US1019504A - Shock-absorber. - Google Patents

Description

C. H. MOGMBS.

SHOCK ABSORBER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 7, 1911.

4Patente@ Mar. 5, 1912.

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.To all 'whom t may concern sfrafrns PATENT ernten.

CHAR-LES H. MCCOMBS, F CLEVELAND, OHIO, LASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO CHARLES S. 'BRITLOI N, OF BRATENAHL, OHIO.

SHQCK-AIBSORBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 7, 1911. Serial No. 619,548.

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. MCCOMBs, a citizen of the United States, resident of Cleveland, county' of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new? and useful Improvementin Shock-Absorbers, the following is afspecication, the principle of theiniicntion'zbeing herein explained and the best Iin'ocleiir which 'I have contemplated lapplying' thatfprincipld so as to distinguish it fr'ofin other inventions. A

lMy inv' tion has reference broadly to l shock absorbers, and more particularly to y description set forth indetail such as are intended to alleviate the vibratorymoveinentof vehicle springs.

One objectv sought is the provision of a device 'of this character in which the applicat-ion yof resistance may at 'first be of increasing and then constant degree following the inception of the springs recovery, as well as during its initial exure.

Another object is the provision of interdependent and hence'more precise adjusting means:

A further object is the attainment of a more uniform reliability assured through an avoidance of the ineiciency attributable to rapidly worn elements of construction.

The said invention consists of means which are hereinafter fully described and particularly pointedout in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following certain means embodying my invention, the disclosed means, however, constituting but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be applied.

In said annexed drawings :wFigure l is an elevation of a shock absorber emboc'lying my invention as operatively interposed, by

'way of example, between the frame and end. rl`he end a is movably secured to the bracket lB attached to `the axle vZ2 of the i vehicle,while the piston rod f similarly l secured to a bracket C attached to the ve- L of which with the usual type of ring d and fiber covhicle frame c. As thus positioned, the dev1ce itself affords the operative connection generally adopted to check excessive tendencies on the part of the frame and axle to moverelatively to each other. f

Interiorly, a friction piston D provided.

ering d2 is slidably mounted upon the rod a2. Fixed to the piston rod a2 and positioned on either, though inthe drawing the up- Patented Mar. 5, il'. 12.

per, side of the piston D, is a collar E. The

extremity ,o3 of the rodis shown threaded and slotted to receive aspanner nut F. A

. pair o`f reactive buffer springs e and f" are interposed between the pistoni) and respectivelythe collar E above and th nut F below. rl`hese springs are preferably,

though notinecess'arily, of strong'and also equal tension, according to the, type of vehicle to which the device is to be applied and the character of the road upon which it will'likely travel. In practice, the stiffness or tension ofthe springs would probably be such that a'safe margin over and y above the severity of jolts occasioned during ordinary usage would just fail of moving the piston. The amount of play on the part vof the springs during such ordinary usage being actually very small, these springsy should compress only a little more than half the amount of play of the ordinary usage, previously ascertained.

It is here'evidenced that the amount of free movement made possible by my construction eventually adjusts itself automatically; and hence is not restricted, as in the case of devices at present on the market; whenever the vehicle springs are subjected to unusual load. Specifically, while the upper spring 'e4' will be partially compressed under unusual load, and so for a time restrictv the amount of free movement; that is,` the movement prior to the movement of the piston; eventually, or after the first appreciable shock which thus moves the piston, the -t-wo springs e and f reacting will contrive to practically restore the piston to its arbitrarily chosen normal position midway of the collar E and' the nut F, though slightly lower than lits first position of rest with respect to-the cylinder. The extent to which the range of free Inovement was in the first instance restricted because of such unusual load is consequently bound, the resistance 'is matically. However, as will now be'apparent, the mere turning ofthe Spanner nut F may alter the tension of these reactively disposed springs'e and j", and hence constitute one possible mode of adjustment.

The operation of my shock absorber is as follows: Upon a shock.l being transmitted to the springs and having flexed. these by compression, the piston rod a2 will move into the cylinder against the action 'of the upper spring e. -The downward movement of the-frame coincident with the compression'of the vehicle springs under only a light shock, will depress this upper sprlng without, however, being sufficient to overcome the frictional resistance of the piston. Upon the recovery ofthe vehicle spring with its attendant rebound on the 'part of vthe frame, the piston rod o-n its return stroke will be pulled upwardly through the piston to compress, in turn, the lower spring f. This simple reactive buffer movement on the part of the springs e and` f', as occasioned 'by light shocks, will accordingly have no appreciable damping effect upon the vehicle springs other than to assist in a measure their normal centering. Consojnantly, the maximum range of the free movement which is always desirable is made possible, and is not only absolutely assured automatically, but accurately controlled through the medium of the mode of adjustment already mentioned.

In the event that the shook incurred is sutciently severe to warrant a restraint of the vibratory movement on the part of the springs and especially the uncomfortable if not damaging rebound on the part of the vehicle frame, the proportionately greater compression of the vehicle springs again iirst .depresses in similar degree the upper spring e until its tension is sufficient to overcome the frictional resistance of the piston. This causes the latter to slide down continuously, adding its uniform resistance until the initial vibration is checked. During this first movement on the part of the piston, the nut F will have moved even further and partially reduced the tension of the spring f. Following the recovery of the vehicle spring and. during the ensuing 'tendency on the part of the frame to reagain gradually applied while compressing this lower spring f and then uniformly maintained by the constant friction aforded during the return of the piston. At this point, attention is directed to a highly advantageous feature which my invention assures. Of the alternate spring lexures resulting from.- sudden shock, the one 'most requiring restraint is the first excessive expansion following recovery, and throughout this entire tendency to so excessively expand my consti'uetion 'applies the same gradually' increasing and finally thanl necessary, and `hence constant resistance, as in the case of the first compression flexure.- Consequently, there is no omission of restraint at any time throughout those alternate flexures properly requiring restraint, andhence the tooV sudden application thereof is positively avoided. It is yf'further noted that although 'the need of shock absorption exists,

the agency calculated to effect it must be no more rigorous no longer cumulative directly the excessive resiliency of the vehicle springs has begun to be checked. The frictional resistance offered by the piston in my construction during its reciproationls substantially constant, and accord-` lngly presents the merits suggested as oontradistinguished in theory from previous efforts of which I am aware. y The modified form of piston construct-io shown in Figs. 4t and 5 represents` another Amode of adjusting my shock absorber, in

this case by altering the degree of friction y offered by the piston. Such adjustment will necessarily be interdependent with that established for the springs et and f. It consists of a plurality of diametrically disposed springs da positioned between the fiber cov.- ering d2 and an expansion sleeve d4. The collar d5 assumes in this modification the sliding engagement with the rod a2, vand while designed to inclose the .extremities of Ithe springs e and da d?,

`right and left hand threads,

f in its end depressions 1s exteriorly screwthreaded with as clearly appearing in Fig. 4.. Two conical nuts all and s areiiiterposed between the sleeve @Z4 and collar dfgfor the now obvious purpose of `being moved toward andraway from each other to increase ory diminish the tension of the springs (Z3. In this manner, the desired degree ,of frictionaly engagementv may be maintained 'regardless of frictional depreciatlon.

Having Y, fully described` my invention,

Patent is:

.1. shock absorber comprising the combination of a cylinder,

what I claim and desire t9 secure by Letters.

apiston rod, and adjustable means said piston adapted toexpand said Athe tension of such springs.

L 3. shock absorber comprising the comblnation of a cyllnder, piston in said cylinder, a friction ring upon said piston, a pis-- i a hollow piston,a' piston ring provlded with a frictional cov- 1 ton rod movable through said piston, projections upon said rod and positioned on opposite sldes of said piston, and springs interposed between said piston and projections'l 'adapted to establish an operative rebinatio'nofa cylinder and piston-rod movi able relatively to. each other; a piston movable. upon said rod;. an expansible piston- Ilring" provided with a frictional covering; adjusting meansassociated withsaid pieton for effecting suchexpanslon; a plurality of reacting resistance members adapted to es- 10 tablish an operative relationship between said rod and piston; and adjustngmeans for one such-resietance member.

Signed by me, this 6th day of April, 1911.

' CHARLES H. MCCOMBS. At'tested by KARL B. Bm'i'roN,

GURT B. MUELLER. p

' copie or this patent may be obtainedfor ve cents each, by addressing thev fvanmialioner tnt.;A rallenta. u

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