Abstract:
An improved independent spring cartridge holder apparatus and system for holding an automobile suspension spring in tension while allowing a quick and safe change of the shock absorber and spring. This is especially valuable during a race where change outs need to be done quickly.

Description:
REFERENCED APPLICATION(S) 
       [0001]    The present application is a continuation of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/156,655; filed Mar. 2, 2009, for Independent Spring Cartridge, included herein by reference and for which benefit of the priority date is hereby claimed. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to the field of vehicle suspension, and while the inventive concepts may be used in a wide variety of situations, the main embodiments will be directed more particularly to a preloaded spring suited for quick change in conditions such as racing. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Many drivers, especially in race situations look to streamline the process of shock absorber or spring replacement or ride height adjustment. Many times during trial runs the shock absorbing characteristics of the car are found unsuitable for conditions anticipated during the actual race. In between pre-race practice sessions or during a race break the crew has a limited amount of time to get the car ready in multiple ways before the race. The shock absorber system typically comprises a coil spring and a shock damper. For proper loading, the damper extension is often less than the travel of the spring causing a difficult and possibly dangerous situation as the crew is required to partially compress the spring ad hoc to fit with the shock. Such procedures in best of conditions requires working with a compressed spring in tight quarters allowing little room for error. Therefore, the crew would prefer a solution which pre-loads the shock in such a way as to make the fully extended position of the spring less than the travel of the shock, and to be mounted with existing shock absorber systems. 
         [0006]    The relevant art of interest describes various devices for holding and retaining springs from their full extension, also known as preloading. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 2,842,355 issued to Lang filed Apr. 8, 1954 discloses a structural cartridge for a spring to be used in a v belt pulley. It provides for preloading of a spring with a cartridge having two telescoping members mounted on a solid spindle. Such a configuration does not provide for interaction with the shock absorber with some of the other quick attach and release features of the present invention. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,128,985 issued to Wallerstein, Jr filed Apr. 14, 1964 discloses a mounting device for providing a damping effect through floating shoes which are slidably and tiltably mounted to allow for some lateral deflection in the spring while still being stable. It provides a separate structure being an encasement of the spring with no provision for a central shock absorber. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,157,392 issued to Kitamura filed May 3, 1962 discloses a spring dampening device mounted approximately in the mid section of the device for putting only a part of the spring in compression. This is done to dampen resonant vibrations in the spring. This methodology does not provide for the quick change mechanism required during a racing event. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,380 issued to Kearns filed Feb. 20, 1973 discloses a spring having a wire lacing extending between the adjacent helices of the main spring for creating a compressive loading on the spring. This may address an issue similar to the present invention, however in a different way. 
     
    
     
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    An understanding of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings, when considered in conjunction with the subsequent, detailed description, in which: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1A  shows a side view of an independent device, in this case a shock absorber assembly, which can work as part of the supporting system; 
           [0013]      FIG. 1B  shows a side view of an embodiment of a cartridge and coil assembly; 
           [0014]      FIG. 1C  shows a side view of the independent device of  FIG. 1A  combined with the cartridge of  1 B to form a completed supporting system; 
           [0015]      FIGS. 1D and 1E  show a top and bottom view respectively of the device of  FIG. 1B ; 
           [0016]      FIGS. 2 and 2C  show a through section view of a cartridge assembly under full extension and under compression; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2A  shows a detail view of an interface between cannular members derived from  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2B  shows a detail view of the retaining portion of the cartridge assembly of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2D  shows a detail view of an interface between cannular members derived from  FIG. 2C ; 
           [0020]      FIGS. 3 ,  3 A, and  3 B show; side, side, and top views respectively of a shock absorber assembly typical of the prior art, with a coiled spring having an extension length greater than working length of the shock absorber assembly; 
           [0021]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  show; side and bottom views respectively an inner cannulus of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 4C  shows an exploded view of the inner cannulus shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B ; 
           [0023]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  show; side and top views respectively an outer cannulus of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 5C  shows an exploded view of the outer cannulus shown in  FIGS. 5A and 5B ; 
           [0025]      FIGS. 6 ,  6 A and  6 D, show side, top and bottom view respectively for an alternative embodiment of a cartridge being loaded with a spring shown in  FIG. 6B ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 6C  shows a side view of the cartridge of  FIG. 6  wherein the spring is compressed; 
           [0027]      FIG. 7  shows a through section view of the cartridge of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 7A  shows a through section derived from  FIG. 6  with a shock absorber embodiment being a variation of that shown in  FIG. 3  to form an embodiment of the supporting system of the present invention; 
           [0029]      FIG. 7B  shows a through section derived from  FIG. 7A  in compression; 
           [0030]      FIG. 7C  shows a detail view from  FIG. 7  illustrating the relationship between a stop ring and a slide ring; 
           [0031]      FIGS. 8 ,  8 A,  8 B and  8 C show schematic and sectional views of apparatus for assembling various embodiments of cartridges of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0032]    The supporting system assembly as shown in  FIG. 1A-E  shows a preferred embodiment having an inner modular sleeve  120 , which can be generally described as a cannulus, lumen, or hollow sleeve of solid construction, and an outer modular sleeve  140 , also described as a cannulus, lumen, or hollow sleeve of solid construction having an inner diameter sized to substantially match the outer diameter of the inner sleeve  120 , and being positioned and mounted internally to the coils of a spring  100 , the spring  100  being generally helical in form. Multiple flange members  124  having a pad  122  for engaging the spring  100  are typically located at the end portions of the springs  100  as shown in  FIG. 2B , the flanges  124  being of sufficient diameter to engage the spring  100  and, when assembled, hold the spring in compression, or preload. An independent device  300 , in this case a shock absorber, but may also include a strut, brace, damper, or the like, can be mounted coaxially with the cartridge assembly  110 . In this case the shock  300 , generally comprising a multiple of fasten points  312 , such as eyelets suited for connecting a chassis member with a wheel member, and typically having a main body  304  and a piston rod  308  are situated coaxially with the cartridge assembly  110 . In a preferred arrangement, the spring pad  302  is retracted from its seating location against the fasten point  312  and removed laterally away from the piston rod  308  via a slot cut through the section of the spring pad  302  allowing it to pass freely past the rod  308 , and the device  300  is projected through the assembly  110 . It is preferred that the body of the shock  304  and the inner sleeve  120  are sized and mounted to fit snuggly and move as one member as shown in  FIG. 1C . After mounting the registration member  306  is attached and adjusted, typically by means of screwing down an adjusting nut onto the main body of the shock  304  which can be threaded. The position will be set as preferred by track and race conditions. 
         [0033]    In operation, compressive forces on the vehicle (not shown) are transferred through the fasten points ( 312 ) and through the cartridge  110  and the shock  300 , which generally act together as one unit. While under extended conditions when no compression is applied, a series of retaining rings, referred to here as a superior interior spiral retaining ring  164  and an inferior interior retaining ring  166 , abut to limit movement of the two sleeves  120  and  140  to maintain constraint on the system to a predetermined length. Without such constraint, the extension length of the coil spring  100  would tend to be greater than the distance between the spring pad  302  and the registration (adjusting nut)  306  as illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 3B , making it difficult to replace a shock, or a spring, or adjust the ride height in race conditions. 
         [0034]    However with the system, as compression is applied generally by the weight of the vehicle, cornering, or bumps in the road, the sleeves  120  and  140  slide with respect to one another, as shown in  FIG. 2D , allowing compression of the system with regard to the coil spring  100  and shock absorber  300 . It is preferred to have a series of wear bands  154 ,  160  and the like located at the interface between the inner sleeve  120  and the outer sleeve  140  to improve performance and wear-ability. It is anticipated in alternate embodiments that the interface points may be further provided with slidable means such as bearings, Teflon® bushings or the like in order to facilitate ease of movement 
         [0035]    With the adjusting nut  306  riding on spring pad  124 , it is preferred to have a chamfer  142  to minimize impingement. Further a mechanism is helpful to lock the spring pad  124  in place. Therefore a mechanism of a spiral retaining ring  130  followed by a tension band  128  and a spring retaining band  126  is provided to hold the spring pad  124  in place as shown in  FIG. 2B  and further illustrated in the exploded view of  FIG. 4C . A series of retaining grooves  132 ,  168 ,  170 ,  172 ,  180  can be formed into the cartridge assembly to accommodate the holding and retaining of retaining rings  126 ,  130 ,  150 ,  164 ,  166 ,  156 ,  174 , stop rings  152  wear bands  154  and the like. Those skilled in the art will appreciate the universal applicability of such a system. Further those skilled in the art will appreciate that other means, such as weldments or permanent structures can be utilized in place of the retaining ring system in several places. 
         [0036]    In some alternate embodiments such as is shown in  FIGS. 6-6D  and  7 - 7 C, the cartridge  304  can be designed to encompass the coil spring  100 . In this embodiment, the adjusting nut  307  can engage with the spring pad  240  near the top of the cartridge  304 . The spring pad  240  and the wear band  246  are designed to move into the cartridge  304  upon compression as is shown in  FIG. 7B . The piston rod  308  then moves into the main body of the shock  304  of the independent device  300  as the fasten points  312  come closer together upon compression. 
         [0037]      FIGS. 8 and 8B  illustrate a cartridge assembly system  400 . In this instance as an illustration, a cartridge assembly  110  is preassembled with a spring  100  and a spring pad  124  placed on the top. The piston  404 , typically associated with a hydraulic cylinder  406 , such as a single acting hydraulic cylinder known in the art, is rammed into the inner sleeve  120  of a cartridge assembly  110  causing the groove ring  132  at the top of the cartridge  110  to protrude above the frame section  402 , allowing a spiral retaining ring  130  to be applied. 
         [0038]    In an alternate embodiment shown in  FIGS. 8A and 8C , the cartridge  200  can be reversed such that it abuts the frame section  402  with the piston  404  depressing the spring pad  240  allowing the spiral retaining ring  220  to be situated with the ring groove  222 , thereby forming a seal. 
       CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE 
       [0039]    Although the present invention has been described in detail, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, substitutions, and alterations herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form. 
         [0040]    Having thus described the invention, what is desired to be protected by Letters Patent is presented in the subsequently appended claims.