Patent ID: 7854425

Claim:
A method for reducing hysteresis of a stack of Belleville springs, comprising: providing a mandrel guide; providing a plurality of the spring carriers for carrying a plurality of Belleville springs on a mandrel guide, the springs having a thickness of the material, an inside diameter and a maximum deflection of the springs in the compressed state, wherein each spring carrier comprises: a sleeve having an outside surface, an inside surface, a first end and a second end; a shoulder on the inside surface disposed at a selected distance from the first end and separating a larger diameter inside surface intersecting the first end and a smaller diameter inside surface intersecting the second end, the smaller diameter inside surface being adapted to fit the mandrel guide; and a shoulder on the outside surface disposed at a selected distance from the second end and separating a smaller diameter outside surface intersecting the second end, the smaller diameter outside surface intersecting the second end being adapted to fit slidably the larger diameter inside surface of an adjacent sleeve intersecting the first end, and a larger diameter outside surface intersecting the first end, the larger diameter outside surface having a circumferential flange thereon, the flange being disposed at a selected distance from the first end, the larger diameter outside surface having a diameter adapted to fit the inside diameter of the Belleville springs; and placing the Belleville springs adapted to fit the spring carriers on the spring carriers and placing the spring carriers on the mandrel guide so as to form the stack of Belleville springs.