Structure for supporting cylinders

Details Structure for supporting cylinders Structure for supporting cylinders

1998-07-22

2001-12-18

Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3618)

Land vehicles

Wheeled

Running gear

C280S006154

Reexamination Certificate

active

06331010

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a structure for supporting cylinders, which are employed in vehicles such as forkifts and arranged between axles and body frames to restrict the movement of the axles.
Forklifts having rear axles that are supported pivotally with respect to its body frame to permit tilting, or roll, of the forklift are known in the prior art (e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 58-183307). In such a forklift, a hydralic cylinder is arranged between the body frame and the axle to restrict the pivoting of the axle with respect to the body frame. The hydraulic cylinder locks the axle and restricts tilting of the forklift to maintain stability. For example, the tilting of the forklift is restricted when the forklift carries heavy loads, holds loads at high positions, or turns to change directions at high traveling speeds.
The hydraulic cylinder may be connected to the body frame and to the rear axle. In such case, a bracket having a connecting shaft, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the forklift (the direction of the roll axis), is fixed to the body frame. The hydraulic cylinder has a cylindrical housing. One end of the housing is secured to an anchor. The anchor is pivotally connected to the connecting shaft by means of a bearing such that the hydraulic cylinder is pivotal with respect to the body frame about the connecting shaft. A piston rod extending from the other end of the housing is connected to the rear axle such that the piston rod is pivotal. That is, like the housing of the hydraulic cylinder, the piston is pivotal about an axis that extends in the longitudinal direction of the forklift. Accordingly, the hydraulic cylinder is pivoted relative to the body frame and the rear axle, a pair of axes that extend in the direction of the roll axis.
The rear axle is assembled as a unit, or an assembly, before being connected to the body frame. The dimensional tolerances allowed for the components constituting the rear axle assembly may offset the position of the rear axle relative to the body frame from the ideal location in the longitudinal direction of the forklift. Furthermore, parts connecting the rear axle to the body frame may become loose during use of the forklift. This may also offset the relative position of the rear axle and the body frame. Such conditions would apply excessive force on the connecting shaft, the anchor, the bracket, and other parts of the hydraulic cylinder.
These problems may be solved by a structure such as that shown in FIG.
5
. In a similar manner to the structure of the Japanese publication, a bracket
70
fixed to a body frame
75
has two support plates
72
to support a connecting shaft
71
. A hydraulic cylinder
77
secured to a rear axle
76
is connected to the connecting shaft
71
with a bearing
74
. The structure of
FIG. 5
differs from the structure of the Japanese publication in that the distance between the support plates
72
is longer and that the connecting shaft
71
is longer than the diameter of the anchor
73
. This permits the anchor
73
to move in the axial direction of the connecting shaft
71
, or longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Thus, if the position of the rear axle
71
relative to the body frame
75
is offset longitudinally from the ideal location, the movement of the anchor
73
with respect to the connecting shaft
71
compensates for the offset distance. This prevents excessive force from acting on the bracket
70
, the anchor
73
, and other parts, while permitting the hydraulic cylinder
77
to pivot about a pair of longitudinally extending axes.
In the structure of
FIG. 5
, the hydraulic cylinder
77
is moved with its anchor
73
connected to the long connecting shaft
71
. Thus, when the rear axle
76
is pivoted with respect to the body frame
75
, a bending force is applied to the connecting shaft
71
by the anchor
73
. The bending force may deform the connecting shaft
71
. Therefore, the dimensions of the connecting shaft
71
and the bracket
70
must be enlarged to withstand the bending force. This increases the space required by the bracket
70
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a cylinder supporting structure that prevents the application of excessive force on parts used to support the cylinder without enlarging the dimensions of the supporting structure.
To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides an industrial vehicle having a frame and an axle swingably connected with the frame. The vehicle includes a center shaft of the swinging motion of the axle. The center shaft has an axis. The frame is connected with the axle by the center shaft. The axle swings about the center shaft. A cylinder is interposed between the frame and the axle. The cylinder is arranged to selectively extend and retract so as to absorb the swinging motion of the axle. A coupling device couples the cylinder with the frame and the axle. The cylinder is rotatable within a plane intersecting the axis of the central shaft.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1941143 (1933-12-01), Wickersham
patent: 2504289 (1950-04-01), Waterman
patent: 3176805 (1965-04-01), Gandy
patent: 3233909 (1966-02-01), Boone
patent: 3357512 (1967-12-01), Wilson
patent: 3510178 (1970-05-01), Sowatzke
patent: 3703298 (1972-11-01), Laverda
patent: 3743044 (1973-07-01), Scheele
patent: 4031967 (1977-06-01), Atherton et al.
patent: 4936423 (1990-06-01), Karnopp
patent: 5639119 (1997-06-01), Plate et al.
patent: 37 25 404 A1 (1989-03-01), None
patent: 0 278 841 A1 (1988-08-01), None
patent: 0 352 181 A1 (1990-01-01), None
patent: 58-183307 (1983-10-01), None
patent: 60-094808 (1985-05-01), None
patent: 1-126416 (1989-05-01), None
patent: 6-191251 (1994-07-01), None

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