Appeal No. 2000-0209 Page 7
Application No. 08/693,985
spring 23 by U-bolts 59. The U-bolts are tightened by
self-locking nuts 61 which engage the threaded lower ends of
the U-bolts. The rigid torque arm 75 connects between the
yoke arm 55 of the axle seat 53 and the front spring hanger
37.
Hayes' invention relates to spring suspensions for motor
vehicles and more particularly to an overload spring rockably
mounted on the vehicle axis. Hayes teaches (column 1, lines
5-12) that
[a]n important object of the invention is to provide
a rigid arm rockably mounted at a point intermediate its
ends on the axle of the vehicle to function as a lever
and with spring means connecting one end of the arm to
the vehicle frame and with shock absorbing means
connecting the other end of the arm to the frame of the
vehicle.
As shown in Figure 1 of Hayes, the number 5 designates a
rigid spring suspension arm formed with an apertured lug 6 on
its upper side. A lower saddle plate 8 is provided with a
pair of spaced apart apertured lugs 7 so that lugs 6 and 7 can
be pivoted together by a bolt or pin 9 for rockably connecting
the arm 5 to the lower saddle plate 8. The lower saddle plate
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007