring rocking on its trunnion and the radius rods pivoting on their rubber bearings;
3. cross-articulation - diagonally opposite wheels can roll over the bumps at the same time, causing each axle to roll about its centre line, when seen in rear elevation. In order to achieve cross-articulation, the spring is twisted between its centreline and the rolled eye, and the radius rods twist on their spherical bearings.
Lateral location of the axles is by means of spring 16. The high slewing loads which occur on cornering with two-axle bogies are resisted initially by the resistance of the rubber trunnion bush 18 to coning. Rubbing plates 51 (FIG. 1) of hardened steel are interposed between the sides of spring 16 and the edges of the bogie bracket 11. When initial clearance between plate 51 and spring 16 is taken up during cornering the slewing loads are transmitted back into the vehicle frame through the rubbing plates. This construction yields a dampening or scrubbing effect on the springs 16 whenever they frictionally engage the rubbing plates 51 during cornering.