US1694483A - Vehicle spring cover - Google Patents

Description

1*. MUNRO VEHICLE SPRING COVER mea Apnl 1s, 1925 sa? manera si De'cf 1 l', l 928.

fweor Thom@ Mum@ l .forfneys.

atented Dec, ll, 1928,

starrt THOMAS Menno, or rnrnnnntrnra, rENNsYLvANra.

VEHICLE SPRING COVER.

Application 'filed April 13, i925. Serial No. 22,536.

Vmaterial lined with feltor other suitable absorbent material and oi" such size as to lie over thetop leaf of the spring and extend down adjacent the sides of the leaves to a point slightly below the bottom leaf where the free edges of the cover are secured together in any suitable way so as to retain the cover on the spring and hold it closely adj acent thereto. l

In automobiles as at present constructed it is customary to provide the springs with a plurality oi inverted U-shaped clips one or more of whichis disposed about 'each spring with its 'tree ends projecting for a relatively considerable distance above the top leaf so as to enable the clip to be secured in position on they spring by a bolt or rivet extended transversely through said'ends above the plane oi' the top leaf, the Jfunction of these clips beingtovprevent the separation ofthe spring leaves upon the rebound of the spring. lt is therefore impossible when attaching to the spring a springcover of the usual type to cause the cover to lie tlatalong the top leaf since the said projecting ends of the clips force the cover away from the leaves both directly in their vicinity and also for a considerable distance on each side of each clip. rlhis causes a very unsightly hump or bunch on the exterior of the cover adjacent each clip and, in addition, has a tendency to correspondingly raise the tree edges of the cover so that the latter, instead of smoothly following the contour of the lower surface of the spring in generally parallel relation therewith, are pulled or curved up for a considerable distance adjacent each clip; thus instead of depending vbelow they are frequently above the plane or1 the bottom of the spring adjacent the clips which materially interferes with the proper attachment of the means by which said free edges of thev cover are secured together after the latter is placed over the spring ends oic the clips prevent the convenient and proper' attachmentof the cover about the spring, interfere with its neat appearance ln short, the projectingwhen in position andiinally, through the relative movement'of the spring and coverunder operative conclitions,wvear through both thejlining and the envelop ofV the latter at their points oif contact therewith and thereby render the cover more or less unserviceable after a relatively short periodof use.

lt is therefore an object or the present invvention to provide,v a spring cover so constructed as to embody pockets or recesses for the reception of the ends of the spring clips which project above the plane of the upper surface of the top leaf of the spring..

, A further object of the invention is to provide a spring cover having pockets or recesses for the receptiono the projecting ends of the spring clips formed integral with the exterior portion or envelop ofthe cover andk so arranged that when the cover is in operative position on the spring the ends of the clips will be received in said pockets withoutany undue strain being placed. on the side or other portions of the 'cover'inthe vicinity of the clips, whereby the free longitudinal edges of the4 cover canassnme theirv proper position substantially'parallel with the bottom of the spring. Y' l Still further objects of my invention are to relieve the spring cover, .by the'provision of suitablepockets or recesses for the recep-l tion of the projecting ends of the spring clips, from excessive wear in the vicinity of said projecting ends; to 'facilitate the operation ot attaching the cover to the spring and to enhance its appearance thereon by preventing bunchingV up 4ofthe cover in the vicinity of the clips;

My invention 'further includes `other ob- Y jects and novel eatures'of construction and arrangement hereinafter lmore lparticularly referred to or which will be apparent from the accompanying drawing talrengin' connection with the following description of a preerred embodiment of the invention as therei in illustrated.y

In the said drawing Fig. l is a perspective view oliva spring cover constructed in accordance with .mj/'invention as it appears in eX.- tended position before attachment to the spring; Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2 2 in Fig,` l; Fig. 3 is a'longitudinal cenV- tral section on line B Sfin Fig. l; Fig. 4;' is a centrall longitudinal section of the spring coverin position upon a vehicle spring which is shown inside elevation and Fig. 5 is a sideelevation` of the cover in position on thev the spring with which the cover is to be associated and marginal portions or flaps 2, 2 of sufficient width to be turned down over the sides of the spring and cover the same when the cover is in position thereon. Since automobile springs are ordinarily of decreasing f vertical thickness from their centers toward their outer ends, the longitudinal edges 3, 3 ofthe side flaps of the cover are preferably arranged to converge from the inner end 5 of the cover which is intended to lie most nearly adjacent the center of the spring to the opposite or outer end 6 so that when the flaps are turned down alongside of the spring they longitudinal edges 3, 3 will substantially follow the contour of the bottom of the spring.

The-side flaps 2 of the cover may be lined with a lining 7, 7 formed of a sheet of suitable absorbent material such as felt or the like which is capable of absorbing oil, these linings respectively extending from adjacent the marginal edges of the side flaps to approXimately the sideedges 3, 8 of the central portion 1 of the cover, the side marginal extremities of the envelop being turned over as at 9, 9 so as to cover the acent edges of the linings and the several layers then stitched together by stitches 10 extending eny tirely around the edges ofthe cover. Preferably a longitudinally extending stiffening Vwire 11 is disposed in the turned over edge of the envelop adjacent the `outer edge of the felt liner for the purpose of preventing endwise buckling ofthe cover when in operative position on the spring, and a plurality of eyelets may be disposed adjacent the lateral edges of the cover for engagement by the attaching means by which the cover is secured on the spring. j

For the purpose Vof receiving the upwardly projecting ends C of the spring clips C K which, as hitherto stated, are disposed at intervals on automobile springs as now customarily constructed, l providethe central portion of the lenvelop at suitably spaced points with recesses or pockets 13, 1 formed by'striking up the material vof the envelop.

during the manufacture of the latter by means of a suitable die or other tool so that that part of the material which forms the pocket is forced out of the general plane of the envelop and caused to assume substan-l tially arcuate form, when viewed in longitudinal section as in Fig. 3 rising above the plane of the top of the envelop and intersecting the latter in transversely extending lines 15, the transverse width of the pocket thus formed` being preferably slightly greaterthan the Width of the central portion 1 of the cover so that the pocket will overlie and readily receive the spring clip which is, of course, of somewhat greater width than the width of the spring leaves. The sides 16 yof the pocket which extend substantially vertically are also formed simultaneously with the top of the pocket just described and in the same operation, and it has been found in practice that by the use of a suitable die it is possible top strike up these pockets without excessively stretching the material of the envelop and without causing creases or abrasions in the latter in the vicinity of the pockets so that the upper surface of the envelop, as Well as the pockets themselves, .is entirely smooth, in consequence of which the completed cover presents a very neatand attractive` appearance. It will of course be understood that the vertical height orv depth of theY with which the cover is designed to be used; V thus, where the makers of a particular car provide it with springs having three clips between the outer end and the center, the cover designed for that car will be provided with a corresponding number of pockets properly longitudinally spaced to accommo date the clips therein, While a cover intended for use on another carhaving but two or even one clip on each of its springs between the ends and center thereof would preferably be Y provided with a corresponding number of f properly spaced pockets.

For the purpose of receiving and distributing the oil or other lubricant injected into the interior of the cover from time to time under operative conditions, the cover is provided with a longitudinally extending strip 17 of felt or other lubricant absorbing matem rial of substantiallythe Width of the central i part 1 ofthe envelop and arranged to extend thcrebeneath from one end of the cover to the other.` As clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4l this strip 17 is carried up into the interior of each of the pockets 13 so as to lie therein adjacent the inner surface of the envelop, but between the pockets the strip is preferably spaced from the under side of the cover by spacer strips 18 of like material and of sim` ilar width to the strip 17. These spacer strips ordinarily are, however, of different lengths, each strip being preferably adapted to extend ,lloV

ist

l l between the edge .6 andthe po i .t very much shorter than either of Y the others. The strip 17 as Well as the spacer are pern'ianently secured to the envelop ^nfntudinally spacedl snlitV rivets, 2Oh arn ranged along the center line et the cover and y extending through the several parts.

To enablethe introduction oi oil or other lubricant to the interior of theA cover when positioned on the spring, a hole is punched through the envelop at any convenie'ntpoint and preferably on the center line thereot and surrounded and reinforced eyelet 2l provided with a removable cap 22 in such manner that when the latter is detached irom the eyelet oil may be injected through the latter upon the subjacent spacer strip from which point the oil finds its ivay to the strip l'and travels therealong in both directions so as to saturate the entire strip as Well `as the other spacer strips and also Works out on the linings 7, 7 so as to saturate them. under operative conditions these linings are constantly maintained against the sides of the spring the oil with which they are saturated gradually Werl; between the spring leaves by capillary attraction so as to adequately lubrithe contacting and relatively movable re described may be operatively at*- tached to a spring S by first placing the coverL thereon vvith its central portion 1 aligned With th top leaf ot the spring andthe under side ot 1e strip i? in contact therewith. The side p ns or flaps ot the cover are then turned ve i lally doivn adjacent the sides of the s and the free longitudinal edges 3, 3 s together by any suitable means eX- t between said edges beneath the s u', and While said means may partalie ot vari` .s Yiforms l prefer to employ tor that purpose the means disclosed and claimed in U. S.

Patent No. 1,667,735, granted to me on May 1, 1928, to which reference may be had for a tunJ ther description thereof. lt Will be apparent that when so positioned on the Vspring the portions the envelop between the pockets and so between the ends of the pockets and the ends of the cover Will be raised for a relaconsiderable distance above' the top tively and spacer strips betvveenthe envelop and the leal" and that t ie upwardly proJecting exuitable Way, conveniently by the use Ytremitics C of the s ring clips C Will be re- P s i Vceived in the pockets oi the cover and rest therein Without causing' any stretchingv orunduev distortion ot theadjacent portions of the latter; thus the longitudinal edges 3, 3 of the latter are not pulled up adjacent each clip but smoothly follow the general contour of the under surface ott the spring throughout its y entire length enabling the proper attachment'v and functioning ont the means by Which the cover is secured inposition on the spring and keeping all parts oit the sides of the spring proper`y covered. lt willv `further be observed by reference to Fig. el that asthe ver-4 ticallieight or depth of the poclrets is sotticient to readily receive the projecting ends oi" theV clips Without .the necessityl ot down- Wardly straining the adj acont portions of the cover,` the Wear on the cover at its .points of y contact'ivith the Vends ot the clips is not materially greater than the Wear at any other point, in consequence .oiivwhichr the ends our" the I clips do-'not 'Work through the cover under the relative movement between the parts in-y duced by the constant tlexingof the spring unoer operative conditions. llhis Wearing oi the cover by the spring clips is of constant occurrence with covers as hitherto constructed and lrequentlyserves to rendersuch covers more or less unserviceable after a relatively short period of use.

As the pockets in my improved spring cover are formed integral With the envelop and conveniently by a single operation, the cost of manufacture of the cover ,is not thereby unf duly, increased, and possibility oi' oil leakage in the vicinity of the pockets prevented, While` the Wearing qualities and appearanceot the cover and its ability to properly hug the spring and permit the proper attachment and functioning of the attaching means, Whatever defined in the appended claims.

lla-vino' thus described mi invention l .cent the top leaf o" a spring` and provided leale S by the interposition ot the strips 17 l with a recess in its under face formed by striking up the material of the envelopjand with side flaps laterally disposed vvith'respect` lrial for each of said side flaps, said envelop into said recess to orin a lining therefor,

said strip being of less' Width than said recess, spacer strips of similar material interposed between said strip and the envelop adjacent each end of the recess, and means for securing Y said envelop, spacer strips and strip together.

2. A spring cover for vehicle springs co1nprising an outer envelop of ileXible material having a centra-l portionadapted to extend adjacent the top of a spring and sid-e flaps laterally disposed with respect to said centralportion adapted to lie adjacent the sides of the spring' and a lining of' absorbent` inate- `the envelop, a stripl of absorbent material of less Width than said recess extending longitudinally beneath said central portion froinone end of the cover to the other and lining said recess7 spacer strips of absorbent niaterial interposed vbetween the longitudinal strip and the envelop at each end of the recess,

and means for securing said envelop, spacer strips andlongitndinal strip together, Vcornprising a plurality of rivets disposed at spaced intervals and extending through all of said parts. n

In-\vitness whereof, I havel hereunto set lny hand this 12th day of March, .1925.

' THOMAS MUNno.

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