GB680897A - Improvements in rubber springs and coupling members - Google Patents

Abstract

680,897. Rubber-sandwich springs. SPENCER MOULTON & CO., Ltd., G., MOULTON, A. E., and VARGA, O. H. Jan. 26, 1951 [Feb. 2, 1949], No. 2853/49. Class 108 (iii). A rubber spring comprises a plurality of assembled rubber sandwiches (Fig. 3), the plates 2, 3 of each of which are provided with lugs or projections 4, 5 angularly displaced to each other so that one set of projections may be engaged by one of the load-applying members 21, 22, and the other set may be engaged by the other of the load-applying members 23, 24. The projections have pairs of perforations adapted to receive one or other of pairs 14, 15 of bolts on which the respective sets are assembled and to which they are clamped by nuts 16 and spacing washers 17. A bolt 20 passes through central apertures in the sandwiches and serves to retain the load-applying members 23, 24 and 21, 22 should the rubber or its bond to the plates fail. As shown, adjoining plates of adjacent sandwiches are both strung on the respective bolts 14 or 15. Alternatively only one of two adjoining plates may be apertured, the two plates being interlocked with each other. Alternatively to the bolts 14, 15 the plates may be gripped by clamps, bolted or otherwise secured to the load-applying members. In a modification, the projections are in the form of sheet-metal arms and precompression of the rubber is applied by a central tie-bolt. The several arms of a set are riveted to a rubberbushed attachment eye of a load-applying member. The arms may be disposed to provide a suitably rising or falling spring rate. Friction discs may be interposed at the ends of the spring or between each sandwich. The invention is applicable to the springing of motor-cycle front and rear forks and for wishbone and rigid-axle suspension of motor vehicles. Specification 632,521 is referred to.