Apparatus for caster adjustment

Details

Inventors: Policy, Jene A.; Giuliano, Peter A.;
Assignee:
Primary Examiner: Love; John J.
Assistant Examiner: Stack; Norman L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Cahill, Sutton & Thomas

Each upper control arm of a conventional automotive vehicle is automatically incrementally pivotally locatable about the vertical axis to vary the caster of an attached wheel within a predetermined range from maximum positive caster to maximum negative caster in response to an input signal generated by the driver while the vehicle is in motion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION We claim: 1.
Apparatus employed in combination with each front wheel of a vehicle for adjusting the angle of caster of the front wheel while the vehicle is in motion; said apparatus comprising in combination: (a) a control arm for supporting in part the knuckle spindle for the wheel; (b) means for repositioning said control arm to define the caster of the wheel at any angle between a predetermined maximum angle of positive caster and a predetermined maximum angle of negative caster, said repositioning means being attached to said control arm as a part thereof during normal operation of the vehicle; and (c) means for actuating said repositioning means under control of the driver irrespective of whether the vehicle is stationary or in motion; whereby, the angle of caster may be varied to suit changing road and driving conditions.
2.
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said repositioning means comprises a hydraulic unit.
3.
The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said hydraulic unit includes extendable and retractable plungers secured to said control arm for angularly reorienting said control arm about a vertical axis to change the caster angle.
4.
The apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said hydraulic unit includes a housing secured to the frame of the vehicle and said plungers translatably extend and retract from said housing in response to said actuating means.
5.
The apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said actuating means comprises a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure and a valve means for selectively introducing hydraulic fluid under pressure to said housing.
6.
The apparatus as set forth in claim 3 including means for locking said plungers in place to effect a fail safe mode.
7.
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said repositioning unit comprises an electrical unit.
8.
The apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said electrical unit comprises a pair of oppositely acting solenoids having armatures secured to said control arm for angularly restricting said control arm about a vertical axis to change the caster angle

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