US3275311A

US3275311A - Spring device

Info

Publication number: US3275311A
Application number: US361774A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ramon Hubert Eberstadt Sichel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-04-22
Filing date: 1964-04-22
Publication date: 1966-09-27
Anticipated expiration: 1983-09-27

Description

Sept. 27, 96@ R, H, E. Y slcHEL 3,275,311

SPRING DEVICE Filed April 22, 1954 INVENTOR.

United States Patent O 3,275,311 SPRING DEVICE Ramon Hubert Eber-stadt y Sichel, Mexico City, Mexico (Ap. Postal 310, Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico) Filed Apr. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 361,774 Claims. (Cl. 267-1) This invention relates to a spring device and more particularly to a relatively small spring means which may readily fit into small or restricted spaces Where other known spring elements are useless.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of a spring device which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efficient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

Another object of this invention is to provide a spring device which may be used either singly or in various combinations, a plurality of devices being stacked in superimposed relation for increased spring action or for obtaining spring action in a plane offset at a selected angle with respect to a force being received thereby.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a spring device including stop means to limit the total spring action.

Other and further objects reside in the combination of elements, arrangement of parts, and features of construction. 1

Still other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention proceeds and as shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of one ernbodiment of spring device in accordance with the instant inventive concept;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view therethrough taken substantially on line 2-2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of a moditied spring device;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view therethrough taken substantially on line 4 4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of a still further modication of spring device in accordance with the instant inventive concept;

FIGURE 6 is a transverse cross-sectional view therethrough taken substantially on line 6 6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of yet another form of spring device;

FIGURE 8 is a transverse cross-Sectional view therethrough taken substantially on line 8-8 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary transverse cross-sectional view through a plurality of sheets having spring devices in accordance with .the instant invention in superimposed stacked relationship;

FIGURE 10 is a view similar to FIGURE 9 showing a pair of superimposed sheets with spring devices nestingly related to provide a stop means limiting the total spring action;

FIGURE l1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a spring device in accordance with the instant invention having a plurality of resilient elements all formed on one side of a base sheet;

FIGURE 12 is a view similar to FIGURE 11 showing resilient elements on both sides of the base sheet; and

FIGURE 13 is a view similar to FIGURES 9 and 10 showing a plurality of superimposed stacked sheets with resilient elements of different heights to provide a spring action in a plane offset from .the .direction of applied force.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing in general, and more particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, one form of spring device in accordance with the instant inventive concept is designated generally by the reference numeral 20 and Patented Sept. 27, 1966 JCC comprises a base element 22 in the form of a sheet or the like with a single resilient member 24 carried thereby, one end 26 of the resilient member 24 being integral with the base sheet 22 and the other end 28 slidingly engaging the lower surface 30 of the base sheet 22. The intermediate portion 32 of the resilient element 24 is arcuate in form to provide a surface against which a force may be applied. The resilient member 24 of this embodiment is in the form of a tongue pressed from the base sheet 22 to define an opening 34 therein, the tongue then being elongated by drawing the same in any conventional manner so that its end portion 28 slidingly engages the surface 3i) in spaced relationship to the opening l34. Any conventional punching, drawing, tempering, rolling or forging operations may be utilized in the manufacture of the device if it is formed from a metal. However, it will be readily understood Ithat this device may be formed of plastic or other such conventional materials.

A stop means in the form of a stop member 36 punched from the base shee-t 22 is positioned to abuttingly engage ythe end 28 of the resilient member 24 on compression of the arcuate intermediate portion 32 of the same there-by limiting the spring action.

The embodiment of FIGURES 3 and 4 is substantially the same as Ithe embodiment of FIGURES l and 2, similar parts being designated by similar reference characters followed by the suihx a, the only difference between these embodiments being that the base sheet 22a in `the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 is inverted whereby the end 28a of the resilient member 24a engages the top surface 30a of the same when the arcuate intermediate portion 32 is compressed.

A modied embodiment is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 wherein similar parts are designated by similar reference characters followed by the suffix bf In this embodiment the end 26b of the resilient member 24b and the stop member 36h are each spot welded to the base sheet 22b as indicated in dotted lines at 38 and 40 in FIG- URE 5.

The embodiment of FIGURES 7 and 8 has similar parts designated by similar reference characters followed by the suiiix c and is substantially the same as the embodiment of FIGURES 5 and 6, ,the basic difference being .that the end 26C of the resilient member 24e is seam or butt welded at 42 within the opening 34e rather `than the spot welds 38.

FIGURE 9 shows a plurality of

base sheets

20d, 20e, and 20f in superimposed stacked relationship to increase Ithe spring action, the arcuate intermediate portions of resilient members carried by one -base sheet being abuttingly engaged with one surface of the next lower base sheet, and the arcuate intermediate portions of the lowest resilient members 24f abuttingly engaging a fixed member such as 44 which provides the compression.

FIGURE 10 shows spring devices 20g and 20h with their resilient members 24g and 24h in nesting relationship, the intermediate arcuate portions 32g and 32h abuttingly engaging the surfaces 30g and 30h of the opposite base sheets 22g and 22h. In this embodiment portions of each resilient member -on one base element abuttingly engage portions of a resilient member on the other base element on compression of .the arcuate intermediate portion of one of the resilient members thereby limiting the spring action and defining a stop means.

FIGURE 11 shows a spring device 201' including a base element 221 in the form of a sheet having a plurality of resilient members 241' all of which extend on one side of -the base sheet 221.

In the spring device 20j shown in FIGURE 12, the base sheet 22j has resilient members 24j extending on both sides of the same.

A plurality of

spring devices

20k, 201, and 20m` are superimposed in the embodiment of FIGURE 13 with resilient members of various heights whereby the spring action is provided in a plane offset with respect Ito the direction of compressive force as will be readily evident from the angle formed by the base sheet 22k and the base sheet 22m. These spring devices may be nested as shown with 20k and 201 in the manner of the embodiment of FIGURE or merely stacked as with 20! and 20m in the manner of the embodiment of FIGURE 9.

The embodiments shown in the drawing are merely illustrative. It will be obvious that various other combinations of the spring devices may be arranged for speciiic desired results. Each of the resilient members may be of any desired contour and cross-section, regular or irregular, solid or with one or more serrations or perforations so long as it includes one portion secured to the base element and another portion slidingly engaging a surface of the base element, with an intermediate portion shaped to give spring type action. The number and size of resilient members -on each base element may be Varied at will as well as the number of base elements utilized in cooperative stacked relationship.

The manner of making the spring devices of the instant invention may be modified to include casting, molding, injection molding or sintering of discrete metal or plastic particles.

All the resilient members on a base element, or only certain of the same, may be limited in their displacement to produce a desired effect. Similarly, several base elements with various size resilient members may be combined to produce displacement in any desired direction with respect to =the applied force. By nestingly engaging certain of the base elements a limitation on the spring action may be readily provided.

It will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved spring device which satisfies all of the objectives of the instant invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial irnportance.

Since many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and since many modiiications may -be made of the embodients hereinbefore shown and described, it is -to be understood -that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A spring device including at least one base element, a plurality of tongues, each having two ends and an arcuate intermediate portion, one of said ends of each resilient tongue being secured to said base element, and the other of said ends of each resilient tongue slidingly engaging one surface of said base element, said base element comprising a sheet, an opening being defined in said sheet for each resilient tongue, each tongue being pressed from said sheet to define its associated opening, one end of each tongue being integral with said base element and having its arcuate intermediate portion overlying its associated opening, and each tongue being elongated in order that its other end slidingly engages said sheet in spaced relationship to its associated opening.

2. The structure of claim 1 further including, in c0mbination, stop means for each resilient tongue, each stop means abuttingly engaging a portion of its associated resilient tongue on compression of said arcuate intermediate portion of the same to limit the spring action.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein each stop means includes a stop member integrally formed with said base element and abuttingly engaging said other end of its associated resilient tongue on compression of said arcuate intermediate portion of the same.

4. The structure of claim 2 wherein a plurality of base elements are superimposed, said resilient tongues on one base element nesting in said resilient tongues on the other base element, portions of each resilient tongue on one base element abuttingly engaging portions of a resilient tongue on the other base element on compression of the arcuate intermediate portion of one of the resilient tongues to define said stop means.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein a plurality of base elements are superimposed, and said arcuate intermediate portions of dilerent resilient tongues are of progressively different heights and abut the arcuate intermediate portions of adjacent tongues to incline said plurality of base elements with respect to each other.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 495,218 4/1893 Coe. 1,384,229 7/1921 Bolich. 1,572,735 2/1926 McNeil 267-1 2,091,195 8/1937 Dennebaum 267-1 X 2,125,766 8/1938 Carlisle 267-1.5 2,217,893 10/1940 Dunaje 267-103 X 2,656,890 10/1953 Brandon 267-1 X 2,661,942 12/1953 Wilbur 267-2 3,112,924 12/1963 Reed 267-103 FOREIGN PATENTS `602,769 6/ 1948 Great Britain.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

W. B. WILBER, R. M. WOHLFARTH,

Assistant Examiners.

Claims

1. A SPRING DEVICE INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE BASE ELEMENT, A PLURALITY OF TONGUES, EACH HAVING TWO ENDS AND AN ARCUATE INTERMEDIATE PORTION, ONE OF SAID ENDS OF EACH RESILIENT TONGUE BEING SECURED TO SAID BASE ELEMENT, AND THE OTHER OF SAID ENDS OF EACH RESILIENT TONGUE SLIDABLY ENGAGING ONE SURFACE OF SAID BASE ELEMENT, SAID BASE ELEMENT COMPRISING A SHEET, AN OPENING BEING DEFINED IN SAID SHEET FOR EACH RESILIENT TONGUE, EACH TONGUE BEING PRESSED FROM SAID SHEET TO DEFINE ITS ASSOCIATED OPENING, ONE END OF EACH TONGUE BEING INTEGRAL WITH SAID BASE ELEMENT AND HAVING ITS ARCUATE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OVERLYING ITS ASSOCIATED OPENING, AND EACH TONGUE BEING ELONGATED IN ORDER THAT ITS OTHER END SLIDABLY ENGAGES SAID SHEET IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO ITS ASSOCIATED OPENING.