Energy storing spring joint

An energy storing spring joint for use in hingedly connecting two relatively movable parts of a vehicle comprising:

• a shaft;
• first and second springs supported on said shaft, each of said first and second springs have a first end attached to said shaft;
• a guide sleeve surrounding said shaft and said first and second springs, said guide sleeve including first and second guide slots, each of said first and second springs having a second end extending through respective of said first and second guide slots;
• fastening means interconnecting said guide sleeve and said shaft at one end thereof to prevent relative movement therebetween, said fastening means also being operative to interconnect said guide sleeve and said shaft to one of said parts;
• a hollow cylindrically shaped enclosure sleeve enclosing said shaft, said first and second springs and said guide sleeve, said enclosure sleeve being closed at one end positioned adjacent the other end of said guide sleeve and said shaft, said fastening means being spaced from and operative to substantially close off the other end of said enclosure sleeve, said enclosure sleeve including at said one end thereof a guide member for said shaft and a guide ring for said guide sleeve;
• first and second catchmerit devices provided on said enclosure sleeve intermediate the ends thereof, said first and second catchment devices being provided on the interior of said enclosure sleeve, said first and second catchment devices being engageable with said second ends of said first and second springs when said enclosure sleeve is rotated relative to said shaft to move said second ends of said first and second springs along said first and second guide slots respectively;
• said first and second guide slots include a first portion extending along a radially extending plane with respect to said shaft and a second portion extending in substantially parallel relationship with the axis of said shaft, said first portion being positioned in congruent relationship with paths traversed by respective of said first and second catchmerit devices when said enclosure sleeve is rotated with respect to said shaft, said second portions of said first and second guide slots enabling said second ends of said first and second springs to move out of engagement with respective of said first and second catchment devices.