US1112095A - Spring. - Google Patents

Description

o. P. RANDOLPH. SPRING.

APPLIOA'TION FILED APR. 2B, 1913.

1, 1 12,095. l .y Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

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CLABEORN P. RANDOLPH, OF EL CENTRO, CALIFORNIA,

SPRING.

To all whom, 'it may concer/1t Be it known that I, CLABEORN P. RAN- Specication of Letters Patent.

DoLrn, a citizen of the United States, residingV at El Centro, in the county of Imperial and State of California, have invented a new and useful Spring, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a spring fory moto-r vehicles or other conveyances, and the object is to provide a spring having great resiliency and sensitiveness to light loads and which will provide the necessary sustaining power and stiffness for an increased load without deadening or nullifying its action as a spring for light loads- A further obj ect is to also cause the spring to act as a shock absorber to prevent the sudden upward rebound of the body of thev vehicle, the spring acting in reverse order to its downward movement. The ordinary spring when constructed to carry a heavy load, must needs have such a number of leaves that the spring is too stiff for light loads, and also if a spring is made of Sullicient resisting power to take care ofthe severest shocks sustained by the present spring, the spring will likewise be too sti to absorb or soften lighter shocks, both of which disadvantages are overcome in the present invention.

Referring to the drawings: F igure.1 is a perspective view o-f my invention showingy how it is applied to a vehicle. Eig. 2 is a longitudinal section of my invention. Fig.

3 is a perspective of the spring hanger andv connecting members.

The spring comprises a center leaf 1, at the center of which on each side are two half round blocks 2 which are welded there- 1 on. Above the leaf 1 is a series of springs 3 of graded length with recessed center portions et nested on each other, the innermost ntting the block 2 which prevents the leaves from slipping with respect to each other and with respect to the center leaf 1.

Below the center leaf 1 is a similar set of leaves 3. The upper most leaf 5 supports the frame of the vehicle by spring hanger 6, two plates 'Z are also pivoted at their upper ends by botta S. to the end of leaf 5 and hanger 6, plates '1? extending downward and being provided with a roller 9 jonrnaled on a pin 10, extending transversely across between plates 7, and with a similarly,sup-V ported roller 11 near the lower end of tlie platesD The center leaf t has a transverse I l heaviest loads.

loop 12 through which the roller 9 passes, while the lower leaf 13 has a transverse loop 14. thro-ugh which the lower roller 11 eX- tends. Normally, under a light load the position of the spring is as indicated in Fig. 1, and during the ordinary up and down movements of the body of the vehicle the upper Patented sept. '29, i914.; Applicationmed April 2s, i913. srialnavmace. y

leaves 3 through the spring hanger 6 are caused to Hex, at the same time the plates 7 aremoved upy and down, but under `these normal conditions under a light load, and Without excessive shock,the plates 7 do not move the rollers 9 far enough to cause them to strike the ends of the loops l2. When a severe shock is encountered the downward movement is sutlicient to cause plates 7 to Amove rollers 9 against the lower endsl of loops 12,'which then'causes leaf l to assist the upper leaves resisting the pressure, while during the rebound the lower leaf 13 lirst receives pressure of roller 11. and acts to help the flat leaf 1 and upper leaves 3. lf a still greater shock occurs the plates 7 will move down far enough to cause rollers llto act against the bottoms of loops la and cause the lower leaves 3 to share'in resisting the pressure. During therebound or upper n ipvement the three setsl of lea'ves act se-` rially in reverse order to soften the shock. 4With an lincreasedv load the spring acts in a manner similar to that just described, a light load only causing the upper leaves to operate, a heavier load bringing the center leaf additionally into operation and a still heavierl load bringing the lower leaves so that theentire spring then operates for the Obviously, when the load lightens the lower leaves are relieved of duty and with a further lightening of the load the center leaf is relieved from duty and the upper leaves alone then act to support the light load, giving the maximum resili 'ency and sensitiveness.

The flat or straight spring acts as a support upon which both the upper and lower springs rock or against whichthey atten themselves and thus they are relieved of extra strain and breakageis prevented. And in turn the leaves above and below the center straight leaf' act to support it and prevent breakage, this -supportin function being brought gradually-into p ay as the dat spring is 'caused to bend either up orv down and'isthereby made to increase its length'j of contactl with the bowed'leaves above or below.4 In the present case I 'have shown a spring having a. total of seven leaves which is no more than the ordinary number, and yet only three of them are used forlight loads, four for heavier loads, and all seven for still heavier loads, with the result that each load is supported by approximately the proper number of leaves and the maximum resiliency is attained under the various loads.

What I claim is l. A spring, comprising a straight center leaf with a transverse loop at each end thereof, leaves above and below the center leaf, a leaf below the center leaf having a transverse loop in the ends thereof, a leaf above the center leaf connected with the body of the vehicle, plates connected with the body and extending down adjacent said loops, said plates having rollers which pass through the respective loops and which are so spaced as to serially make contact with the respective loops.

2. A spring comprising two oppositely bowed leaves, a center leaf between the bowed leaves, an axle connection at the center of the leaves, body supports connected to the ends of the leaves, the connections between the bowed leaves and supports being of different degrees of fit allowing one bowed member and the supports to move a definite amount without bending the other bowed member, the center leaf having loose connections with the supports allowing a less movement in both directions of either bowed spring and supports, whereby in the down movement the three leaves are brought into bending action in one consecutive order and in the upward movement are brought into bending action in the opposite consecutive order.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 16th day of April, 1913.

CLABEORN P. RANDOLPH.

In presence of GEORGE T. HACKLEY, MARTHA M. LANGE.

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