US1385483A - Method of making vehicle-axles - Google Patents

Description

e. M. CARTER.

METHOD OF MAKING VEHICLE AXLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZO, 1920- Patented July 26, 1921.

INVENTUH UNITED STATES GEORGE MILLER CARTER, OF FINDLAY,

BIG, ASSIGNOR O1?v ONE-HALE TO RALPH H.

ROSENBERG, OF FINDLAY, OHIO.

METHOD OF MAKING VEHICLE-AXLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July as, 1921.

Application filed May 20, 1920. Serial No. 382,781.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE MiLLER CAR- run, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Findlay, in the county of Han- 5 cock and State of Ohio, have made an Invention Appertaining to Methods of Making Vehicle-Axles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. 4 i

This invention relates to vehicle axles and to a method of providing the same with the customary spring pads.

In the manufacture of front axles for motor driven vehicles it has been customary to provide the top thereof with an integral broadened, flattened portion adjacent to each end of the axle to form a spring supporting pad, and these portions are usually of considerably greater length than required to support the springs so as to accommodate the spacing of the springs of the particular vehicle to which applied.

The object of the invention is the provision of a strong, simple and efficient spring pad for vehicle axles, which when first assembled is separate from the axle and is adjustable thereon to suit the desired spacing of the springs, after which it may be elec trically welded or otherwise integrally united with the axle, thereby obviating the provision of prolonged spring pads on the axle, saving the expense of manufacture and improving the appearance of the axle.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and while, in its broader aspect, it is capable of embodiment in numerous forms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a front axle, having spring pads secured thereon in conformance with the invention. Fig. Qis an enlarged cross-section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged bottom perspective viewof one of the pads.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a front vehicle axle of customary I-beam cross-section, and 2, 2 spring pads therefor. 55 The pads 2 are preferably of forged metal and of plate form, being adapted to rest on the top of the axle and having their upper surfaces flat to permit the seating of springs thereon. The pads are of greater length than the width of the axle to adapt their opposite end edges to extend beyond the side edges of the axle, and the pads are provided at their four corners wlthout the edges of the axle with eyes 3 for receiving the ends of U-bolts or other means employed to clamp the springs thereon.

Each pad 2 is provided on its under side adjacent to its ends, or at each side of the axle with lugs or spurs 4: adapted to be bent or rolled under the respective top edge flange of an axle to retain the pad and axle in assembled relation. These lugs are preferably two in number at each side of the axle, but may be more or less.

When a pad has been placed in proper spring supporting position on an axle with its lugs 4 in holding engagement therewith, the pad and axle are welded together electrically or in any other suitable manner to provide a strong integral connection therebetween.

It is evident that I have provided a simple axle of'the type having spring pads thereon, that the pads may be positioned to suit the spacing of the springs for the particular vehicle in connection with which the axle is used and that when positioned the pads may be easily and quickly secured to the axle in an integrally connected manner, thereby making a neat job when completed and obviating the prolonged pad portions customarily provided on axles.

I wish it understood that the invention is not limited to any specific construction or arrangement of the parts, except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. The method of producing an axle with an integral spring pad, consisting in providing the axle with opposed side flanges, providing a plate having bendable depending members spaced transversely of the axle, placing the plate on the axle top to form a spring pad therefor with its de ending members disposed at opposite si es of the axle, bending the members under the side flanges of the axle in firm engagement treating the members and axle'to integrally weld the two.

3. The method of producing an axle with a spring pad thereon, consisting in provid- 15 ing the axle with opposed edge flanges at its top, providing a plate having depending lugs spaced transversely of the axle, placing the plate on the axle to form a spring pad therefor with its lugs disposed at opposite 20 sides of the axle, bending the lugs under the edge flanges of the axle in firm engagement therewith, and then treating the plate and axle to integrally unite the two. 7 i

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE MILLER CARTER

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