US3216098A - Adjustable spring compressor - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 9, 1965 M. RATZ ADJUSTABLE SPRING COMPRESSOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 16, 1965 Nov. 9, 1965 -rz ADJUSTABLE SPRING COMPRESSOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 16, 1965 INVENTOR. M/ (71041. 1 F472 BY I United States Patent 3,216,098 ADJUSTABLE SPRING COMPRESSOR Michael Ratz, 2956 Tyson Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. Filed Sept. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 309,353 Claims. (Cl. 29226) My invention relates to a spring compressor of the type shown, for example, in Patent No. 3,078,556 issued to R. Carroll on February 26, 1963.

Modern automatic transmissions include a sleeve, a thrust plate, a compression spring (one end of which bears against the thrust plate), a retainer bearing against the other end of the spring and a split ring seated in a groove in the sleeve, and the arrangement is such that, to seat the split ring in the groove, the spring must be materially compressed. In its compressed state, the spring exerts a great force against the thrust plate and the retainer end, hence against the split ring. When, for inspection or repair, it becomes necessary to dismantle the parts, the split ring must be removed before the retainer can slide off the sleeve. To remove the split ring must be compressed.

The object of this invention is to produce an improved spring compressor for the purpose set forth.

The retainer, against which the spring-compressing force must be exerted, is of a larger diameter in one car than it is in another. Hence the adjustability shown, for example, in the Carroll patent aforesaid. But, in all makes of cars, by choice, or by necessity, the retainer (part 7 of the Carroll patent) is made of relatively thin plate, as in Carroll, and the great pressure needed is exerted at more or less widely spaced points with the result that the retainer gets bent or warped.

It is therefore a still further object of the invention to produce an improved, adjustable spring compressor which applies the requisite force over large surface areas so as to avoid bending or deforming the retainer.

A still further object is to produce a compressor of the type set forth which, except for the screw and the screw thread engaged thereby, can be made of a rough casting so as to have the requisite strength at minimum cost.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification and the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is an enlarged, perspective, exploded view of a spring compressor embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing a spring compressor embodying this invention adjusted for compressing a spring held in position by a retainer of relatively small diameter.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 but showing the compressor adjusted for compressing a spring held in position by a retainer of a relatively large diameter.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 on FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a fragment perspective view of the member shown at the upper right hand corner of FIG. 1.

In the drawing there is shown a gear 10 which is adapted to be biased, downwardly as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, by a spring 12 which bears against thrust plate 14 and which is held in its compressed condition by retainer 16. The retainer 16 is held in place by split ring 18 which seats in groove 20 formed in sleeve 22. The parts thus far recited form no part of the present invention and are recited as background against which the invention can be described and claimed. This being the case, it is thought suflicient to say that, to dismantle the parts, spring compresssing force must be applied to retainer 16 to move it out of engagement with split ring 18 to permit removal of the latter preparatory to removal of retainer 16, spring 12, etc.

3,216,098 Patented Nov. 9, 1965 The compressor of my invention includes telescoping members 24 and 25 which includes horizontal portions 28 and 30 and vertical portions or legs 32 and 34 respectively. Horizontal portion 28 is provided with a relatively long slot 36 and with side flanges 38 which coact with horizontal portion 28 to form a channel for receiving the horizontal portion 30 of member 25 as best shown in FIG. 5. Horizontal member 30 is provided with a slot 40 which, when the device is assembled, registers with, but which need not be as long as slot 36. Horizontal portion 30 is also provided with a threaded hole 42 which is engageable with a cap screw 44, the shank of which is long enough and narrow enough to pass through slot 36 to hole members 24 and 25 in adjusted position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. It will be noted that horizontal portion 30 is offset, or shouldered as at 46 so as to permit flanges 38 to move to the left as viewed in FIG. 1, past the left hand end of horizontal portion 30 of member 25. From FIGS. 1 and 5, it can be readily seen that shoulders 46 increase the range of adjustment and that the bearing of flanges 38 against the sides of portion 30, provides the necessary stability.

Legs 32 and 34 are identical except for leg 32 having a slot 50 large enough to permit the passage therethrough of the horizontal portion 30 of member 34 and except for leg 34 being shorter than leg 32 by the thickness of horizontal portion 30. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, legs 32 and 34 are arcuate in horizontal section and are of a relatively wide area so that their bottom edges contact relatively large, arcuate areas all of which makes for very effective distribution of the spring compressive force. I have found by actual controlled tests that the shape and area of the bottom ends of legs 32 and 34 permits the application of more force, without bending or warping the relatively thin retainer 16, than would be possible if the bottom edges of legs 32 and 34 were straight or relatively thin in cross section, or with the point contact of the limited surfaces 25 of Carroll for example.

Pressure is applied to the retainer by means of a threaded rod 52, one end of which engages a threaded hole in thrust block 54 and which passes through slots 40 and 36 to be engaged by nut 56 bearing against lock washer 58 whereby turning nut 56 in one direction applies pressure against retainer 16 and vice versa. In practice, rod 52 is passed through slots 40 and 36, horizontal portions are telescoped to the desired position, cap screw 44 is tightened, and nut 56 is turned until spring 12 is compressed enough to permit removal of split ring 18 where upon nut 56 is reversed until spring 12 is unleaded, or relaxed.

What I claim is:

1. A spring compressing device including a pair of elongated, pressure transmitting members comprising over over lapping arms and legs substantially normal to said arms, respectively, there being registering elongated slots in said arms, a thrust block, a rod secured to said block and having a portion thereof, passing through said slots and extending beyond said arms, said portion being threaded, a nut engaging said portion and rotatable to move said member in the direction of said block to compress a spring confined between said block and said arms.

2. The structure recited in claim 1, in which said legs are arcuate in cross section and between /s and /2 inch thick at their contact with said plate.

3. A spring compressing device including a first elongated arm, a second elongated arm, legs carried by said arms and disposed substantially normally thereto, respectively, said first arm having an elongated longitudinal slot disposed therein, said second arm having a slot therein, there being an opening in the leg of said first arm through which said second arm may be passed, longitudinal side flanges depending from said first arm, the space between said flanges being not less than the width of said second arm, a threaded block, a rod secured at one end thereof to said block and passing through said slots, a portion of said rod being threaded, a nut engageable with said threaded portion, and means for securing said arms against relative movement.

4. The device defined in claim 3 wherein the junction 'of said leg with said first arm is shouldered to provide side ledges for slidably supporting said flanges.

5. The device defined in claim 4 wherein the length of said second arm is so related to the length of said first arm that when said flanges engage said ledges, the end of said second arm will enter said opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A SPRING COMPRESSING DEVICE INCLUDING A PAIR OF ELONGATED, PRESSURE TRANSMITTING MEMBERS COMPRISING OVER OVER LAPPING ARMS AND LEGS SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SAID ARMS, RESPECTIVELY, THERE BEING REGISTERING ELONGATED SLOTS IN SAID ARMS, A THRUST BLOCK, A ROD SECURED TO SAID BLOCK AND HAVING A PORTION THEREOF, PASSING THROUGH SAID SLOTS AND EXTENDING BEYOND SAID ARMS, SAID PORTION BEING THREADED, A NUT ENGAGING SAID PORTION AND ROTATABLE TO MOVE SAID MEMBER IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID BLOCK TO COMPRESS A SPRING CONFINED BETWEEN SAID BLOCK AND SAID ARMS.

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