SUSPENSION SPRING

• US 3,648,999 A
• Filed: 12/19/1969
• Issued: 03/14/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James A. Bauer
• Original Assignee: James A. Bauer
• Inventors: Bauer, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marbert, James B.
• Application Number:
  US04/886,694
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 267/159,160,161,163
• US Class Current: 267/160
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 1/02 made of steel or other material having low internal friction characterised by their special construction from fibre-reinforced plastics F16F1/366; spring units consisting of several springs F16F3/02; making springs from wire B21F35/00; Wound, torsion, leaf, cup, ring or the like springs, the material of the spring not being relevant

Abstract

This invention provides a spring which may be used to seismically support a movable shaft. The spring comprises an outer mounting ring and a concentric inner mounting plate connected to each other by a plurality of links having outer and inner hinge sections, pairs of reinforcing flanges, and linking flanges. The plurality of equally spaced links projects into the mounting ring at equal angles. The outer hinge portions of the links connect the links to the mounting ring. A pair of reinforcing flanges increases the natural frequency of the spring. At the end of the reinforcing flanges are the inner hinge portions of the links connecting the links to the linking flanges; the linking flanges connect the links to the center mounting plates and are integral therewith. The reinforcing and linking flanges are in planes normal to the planes containing the center mounting plate, the links, and the ring insuring a rectilinear spring deflection characteristic.

Claims

1. A seismic mounting spring comprising an outer mounting ring, a center mounting plate concentric with saId ring, a plurality of links projecting into said ring, each of said links being comprised of an outer axial hinge portion, an inner axial hinge portion and a rigid portion, said portions being integral with each other, said outer hinge portion connecting said rigid portion with said outer mounting ring, said inner hinge portion connecting said rigid portion with said center mounting plate, said rigid portion connecting said inner and outer hinge portions, a plurality of linking flanges, one end of said linking flanges being secured to the inner hinge portion of said links, and the other end of said linking flanges being secured to said center mounting plate.

2. A seismic mounting spring comprising an outer mounting ring, a center mounting plate concentric with said ring, a plurality of links projecting into said ring, each of said links having an outer axial hinge portion, an inner axial hinge portion, and a rigid portion, said rigid portion being in spaced relation with said outer ring and connected thereto by said outer hinge portion, said rigid portion comprising a pair of reinforcing flanges, one flange of each pair being disposed on opposite sides of each link, a plurality of linking flanges, one end of said linking flanges being secured to the inner hinge portion of said links, and the other end of said linking flanges being secured to the center mounting plate.

3. The structure according to claim 2 wherein the ring is circular in plan and the links are equally spaced from each other in a circumferential direction.

4. The structure defined in claim 2 wherein the links project into the ring at an acute angle theta , where theta is the angle formed by the intersection of the center line of the link and a tangent to a point on the mounting ring.

5. The structure according to claim 2, wherein the reinforcing flanges are approximately rectangular in plan and are in planes normal to a plane in which the ring, the links and the center mounting plate lie.

6. The structure according to claim 2, wherein the linking flanges are integral with the spring.

7. The structure according to claim 2, wherein the linking flanges are approximately rectangular in plan and are in planes normal to a plane in which the ring, the links, and the center mounting plate lie.

8. The structure according to claim 2 wherein said spring has a substantially rectilinear force displacement characteristic.

9. The structure according to claim 8, wherein the rectilinear force displacement characteristic is substantially shown as the solid line B indicated in FIG. 5.