US1655227A - Spring suspension for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 3, 1928. 1,655,227

H. W. HYDE SPRING SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES Filed Jan. 15, 1925 PatentedJan. 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,655,227 PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY WEBB HYDE, OF NORTH COHASSET, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HYDE EN- GINEERING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORELTIGN OF IYIASSA- CHUSETTS.

Application filed January This invention relates to vehicle spring suspensions of the general type shown and described in my prior application for Letters Patent, filed September 29, 1921, Serial No. 504,160, and terminating in Patent No. 1,524,437 of which the present case is a continuation in part and with respectto such subject matter as it has in common therewith. p

As explained in said prior application, the invention therein shown consists primarily in providing the vehicle with longitudinal springs or spring reaches connected at their ends, either directly or indirectly, with the axles, and in supporting the body on the spring reaches intermediate the ends of the latter in such a manner as to permit said body to rock freely, with respect to and independently of the reaches, upon a hOIlzontal, transverse axis, so that tilting or rocking of the reaches, caused by a vertical movement of either the front or rear wheels and the axle carried thereby, will not be transmitted to the body and will not tend to tip or pitch the same, said body being permitted, by rocking abont its axis with respect to the reaches, to maintain 1ts substantially horizontal position, its only movement being a slight vertical one in a substantially rectilinear direction.

The present case relates to aform of spring suspension of the t pe above referred to, wherein resilient portions of the spring reaches are extended beyond the axles and are connected at their outer ends with the ends of the body to form balancing springs for the latter. In accordance with the preferred form of the invention, this arrangement is employed at both ends of the suspension, thereby providing, in a simple construction employing a minimum number of parts, balancing springs for both ends of the vehicle in accordance with the general principles explained in another application, filed April 28, 1924, Serial N 0. 708,430.

The more particular objects of the invention, together with means whereby the same may be carried into effect, will best be understood from the following description of certain forms or embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will be understood, however, that the particular constructions described and shown have been chosen for illustrative purposes merely, and that the invention, as defined SPRING SUSl PENSION FOR VEHICLES.

15, 1925. Serial No. 2,636.

by the claims hereunto appended, may be otherwise practised without departure from its spirit and scope.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a spring suspension constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof, certain parts being partly broken away in order to illustrate the construction more clearly.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a modification.

The principle of operation of a spring suspension of the general type of that to which the present case relates is fully explained in my prior application, Serial No. 504,160 which terminated in Patent No. 1,- 524,437. Forthe purposes of the present description this principle may be briefly outlined as follows:

In the ordinary vehicle, Whether provided with elliptical, semi-elliptical, or cantilever springs, the springs are. in effect, rigidly secured to the body or frame, and any shock or blow on a wheel, due to unevenness in the road, which causes the wheel to rise or fall suddenly, is communicated directly to the body.

In the type of spring suspension to which the present invention relates, on the contrary, if the front wheel, for example, be raised, owing to an unevenness in the road, the tendency is for the spring reach to turn about the pivot afforded by the rocker on which the body .is supported, but not to rock the body. It thus tends to swing the rear end of the reach and rear axle downward about the pivot, so that the chief effect of the blow is absorbed by the rear spring and pneumatic tire on the rear wheel. Likewise, when the rear wheel goes over an obstruction or drops into a hole, the front spring member and front wheel receive the major part of the reaction and the body is affected relatively little, In any event, any vertical force, or the resultant of such vertical forces as may be transmitted to the body as a result of the rocking of the reaches, is applied to the body at the center of gravity thereof, so that there is no gyratory force acting upon the body eccentric to its center of gravity. The effect on the body is merely to lift the pivot, and consequently the body, vertically to a slight extent, and not to rock said body from front to front of the center of gravity of the body, and the front and rear constructions being otherwise transposed in both forms. These and other modifications of the constructions shown will, however, be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without further description in detail.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a vehicle having a body and axles, a spring suspension comprising a pair of spring reaches connected with the axles and a connection between said reaches and the body upon which the latter is free to rock with respect to the former, said reaches having, at both ends of the vehicle, extensions connected at their ends with the body to constitute balancing springs.

2. In a vehicle having a body and axles, a spring suspension comprising a pair of spring reaches connected with the axles and a connection between said reaches and the body upon which the latter is free to rock with respect to the former, said reaches each having portions composed of a plurality of leaves, at least one leaf of each reach being extended beyond the others and connected at its end with the body to constitute a balancing spring.

3. In a vehicle having a body and axles,

a spring suspension comprising a pair of spring reaches connected with the axles and a connection between said reaches and the bodyupon which the latter is free to rock with respect. to the former, said reaches each having portions composed of a plurality of leaves, one leaf at each end of each reach being extended beyond the adjacent axle and connected at its end with the body to constitute a balancing spring.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HENRY WEBB HYDE.

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