Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Patent
1988-09-14
1990-09-25
Bertsch, Richard
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
280789, 280797, 105414, 296181, 296204, B62D 2102
Patent
active
049588443
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a load bearing structural member, a frame structure and a vehicle chassis.
Conventionally vehicle chassis for commercial vehicles are generally steel "ladder frame" constructions which are torsionally very flexible and reliance is placed upon this flexibility to contribute to the vehicle suspension. It has never proved commercially satisfactory to make such a chassis of light metal alloys such as aluminium alloys largely because fatigue problems generated at all the joints have been difficult to overcome. Nevertheless there is considerable pressure to make use of light metal and particularly aluminium alloys both in view of their greater corrosion resistance and also to save weight.
In recent years important developments have taken place in suspension systems particularly pneumatically operated systems, and these have now reached a point of design where it is beneficial to use a much more torsionally stiff chassis structure.
Thus a vehicle chassis can now be as rigid as it is possible to make it commensurate with other design constraints and it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved load bearing member of light metal such as an aluminium alloy; a frame structure incorporating two such members and a vehicle chassis comprising the frame structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a load-bearing structural member comprising at least two hollow extrusions of light metal alloy each formed with two surfaces mated together with a layer of adhesive therebetween by relative linear movement of the extrusions in a single direction, the surfaces on one of the extrusions being formed on limbs projecting therefrom and the angle betweem the mating surfaces and said direction being within the range 50.degree. to 150.degree., the surfaces on the other extrusion terminating in shoulders to be approached by the tips of the limbs and means to ensure that the layer of adhesive always extends between the shoulders and the tips.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a frame structure having at least two spaced apart side rails each comprising at least two hollow extrusions of light metal alloy formed with closely mating surfaces bonded together with an adhesive at least one of the members being formed with at least one extruded formation for receiving fasteners to be secured to other members.
According to a further aspect of the inventon there is provided a frame structure comprising a pair of spaced apart side rails of light metal alloy joined by a plurality of spaced apart box structures, each box structure having a pair of brackets supported by the side rails and comprising top and bottom walls secured to the brackets and side walls of sheet material reinforced at predetermined high stress locations with flexible tapes stuck thereto.
The frame structure of the immediately preceding two paragraphs preferably constitute vehicle chassis.
The above and other aspects of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of part of a vehicle chassis;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the chassis of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a partial section on the line III--III of FIG. 1 to an enlarged scale;
FIG. 4 is a view of part of FIG. 3 to a further enlarged scale;
FIG. 5 is a section on the line V--V of FIG. 3 to the same scale as FIG. 4; and
FIG. 6 is a view to an enlarged scale of a detail of FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT (S)
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 these show the rear end of a frame structure constituting a vehicle chassis 1 for a commercial vehicle having a body 2 and two pairs of wheels such as 3 and 4. The chassis comprises side rails 5 and 6 joined by cross-members 7. Outriggers 8 are carried by the chassis to support a floor 9 and the vehicle body 2. Appropriate cross members 7 carry parts 10 of the transmission system of the vehi
REFERENCES:
patent: 1846567 (1932-02-01), Murray, Jr.
patent: 3420192 (1969-01-01), Ellis
patent: 3962015 (1976-06-01), Heimann
patent: 4226465 (1980-10-01), McCullough
patent: 4232884 (1980-11-01), DeWitt
V. D. I. Nachrichten "Die Praxis des Metallklebens", Vol. 30, No. 24, Jun. 18, 1976, pp. 19-21.
Bertsch Richard
British Alcan Aluminium PLC
Johnson Brian L.
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