US1419098A - Shock absorber - Google Patents

Description

A. R. ARNOT.

SHOCK ABSORBER.

- APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7. 1919.

1,41,098. te d ne 6, 1922.

W Hilly:

one form of which is illustrated as STA-S time SHOCK ABSORBER.

aiaoes,

Application filed November 7, 1919.

ers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicles and more particularly to spring supports for the bodies thereof, and has for its object to provide a spring device having the duel function of a recoil action and an over-load reaction, and a further object is to provide a device of this kind that can be readily applied to spring arms in vehicles already constructed and also in use and that can be applied to spring constructions during the course of erection, and that is at once simple, substantial, practicable, efficient, durable and inexpensive. The invention consists of the construction and features, an embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described and claimed hereinafter.

Figure 1 is a perspective of the invention shown as applied to a semi-elliptic leaf spring.

Fig. 2 is a perspective, on a larger scale, of the invention as applied to an arm of the spring, parts being broken away for clarity.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the elliptic spring arm and showing in detail the saddle construction, parts being broken away for clearness.

As is well known vehicle bodies are commonly supported on various types of springs,

a semielliptic spring 2, Fig. 1, in which the spring comprises essentially aseries or lamination of leaves superposed one upon the other and having their edges vertically alined or registered, the spring structure being fastened to an axle 3, for instance, by any suitable clip or fastening means 4. One end of the spring is ordinarily connected to the rear overhanging end 5 of the chassis and the other end of the spring is connected at a point further along the frame, but not here shown.

When the vehicle is passing over an obstacle the load on the spring 3 causes the same to flex downwardly in proportion to the load and in proportion to the form and size of the obstruction, and in some cases the spring 2 is flexed downwardly beyond a safe degree and again when the recoil of the spring occurs the load is moved violently and rapidly up- Specification of Letters Patent.

invention comprises a device that is Patented June 8, 1922. SerialNo. 336,389.

wardly,v and both the recoil action and the overload downward action are serious obections and it is an object of this invention to remedy the same.

To that end I have provided a device that is reactive both on the overload downward flexure of the spring also on the recoil of the spring, and a preferred embodiment ofthe wholly mounted on one arm, for instance, of the spring 2. a

To accomplish this my dual acting spring involves a clip 10 of proportions adapted to straddle the arm of the spring 2 and, preferably, the inner surface of the legs 11 are made plane as at 12 so as to prevent relative sh fting transversely or edgewise of the re: coil spring member or organization ,which comprises, in this case, a main leaf 13 of suitable width and length to pass beneath the upper part of the clip '10 and between the .egs 11 thereof. There may be utilized above the main recoil spring 13 a shorter auxiliary spring leaf 14: also passing beneath the head of theclip 10, and the ends 1314 are perforated as at 15 to receive a stop or adjusting member in the form of a screw 16 having a squared head 16' and a threaded lower portion or body 16". a

The spring leaves 13-14 are, preferably, superposed somewhat above the to of the arm of the spring 2 as on a saddle 11 passed between the legs 11 of the clip 10 and which may have its opposite edges notched as at 18 to receive the legs 11. Extending parallel to the clip 10, and at one end of the saddle 17 there is provided a fulcrum or upwardly standing lug 19 on which the superposed springs of the recoil device are mounted, and these springs are adapted to rock or tilt on the lug or shoulder 19 as determined by the adjustment of the perforated ends of the recoil springs according to the adjustment of the screw 16 which has upper and lower clamp nuts 20 binding the interposed leaves.

To secure the dual reaction of the improved shock absorber the free or outer end of the leaf 13 is shown as provided with a shackle or loop 21 extending downwardly and around the movable end of the spring arm '2, the shackle having a transversely extending bar 22 underneath of the main spring arm 2. Upon the downward action of the main spring 2 this bar is designed to engage with the lower adjacent surface of the spring arm and thus. react through the of these springs agency of the spring 13} to limit the downward fiexure of the main spring 2. Conversely, upon the upward or recoil action of the main spring 2 its upper surface is designed to move into contact with the abutment member 23 suitably connected to the lower surface and adjacent the end ofthe recoil spring leaf 13 so that the-recoil action ofthe main spring 2 is counteractedby the spring 13 and the vibration andshock of its movement is absorbed by said spring 13.

If desired, a supplementary and initially acting recoil spring may be introduced 'bew tween the recoil spring leaf 13'and the upper spring of the arm 2, and such leaf is indicated at 24c as resting upon the fulcrum. or shoulder 19 and is also perforate at its end adjacent to the saddle 17 so as to receive the adjusting screw 16 while the opposite end of the'initially acting spring 24 terminates somewhat short of the upper recoil spring 13, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

From the above it will be seen that when for any reason there is an abnormal overdownward fiexure of the main spring arm 2 this will be counteracted through an engagement therewith of the shackle bar 22 that is connected to the outer and free end' of the recoil spring 13. Conversely, upon the recoil of the main spring 2 when the main spring 2 reaches a predetermined upward curvature it will engage the abutment 23 that is mounted on the recoil spring 13 and this will again be brought into play to absorb the recoil action of the main spring.

The effective position of the shock absorbing device including the spring leaves 13, 1 1 and 24 can be readily varied by tilting the same toward or from the movable end of the main spring 2 about the fulcrum or support 19, which forms a part of the saddle 17, and this may be accomplished by releasing the clip 10 by unturning its nuts 10 and then turning the screw 16 so that it will elevate the adjacent ends of the spring leaves and thus force the other ends of the leaves to ward the outer end of the spring arm 2.

After the desired adjustment has been completed the nuts 10' on the legs are again tigthened up and this will cause the firm seating oi the recoil springs on the fulcrum 19 and the abutment of the point of the screw 16 against the adjacent surface formed by an extension of the saddle 17. v

To tilt the outer ends of the springs 1314 away from the main spring 2, it is necessary to so turn the screw 16 as to shorten the distance between the adjacent ends of the leaves and the saddle 17, and after this is done the slack or play of the clip 10 is taken up by advancing the nuts 10 on the threaded legs. Manifestly, by varying the angle of the recoil springs 13-14: the degree of compression and resistance of the initially acting spring 24 is also varied, this spring being curved downwardly from the fulcrum 19 so as to be normally in contact with the topmost leaf of the main spring 2.

If desired, the contact face of the abutment 23 may be provided with a noise reducing surface or pad 23', and for the purpose of preventing the attachment from bodily shifting along the spring arm 2 the lower surface of the saddle 17 may be corrugated as at 1.7 so as to bite into the upper surface of the spring, the latter being roughened as at 2' to aid in the holding of-the parts against shifting. In a 'similar manner the upper surface of: the transverse bar forming the bottom of the clip 10 may be roughened as at 1 0. I

Obviously the bow of the clip 10 can be placed over the recoil spring device in a plane vertically through the fulcrum 19 on which the recoil springs may be rocked so that the loosening up of the fastening nuts 10 can be eliminaed.

The front or end shackle 21 serves an important object in preventing the unit. when it .is applied to the spring arm 23, from swinging laterally or edgewise as to the spring arm and lateral or edgewise movement of the initial acting spring 2i will be prevented by reason of its connection with the pin 16 which passes through the hole provided therefor in the end of the leaf 24.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

1' claim:

1. A shock absorber for wheeled vehicles having a spring arm, comprising a saddle adapted to be mounted upon the arm, a spring mounted upon the saddle and extended therefrom to overlap the spring arm and adapted to react against the arm when the latter flexes beyond a given degree, and an intermediate spring member disposed between the arm and the spring and acting initially only upon said arm in the recoil of the arm.

2. A shock absorber including a spring arm, an initially acting spring fulcrumed thereon. a recoil spring upon said initially acting spring. clamping means cooperating with said spring arm and said springs, means for positioning the free end of said initially acting spring against said spring arm and the free end of said recoil spring in spaced relation from said spring arm, and a shackle cooperating with the spring arm and the free end of said recoil spring.

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

' ALEXANDER R. AFMNUT.

Images