IE87377B1 - Mudwing mount arrangements - Google Patents

Abstract

A mount arrangement for a conventional mudwing 10 of a commercial vehicle having a chassis from which a mudwing stay 14 extends laterally so as to lie adjacent a road wheel of the vehicle. The mount arrangement comprises a bracket 12 for bolting to the mudwing, the bracket having a recess 16 to receive the stay and locate the bracket relative thereto. A resiliently extensible elongate band 21 interconnects the stay and bracket whereby in use the bracket is held to the stay by the band with the stay located in the recess 16, but should the mudwing be subjected to a downward force in the circumferential direction of the wheel, the bracket 12 may move away from the stay 14 against the resilient force provided by the resiliently band 21, and then be returned to its initial position with the stay in the recess in the bracket.

Description

MUDWING MOUNT ARRANGEMENTS This invention relates to a mount arrangement for a mudwing of a commercial vehicle having a mudwing stay ting laterally from the vehicle s adjacent a road wheel of the vehicle. The invention further relates to such a mount ement in combination with a g, and also to a commercial vehicle having a mudwing mounted on the vehicle by means of the mount arrangement.

In this specification, the term "mudwing" is used in preference to "mudguard", though the two terms are used interchangeably in the commercial vehicle art and no ence is intended thereby.

The invention is particularly concerned with commercial vehicles, including trailers and semi-trailers as well as self-propelled trucks and tractor units, having a ct chassis provided with road wheels, wherein gs are furnished for at least one pair of opposed road wheels. Very ly, each mudwing is mounted to the chassis by means of a g stay projecting laterally from the vehicle chassis, the stay typically being tubular and provided with a mounting flange at the chassis end, secured by bolts passing through aligned holes in the flange and chassis. Further, but depending on local legislation, a mudflap is attached to the lower edge of the mudwing, to assist in the prevention of spray from the adjacent road wheel when the vehicle is proceeding in wet or rainy conditions.

If a mudwing is provided with a mudflap, care must be taken when the vehicle is being reversed to a kerb or other stop device provided on a road surface. If the kerb is sufficiently high, the mudflap will be trapped between the wheel and the kerb; if the vehicle continues reversing, even by only a short distance, the mudflap will be pulled downwardly as the vehicle starts moving up the kerb and this is highly likely to tear the mudflap off the mudwing. If the mudflap is sufficiently securely attached to the mudwing, the mudwing itself may be torn off its mounting stay and in an extreme case, if the attachment of the mudwing to the stay is also sufficiently secure, the stay itself maybe bent downwardly. In any of these cases, repairs must be effected before the vehicle may continue in use. This leads to increased costs and also delays in the use of the e. For example, it may be necessary to replace just the mudflap, or ly the entire mudwing together with its flap; and in an extreme case either the stay must be htened or ly replaced.

There have been proposals to se the likely damage in the event that a commercial e is reversed too quickly to a kerb, so g to the mudflap being pulled downwardly as the vehicle bounces up the kerb. For example, the attachment of the g to the stay maybe effected by means of a frangible connection so that the connection breaks and the mudwing is not damaged. Even so, the replacement of the connection takes time and es some cost, which would be best avoided.

It is a principal aim of this invention to provide a mount ement for a mudwing of a commercial e of the kind described hereinbefore, where the likelihood of damage is y reduced in the event that the vehicle is reversed to a kerb or other obstruction too quickly, so pulling the mudflap and thus the mudwing downwardly. Then, on the vehicle moving away from the kerb, the mount arrangement allows the mudwing to return to its original, normal in-use position. ing to this invention there is provided a mount arrangement for a mudwing of a commercial vehicle having a mudwing stay projecting laterally from the e chassis adjacent a road wheel of the vehicle, which arrangement comprises a bracket for affixing to a mudwing of the vehicle, the bracket having a recess to receive the stay and locate the bracket ve thereto, in combination with at least one resiliently extensible elongate member for interconnecting the stay and bracket whereby in use the bracket is held to the stay by said member with the stay located in the recess but the bracket may move away from the stay against the resilient force provided by said member.

It will be appreciated that the mount arrangement of this invention is expressly intended for use with a commercial vehicle having a mudwing stay projecting laterally from the vehicle s adjacent a road wheel of the vehicle. The bracket for the mudwing is secured to the mudwing and has a recess to receive the mudwing stay. That stay is maintained in the recess in all normal conditions by means of an resiliently extensible member. Should the vehicle be reversed to a kerb or similar stop resulting in the mudwing being pulled downwardly by an attached mudflap being trapped between the road wheel and the kerb, the mudwing may move away from the stay against the force provided by ion of the member but on the mudflap being released on the vehicle moving forwardly, that member may pull the bracket back to the stay, which relocates once more in the recess.

Preferably the bracket has a hooked region and the resiliently extensible member comprises a endless (i.e. continuous) band for g around a stay and also engaging with the hooked region of the bracket. The endless band may have an engagement part engaged with the hooked region of the bracket, and the band has parts to each side of the engagement part which are intended when in use to be looped around the stay, to the two sides of the bracket.

In an alternative arrangement, the bracket has first hooked region adjacent the recess and a second hooked region spaced from the first hooked region, and the resiliently extensible elongate member comprises an endless band for g around a stay by more than 180°, a first portion of the member engaging with the first hooked region of the bracket, and a second portion of the member engaging with the second hooked region of the bracket. The endless band has a first engagement part engaged with the first hooked region of the bracket and a second engagement part d with the second hooked region of the bracket, and the parts of the band to each side respectively of the engagement parts are common and are intended when in use for looping around the stay, on the two sides of the bracket.

In an alternative mount arrangement of this invention, the at least one resiliently extensible member comprises at least one, but preferably two, helical coil springs. One end of the or each spring should be adapted for connection to the bracket and the other end of the or each spring should be adapted for connection to the stay. Preferably, the t has a hooked region adjacent the recess and said one end of the spring engages with the hooked region of the bracket.

In any of the arrangements of this invention, the recess of the bracket may be provided with a lining of a friction material, such as of a hard rubber, to resist sliding nt of the bracket relative to the stay, when in use. r, the arrangement may include, for each t, a collar adapted to fit around a stay, and the recess is configured to accommodate the collar. Such a collar may provide lateral location for the bracket when the mudwing is in its normal position and also serve to t the extensible member becoming d between the stay and the bracket if the mudwing has moved away from the stay and is being returned by the member.

To relieve strain on the straps and allow ve movement between the straps and the brackets during movement of the mudwing away from and returning to the normal in-use position, the hooked part, or at least one of the hooked parts if there are two such regions, is provided with a sleeve through which the elongate strap passes.

This invention extends to the combination of a mount arrangement as described above and a mudwing, the bracket of the mount arrangement being bolted or otherwise d to the mudwing. For such a ation, the mudwing may be provided with slots extending in the circumferential direction for bolts securing the bracket to the mudwing, whereby the position of the bracket may be adjusted relative to said circumferential direction.

This invention further extends to the combination aforesaid and including a mudwing stay comprising an elongate member of ntially circular section and d for ment to a commercial vehicle chassis to extend transversely thereof. Yet further, the invention extends to a commercial vehicle having a mudwing stay projecting laterally from the vehicle chassis adjacent a road wheel of the vehicle, the vehicle having a mudwing for the road wheel, wherein the mudwing is ed to the mudwing stay by a mount arrangement of this invention as described above.

By way of example only, three specific embodiments of mount arrangements of this invention will now be described in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an isometric view of part of a mudwing having two mounting ts secured thereto, as a first embodiment; Figure 2 shows the mudwing and brackets of Figure 1 held to a mudwing stay by means of elastic straps, one for each bracket; Figure 3 shows the arrangement of Figure 2 but with the mudwing pulled downwardly so that the stay moves out of the recesses of the brackets; Figure 4 is an isometric view of part of a mudwing having two ng brackets secured thereto, as a second embodiment; Figure 5 shows the mudwing and brackets of Figure 4 held to a mudwing stay by means of elastic , one for each bracket; Figure 6 shows the arrangement of Figure 5 but with the mudwing pulled downwardly so that the stay moves out of the es of the brackets; and Figure 7 and 8 show an arrangement similar to that of Figures 4 to 6, but of a third embodiment utilising helical coil springs.

Referring initially to Figures 1 to 3 there is shown a first embodiment of mudwing mount arrangement of this invention. A part-circular mudwing 10 is shown in part and has a pair of slots 11 extending in the circumferential direction, a pair of brackets 12 being secured to a mudwing 10 by means of bolts 13 extending through holes in the brackets and the slots 11. Nuts and washers (not shown) are provided on the ide of the mudwing, d with the bolts to clamp the brackets at the required circumferential location within the slots 11 having regard to the position of a mudwing stay 14 (Figures 2 and 3) relative to a vehicle wheel.

Each t 12 comprises a hard plastic material moulding profiled to fit t the mudwing and define a first hooked region 15 n the t 12 and the mudwing itself at a lower part of the bracket, as installed on the mudwing. The bracket also defines a part-cylindrical recess 16 opening in a generally upward direction, when the bracket is installed on the mudwing. That recess 16 is defined in part by an upwardly projecting lug 17 at the end of the recess furthest from the mudwing such that a second hooked region 18 is formed between the lug and the greater part of the bracket. A lining 19 of a friction material such as hard rubber is provided within the recess.

Figure 2 shows the mudwing 10 having the two brackets 12 secured to a mudwing stay 14 by means of two elastically (i.e. resiliently) extensible endless bands 21, one associated with each bracket 12. For each bracket, the respective band is ed in the second hooked region 18 and, to each side thereof, is looped around the stay 14. The parts of the band extending from the stay are then entered into the first hooked region 15, the band being stretched as required to achieve this such that there is tension in the band when arranged as shown in Figure 2. This tension holds the stay in the recess 14 and thus serves to retain the mudwing in its normal in-use operating position as shown in Figure 2.

In the event the mudwing is pulled downwardly, for example if it, or an attached mudflap (not shown), is d between the adjacent turning road wheel and a kerb or other upstanding ction such as a wheel-stop, the mudwing may move away from the mudwing stay 14, as shown in Figure 3. Typically, this may happen as the vehicle is ing for example to a g bay provided with an obstruction to limit rearward movement of the vehicle. If the mudwing or an attached mudflap becomes trapped in this way and moves away from the stay 14, the elastically extensible bands 21 are stretched, increasing the tension therein. Then, on the e moving away from the kerb the trapped mudwing or mudflap is released, so that the ned bands pull the brackets upwardly and so re-engage the mudwing stay 14 in the recesses 16 of the brackets, returning the mount arrangement to the condition shown in Figure 2.

Figures 4 to 6 show a second mount arrangement using the same principle as that of Figures 1 to 3, but differing in detail; as such, like parts are given the same reference numerals and will not be described again here. Each bracket 25 of the second embodiment is bolted to a mudwing 10 in the same manner as in the first embodiment and is provided with a part-cylindrical recess 26 for receiving a mudwing stay 14, a friction lining 19 being ed in the recess 26. The bracket has only one hooked region 27 which is adjacent the mudwing when the bracket is installed on a g, as shown in Figure 3.

Each bracket 25 is associated with a tive collar 28, the collar having a bore of a suitable diameter to be a close fit on a mudwing stay. The collar is split along its length parallel to the axis thereof to allow slight diametral expansion of the collar, thereby to facilitate fitting of the collar on to a stay 14. At each end of the collar 28 there is a projecting flange 29, and the external diameter of the collar between the s 29 is such that the collar is a close fit in the recess 26 of the bracket. As shown in Figure 5, a pair of collars 28 is mounted on the mudwing stay in alignment with the two brackets 25 on the mudwing.

The mudwing 10 with its two brackets 25 is secured to the mudwing stay 14 by means of two elastically ible endless bands 30, one associated with each bracket 25. For each bracket, the l region 31of the respective band 30 is furnished with a sleeve 32 and that sleeve is received in the hooked region 27. To each side of that central region 31, the band 30 is looped around the stay 20, the two looped parts of the band 3lying to each side of the collar 28. The s 32 serve to allow relative rotation n the central region 32 of the respective band 30 and the associated bracket and so se strain on the central region of the band, when the mudwing moves away from the stay 14. Further, each collar 28 clamps on to the stay 14 and provides lateral location for the mudwing when in its normal position, and also serve to prevent the associated band becoming trapped between the bracket and the stay when the mudwing is returning to its normal position.

Installation of the two bands 30 must be performed together following attachment of the two ts 25 to the mudwing, by the steps of: (a) positioning the respective collar 28 on the stay 14; (b) for each band, fitting the sleeve 32 to the central region of the band; (c) holding the band to form the two looped portions and passing those over the stay to lie one to each side of the respective collar; (d) lifting the mudwing 10 so that the stay 14 is located in the recesses 26; and (e) stretching each band to locate the respective sleeve 32 in the hooked region 27 of the bracket.

The mudwing mount arrangement of Figures 4 to 6 operates in exactly the same manner as has been bed above in relation to the first embodiment of Figures 1 to 3, should a mudwing or an ed mudflap become trapped between a turning road wheel and an obstruction such as a kerb. As such, that operation will not be described again here.

Figures 7 and 8 show a third embodiment of mounting arrangement which is r to the second embodiment described above; like parts are again given like reference characters and will not be described again here. This second embodiment uses a pair of brackets 25 which are essentially the same as those of the second embodiment, but d of an endless band 30, each bracket 25 has associated ith a pair of l coil springs 35 arranged in parallel, one to each side of the bracket. A stub shaft 36 is received in the hooked region 27 of the bracket, a peg 37 projecting axially from each end of the stub shaft. One end of each coil spring is hooked on to the respective peg, a head being provided on each peg to retain the spring thereon. The other end of each spring is hooked on to a pin 38 projecting from the flange 29 of collar 26, parallel to the axis of the collar. A head is provided on each pin 38, to retain the spring on the pin. The mudwing mount arrangement of Figures 7 and 8 operates in exactly the same manner as has been described above in relation to the first embodiment of Figures 1 to 3 and in relation to the second embodiment of Figures 4 to 6. Should a g or an attached mudflap become d between a turning road wheel of a reversing vehicle and an obstruction such as a kerb or wheel-stop resulting in the mudwing being pulled downwardly, the mudwing may move away from the stay 14 as shown in Figure 8 against the force provided by the springs 35. When the vehicle moves forwardly again, the g or attached mudflap is released, allowing the mudwing to move back to its normal operating position as shown in Figure 7.

Though this third embodiment utilises two springs 25 in parallel, it would be possible to have only one spring ated with each bracket, for example by having the spring extending through a sleeve ed in the hooked region of the bracket, in a similar manner to that of the second embodiment. Further, the helically- wound springs 25 could be replaced by other resiliently (or elastically) extensible members while otherwise retaining the basic design of this third embodiment.

Claims (10)

1. A mount ement for a mudwing of a cial vehicle having a mudwing stay projecting laterally from the vehicle chassis adjacent a road wheel of the e, which arrangement ses a bracket for affixing to a mudwing of the vehicle, the bracket having a recess to receive the stay and locate the bracket relative thereto, in combination with at least one resiliently extensible elongate member for interconnecting the stay and bracket whereby in use the bracket is held to the stay by said member with the stay located in the recess but the bracket may move away from the stay against the resilient force ed by said member.

2. A mount arrangement as d in claim 1, wherein the bracket has a hooked region and the resiliently extensible elongate member comprises an elastically extensible s band for passing around a stay and also engaging with the hooked region of the bracket.

3. A mount arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the endless band has an engagement part engaged with the hooked region of the bracket, and the 15 band has parts to each side respectively of the engagement part for looping around the stay, on the two sides of the t.

4. A mount ement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the t has first hooked region adjacent the recess and a second hooked region spaced from the first hooked region, and the resiliently extensible elongate member comprises an endless band for passing around a stay by more than 180°, a first portion of the member engaging with the first hooked region of the bracket, and a second portion of the member engaging with the second hooked region of the bracket.

5. A mount arrangement as claimed in claim 4, wherein the endless band has a first engagement part engaged with the first hooked region of the bracket and a second engagement part engaged with the second hooked region of the bracket, and the parts of the band between the first and second engagement parts are for looping around the stay, on the two sides of the bracket.

6. A mount ement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one resiliently extensible member comprises at least one helical coil spring.

7. A mount arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein one end of the or each spring is adapted for connection to the bracket and the other end of the or each spring is adapted for connection to the stay.

8. A mount arrangement as claimed in claim 7, where in the t has a hooked region adjacent the recess and said one end of the spring engages with the hooked region of the t.

9. A mount arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the recess of the bracket is provided with a lining of a friction material to resist sliding movement of the bracket relative to the stay, when in use.

10. A mount arrangement as d in any of the preceding claims and which includes a collar adapted to fit around a stay, and wherein the recess is