Patent Application
20130146823
1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to a tooling kit for providing maintenance for vehicles using an independent suspension system, such as commercial or military vehicles. Specifically, the tooling kit is used to compress springs on the independent suspension system to allow assembly and disassembly of the vehicle axles.
2. Description of Related Art
Many spring compressor tools are known in the prior art for compressing suspension springs used on motor vehicles so that the spring can be removed and replaced during servicing of the vehicle's suspension system. The need for such tools has become even more important since more vehicles having independent suspensions are now in use. However, many of the prior art spring compressor tools are not capable of achieving sufficient compression of the spring while the spring is mounted on the vehicle. Further, present forms of spring compressors utilize elaborate and clumsy mechanisms and are very difficult to apply and utilize.
During repairs, when the axle is on the truck, servicers typically use a jack to push the spring against the truck weight in order to compress the spring. However, such a method is not safe. Alternatively, chains and hand hoists can also be used for compressing the spring. Again, such a method can be dangerous. Due to the inefficiencies and safety hazards of the above methods, it is often easier to replace the entire axle rather than compressing the spring to make repairs. However, removing an entire compromised axle from the truck and replacing the compromised axle with an entire new axle offline is costly and labor intensive.
Oshkosh Defense manufactures a Battle Damage and Repair (“BDAR”) kit for repairing axles on its TAK-4® independent suspension system. When a truck axle gets damaged, the entire axle must be removed. Oshkosh Defense uses a large spring compressor for compressing the springs on both the left and right axle cradle assemblies of the axle at the same time. AC power is used for the compression of the springs. If one side of the axle is damaged, the Oshkosh spring compressor must be modified because it is designed to compress both springs at the same time. The entire axle is then removed and replaced, with the good parts of the axle being salvaged and stored as spare parts for future use. The foregoing operation, however, is extremely time consuming and, as a consequence, is relatively expensive.
Accordingly, there is a need to overcome the above disadvantages. There is a need for a device, method, and system for rapidly making repairs without removing an entire axle from a vehicle in the event only one side is damaged, for working on left and right axle cradle assemblies of the vehicle independently, and for providing a portable, self contained repair kit which does not require power for operation so that it can be easily used, such as in a military theater.
The present invention meets these and other needs by providing an on-vehicle spring compression tool kit capable of removing a spring to allow its safe removal from a vehicle despite limited accessibility to bolts of an independent suspension axle.
In one aspect, the invention provides a portable kit for use in compression of an elastic member, such as a spring coil, in a suspension assembly of a vehicle, the suspension assembly including at least an elastic member mount and a control arm. The portable kit includes a mounting bracket for attaching to the elastic member mount, the mounting bracket including at least one insertion hole; an elongated member for inserting through the at least one insertion hole and through an opening in the control arm; and a first affixing mechanism for securing the elongated member to the control arm. A mechanical cylinder is included in this kit for applying a force to compress the elastic member, the mechanical cylinder being attached to the elongated member, and a second affixing mechanism is provided for securing the mechanical cylinder to the elongated member. Further, a hand pump may be provided for activating the mechanical cylinder to compress the elastic member.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method for compressing and removing an elastic member in a suspension assembly of a vehicle, the suspension assembly including at least an elastic member mount and a control arm. The method includes the steps of attaching a mounting bracket to the elastic member mount, the mounting bracket including at least one insertion hole; inserting an elongated member through the at least one insertion hole and through an opening in the control arm; securing the elongated member to the control arm with a first affixing mechanism; attaching a mechanical cylinder to the elongated member; securing the mechanical cylinder to the elongated member with a second affixing mechanism; and applying a force to the elastic member and compressing the elastic member. Further, the step of applying the force to the elastic member may include activating the mechanical cylinder using a hydraulic hand pump.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
The accompanying drawings which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification illustrate embodiments and serve to explain the principles of the disclosed device, method, and system.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the scope of the invention as claimed.
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
Independent Suspension System
Independent suspension system is a broad term for any vehicle suspension system that allows each wheel on the same axle to move vertically, i.e., reacting to a bump or cavity in the road, independently of each other. This is contrasted with a beam axle, a live axle, or a De Dion axle system in which the wheels are linked and movement on one side affects the wheel on the other side. Most modern vehicles have independent front suspension (IFS). Many vehicles also have an independent rear suspension (IRS). A fully independent suspension has an independent suspension on all wheels. Independent suspensions typically offer better ride quality and handling characteristics due to lower unsprung weight and the ability of each wheel to address the road undisturbed by activities of the other wheels on the vehicle.
As broadly embodied in
In the context of the present invention, wheel 10 may be suitable for any position on vehicle 2, such as for example, front, middle, or rear, or left or right, without limitation. Wheel 10 may include a mounting flange 14, a rim 16, and a tire 18. Mounting flange 14 may be configured to detachably fix wheel 10 to axle 12. Mounting flange 14 may include any known system for wheel mounting known in the art, such as, for example, one or more holes for accepting lug bolts. Rim 16 may be configured to seat tire 18.
Referring to
As illustrated in
The suspension components, including the upper control arm mounting assembly 28, may be moved out of the way to allow access to the previously inaccessible bolts 26 behind the upper control arm mounting assembly 28, thereby splitting the axle assembly into the four separate components: the left cradle assembly 20, the differential housing 22, the right cradle assembly 24, and the skid plate assembly 32. In order to disassemble the components of the suspension system, an elastic member, such as a heavy coil spring 42, must first be compressed. Compressing the spring 42 first allows removal of a lower bump stop, not visible as it is located behind element 34. Once the lower bump stop has been removed, the lower control arm mounting assembly 30, a spindle assembly 46, and the upper control arm mounting assembly 28 may be lowered to allow removal of the spring 42. The spindle assembly 46 is located behind and attached to the axle hub 40 and ties the upper and lower control arm mounting assemblies 28 and 30, giving a pivot point for the suspension assembly. As illustrated in
After the upper bump stop 48 and the end-of-travel hard stop 50 are removed, the lower control arm mounting assembly 30, the spindle assembly 46, and the upper control arm mounting assembly 28 may be raised to allow access to the previously inaccessible bolts 26 that retain the differential housing 22. The previously inaccessible bolts 26 are located inside of the upper control arm mounting assembly 28, and are visible in
Compression Tool Kit
In general, in the present invention, a spring compression tool kit 58 provides a method for making repairs and performing maintenance on the vehicle's independent suspension system. The compression tool kit 58 allows a mechanic to remove the spring 42 when it is in an uncompressed or a free state. Referring to
The compression tool kit 58 includes a mounting bracket 60 supported and attached to the existing elastic member mount or spring mount 62, as illustrated in
Although the hydraulic cylinder 68 of the tool kit 58 may be activated by hydraulic pumps located on site, including electrically or pneumatically activated hydraulic pumps, the compression tool kit 58 may also preferably include a hydraulic hand pump 74, which is independent from an electrical source. The hydraulic hand pump 74 activates the hydraulic cylinder 68 for applying a force sufficient to compress the spring 42. The self contained compression tool kit 58 is portable and does not require power for operation so that it can be easily used in theater for rapidly making repairs to the axle 12 without removing the entire axle 12 from the vehicle 2 in the event only one side is damaged.
The foregoing description has been presented for purposes of illustration. It is not exhaustive and does not limit the invention to the precise forms or embodiments disclosed. Modifications and adaptations of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosed embodiments of the invention.
Moreover, while illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described herein, the scope of the invention includes any and all embodiments having equivalent elements, modifications, omissions, combinations (e.g., of aspects across various embodiments), adaptations and/or alterations as would be appreciated by those skilled in the art based on the present disclosure. The limitations in the claims are to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not limited to examples described in the present specification or during the prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive. Further, the steps of the disclosed method may be modified in any manner, including by reordering steps and/or inserting or deleting steps, without departing from the principles of the invention. It is intended, therefore, that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims and their full scope of equivalents.
