Claims
- 1. A multi-purpose suspension system for resiliently mounting a rigid body on a rigid base assembly, said system comprising an intermediate frame supported by spring means from said base assembly for limited relative angular movement about an axis vertically aligned with the central longitudinal axis of the base assembly and pivotally supporting said body for limited horizontal and vertical movement relative thereto, and arm means pivotally mounted on at least one end of said base assembly for limited angular movement relative thereto about an axis parallel with the axis of rotation of said intermediate frame, said arm means being connected to opposite sides of said body.
- 2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said body is rectangular and is provided on all four sides with ports which receive means for raising and lowering said body relative to said intermediate frame.
- 3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said raising means includes a piston and means for supplying fluid, compressed air or any equivalent pressurized medium to a space between said piston and said body
- 4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate frame includes longitudinally extending side members and transversely extending end members, wherein said transversely extending end members are initially slidable laterally of said frame under the influence of centrifugal force, to an extent limited by stops on said transversely extending end members, whereafter downward pressure exerted by said end members upon a first spring means disposed on one side of the system is converted through said arm means into equal downward pressure on the first spring means and a second spring means disposed on a second side of the system.
- 5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said side frame members each comprise two longitudinally aligned elements, each of said longitudinally aligned elements having an outer end and an inner end, said outer end slidably connected to a first one of the end frame members by a first cross slide and said inner end pivotally connected to a central portion of the side members which support a raising means for said body.
- 6. A system according to claim 5, wherein said intermediate frame is supported from said base assembly by a coil spring interposed between each of said cross-slides and the corresponding end member of said base assembly.
- 7. A system according to claim 6, wherein a first end of said intermediate frame is supported from said base assembly by the coil springs and a second end of said intermediate frame is supported from said base assembly by a semi-elliptical leaf spring.
- 8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate frame is supported from said base assembly by semi-elliptical leaf springs each pivotally secured at its ends to a side member of said frame and secured between its ends to an end member of said base assembly.
- 9. A system according to claim 8, wherein a first end of each of said semi-elliptical leaf springs is secured to said intermediate frame by a shackle.
- 10. A system according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate frame is supported from said base assembly by semi-elliptical leaf springs, each pivotally secured at its outer end to a side member of said frame and its inner end to said rigid body and secured between its ends to an end member of said base assembly.
- 11. A system according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate frame is supported from said base assembly by a combination of a coil spring and a quarter elliptical leaf spring, wherein said coil spring is interposed between a side member of said frame and an end member of said base assembly and said quarter elliptical leaf spring is pivotally secured by a first end to said rigid body and by a second end to said end member of said base assembly.
- 12. A system according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate frame is supported from said base assembly by a combination of a coil spring and a quarter elliptical leaf spring, wherein said coil spring is interposed between a side member of said frame and an end member of said base assembly and said quarter elliptical leaf spring is pivotally secured by its first end to said intermediate frame.
- 13. A system according to claim 1, wherein said spring means is selected from the group consisting of:
- (a) coil springs;
- (b) semi-elliptical leaf springs;
- (c) quarter elliptical leaf springs;
- (d) piston means operated by pressurized fluid;
- (e) torsion bars;
- (f) at least one coil spring and at least one semi-elliptical leaf spring;
- (g) at least one coil spring and at least one quarter-elliptical leaf spring; and
- (h) piston means and at least one coil spring.
- 14. A system according to claim 1, wherein said arm means are provided having first and second opposing ends, each of said first and second opposing ends being pivotally connected to first and second cross links, each of said cross links being pivotally connected to a corresponding one of first and second brackets, said first bracket coupled to a first side of said body and said second bracket coupled to a second opposite side of said body.
- 15. A system according to claim 1, wherein said base assembly includes ground wheels rotatably mounted at the ends of at least one transverse axle.
- 16. A system according to claim 15, wherein said base assembly includes at least four ground wheels mounted on front and rear axles.
- 17. A system according to claim 16, wherein a first end of said base assembly supports a pair of longitudinally extending arms, a first end of a first one of said longitudinally extending arms pivotally mounted to a first level of said base assembly and a second end of a second one of said longitudinally extending arms pivotally mounted to a second different level of said base assembly and each of said longitudinally extending arms having an inner end and pivotally connected to said body, said pair of longitudinally extending arms coupled between said base assembly and said body for restricting forward movement of said body during braking.
- 18. A system according to claim 15, wherein a first end of said base assembly supports a pair of longitudinally extending arms, a first end of a first one of said longitudinally extending arms pivotally mounted to a first level of said base assembly and a second end of a second one of said longitudinally extending arms pivotally mounted to a second different level of said base assembly and each of said longitudinally extending arms having an inner end pivotally connected to said body, said pair of longitudinally extending arms coupled between said base assembly and said body for restricting forward movement of said body during braking.
- 19. A system according to claim 1, wherein said base assembly includes at least two floats mounted at the ends of at least one transverse axle to maintain said body above a surface of water.
- 20. A system according to claim 1, wherein said rigid body is selected from the group consisting of a land vehicle body, a boat body, an aircraft body and a prefabricated building body.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of commonly owned application Ser. No. 07/712,112 filed on Jun. 7, 1991 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2747394 |
Apr 1978 |
DEX |
1033673 |
Jul 1953 |
FRX |
132685 |
Oct 1919 |
GBX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
International Search Report for PCT/GB91/00455. |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
712112 |
Jun 1991 |
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