Self-steering axle knuckle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10759475-B2
Application number	US-201816010751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2018
Priority date	Jun 21, 2017
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

Self-steering axle assembly has an axle with central tube having a longitudinal central axis. A king pin is connected with an end portion of the axle. A knuckle is connected with the king pin. The knuckle includes a torque plate section. A first arm of the knuckle extends from a side of the torque plate section and receives a first end portion of the king pin. A second arm extends from the torque plate section in the same direction as the first arm. The second arm receives a second end portion of the king pin. A spindle is friction welded to the torque plate section and has a longitudinal central axis. The torque plate section has at least one surface on the torque plate section extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of the spindle. A tool engages the surface during friction welding of the spindle to the torque plate section. The relative locations of the axle, spindle and king pin enable an air disc brake actuator to avoid contact with components of the heavy-duty vehicle during steering and with the ground and debris.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A self-steering axle/suspension system for use with a heavy-duty vehicle having frame members and an air disc brake system, the self-steering axle system comprising:
a pair of laterally spaced apart hangers, each hanger mounted to a respective one of the frame members of the heavy-duty vehicle;
a pair of laterally spaced apart trailing arm beams, each trailing arm beam pivotally connected at a first end portion to a respective hanger;
a pair of laterally spaced apart air springs, each air spring operatively mounted between a respective one of the frame members and an opposite second end portion of a respective trailing arm beam;
an axle having a central tube with a longitudinal central axis, the axle supported by the trailing arm beams;
a pair of king pins, each king pin connectable with a respective end portion of the axle;
a pair of knuckles, each knuckle connectable with a respective one of the king pins and being pivotal about the king pin, each knuckle including:
a torque plate section;
a first arm extending transversely from the torque plate section, the first arm for receiving a first end portion of therespective one of the king pins;
a second arm extending transversely from the torque plate section in the same direction as the first arm, the second arm for receiving an opposite second end portion of the respective one of the king pins; and
a spindle welded to an outboard surface of the torque plate section, the spindle having a longitudinal central axis;

a pair of actuators of the air disc brake system, each actuator mounted to a respective knuckle between the axle and the frame members of the heavy-duty vehicle and extending from the knuckle in an inboard direction; and
a relief formed in each of the pair of hangers to avoid contact with an actuator during pivotal movement of the knuckles.

2. The self-steering axle/suspension system of claim 1 wherein the actuator being proportionately pivotal with pivoting movement of the knuckle without contacting an air spring.

3. The self-steering axle/suspension system of claim 1 wherein the relief is positioned and sized to avoid contact by the actuator during pivotal movement of the spindle up to about 30° in either direction from the longitudinal central axis of the central tube of the axle.

4. The self-steering axle/suspension system of claim 1 further including an axle end piece receivable in an opening in the end portion of the central tube, the axle end piece having a first portion with an opening for receiving a portion of the king pin located between the first and second end portions of the king pin, the axle end piece also having a plug portion extending from the first portion in a direction transverse to the opening in the first portion, the plug portion having an outer surface closely fitting within the central tube of the axle, the central tube of the axle having at least one window opening for welding the plug portion to the central tube.

5. The self-steering axle/suspension system of claim 1 further including the torque plate section having at least one surface on an inboard side of the torque plate section, and wherein the at least one surface is substantially planar and extends substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of the spindle.

6. The self-steering axle/suspension system of claim 1 wherein at least the torque plate section is formed by forging.

7. The self-steering axle/suspension system of claim 6 further including tie rod attachment structure wherein the first arm, the second arm and the tie rod attachment structure are integrally formed as one piece with the torque plate section by forging.

8. The self-steering axle/suspension system of claim 1 wherein the king pin is cylindrical with a longitudinal central axis, a midpoint along the longitudinal central axis of the king pin being is spaced from the centerline of the spindle in a direction of the first arm.

9. A self-steering axle assembly for use on a heavy-duty vehicle having an air disc brake system, the self-steering axle assembly comprising:
an axle having a central tube with a longitudinal central axis;
a trailing arm beam mounted for pivotal movement and connected to the axle;
a king pin connected with an end portion of the central tube, the king pin having a longitudinal central axis;
a knuckle connectable with the king pin, the knuckle being pivotal about the king pin, the knuckle including:
a torque plate section;
a first arm extending from an inboard surface of the torque plate section, the first arm having an opening for receiving a first end portion of the king pin;
a second arm extending from the torque plate section in the same direction that the first arm extends, the second arm having an opening coaxially aligned with the opening in the first arm for receiving an opposite second end portion of the king pin;
a spindle fixed to and extending from an outboard surface of the torque plate section, the spindle having a longitudinal central axis; and
the longitudinal central axis of the king pin intersecting the longitudinal central axis of the axle;

the longitudinal central axis of the king pin being spaced from the longitudinal central axis of the spindle in a direction of forward travel of the heavy-duty vehicle by no more than about 2.5 inches;
the longitudinal mid-point of the longitudinal central axis of the king pin being spaced below the longitudinal central axis of the central tube by no more than about 2.93 inches; and
an actuator of the air disc brake system mounted above the trailing arm beam and forward of the axle.

10. The self-steering axle assembly of claim 9 wherein the torque plate section, the first arm and the second arm, are integrally formed as one-piece by forging.

11. The self-steering axle assembly of claim 9 further including a tie rod attachment connectable with a tie rod end at a ball and socket joint of the tie rod end, the center of the ball of the tie rod end is located the same distance from the first arm in a direction parallel to the longitudinal central axis of the king pin as the longitudinal central axis of the axle is located from the first arm when wheels associated with the axle are in substantially straight-ahead positions.

12. The self-steering axle assembly of claim 9 further including a relief formed in each of a pair of hangers of the heavy-duty vehicle to prevent contact of the actuator of the air disc brake system with a hanger during pivotal movement of the knuckle.

13. The self-steering axle assembly of claim 12 wherein the relief in the hanger is positioned and sized to avoid contact by the actuator of the air disc brake system during pivotal movement of the spindle up to about 30° relative to the longitudinal central axis of the axle.

14. The self-steering axle assembly of claim 9 wherein the actuator of the air disc brake system avoids contact with the axle during pivotal movement of the spindle up to about 30° relative to the longitudinal central axis of the axle.

Assignees

• Hendrickson Usa Llc

Inventors

• White Jay D
• Martin Ii Daniel W
• Ernenwein Keith M

Classifications

• B62D7/18 Primary

  Steering knuckles; King pins · CPC title

• B60T17/08

  Brake cylinders other than ultimate actuators (with built-in wear-compensating mechanisms, ultimate actuators F16D) · CPC title

• B60B35/003

  Steerable axles · CPC title

• B60T17/088

  Mounting arrangements · CPC title

• B60G2206/50

  Constructional features of wheel supports or knuckles, e.g. steering knuckles, spindle attachments · CPC title