US1364294A - Pneumatic springing of vehicles - Google Patents

Description

F. S. FARNSWORTH PNEUMATIC SPRINGING 0F VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 10, 1920- Patented Jan. 4,1921.

Fic.3.

UNITED STATES .ATENT orriea.

PNEUMATIC SPRINGING OF VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

Application filed April 10, 1920. Serial No. 372,976.

To. all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANK SMEDLEY FARNswonTH, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at No. l Darwin Terrace, in the county borough of Derby England, have invented new and use ful Improvements in the Pneumatic Spring ing of Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to improve the springing of vehicles.

Referring'to the drawings which form a part of this specification Figure 1 is an end view of the device, with the end wall or cover removed.

Fig. 2 is a section taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 illustrates one form of application of my spring to a motor car chassis; this figure being drawn to a greatly reduced scale. 4

In carrying out myinvention I employ a metal cylinder a truly turned on the inside diameter and fitted with covers Z) at each end. Both these covers may be bolted to the cylinder body or one cover may be cast solid therewith.

Through the center of the cylinder a and covers 6 is placed a turned shaft 0 of suitable diameter. The bearings d for said shaft are formed in the cylinder covers Z). Fixed solidly to the shaft 0 and at right angles to it is a vane or wing e which exactly fits the space between the shaft 0 and the walls of the cylinder (1 and also is a fit between the covers 6. If the shaft and vane were now revolved the whole of the interior of the cylinder a would be swept. In my spring the shaft 0 is not intended to revolve in a. complete circle but only through a portion thereof; it is prevented from revolving in a complete circle by a stop 7 which is rigidly connected to the cylinder a and completely fills the space between the shaft 0 and the walls of the cylinder and also between the cylinder covers 5. The shaft 0 and vane 6 can now only be turned in either direction until the vane e meets the stop 7. (The above described arrangement is similar to the construction of an ordinary wing or semi-rotary pump minus valves and ports).

The vane e is now turned until it is opposite the stop 7", the two forming a diameter across the cylinder and dividing it into two parts.

Inflatable pneumatic bags 9 of rubber, rubber and canvas, or other suitable material are placed on each side of the vane e filling up when inflated (through valves 7b) the space between the vane c and the stop It will now be seen that thesha-ft c carrying the vane e cannot be turned in either direction without compressing one or other of the pneumatic bags 9 thus a perfect spring is formed which may have any degree of strength according to the pressure of infiation of the pneumatic bags 9. If the latter are made of rubber or other extensible material or rubber and canvas, of a suitable shape to'allow of expansion to follow up any movement of the vane c the re-action or rebound of the spring is materially deadened and very efficient springingof the vehicle is the result.

One method of providing means of expansion of the pneumatic bags 9 when made of rubber and canvas or other non-extensible material is shown in Fig. 1 where the vane e is made of a section to form depressions in the ends of the pneumatic bags 9.

When the vane e is turned in either direction the depression in the endof the pneumatic bag on one side of the vane is rendered deeper while the depression in the end of the pneumatic bag on the other side of the vane becomes shallower until at the limit of expansion it may assume a convex shape.

In the form of the device illustrated, the pneumatic bags are made up of a plurality of sections of spherical or cylindrical shape according to the amount of expansion required. These sections would of course be connected together to allow of inflation, and when placed in position would assume a segmental or triangular cross section but when the vane c was moved circumferentially (thus allowing space for expansion) they would assume more or less their natural spherical or cylindrical shape.

In heavy vehicles if it is desired to limit the movement of the spring the vane fixed to the shaft may be made a complete dlameter instead of a radius of the cylinder but in this case two stops fixed across a diameter would be necessary and four pneumatic bags, the arrangement of which is obvious.

It must be distinctly understood that there is no connection between the pneumatic bags on the two sides of the vane, the bag or series of bags on either side forming a distinct spring in itself.

One method of applying my spring to a motor car chassis is shown at Fig. 3.

The body of the spring that is the cylinder at and covers 6 containing the pneumatic bags is rigidly connected to or forms part of the chassis. On the outer ends of the shaft 0 carrying the vane e is keyed one end of a lever, leaf spring or the like 7' of suitable length the other end of which is directly connected to the axle Z3 carrying the road wheels Z. By this construction any movement of the axle caused through road shocks is communicated directly to the pneumatic bags and is absorbed by them before reaching the body of the vehicle.

My springing arrangement as above described may be used alone or in conjunction with ordinary leaf springs of cantaliver, elliptical or semi-elliptical design.

If the pneumatic bags should leak through any cause positive stops may easily be arranged on the cylinder covers 5 to limit the movement of the lever or leaf spring and will carry the weight of the vehicle without risk of accident until the pneumatic bags can be renewed.

Having now descrlbed my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A pneumatic spring for vehicles, comprising a cylindrical casing adapted to be secured to the body of the vehicle, a shaft mounted for rotation in said casing, a radial blade secured to said shaft and rotatable therewith, said blade extending from said shaft to the sidewall of the casing, a radial stop secured in the casing and extending from the shaft to the sidewall of the casing, a plurality of pneumatic cushioning members within the casing at both sides of said blade and stop, and means for transmitting motion from the axle of the vehicle to said shaft.

2. A pneumatic spring for vehicles, comprising a cylindrical casing adapted to be secured to the body of the vehicle, a shaft mounted for rotation in said casing, a radial blade secured to said shaft and rotatable therewith, said blade extending from said shaft to the sidewall of the casing, a radial stop secured in the casing and extending from the shaft to the sidewall of the casing, a plurality of pneumatic cushioning members within the casing at both sides of said blade and stop, and means for transmitting motion from the axle of the vehicle to said shaft, said blade having at each sidethereof a convex projection for compressing said pneumatic members,

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANK SMEDLEY FARNSWORTH.

Images