Hydraulic suspension unit
A hydraulic suspension unit for the front axle suspension of a tractor, comprises a hydraulic jack having a cylinder body, a piston arranged within the cylinder body to define two variable volume working chambers, a piston rod connected to the piston and sealingly guided in the cylinder body, and anchoring blocks on the ends of the cylinder body and of the piston rod for connecting the hydraulic jack to components of the suspension that are movable relative to one another. The suspension unit further comprising a valve body having valves connected to regulate the flow of hydraulic fluid to and from the working chambers of the jack. In the invention, the valve body is directly mounted on the anchoring block of the cylinder body on its side remote from the anchoring block of the piston rod.
1. A hydraulic suspension unit for the front axle suspension of a tractor, comprising
a hydraulic jack having a cylinder body;
a piston arranged within the cylinder body to define two variable volume working chambers;
a piston rod connected to the piston and sealingly guided in the cylinder body;
anchoring blocks on the ends of the cylinder body and of the piston rod for connecting the hydraulic jack to components of the suspension that are movable relative to one another, each anchoring block having an anchorage point the suspension unit further comprising a valve body having control valves connected to regulate the flow of hydraulic fluid to and from the working chambers of the jack; and
the anchoring block on the end of the cylinder body having a portion which extends longitudinally beyond the connecting line between the anchorage points, said portion having a mounting surface facing upwardly away from the cylinder body and comprising internal bores leading from the mounting surface to the working chambers of the hydraulic jack; the valve body being directly mounted on the anchoring block of the cylinder body on the side thereof remote from the anchoring block of the piston rod.
2. A suspension unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein tile valve body is formed as a manifold that is secured and sealed relative to the anchoring block of the cylinder body.
3. A suspension unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a conduit connecting the control valves to the working chamber on the rod side of the piston includes a rigid tube formed separately from the cylinder body that extends externally from the end of the cylinder body from which the piston rod projects to the anchoring block at the opposite end of the cylinder body.
4. A suspension unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in addition to establishing connections with the working chambers of the hydraulic jack, the valve body is formed with connectors to receive a supply line and a line leading to an accumulator.
5. A suspension unit as claimed in claim 2 , wherein a conduit connecting the control valves to the working chamber on the rod side of the piston includes a rigid tube formed separately from the cylinder body that extends externally from the end of the cylinder body from which the piston rod projects to the anchoring block at the opposite end of the cylinder body.
6. A suspension unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in addition to establishing connections with the working chambers of the hydraulic jack, the valve body is formed with a connector to receive a supply line and an accumulator is mounted directly on the valve.