GB2151569A

GB2151569A - Mudguards for road vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2151569A
Application number: GB08430440A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jacques Frederic Fichet
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-12-07
Filing date: 1984-12-03
Publication date: 1985-07-24
Also published as: FR2556301B1; IT8454122V0; GB8430440D0; DE3443279A1; NL8403619A; IT1208789B; GB2151569B; IT8468213A0; FR2556301A1

Abstract

A mudguard, particularly for a traction unit for road haulage trailers, comprises two outer members (1, 2) attached to the two ends of an intermediate member (3) by integral pins (20), each outer member (1, 2) being a single component having its own fixing shoe (7, 8) and clampable on a supporting tube (5, 6) by bolts (18) through a vertical face (10) which may carry a number plate (19) or a set of signal lamps, and one outer member (1) at least is provided with a mud flap (4). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Mudguards for road vehicles The present invention relates to mudguards for road vehicles, with particular reference to the mudguards fitted to traction units for road haulage trailers.

French Patent, No. 2 082 354 in the name of the present Applicant, discloses a mudguard for a road vehicle which comprises two rigid outer members attached one to each end of an intermediate member made from a relatively pliable material. This particular mudguard structure, comprising three members, gives the mudguard a degree of pliability which enables it to withstand shocks without suffering damage, notably during the operations of coupling and uncoupling a trailer, while ensuring good mechanical performance and enveloping much of the wheel when the vehicle is on the road.

Mudguards of the specific type described above have hitherto been attached to the chassis of the vehicle concerned by means of assembly supports consisting of a metal shoe fixed over one of the outer members of each mudguard and a fixing bracket passing across the shoe and made integral with the chassis.

The assembly of this type of structure requires the use of fixing devices such as bolts and costly manual operations, notably the drilling of holes.

The present invention eliminates these disadvantages by providing a mudguard comprising two outer members attached one to each end of an intermediate member. and in which each outer member is a single component including its own fixing shoe.

This eliminates the separate fabrication and fitting of a suitable shoe, thereby reducing the number of components and saving time. Each outer member of the mudguard of the invention may be produced as a casting integral with the corresponding fixing shoe.

Each fixing shoe integral with an outer member of the mudguard is preferably in the form of a box having a hole in at least one lateral face for the insertion of a supporting tube and containing at least one internal clamping collar fitted with a bolt which is accessible from the outside to clamp the collar around the supporting tube. The or each clamping collar can be designed as an insert in the case of a mudguard member made as a casting integral with its fixing shoe.

The or each collar clamping bolt is preferably acccessible from the outside through a hole provided in a substantially vertical face of the shoe, and in this case a number plate or a set of signal lamps can easily be mounted on the mudguard with the aid of the collar clamping bolt or bolts.

The production of the two outer members of the mudguard as castings in a material having a degree of resilience also makes it possible to provide these outer members with special formations such as cavities or recesses so that the intermediate member of the mudguard can be clipped into place and unclipped when required. This again requires fewer components and saves time compared with previous methods involving bolting the intermediate member between the two outer members.

The intermediate member of the mudguard can thus be removed and replaced more easily and rapidly, facilitating working on the or each wheel or tyre, for example for fitting snow chains.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an assembled mudguard in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the mudguard of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an end elevation, partly cut away to show the assembly system for a mud flap; and Figure 4 is a partially sectioned view of the mudguard, on a larger scale, showing various design details.

As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, the mudguard shown consists principally of two symmetrical outer members 1, 2 and one intermediate member 3 which joins the two outer members together, the assembly comprising these three members having a traditional mudguard shape adapted to enveloping the upper section of a vehicle wheel (not shown) with lateral flanges 1a, 2a, 3a adapted to prevent the projection of mud, stones and other objects sideways by the wheel. This mudguard is supplemented by a pliable mud flap 4 which continues one outer member 1 downwards.

The mudguard is fitted on the chassis of a road vehicle with the aid of two horizontal supporting tubes 5, 6 each passing through one of two fixing shoes 7, 8 integral with the outer members 1, 2 of the mudguard, one on each. Each fixing shoe is integral with the corresponding mudguard member and is in the form of a box having two lateral faces 9, one substantially vertical face 10 and one inclined top face 11. The lateral faces have coaxial circular holes 1 2 through which can be passed one of the supporting tubes. Inside each of the shoes 7, 8 there are two clamping collars 13, each comprising a fixed base 1 4 and a pivoting member 1 5 swivellably jour nalled on a pin 1 6 carried by the base.Two holes 1 7 provided in the substantially vertical face 70 of each shoe accommodate bolts 1 8 which are used to tighten the collars and clamp them on one of the supporting tubes.

As indicated by broken lines in Figure 1, the bolts 1 8 can also be used to attach a number plate 1 9 or a set of signal lamps.

The two outer members 1, 2 and the intermediate member 3 of the mudguard are castings, in polyurethane for example, which gives then the required pliability and facilitates their production integrally with the fixing shoes 7, 8 and other formations to be described below. This production method also makes it possible to incorporate the clamping collars 1 3 readily in the outer members of the mudguard, by designing the bases 14 of these collars as inserts embedded in the cast material.

As can be seen particuarly from the top section of Figure 4, interchangeable assembly of the intermediate member 3 between the two outer members 1, 2 is effected by clipping. For this purpose, two cavities 20 are formed at the top of each outer member to accommodate pins 2 with locking teeth formed on the corresponding end of the intermediate member.

Finally, as shown in detail by Figure 3 and the bottom section of Figure 4, one outer member 1 (at least) of the mudguard has an undercut groove 22 running along its bottom edge, open on the underside but closed at both ends. The boundary wall of the groove at the inside of the mudguard has an interruption 23 (Figure 3 only) in the middle. The pliable mud flap 4 is provided with a bead 24 running across its top edge and fitting inside the groove. The mud flap is fitted by folding it and sliding it through the 1 central interruption and along the groove to each side. This eliminates the use of separate fixing components such as bolts to fit the mud flap and provides a rapid and elegant method of assembly.

Claims

1. A mudguard for a road vehicle comprising two outer members attached one to each end of an intermediate member, each outer member being a single component including its own fixing shoe.

2. A mudguard as in Claim 1, wherein each fixing shoe integral with an outer member of the mudguard is in the form of a box having a hole in at least one lateral face for the insertion of a supporting tube and containing at least one internal clamping collar fitted with a bolt which is accessible from the outside to clamp the collar around the supporting tube.

3. A mudguard as in Claim 2, wherein the or each bolt for the or each clamping collar is accessible through a hole provided in a substantially vertical face of the shoe, and the or each bolt can also be used to attach a number plate or a set of signal lamps.

4. A mudguard as in any one of Claims 7 to 3, wherein each outer member is produced as a casting integral with the corresponding fixing shoe.

5. A mudguard as in Claims 2 and 4 together, wherein the or each clamping collar is designed as an insert put in place when the outer member is cast integrally with the fixing shoe.

6. A mudguard as in any one of Claims 7 to 5, wherein its two outer members have formations such as cavities or recesses so that the intermediate member of the mudguard can be clipped into place and unclipped when required.

7. A mudguard as in any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein at least one of its two outer members has an undercut groove running along its bottom edge, open on the underside but closed at both ends, to facilitae fitting a pliable mud flap having a bead running across its top edge engaging the groove.

8. A mudguard for a road vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.