Patent GB-691321-A (GB)
Title: Vehicle steering mechanisms
IPC: B62D3/00
Filed: 1950-08-04
Abstract: 691,321. Frictional vibration-dampers. BURMAN & SONS, Ltd., and BRIGGS, W. H. Aug. 24, 1951 [Aug. 4, 1950; Feb. 21, 1951; March 22, 1951], Nos. 19496/50, 4195/51 and 6850/51. Class 108 (iii). [Also in Group XXXI] A vehicle steering mechanism includes means comprising the combination with a spindle forming part of or adapted to be connected to the steering mechanism and a housing in which the spindle is rotatably supported, of at least one pair of collars having between their adjacent faces, means for exerting an axial thrust on the collars when relative angular movement occurs between them in an appropriate direction, friction pads formed on or secured in the housing and arranged to act on the peripheries of the collars, and friction members adapted, under an axial thrust transmitted to them by the collars, to set up a braking action between the spindle and the housing. In the arrangement according to Fig. 1, a pair of collars b, b is freely mounted on a spindle a, rotatable in a housing g, and the adjacent faces of the collars are interconnected by a torsion-spring c and are formed with tapered recesses containing balls e, rollers or other wedging means for effecting axial thrust between the collars upon relative axial movement thereof. Friction pads i are formed on a bush h secured to the housing g, and act at opposite positions on the respective collars when one or the other of the collars is displaced by reaction forces exerted laterally on the spindle. Friction rings are connected to the spindle a by means of splines k, by which the collars are also supported on the spindle, and are frictionally engaged by the collars and the adjacent faces of the housing when the collars are thrust apart due to the engagement of one of the pads i. In another arrangement, Fig. 4 (not shown), one of the rings j is replaced by a plurality of interengaging friction rings secured to the spindle and housing respectively. In a further arrangement, Fig. 5 (not shown), a plurality of interengaging friction rings are provided in association with each collar, the rings being splined to the spindle and the bush h respectively. In another arrangement, Fig. 6 (not shown), a pair of friction-rings for each collar are splined to the spindle, one of the rings abutting against an adjacent housing surface and a ring supported by the collar is arranged between the rings of each pair. In an arrangement according to Fig. 7 (not shown) a friction ring at one side of one each of the collars is of frusto-conical form and is adapted to co-operate with a complementary internal periphery of a ring secured within the housing In the arrangement according to Fig. 8, collars b, bare freely mounted on a splined sleeve r which is splined to a spindle a. A ring s, in contact with each collar and having a lost-motion connection with the splines on the sleeve r is supported against an adjacent surface through a ring of balls t. One such surface may be a shoulder u on the sleeve r and the other may be provided by a friction ring n. The lost motion between each ring s and the sleeve is effected by interengagement of one or more splines on the sleeve and a notch or notches v on the ring s. In a modification, Fig. 10 (not shown), the sleeve r and balls t are omitted, the contact between the rings and supporting surfaces being confined to narrow annulii. In another arrangement, Fig. 11 (not shown), the collars b, bare mounted on the spindle or on a sleeve thereon and a lost-motion connection is provided between each collar and the sleeve or spindle, the rings s of Figs. 8 and 10 being omitted. In the arrangement according to Figs. 8 to 11 the spring c of Fig. 1 is omitted.