Series spring vibration dampers
AssigneeBorg-Warner Corporation
InventorPaul E. Lamarche
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A torsional vibration damper assembly for use in a torsional coupling or clutch arrangement to provide a low spring rate, high deflection amplitude characteristic, including an input means having driving arms or straps, at least two elongated bowed coil springs, each extending through an arc of approximately 180.degree., a hub having diametrically opposed radial arms normally in axial alignment with the drive arms, and a plurality of wedges which are inserted between adjacent coils of the bowed springs to separate the springs into several operative segments. The use of the wedges provides spring segments which operate in series.
Claims10
A vibration damper assembly to transmit torque between driving and driven elements, comprising an input member operatively connected to torque input means, a hub assembly operatively connected to torque output means and including at least two circumferentially equally spaced radial hub arms, said input means comprising a substantially enclosed housing journalled on said hub assembly and inwardly offset drive straps integral with said housing paralleling and axially aligned with said hub arms, an elongated bowed compression spring received in said housing and extending between the edges of adjacent hub arms and drive straps, and at least one wedge-shaped divider adapted to be inserted between adjacent coils of each said spring at a selected position to divide said bowed spring into two or more functioning spring segments.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.