Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090121402 | SUSPENSION FOR A VEHICLE - A suspension for a vehicle having a lower bracket secured to an axle housing. An air bag spring is cantilevered from the lower bracket. A shock absorber and a lower control arm are connected to the lower bracket. An upper bracket is secured to the axle housing. The upper bracket has two upwardly extending arms. An anti-roll bar and an upper control arm are pivotally connected to the upper bracket between said upwardly extending arms. | 05-14-2009 |
20090230649 | Hydraulic assist wheel end - A steerable vehicle knuckle has an inboard portion defining upper and lower arms, with a kingpin between them, and has an outboard portion defining a spindle that cooperates with a fluid driven motor. The arms define a cavity where an axle end portion is pivotally received. Fluid supply ports, which supply fluid to energize the motor, are located on an upper surface of the knuckle's inboard portion. Fluid drain lines extend within the knuckle from the motor to the cavity and are utilized to drain fluid from the motor. The supply ports and drain lines are each connected to separate hoses formed in a small arc that follows closely the circular curvature of the kingpin. This arrangement of port, lines, and hoses is less expensive to produce, easier to package, more robust, allows for faster steering reaction, and is easier to assemble than conventional arrangements. | 09-17-2009 |
20090258750 | Vehicle differential - A differential assembly has a cross-pin connecting a ring gear to at least one section of a differential case half. The cross-pin may be secured in place by threading it into a part of the differential case or by a locking pin. Torque is transferred directly from the ring gear through the cross-pin to the differential side pinions or gears. | 10-15-2009 |
20090297084 | Preset wheel bearing arrangement - A wheel bearing arrangement has a spindle having inboard and outboard portions, where the outboard portion cooperates with a fluid driven motor and a land connects the outboard portion and the inboard portion. The wheel bearing arrangement further has inboard and outboard bearing systems located radially outb from the land. Each bearing system has a bearing located between inner and outer races, where the inner race contacts the spindle land and the outer race contacts a wheel hub. In addition, a spacer is located between the two bearing systems, where the spacer extends from the land to a radially inwardly extending hub portion and where the spacer sets the preload on both bearing systems and diffuses inboard traveling fluid pressure spikes. A spindle nut is located outboard from the outboard bearing system to secure the bearing systems on the spindle. | 12-03-2009 |
20100056320 | Spider-less vehicle differential - A ring gear has a plurality of spaced apart recess on an internal surface for receiving a plurality of side pinions within the recesses. The side pinions are driven directly by the ring gear without a differential spider or differential pin. | 03-04-2010 |
20100151983 | Spider-less vehicle differential - A differential case has a plurality of spaced apart recesses on an internal surface for receiving a plurality of side pinions within the recesses. The side pinions are driven by the case without a differential spider or differential pin. | 06-17-2010 |
20100219598 | Vehicle steer axle assembly - In one aspect, a vehicle steer axle has a horizontal axle member that has a steering axis male feature integrally formed on an end, wherein a vehicle steering knuckle, which forms a vehicle steering axis female feature, is directly rotatably coupled to the vehicle steer axle. In another aspect, a vehicle steering knuckle has a horizontal steering knuckle member that has a steering axis male feature integrally formed on an end, wherein the vehicle steering knuckle is directly rotatably coupled to a vehicle steer axle, which forms a vehicle steering axis female feature. Neither of these aspects utilize a separable kingpin. | 09-02-2010 |
20120021864 | Drive axle system having a clutching device - A drive axle system for a vehicle drive train having a clutching device is provided. The drive axle system includes a first shaft, a first axle assembly, a second axle assembly, a first clutching device, and a second clutching device. The first axle assembly is drivingly engaged with the first shaft. The first clutching device divides one of a pair of output axles into first and second portions. The second clutching device selectively engages a driving gear of the second axle assembly with one of the first shaft and a portion of the first axle assembly. | 01-26-2012 |
20130017927 | Method of Shifting a Tandem Drive Axle Having an Inter-Axle Differential - A method of shifting a power distribution unit for a vehicle from a first operating state to a second operating state is provided. The method includes the step of adjusting a rotational speed of a portion of a second axle assembly using a clutching device to impart energy to a lubricant within the second axle assembly. A controller in communication with a power source of the vehicle adjusts an operating condition of the power source to facilitate moving the clutching device. The power distribution unit includes an inter-axle differential capable being placed in a locked condition by the clutching device and of accommodating a rotational difference between a first output gear and a second output gear with the inter-axle differential. | 01-17-2013 |
20130099459 | Air Suspension System Having A Variable Spring Rate - An air suspension system for a vehicle having a variable spring rate is provided. The air suspension system includes a first rigid vehicle member, a second rigid vehicle member having a cavity formed therein, a resilient reservoir, and a valve. The resilient reservoir is coupled at opposing ends to the first rigid vehicle member and the second rigid vehicle member. The valve is in fluid communication with an interior of the resilient reservoir and the cavity of the second rigid vehicle member to form an air spring having a first spring volume and a second spring volume. | 04-25-2013 |
20130244825 | Tandem Axle With Optimized Inter-Axle Drive - Various drive axle systems are described each having a bevel gear system associated with the front axle system that is designed to minimize the angle of the inter-axle driveline with respect to the rear axle pinion gear. | 09-19-2013 |
20140057752 | Tandem Axle System - A tandem axle system has a forward axle system and a rear axle system. A method of selectively driving one or both of the axle systems is described. | 02-27-2014 |
20140194243 | BALL TYPE CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION/INFINITELY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION - A variable transmission includes an input shaft, a planetary gear set drivingly engaged with a variator comprising, a variator carrier assembly, a first ring assembly, and a second ring assembly; and the output shaft, arranged with various combinations of brakes and clutches to produce transmissions with continuously variable or infinitely variable torque output ratios. | 07-10-2014 |
20140274537 | TRANSAXLE WITH TANDEM AXLE - A transaxle with a tandem axle includes an engine, a transmission and a driveshaft. The transmission has an integrated interaxle differential mounted remotely from the engine. The transmission and the integrated interaxle differential are mounted on at least one vehicle frame member so that both are sprung weight on the vehicle. The driveshaft spans a gap between the engine and the transmission. | 09-18-2014 |
20140274538 | Tandem Drive Axle System with Simplified Rear Axle - A tandem axle system has a forward rear tandem axle and a rear rear tandem axle. A rear differential case, a first axle half shaft and a second axle half shaft extending from the differential case. The first axle half shaft has a first set of teeth and the second axle half shaft has a second set of teeth. The rear differential case has a set of teeth. A clutch collar is provided which has teeth on a surface. The teeth selectively engage with the first axle half shaft teeth and the second axle half shaft teeth. The teeth selectively engage with the teeth on the rear differential case. | 09-18-2014 |
20140278016 | ENGINE TORQUE SPIKE CANCELLATION DEVICE - A torque spike cancellation device for an internal combustion engine is provided. The torque spike cancellation device comprises a first member, a second member, and a third member. The first member is in driving engagement with an output of the internal combustion engine. The second member is in driving engagement with the first member. The third member is in driving engagement with the second member. An angular deviation between the first member and one of the second member and the third member causes a cyclical acceleration of the third member. The cyclical acceleration of the third member adjusts a torque applied to the third member by the internal combustion engine. | 09-18-2014 |