GB190850A - Improvements in or relating to spring suspensions for vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

190,850. Palladium Autocars, Ltd., and Smallwood, H. F. Oct. 27, 1921. Laminar springs.-Relates to spring suspensions for vehicles of the kind comprising two or more springs only one of which is in operation when the vehicle is lightly loaded, the other or others coming into operation when the load is increased or when the vehicle is subjected to excessive shocks. According to the invention. two or more full cantilever springs are connected at their ends to the chassis and wheel axle, and the chassis or a member carried thereby bears, at all positions of the chassis in relation to the axle, on one of the springs at a point between its ends, while lost motion is provided between the other spring or springs and the chassis so that when the load is increased the chassis bears on these springs at a point between their ends, As shown in Fig. 1, the invention is applied to a suspension of the form described in Specification 173,583, comprising a pair of superposed cantilever springs A, B carried by a frame C trunnioned to the chassis at C'. The lower spring B is clamped between the frame C and cap C<2>, but a certain amount of play is allowed between the upper spring A and its cap C<3>. which may be adjustable. The caps are secured to the frame C by rods c, and the frame C and, if desired, the caps C<2>, C<3> are formed with side projections Cx between which the springs are located. The leaves of the upper spring may be clamped together by clips c', c<2>, or they may be left free to assume their natural position and come into action in succession. To obviate noise when the spring A and cap C<3> come into engagement, a plate E, Fig. 4, carrying a fibre or other block E<1> may be mounted on the rods c between the spring A and cap C<3>, the plate E being held against the spring A bv a light spring e<1>. In a modification, the cap C<3> is dispensed with and a bracket secured directly to the chassis bears on the spring A when the load increases. In the further modification shown in Fig. 6, the fixed bracket G replaces the link B' and bracket d shown in Fig. 1, and central bearings h, h<1> for the springs A, B are formed on a bracket H secured to the chassis. the springs being free to slide in the bracket H. In all modifications, the method of mounting the upper and lower springs mav be reversed.