TORSION SPRING SWINGARM SUSPENSION

SUSPENSION A BRAS OSCILLANT ET A RESSORT DE TORSION

English Abstract

It is a swing-arm suspension system design to be used on but not limited to
any type of trailer or boat.
The swing-arm suspension system can be pined at different locations through a
75-degree arch to
accommodate height settings for the application; the load resisting force is
supplied by a torsion coil
spring. The swing-arm suspension system design consists of the following
pieces. A main shaft
supported at both ends by bearings or bushings, housed in the intended
application. A length of pipe,
square tubing or solid stock is the swing-arm that is fixed by one end to the
main shaft, at the opposite end
it has a spindle/hub assembly fixed to it for wheel mounting. The torsion coil
spring slides over the main
shaft to encompass it. The swing-arm adjustment plate is then pushed on the
main shaft along with wear
washers. The torsion coil spring butts up to the swing arm at one end and held
in place by retaining
blocks, the opposite end of the torsion coil spring butts up to the swing-arm
adjustment plate and attached
to it by a spring retainer bracket. The swing-arm adjustment plate, which is
free turning on the main shaft,
rotates inside an adjustment plate locator bracket which has a hole drilled
through it to correspond with
holes drilled in the swing-arm adjustment plate. The adjustment plate locator
bracket is fixed to the
application that the suspension system is installed on. The holes in the swing-
arm adjustment plate are at
different locations along its 75 degrees of rotation. A pin is inserted
through aligned holes in the
swing-arm adjustment plate and the adjustment plate locator bracket to retain
the suspension system at any given
position for height adjustment of the application. When a load is applied to
make the system work, the
main shaft and swing-arm/hub assembly rotate in the bearings or bushings. The
load is applied through
the torsion coil spring to the pined swing-arm adjustment plate and adjustment
plate locator bracket,
keeping that end of the torsion coil spring from turning. The travel of the
swing-arm is regulated by the
amount of twist the torsion coil spring endures due to the load applied
through it by the swing-arm/hub
assembly at one end, and it's opposing end, which is held firmly by the pined
swing-arm adjustment plate
and adjustment plate locator bracket. The torsion coil spring twists,
resisting the load, to a point where it
can be twisted no farther and it stops.

Claims

Claims:
1. A swing-arm suspension that is designed to use a torsion coil spring as the
load resisting force in the
suspension system.
2. A swing-arm suspension defined in Claim 1 that is designed to be
adjustable, accommodating height settings
for the installation application.
3. A swing-arm suspension defined in Claim 1 or 2 that is designed to use a
swing-arum and shaft assembly to
apply a load through a torsion spring.
4. A swing-arm suspension defined in Claims 1 through 3, that is designed to
use a retaining pin inserted through
holes in a swing-arm adjustment plate and adjustment plate locator bracket and
or assembly of similar design,
for height adjustment and thereby the fixed end of the torsion coil spring
assembly.
5. A swing-arm suspension defined in Claims 1 through 4 that is designed to
use one arm off the main shaft of the
swing-arm assembly as the swing-arm.

Description

CA 02259024 1999-O1-12
Amphibious Designs 2000 Inc.
Site 7, Comp. 8, R.R.#3
W~T~ ~ B~~'~° Penticton, B.C., V2,A 7K8 U
O Phone (250) 493 - 0494
Fax (250) 493 - 2031
Amphibious Designs 200 0 Abstract for the purpose of patenting.
Januar~4,1999
It is a suspension system to be used on hut not limited to any type of trailer
or hoax. The
suspension is a swing arm type design that can be pined at different locations
through a 75-
degree arch; the load resisting force is supplied by a coil torsion spring.
The design consists of a main shaft supported at both ends by bearings, a
length of square
tubing or solid stock is the arm that is attached by one end to the main shaft
and at the
opposite end it has attached to it a spindle and hub assembly for the wheel.
The coil torsion
spring slides over the main shaft to encompass it, butting up to the swing arm
on one end and
is held in place there by retaining blocks. The other end of the spring butts
up to a bellcrank
and is attached to it by a retainer. The bellcrank rotates inside a caliper
which has a hole
drilled through it that corresponds to holes drilled in the bellcrank. The
holes in the bellcrank
are at different locations along its 75 degrees of rotation and it can thereby
be pined at a
given position to adjust the height of the unit the suspension is attached to.
The caliper
portion of the assembly along with the main shaft bearings is firmly attached
to the unit that
the suspension system is installed in.
The main shaft and swing arm/hub assembly, rotate in the bearings applying a
torque
through the spring to its opposite end, which is held firmly in place by the
pinned
bellcrank/caliper assembly. The travel of the swingarm is regulated by amount
of twist the
spring endures due to the force applied to it through the swingarm, up to a
point where it can
be rotated no farther and it stops.

Representative Drawing