Vibration damper for the crankshaft of a piston engine

In a piston engine, a combination comprising a housing;

• a crankshaft journalled in said housing, being rotatable relative to said housing about a predetermined axis and including an end portion;
• and means for damping vibrations of said crankshaft in said housing, said damping means being at least partially confined in said housing, being provided on said crankshaft and comprising an input element rotatable with said crankshaft about said axis, a mass rotatable about said axis relative to said input element, and at least one resilient energy storing element arranged to oppose rotation of said input element and said mass relative to each other, said input element having a tubular extension at least partially surrounding said end portion of said crankshaft, being mounted in said housing and constituting a radial bearing for said end portion of said crankshaft.

A vibration damper for use in a piston engine having a housing and a crankshaft, said crankshaft being rotatable in said housing about a predetermined axis and said damper comprising at least two components movable relative to each other against the opposition of at least one resilient element, said resilient element being disposed between said at least two components and forming part of a module further comprising said at least two components and being arranged to be mounted on said crankshaft in a position such that the module is confined in said housing upon mounting of said crankshaft in said housing.

A method of assembling a piston engine wherein a crankshaft is rotatable in a housing and has a tendency to perform at times harmonic vibrations in actual use of the engine, comprising the steps of assembling the crankshaft with a module including at least one vibration damper having at least two components movable relative to each other against the opposition of at least one energy storing means disposed between said at least two components;

• and thereupon rotatably mounting the crankshaft in the housing.

A vibration damper for use in a piston engine having a housing and a crankshaft mounted in said housing for rotation about a predetermined axis, said damper being arranged to be mounted on said crankshaft prior to mounting said crankshaft in said housing and comprising at least two components movable relative to each other, friction generating means arranged to oppose movements of said components relative to each other, and energy storing means disposed between and arranged to oppose movements of said components relative to each other, said energy storing means being positioned to apply to said friction generating means a force which entails the generation of a frictional damping action at least when said at least two components are caused to move relative to each other.