Vehicle suspension attachment assemblies

Abstract

Attachment assemblies for attaching suspension components within a vehicle suspension assembly are provided. First, a bracket assembly having an axle beam utilizes a one piece bracket to improve the structural rigidity of the axle beam and provides the attachment points for the control rods, brake chambers, and air springs. Next, a torsion attachment assembly attaches the torsion assembly to suspension supports using a bushing that fits within a first cylindrical bore in the torsion assembly. A plug is received within a hole in the support and secured to the support by fasteners. A shaft on the plug fits within a second cylindrical bore in the bushing. In this way, the torsion assembly is free to rotate about the plug and the torsion assembly can be easily disconnected from the supports when the fasteners are removed. Finally, a control rod attachment assembly utilizes a pin having tapered ends and a fastening device to secure a control rod end to a supporting structure. The tapered ends of the pin mate with tapered openings in the control rod end and supporting structure. The fastening device ensures that the tapered ends are firmly seated in the tapered openings by pulling the control rod end and supporting structure together.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A bracket assembly for a vehicle suspension comprising: 
 an axle beam having distal ends for supporting wheels;    a bracket affixed to said axle beam between said distal ends; and    a plurality of apertures on said bracket for attaching a plurality of vehicle components to said bracket.    
     
     
         2 . The assembly as set forth in    claim 1    wherein said axle beam has an outer surface and said bracket has opposing edges that are welded to said axle beam along a neutral bending axis.  
     
     
         3 . The assembly as set forth in    claim 1    wherein said bracket has a first group of apertures for attachment of air springs.  
     
     
         4 . The assembly as set forth in    claim 1    wherein said bracket has a second group of apertures for attachment of brake components.  
     
     
         5 . The assembly as set forth in    claim 1    wherein said bracket has a third group of apertures for attachment of control rods.  
     
     
         6 . The assembly as set forth in    claim 1    further comprising a pair of support brackets, each of said support brackets including a pair of parallel plates having upper and lower portions, said upper portions being affixed to said axle beam and bracket and said lower portions depending downwardly therefrom, said lower portions having a fourth group of apertures for attachment of torsion beams.  
     
     
         7 . The assembly as set forth in    claim 1    wherein said bracket is an A-shape structure for controlling fore, aft, and lateral forces imparted on the axle beam.  
     
     
         8 . A vehicle suspension torsion attachment assembly for attaching to a support structure with a hole therethrough comprising: 
 a torsion member having an end with a first cylindrical bore and a torsion arm extending from said torsion member at an angle to said cylindrical bore;    a bushing disposed within said first cylindrical bore and having a second cylindrical bore; and    a plug having a shaft with a flange at one end thereof, said shaft extending through the hole in the support structure and being disposed within said second cylindrical bore, said flange having a plurality of apertures therethrough for receiving fasteners and attaching said plug to the support structure.    
     
     
         9 . The assembly as set forth in    claim 8    wherein said plug further includes a shoulder adjacent said flange at said one end of said shaft, said shoulder having a perimeter for engagement with the hole and locating said shaft within the hole of the support structure.  
     
     
         10 . The assembly as set forth in    claim 8    wherein said bushing further includes a flange at one end, and said bushing flange being interposed between said end of said torsion member and said shoulder.  
     
     
         11 . A control rod attachment assembly for a vehicle suspension comprising: 
 a control rod having an end with a first tapered opening;    a supporting structure having a second tapered opening;    a pin having opposing first and second ends and a portion interposed between said ends, said pin tapering from said portion to each of said ends thereby forming first and second tapered portions, said first and second tapered portions being matingly received within said first and second tapered openings respectively; and    a fastening device for securing said control rod to said supporting structure so that said first and second tapered portions are seated in said first and second tapered openings respectively.    
     
     
         12 . The assembly as set forth in    claim 11    wherein said pin further includes a hole therethrough extending from said first end to said second end and said fastening device being received in said hole.  
     
     
         13 . The assembly as set forth in    claim 12    wherein said fastening device is a nut and a bolt including a head with a body extending therefrom having a threaded portion for receiving said nut, said body being disposed within said hole and said head and nut securing said control rod and said supporting structure together.  
     
     
         14 . The assembly as set forth in    claim 13    wherein said control rod end and said supporting structure each have top and bottom portions, said bottom portion of said control rod end and said top portion of said supporting structure being adjacent, said head coacting with one of said top portion of said control rod end and said bottom portion of said supporting structure and said nut coacting with the other of said top portion of said control rod end and said bottom portion of said supporting structure.  
     
     
         15 . The assembly as set forth in    claim 14    further including washers interposed between said head and nut and said top portion of said control rod end and said bottom portion of said supporting structure.  
     
     
         16 . The assembly as set forth in    claim 11    further including a bushing interposed between said first tapered portion and said first tapered opening.