David Scott Hillman

US Patent:

57853452, Jul 28, 1998

Filed:

Oct 16, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/543264

Inventors:

Serge Alexander Barlas - St. Charles IL
Michael Brannigan - Chicago IL
Jonathan Mark Bunne - Aurora IL
David Harry Hillman - Darien IL
Tjong Thiam Lie - Naperville IL

Assignee:

The Boler Company - Itasca IL

International Classification:

B60G 1128

US Classification:

280715

Abstract:

Vehicles, notably heavy duty trucks, equipped with torque reactive suspensions, such as trailing arm air suspensions, are susceptible to driveline vibration and wheel hop due to engine produced torque. According to this invention such driveline vibration and wheel hop can be suppressed by preventing frame rise from occurring. Suppression can be accomplished by providing one of several forms of frame rise control means operative between the vehicle drive axle and the vehicle frame. One form of frame rise control means utilizes rebound control leaf springs on opposite sides of a vehicle. Another form utilizes shock absorbers each of which incorporates a spring mounted on the piston rod. Another form utilizes hydraulic cylinders, each having a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid connected to the chamber of the cylinder on the rebound side of the piston and the chamber on the opposite side of the piston vented to atmosphere. Another form utilizes hydraulic cylinders each having a source of hydraulic fluid connected to the chambers on opposite sides of the piston with a valve operative to block flow of hydraulic fluid from the chamber on the rebound side of the piston.