Patent ID: 7185903

Claim:
A suspension spring apparatus for a vehicle, said apparatus comprising: a compression spring mounted between a pivoting lower seat and a pivoting upper seat; wherein the pivoting lower seat and the pivoting upper seat are not rigidly connected by a telescoping strut; wherein the pivoting lower seat is coupled to an articulating strut that can rotate through an arc in a plane, and the pivoting upper seat is coupled to a support element; wherein the pivoting lower seat and the pivoting upper seat can, in combination, pivot through substantially the same arc in the plane as the articulating strut, such that when there is a change in angle of the articulating strut with respect to the support element, there is a commensurate change in the pivoting lower seat and the pivoting upper seat, therein maintaining the compression spring aligned linearly between the pivoting lower seat and the pivoting upper seat; and wherein said pivoting lower seat comprises a base plate with a front surface and a rear surface; an axial coupling integral with the rear surface that hingedly connects the pivoting lower seat to the articulating strut, where said axial coupling has a means for adjusting a position of the planar base plate, such that the tension on the spring is increased or decreased; and a retainer integral with the front surface, where the retainer aligns the compression spring on the base plate.