Suspension element for self-propelled machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9636960-B2
Application number	US-201213425367-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2012
Priority date	Mar 23, 2011
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

The invention concerns a suspension element for self-propelled machine comprising:
a suspension fork ( 100 ) secured to the chassis of the machine and comprising two parallel arms ( 120, 130 ), a motor ( 400 ), secured to two sleeves ( 200, 300 ) each comprising at least one bearing ( 210 A, 210 B, 310 A, 310 B) adapted to slide in translation on the arms ( 120, 130 ),

the suspension element being characterized in that the two sleeves ( 10 ) ( 200, 300 ) are separate parts, the motor ( 400 ) comprising a casing ( 410 ) adapted to form a supporting frame allowing the ensured rigid connection between the two sleeves ( 200, 300 ) and for this purpose comprising connecting means designed to ensure the connection between the supporting frame of the motor and each of the two sleeves over a center distance range of the sleeves while withstanding the forces applied by the chassis on the casing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A suspension element ( 10 ) for a self-propelled machine, comprising:
a suspension fork ( 100 ) configured to be secured to a chassis of the machine, and comprising two substantially parallel arms ( 120 , 130 ),
two sleeves ( 200 , 300 ) each comprising at least one slide bearing ( 210 A, 210 B, 310 A, 310 B) adapted to separately slide in translation on the arms ( 120 , 130 ) and an assembly surface ( 221 , 321 ) having at least one first hole,
a hydraulic motor ( 400 ) including a casing ( 410 ) configured to form an assembly having at least one second hole, said at least one first hole and said at least one second hole for directly connecting the assembly to the assembly surface of each of the two sleeves, wherein one of said at least one first hole and said second hole has an oblong cross section or diameter larger than a bolt used to directly connect said assembly surface to said assembly, said larger hole for offsetting discrepancies of spacing or parallelism of the arms ( 120 , 130 ) to allow positioning of the sleeves ( 200 , 300 ) at a time of securing of said suspension fork to said chassis,
wherein the arms ( 120 , 130 ) are centered on parallel axes ( 121 , 131 ), wherein the suspension fork further comprises a part ( 500 ) extending between the two sleeves ( 200 , 300 ) over a center plane P 2 perpendicular to the parallel axes ( 121 , 131 ) of the arms, and having a main dimension along an axis Y-Y contained in the center plane P 2 and perpendicular to the two sleeves ( 200 , 300 ), said part configured to be coupled to the two sleeves ( 200 , 300 ) by a second assembly comprising at least one third hole allowing assembly by bolting to at least one of the sleeves ( 200 , 300 ), the part ( 500 ) forming a pre-positioning element for the sleeves ( 200 , 300 ).

2. The suspension element according to claim 1 wherein said at least one third hole is located on the pre-positioning element.

3. The suspension element according to claim 1 , wherein the sleeves ( 200 , 300 ) have at least one projecting support plate ( 240 , 340 ) comprising at least one support surface ( 241 , 341 ) perpendicular to an axis X-X, said support plate forming a support for the pre-positioning element.

4. The suspension element according to claim 3 , wherein each sleeve ( 200 , 300 ) comprises two of said slide bearings.

5. The suspension element according to claim 4 wherein the slide bearings ( 210 A, 210 B, 310 A, 310 B) are positioned at the ends of the sleeves, and each sleeve ( 200 , 300 ) has a circular cross section whose outer diameter varies longitudinally along the sleeve, the outer diameter being larger at the ends than in the middle of the sleeve, so that the sleeve is flared at its ends.

6. The suspension element according to claim 3 , wherein the second assembly comprises at least one fourth hole ( 242 , 342 ) located on each support plate of the sleeves ( 200 , 300 ), allowing assembly by bolting of the sleeves onto the pre-positioning element.

7. The suspension element according to claim 1 further comprising a damping member ( 600 ) connecting the suspension fork ( 100 ) and at least one of the parts of the suspension element ( 10 ).

8. The suspension element according to claim 7 wherein the damping member ( 600 ) connects the suspension fork ( 100 ) to the pre-positioning element extending between the two sleeves ( 200 , 300 ).

9. The suspension element according to claim 1 wherein each sleeve ( 200 , 300 ) includes a motor supporting part ( 220 , 320 ) comprising said assembly surface ( 221 , 321 ).

10. The suspension element according to claim 9 , wherein the assembly surface ( 221 , 321 ) of the motor supporting part extends over a plane oriented at an angle α relative to a plane P 1 defined by parallel axes ( 121 , 131 ) on which the arms ( 120 , 130 ) of the fork ( 100 ) are respectively centered.

11. The suspension element according to claim 10 , wherein each motor supporting part ( 220 , 320 ) includes two bridges ( 230 A, 230 B, 330 A, 330 B) of different lengths, allowing a tilting of said assembly surface at an angle α relative to the plane P 1 .

12. The suspension element according to claim 10 , wherein each motor supporting part ( 220 , 320 ) includes two bridges ( 230 A, 230 B, 330 A, 330 B) of equal length, and has two different thicknesses at connecting points of the two bridges allowing a tilting of the assembly surface at an angle α relative to the plane P 1 .

13. The self-propelled machine comprising the suspension element ( 10 ) according to claim 1 .

14. A method for assembling the suspension element of the self-propelled machine according to claim 1 comprising the steps of:
bringing said two sleeves ( 200 , 300 ), onto said two parallel arms ( 120 , 130 ) of the suspension fork ( 100 ),
adjusting the positioning and orientation of each said sleeve ( 200 , 300 ) around the arm on which it is positioned, so that the two sleeves lie in a symmetrical position relative to a plane P 3 perpendicular to a plane P 1 defined by parallel axes ( 121 , 131 ) on which the parallel arms ( 120 , 130 ) are respectively centered, the plane P 3 lying between the arms ( 120 , 130 ), support plates ( 240 , 340 ) of the sleeves being positioned toward the plane P 3 ,
securing the two sleeves ( 200 , 300 ), without tightening, by assembling them onto the pre-positioning element,
securing the hydraulic motor ( 400 ), without tightening, onto each of the two sleeves ( 200 , 300 ),
further securing the motor ( 400 ) on the sleeves ( 200 , 300 ) by tightening said motor onto each of the sleeves so as to allow the transmission of forces from the chassis of the machine to the motor casing when the machine is in operation,
achieving definitive tightening of the pre-positioning element on the sleeves, at a torque allowing its definitive holding in position, so as to maintain memory of the positioning of the sleeves.

15. The method for assembling a suspension element ( 10 ) of the self-propelled machine according to claim 14 , further comprising temporarily removing the motor to carry out maintenance, the pre-positioning element being held in position throughout the maintenance operation thereby preserving the adjusted positioning of the sleeves ( 200 , 300 ).

16. A suspension element ( 10 ) for a self-propelled machine, comprising:
a suspension fork ( 100 ) configured to be secured to a chassis of the machine,
two bearings ( 210 A, 210 B, 310 A, 310 B) adapted to separately slide in translation on respective substantially parallel arms ( 120 , 130 ) and
two sleeves ( 200 , 300 ) comprising an assembly surface ( 221 , 321 ) having at least one first hole,
a motor ( 400 ) including a casing ( 410 ) configured to form an assembly having at least one second hole, said at least one first hole and said at least one second hole for directly connecting the assembly to the assembly surface of each of the two sleeves, wherein one of said at least one first hole and said second hole has an oblong cross section or diameter larger than a bolt used to directly connect said assembly surface to said assembly, said larger hole for offsetting discrepancies of spacing or parallelism between the arms ( 120 , 130 ) and the bearings to allow positioning of the sleeves ( 200 , 300 ) at a time of securing of said suspension fork to said chassis,
wherein the arms ( 120 , 130 ) are centered on parallel axes ( 121 , 131 ), wherein the suspension fork further comprises a part ( 500 ) extending between the two sleeves ( 200 , 300 ) ove

Assignees

• Vidal Stephane
• Albert Laurent
• Poclain Hydraulics Ind

Inventors

• Vidal Stephane
• Albert Laurent

Classifications

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• B60G2204/4232

  Sliding mounts · CPC title

• B60G2300/083

  Boom carrying vehicles, e.g. for crop spraying · CPC title

• B60G3/01 Primary

  the wheel being mounted for sliding movement, e.g. in or on a vertical guide (camber maintaining means B60G3/26) · CPC title