Abstract:
Force resistant assemblies and shock absorbing articles prepared therefrom. The force resistant assemblies comprise a combination of square torsion bars held in a housing within a series of elongated elastomeric strips having elastic memory.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention deals with shock absorbing articles and systems prepared therefrom. Shock absorbing has many degrees. For example, shock absorbing in automobiles is handled by extremely durable highly shock absorbing shock assemblies. However, there are many other uses that do not require high shock absorbing capabilities. 
     Such examples can be found in bicycles, motorcycles, snowmobiles, jet skis, and like vehicles. Other examples would include shock absorbing for all terrain vehicles, not only on the vehicle itself, but also for racks and other assemblies that carry equipment on the vehicle itself. 
     There are many examples of racks and carriers for all terrain vehicles in the patent literature, but none of them deal with shock absorbing capabilities. 
     It has now been discovered that low shock absorbing capabilities can be obtained with the systems of this invention. The shock absorbing article holders of this invention have a shock absorbing assembly that acts as a low shock, shock absorber. 
     The inventor herein is not aware of any published literature that deals with shock absorption of the nature of the devices disclosed herein. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Thus, there is disclosed a shock absorbing system utilizing a combination of the force resisting assemblies that allows the carrying of guns and the like on all terrain vehicles without creating a problem with misalignment of scopes and the like. 
     The shock absorbing system comprises a first suspension system consisting of a square hollow housing having four internal corners therein. Each of the four internal corners contains therein, an elongated strip of elastomeric material. The square hollow housing has a cross sectional center point, that is, in viewing the square housing from the end, there is a cross sectional midpoint. Such systems are commercial and are available from Ondrives, Rosta Rubber suspension units, at WWW.ondrives.com. However, the Rosta Rubber suspension units cannot be utilized in this invention in that they require to be clamped into a holding position and cannot be welded in place. The devices of this invention are welded together and the devices of this invention depend on torsion bars that are welded or otherwise fixed to support bars rather than having an insert connection as described by the Rosta rubber Suspension unit. 
     The torsion bar has a hollow square configuration and an outside dimension lesser than the inside dimension of the square hollow housing. The torsion bar is insertable at the center cross sectional point of the square hollow housing and between the elastomeric strips of the suspension unit. The torsion bar has an L-shaped configuration near the point of insertion in the square hollow housing. From this point on, the torsion bar is extendable to form a V-shaped configuration, there being a branch bar joined to the torsion bar at about a midpoint between the insertion point and the bottom of the V-shaped configuration. 
     The torsion bar further extends to a top bar, the termination ends of the top bar and the branch bar are approximately the same distance from the attachment to the torsion bar. Each of the top bar and the branch bar are suspension units. 
     There is a square shaft inserted in the terminal ends of the top bar in the respective suspension units. Each square shaft is fixedly attached to one near end of each of the two spaced apart suspension units. The support bars each have a distal end and the distal end of each support bar is rotatably attached to a support means for an article. 
     There is yet a third embodiment of this invention which is a shock absorbing article holder comprising in combination, a base and the assemblies set forth just above. The base comprises a flat plate having an upper surface and two opposite ends. 
     The upper surface is surmounted by a square hollow housing extending essentially from one end to the opposite end of the flat plate, the square hollow housing having four internal corners therein. 
     The square hollow housing has a cross sectional center point contains therein four elongated elastomeric strips, one strip being located inside each corner of the square hollow housing. 
     There is a torsion bar, the torsion bar having a hollow square configuration an outside dimension lesser than the inside dimension of the square hollow housing. The torsion bar is insertable at the center cross sectional point of the square hollow housing and between the elongated elastomeric strips. 
     The torsion bar has an L-shaped configuration near the point of insertion in the square hollow housing, said torsion bar extendable to a V-shaped configuration. There is a branch bar joined to the torsion bar at about a midpoint between the insertion point and the bottom of the V-shaped configuration, said torsion bar further extending to a top bar. 
     The termination ends of the top bar and the branch bar are approximately the same distance from their attachment to the torsion bar such that their terminal ends are essentially vertically aligned. 
     Each of the top bar and branch bar have a hollow square configuration providing four internal corners wherein each of the top bar and the branch bar have four elongated elastomeric strips located therein, one strip being located in each corner thereof. 
     There is a square shaft inserted in the terminal ends of the top bar and the branch bar between the elongated elastomeric strips, each square shaft being fixedly attached to one near end of each of the two spaced apart support bars. The support bars each having a distal end. 
     The distal end of each support bar is rotatably attached to a flat panel, the flat panel having a back and a front, the attachments being in the same vertical line of the back of the flat panel and there being a shelf located at a lower edge and on the front of the flat panel. 
     It is contemplated within the scope of this invention to place belt loops on the back or bottom of the flat panel to accommodate a belt for holding an article on the flat panel. 
     It is also contemplated within the scope of this invention to have a belt for each loop that surrounds the flat plate and any article being held on the flat plate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is full front view of a force resistant mechanism of this invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a full cross sectional view of a force resistant mechanism of  FIG. 1 , through the line  2 - 2 . 
         FIG. 3  is a full end view of the force resistant mechanism of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a full front view of a shock absorbing assembly of this invention without the flat plate attached thereto. 
         FIG. 5  is a full front view of the shock absorbing assembly of  FIG. 4  with the flat plate attached thereto. 
         FIG. 6  is a full end view of the shock absorbing assembly of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  is a full view in perspective of a device of this invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a full end view of the terminating end of a support bar. 
         FIG. 9  is a full side view of a combination of a square shaft attached to a support bar. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Turning first to the force resistant mechanism of this invention, there is shown in  FIG. 1  a full front view of a force resistant mechanism  1  of this invention in which there is shown a housing  2 , a flat base  3  and a portion of the torsion bar  4 . It should be noted that the housing  2  is securely fastened to the flat base  3  such that they do not separate upon use. 
       FIG. 2  is a full cross sectional view of a force resistant mechanism of  FIG. 1 , through the line  2 - 2  in which there is shown the housing  2 , the flat base  3  and a portion of the torsion bar  4 . There is also shown two of the four elastomeric strips  5 . It should be noted that the torsion bar  4  is firmly situated between the strips  5  such that the torsion bar  4  impinges on each of the elastomeric strips  5  essentially for the full length of the torsion bar  4 . 
     The torsion bar  4  has a square configuration and as such, as the torsion bar  4  is turned or rotated in the housing with force, the edges  6  formed by the outside corners  7  (see  FIG. 3 ), grab the elastomeric strips  5  and contort them out of their normal state such that when any force is released, the elastomeric strips  5  return to their normal configuration. In other words, the elastomeric material of this invention has elastic memory and when the force is released, the torsion bar  4  is returned to its starting position. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 4 , there is shown a full front view of a shock absorbing assembly of this invention without the flat plate  24  attached thereto. 
     Thus, there is shown the flat base  3 , the housing  2 , the torsion bar  4 , and two branches from the torsion bar  4 , that is, a top bar  8  and a branch bar  9 . The top bar  8  and the branch bar  9  are more clearly viewed from  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
       FIG. 8  is a full end view of the top bar  8  and the branch bar  9  from the terminating ends  10  and  11 , respectively, showing the elongated elastomeric strips  12  and a square shaft  13  in each. In other words, the terminal end  10  and the terminal end  11  are identical in construction, each having four elastomeric strips  12  and  13  and a square shaft  13 . Since the construction of the top bar  8  and the branch bar  9  is the same, and is a square configuration, there are formed internal corners  14  and external corners  15 . The branch bar  9  is identical in construction. The square shaft  13  is inserted into the terminal ends, respectively, of the top bar  8  and the branch bar  9  and has the capability to rotate or turn. 
     As in the construction of the torsion bar  4  and the housing  2  set forth Supra, the square shaft  13  has a square configuration and as such, as the square shaft  13  is turned or rotated in the top bar  8  and the branch bar  9  with force, the edges  17  formed by the outside corners  15  (see  FIG. 8 ), grab the elastomeric strips  12  and contort them out of their normal state such that when any force is released, the elastomeric strips  12  return to their normal configuration. In other words, the elastomeric material of this invention has elastic memory and when the force is released, the square shafts  13  are returned to their starting positions as in the torsion bar/housing assembly set forth Supra. 
     The end  18  of the square shaft  13  for each of the square shafts  13  are each fixed to a separate support bar  19  and  20 , respectively.  FIG. 9  shows a full side view of a combination of a square shaft  13  with the edge  17  attached to the support bar  19  and/or  20  near its near end  21 . 
     There is a distal end  22  of the support bars  19 / 20 , and this end is rotatably attached to the back  23  of a flat panel  24  by any means that will allow the flat panel  24  to partially rotate around the axis  25  provided by the means  26  to attach the flat panel  24  to the distal ends  22  of the support bars  19 / 20 . 
     The flat panel  24  has a shelf  27  attached at its bottom edge  28  that enhances the carrying capability of the apparatus. The shelf  27  can optionally have a lip. 
     In use, the apparatus as shown in  FIGS. 5 ,  6 , and  7  can be mounted to, for example, an all terrain vehicle (ATV) and a long gun, for example a rifle, can be mounted on the flat panel  24 . As the ATV is driven, the apparatus acts as a shock absorber, and when a shock causes the apparatus to move downwardly, the flat panel  24  rotates around points  25 , the square shafts  13  rotate in their respective bars, and the torsion bar  4  rotates in the housing  2  simultaneously. When the effects of the downward movement have passed, the apparatus moves back into its resting position without using any assistance from any other source.