US1396595A - Shock-absorber for automobiles - Google Patents

Description

F. SACKETT.

SHOCK ABSORBER FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED DEC.31.1920.

1 ,39 6,595 Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

F SACKETT.

SHOCK ABSOHBEH FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3l. 1920.

1,396,595, Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

gagaizmmm BY mf@ UNITED STATES FILERTUS SACKETT, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

SHOCK-ABSORBER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

Application led December 31, 1920. Serial No. 434,229.

T0 all whom it may conce/ra t Be it known that I, FILERTUS SACKETT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Kansas City, in the county of Jackson. State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shock-Absorbers for Automobiles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

M v invention relates to improvements in shock absorbers for automobiles, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel form of shock absorber that can be operatively applied to an automobile of a well lnown type without any changes in the structure of the latter being necessary and without the use of special tools.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described that has means for preventing side sway7 of the body of the vehicle to which applied and for resiliently dissipating the shocks and jars encountered under service conditions without impairing the efficiency of the springs ordinarily installed.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described that has means for checking the rebound of the body of the car after each actuation of the springs ordinarily installed in the vehicle.

A further object of my invention'is to provide a device of the type described that is relatively simple in construction and operation, not likely to get out of order easily, and thoroughly practical commercially.

Other objects' and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accom.- panying drawings, forming part of this application, in whichy Figure l is a rear view of a fragmentary portion of an automobile, showing the application of a unit of the device thereto,

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same. showing the application of another unit of the device,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portionr of the element of the device shown in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a section along the line 4-4 of Fi 3, I y p Fig. 5 is an elevational view, partly insection,of a portion ofthe apparatus shown in Fig". 2,

Figs. G and 'T are respectively side and end elevations of a fragmentary portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2,

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of a portion of the mechanism shown in Figs. 6 and 7,

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a portion of the element shown in Fig. l,

Fig. l0 is an end view of the tions being broken away tions, I

Figs. ll and 12 are, respectively. side and end elevations of a fragmentary portion of the apparatus shown inFig. l,

Figs. 13 and 14 are, respectively, top plan and end views of a portion of the mechanism shown in Figs. ll and l2.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a set of shock. absorber units or elements comprising a pair of right and left hand units adapted for application to an automobile at the rear end thereof and a second pair ofvright and left hand units adapted for application to the same automobile at the front end thereof. The units of each pair are identical witheach other in all essential respects and I shall therefore describe only one unit of each pair since such description will suliice for the other unit.

The drawings show the device applied to an automobile of the Foi-d type that is indicated generally at l since the same is designed primarily forv application to that ype of vehicle. Obviously. the device can be incorporated in any vehicle having a suitablv constructed chassis. i

Referring now to Fig. l, it will be noted that I provide a rear shock absorber unit that embodies a rocker lever comprising a pair of members 2 and 3 each having the form of a segment of a. disk enlarged along its curved edge to provide rims 4 and 5, respectively (see Figs. 9 and 10). The rim 4 is formed with a groove 4a in its curved outer wall and the rim 5 is provided with a. similar groove 5a. The members 2 and 3 are spaced apart and maintained in fixed parallel relation with each other by a bolt 6 projected through alined openings in embossed portions 2al and 3a, by a. second bolt 1' that is projected through alined openings in embossed portions 2b and 3b and by a tubular spacing member 8 that is held between the bosses 2c and 8c by a pin 9. It will be noted that the bolt 6 connects themembers same, poi'- and shown in sec 2 and 3 at corresponding ends thereof, .that

the bolt 7 is positionedk a spaced distance from the bolt 6, and that the spacing member 8 engages the members at a point approximately intermediate their length. The member 2 is provided with a strengthening rib 10 while the member 3 is provided with a similar rib 11, as best seen in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawing.

The grooved rim portions of the members 2 and 3 provide the rails of a track upon which is mounted a carriage having a curved outer shell 12 formed with enlarged side marginal portions 12a and 12b having lateral parallel extensions 13 and 14 adapted to slidably engage the inner walls of the members 2 and 3. The enlarged marginal portions 12a and 12h are provided with recesses 15 and 16 extending the length thereof and adapted to receive ball race members 1T and 18, respectively, that are formed to fit the recesses and are maintained in the positions shown by rivets 19. The ball race members 17 and 18 have slightly elongated openings 2O extending therethrough and in these openings are disposed balls 21 which'project therethrough to have a rolling contact with the grooves 4f1 and 5a. The carriage so described is piv otally connected with a shock absorber spring 25 at the outer end thereof by means of a pin24 that has its ends disposed in bushings 23 that are arranged in registering openings 22 through the extensions 13 and 14.

The spring 25 preferably comprises a plurality of superposed leaves, but obviously may consist of a single spring member. This spring has its inner end rigidly secured in a socket 31 of a spring holder 26, as shown in Fig. 11 by means of a bolt 30. The spring holder 26 is secured to a portion 27 of the automobile frame by ,means of U-bolts 28 that are projected through integral lugs 29 and have nuts 28 screwed thereon. ln the present embodiment of the invention the holder 26 is formed with an opening 32 near its center and this opening is adapted to reyreive the head* of a rivet 33 thatforms a part of the automobile frame to which the device is applied. The holder 26 is also formed with spaced apart parallel lugs or f lribs 34 and 35 projecting upwardly from the upper surface thereof and positioned to engage with portions ofthe automobile frame, thereby insuring `absolute rigidity of the holder 26. The rear shock absorber unit is installed by removing the shackle bolt (not shown) `that ordinarily secures a rear spring 36 of the automobile to the axle housing 38. The spring 36 is then pivotedatits outer end to the rockerleverby means of the bolt 6 and the rocker lever is fulcrumed by means of the bolt 7 to a lug 37 carried by the axle housing 3 y i Referring nov,7 particularly to Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive,` it will be noted that the fmnt .shock .absorber unit also embodies a rocker lever comprising a pair of members 40 and 41 each having the form of a segmentof a disk enlarged along its outer edge to provide rims 42 and 43 that are provided with grooves 42LL and 43a. The members 40 and 41 are spaced apart and held in parallel relation by a bolt 44 projected through openings in embossed portions 40L and 41,

by a second bolt 45 projected through em# bossed portions 40b and 41h, and by the spacer 46 interposed between embossed portions 40c and 41c and held in adjusted position by means of a pin 47. The member 40 has an integral strengthening rib 48 while the member 41 has a similar strengthening rib 49 (see Figs. 3 and 5).

Mounted on the track formed by the rim 42 and 43 is a carriage having an outer shell 50 having enlarged side marginal portions 5()a and 50h, such enlarged marginal portions being formed with parallel lateral extensions 51 and 52 adapted to slidably engage with the inner walls of the members 40 and 41. The enlarged portions 50a and 50h are provided with recesses 53 and 54, respectively, in the under surfaces thereof and ball race members 55 and 56 adapted to fit such recesses, are maintained in the position shown by rivets 57. The ball race members 55 and 56 are formed with slightly elongated openings 58 in which are disposed balls 59 that project therethrough and have a rolling contact with the grooves 42a and 43a. pivotally connected at its outer end to the carriage by means of a pin 61 that has its ends mounted in alined openings 62 and 63 in the extensions 51 and 52, respectively, bushings 64 being provided to space the spring 60 from such extensions. The spring 60 isrigidly secured at its inner end in a socket 65 of a spring holding member 66 by means of a bolt 67. The spring holding member 66 is rigidly secured to a portion 68 of the automobile frame by means of a U-bolt 69 that has its ends projected through openings 7 0 in lugs 71 that are integral with the holding member, and nuts 72 are screwed on the ends of the U-bolt 69. In

the form of the device illustrated, the spring holding member 66 is formed, as clearly shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 and has an opening 72 therethrough adapted to receive a bolt 73 that is ordinarily provided in the automobile to which the device is applied. A nut 74 screwing on the bolt prevents any lateral movement of the holder and consequently the latter cannot move relative the automobile Vframe. The front shock,Y absorber unit is applied by removing* the shackle `bolt (not shown) that ordinarily connects a front s ring 75 at its outer end to the front axle 6. V,The frontpspringf75 is thenlpivotally connected with the rocker Alever Ain the front shock absorber nnit ward each other.

means of the bolt 44 and the rocker lever is fulcrumed by means of the bolt 45 on a lu 77 that is integral with the axle 76.

rom the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. lVhen the device is in normal inoperative position and no load is applied to the springs 36 and 75. the carriages will be in neutral positions relative the rocker levers and the rims of the latter are curved so that any movement-of the rocker levers about their fulcrums imposes a stress on the carriages which is communicated to the shock absorber springs 25 and 60. The latter therefore resiliently resist the attempted movement of the rocker levers in other direction. In service the springs 36 andT will be moved downwardly and upwardly on account of the shocks and jars occasioned by inequalities in road surface or other causes. As the springs 36 and 75 are moved downwardly, the outer ends thereof will be moved outwardly or in opposite directions, thereby tending to cause movement of the upper portions of the rocker levers in the units of each pair to- However, since the surface of each rocker lever is curved to impose a stress on each carriage when moved, the downward movement of the springs 36 and 75 will be resiliently resisted and the shocks and jars completely dissipated without beingr communicated to the rigid members of the automobile or other vehicle to which the device is applied. Likewise, attempted movements of the springs 36 and 75 upwardly are resiliently resisted since stress is imposed on the carriages by such movement.

It is obvious that the action of the shock absorber units will be such that the body of the vehicle to which the device is applied is prevented from swaying from side to side and that the movement of the body either upwardly or downwardly on account of shocks and jars or the like is uniform. The device can be quickly and readily applied without it being necessary to make any changes in the ordinary construction of the vehicle for which the device is primarily designed.

I claim:

l. In a device of the character described, a leaf spring rigidly secured at its inner end to the body of a vehicle, a rocker lever having a curved segmental rim portion and being pivoted at one end to the outer end of said leaf springs, said rocker lever being fulcrumed on the running gear at a spaced distance from the end connected with the leaf spring, a second spring member having its inner end rigidly secured to the vehicle body, and a carriage carried by said second named spring member at its outer end and mounted on the curved rim of the rocker lever in position to resiliently resist movement of the latter about its fulcrum.

2. In a device of the character described, a leaf spring secured to the body of a vehicle, a rocker lever having a curved segmental rim portion and being pivoted at one end to the outer end of said leaf spring, said rocker lever being fulcrumed on the running gear at a spaced distance from the end connected with the leaf spring, and means rigidly connected to the body of the vehicle and arranged to constantly engage the rim portion of the rocker to yieldingly resist movement of the latter about its fulcrum from normal osition.

3. In a device of the character described, a leaf sprin rigidly secured at its inner end to the lbody portion of a vehicle, a rocker lever having a curved segmental rim portion and being pivoted at one end to the outer end of said leaf spring, said rocker lever being fulcrumed on the running gear of the vehicle at a spaced distance from the end connected with the leaf spring, a curved spring member having its inner end rigidly secured to the vehicle body, and means carried by said second named spring member at its outer end and arranged to have a rolling contact with the curved rim of the rocker lever constantly to resiliently resist movement of the latter about its fulcrum.

FILERTUS SACKETT.

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