Patent ID: 6966549

Claim:
A spring device comprising a pair of spaced-apart first and second annular support plates defining a ring with a central ring axis; a plurality of circumferentially spaced, parallel oriented coil springs disposed between said annular plates and having associated therewith a free-state height for said coil springs, each said coil spring being coiled about a spring axis which defines a spring center passage; and, a plurality of lock assemblies located at circumferentially spaced positions around said ring, each of said lock assemblies being within one of said center passages and including a first tab extending from one of said plates toward a first distal end facing the other of said plates, a second tab extending from said other of said plates toward said one of said plates, said distal end including a hook, said second tab having parallel sides extending from said other plate, one of said parallel sides including a notch having opposing notch edges transverse to said parallel sides, said hook extend into said notch such that said plates move toward and away from each other to compress and/or release said coil springs, said hook engages one of said notch edges to prevent said coil springs from reaching said free-state height.