VEHICLE SUSPENSION SYSTEM

1,269,371. Suspensions comprising polyurethane springs. J. KOLBE. 1 April, 1969 [1 April, 1968], No. 17086/69. Heading B7D. A road vehicle comprises polyurethane cushions resiliently supporting its superstructure on its wheels, the cushions being primarily stressed in shear. The vehicle described is one in which the body is caused to lean inwardly on bends due to transverse movement of front wheel supporting arms 10 and rear axle 30 relative to a chassis frame 1, ball-jointed links 53, 59 causing tilting of the chassis and superstructure. Multi-leaf springs 12, 32, acting in both bending and torsion, are attached to the front wheel supporting arms 10 and rear axle 30 respectively, their other ends being balljointed to the chassis at 20 and 34, where arms 19, 41 are fixed to the springs and bear upon polyurethane cushion blocks 23, 38 respectively, mounted on the chassis. The blocks, of a Shore durometer hardness of between 60 and 80, act in both shear and compression. Further polyurethane cushion blocks 44 are mounted directly between the rear axle 30 and the chassis 1. Each polyurethane block 123, Fig. 5, may be clamped between mounting plates 119, 120. Holes 127 may be made in the block to decrease its shear stiffness, and tightening of a bolt 129 through the block permits further stiffness adjustment. The polyurethane blocks absorb vibration, and are stated to render further vibration dampers unnecessary.