Vibration damper

A vibration damper comprising:

• at least two elastomeric plate elements having at least one longitudinal dimension which are made of a material having a first hardness, each of said plates having an inner side with recesses spaced over said inner side for matching alignment with recesses formed in a cooperating plate element, each of said recesses sized and dimensioned to accommodate discrete elastomeric bodies and having an apex through which an assembled-recess axis passes orthogonally to said plates in the assembled condition, each of said plates also having an outer side with load-receiving projections extending therefrom, each of said projections having an apex through which a load-receiving axis passes orthogonally to said plate, each load-receiving axis being laterally offset from each assembled-recess axis whereby the major component of force created upon loading said damper is transmitted non-linearly through said damper so that the amount of vibration absorbed by said damper is increased, and
• at least one removably insertable layer of discrete elastomeric bodies sandwiched between said plates, said discrete elastomeric bodies being made of a material having a second hardness which is different from said first hardness and interconnected to each other to prevent rolling of said bodies whereby lateral movement of said bodies with respect to each other is eliminated, said bodies having substantially no longitudinal dimension compared to said at least one longitudinal dimension of said plate elements, said bodies being laterally and transversely spaced such that they form a composite layer of discrete elastomeric bodies which are distributed for receipt in said recesses in said plates, aid bodies initially upon assembly contacting said recesses at a point-shaped area of contact when said plates are assembled but unloaded.

A vibration damper comprising:

• at least two elastomeric plate elements having at least one longitudinal dimension which are made of a material having a first hardness, each of said plates having an inner side with recesses spaced over said inner side for matching alignment with recesses formed in a cooperating plate element, each of said recesses sized and dimensioned to accommodate discrete elastomeric bodies and having an apex through which an assembled-recess axis passes orthogonally to said plates in the assembled condition, each of said plates also having an outer side with load-receiving projections extending therefrom, each of said projections having an apex through which a load-receiving axis passes orthogonally to said plate, each load-receiving axis being laterally offset from each assembled-recess axis whereby the major component of force created upon loading said damper is transmitted non-linearly through said damper so that the amount of vibration absorbed by said damper is increased, and
• at least one removably insertable layer of discrete elastomeric bodies sandwiched between said plates, said discrete elastomeric bodies being made of a material having a second hardness which is different from said first hardness and interconnected to each other to prevent rolling of said bodies whereby lateral movement of said bodies with respect to each other is eliminated, said bodies having substantially no longitudinal dimension compared to said at least one longitudinal dimension of said plate elements, said bodies being laterally and transversely spaced such that they form a composite layer of discrete elastomeric bodies which are distributed for receipt in said recesses in said plates, aid bodies initially upon assembly contacting said recesses at a line-shaped area of contact when said plates are assembled but unloaded.