Donald Wayne Bright

US Patent:

40723259, Feb 7, 1978

Filed:

Jan 28, 1977

Appl. No.:

5/763681

Inventors:

Jerd Bright - Sunnyvale CA
Donald R. Bright - Sunnyvale CA

Assignee:

Bright Engineering, Incorporated - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

B62D 900

US Classification:

280772

Abstract:

A device for automatically stabilizing moving ground vehicles against the effects of transverse acceleration forces and roll moments, due to turning maneuvers, by means of an on-board pendulum, suspended from a stable platform, part of the vehicle, and intercoupled to pivotally supported vehicle ground wheels, acting so as to incline the planes of rotation of the pivotally supported ground wheels of the vehicle to the angle of the vector resultant of the gravitational force component acting on the pendulum and the transverse acceleration force component acting on the pendulum; the device thereby provides, within the design maximum angle of inclination of the ground wheels and the adhesion capability of the tires on the roadbed, essentially complete stabilization of the turning vehicle. The stabilizing effect is that the angle of the force vector resultant acting on the vehicle will nominally be that of the planes of rotation of the ground vehicle wheels, excepting small steering and suspension system deviations that may act on the steerable ground wheels or wheel. The vehicle is designed such that any transverse forces acting on the vehicle automatically cause the vehicle to lean, bank, or rotate about the longitudinal axis, much as a conventional two-wheeled motorcycle leans on a turn, thereby establishing the necessary angle of inclination required to balance the gravitational forces present and the inertial forces generated by the turning maneuvers.

Address:

PO Box 6812, Maryville, TN 37802

VIN:

2HJYK165X7H518446

Make:

HONDA

Model:

RIDGELINE

Year:

2007