Hydraulic Springing in New Dumper
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USING Hydrair piston-type suspension units, the Le Tourneau-Westinghouse Co.. of America, have produced a 32-ton dump truck with improved off-road performance and a high degree of maturuvrability. The new vehicle is a
four-wheeler with a wheelbase of only 10 ft. 9 in., making the complete dumper some 45 ft. shorter than conventional American six-wheeled dumpers of the same capacity. Independent front-wheel suspension is employed. Because of the short wheelbase and the type of suspension unit. the turning circle is only 43 ft., a 45' hick being given.
An advantage of the height-compensating suspension is that the body slope remains constant irrespective of the loading, thus the centre of gravity is always low and stability reMainS high. The dumper has a front
. end ground-, clearance of 2 ft.-because of the absence of a conventional beam axle, and a double-reduction rear axle is used. The axle is located in the chassis by a large ball joint ahead of the pinion housing and a pin behind the axle which slides in vertical guides.
The Hydrair suspension units consist of pistons connected directly to the axles and working inside frame-mounted cylinders. The suspension medium is oil in an atmosphere of inert nitrogen.