Spring compressor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a helical gear drive assembly which can be utiized as a spring compressor for compressing an associated helical coil spring of the type commonly utilized on MacPherson strut suspension assemblies. The spring compressor includes a pair of elongate parallel threaded guide shafts having an upper spring engaging shoe secured to the upper end thereof and a lower support link secured at their lower ends. The gear drive assembly is mounted on the guide shafts intermediate the upper spring engaging shoe and the lower support link and is utilized to support a lower spring engaging shoe in spaced apart, facing relationship with the upper spring engaging shoe. Both the upper and lower spring engaging shoes can be formed of a helical configuration to provide positive engagement with the respective coils of the spring. The helical drive assembly includes a separate internally threaded sleeve mounted within a housing about each of the threaded guide shafts. The sleeves are mounted within the housing to permit rotational movement of the sleeves, but prevent any axial movement of the sleeves relative to the housing along the associated guide shaft. A helical drive arrangement is provided for simultaneously rotating the two sleeves to cause the helical gear assembly to move along the guide shafts.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.