Pneumatic suspension spring for a wheeled vehicle
View Patent ↗Various embodiments of an air spring end closure are disclosed. One has an outer part and an inner part joined together to provide a moment of inertia along an axis that is transverse to axial expansion and contraction of the air chamber that is greater than that of the outer part alone. Another has a part that is concave toward the chamber and contains one of a riser and a depression having a generally rectangular shape whose length runs transverse to the direction of expansion and contraction and that is widthwise centered on a diameter of the part. Still another has a part having an elliptical perimeter margin curled onto a similarly shaped axial end of a sleeve that provides the axial expansion and contraction.
1. A pneumatic spring comprising:
a pneumatic chamber comprising a cylindrical wall which is expansible and contractible along an axial direction and which has opposite axial ends each closed by a respective closure, one of the closures comprising an outer circular plate and an inner reinforcement bar, the outer circular plate having a flat interior surface, the inner reinforcement bar having a length and a width and being disposed within the pneumatic chamber against the flat interior surface of the outer circular plate such that at a middle of the inner reinforcement bar's width the inner reinforcement bar's length lies on a diameter of the outer circular plate, the inner reinforcement bar being joined to the outer circular plate to endow the one closure with a moment of inertia along the diameter of the outer circular plate which is greater than that of the outer circular plate alone, the inner reinforcement bar's length stopping short of a perimeter of the outer circular plate, the inner reinforcement bar comprising a corrugated wall having a surface which is disposed flat against the flat interior surface of the outer circular plate and which comprises separate, parallel zones which are interrupted by depressions in the corrugated wall and which run lengthwise of the inner reinforcement bar to either side of the middle of the inner reinforcement bar's width.
2. The pneumatic spring as set forth in claim 1 in which the inner reinforcement bar comprises widthwise margins having flanges which extend lengthwise of the inner reinforcement bar and transversely away from the surface of the corrugated wall which is disposed flat against the flat interior surface of the outer circular plate.
3. The pneumatic spring as set forth in claim 2 in which the flanges have narrowing tapers at their lengthwise ends.
4. The pneumatic spring as set forth in claim 3 in which between their narrowing tapers, the flanges extend transversely farther away from the surface of the corrugated wall which is disposed flat against the flat interior surface of the outer circular plate than do the depressions.
5. The pneumatic spring as set forth in claim 1 including fastening elements which pass through aligned through-holes in the outer circular plate and in the corrugated wall, one of the fastening elements being hollow to provide for the pneumatic chamber to pneumatically communicate with a gas source.
6. The pneumatic spring as set forth in claim 1 further including a rail having a vertical web and a bottom flange to which a central portion of the one closure is fastened, and in which the rail has a length to which the length of the inner reinforcement bar is transverse, and the outer circular plate and the inner reinforcement bar overhang inboard and outboard limits of the bottom flange.
7. A pneumatic spring comprising:
a pneumatic chamber comprising a cylindrical wall which is expansible and contractible along an axial direction and which has opposite axial ends each closed by a respective closure, one of the closures comprising an outer circular plate and an inner reinforcement bar, the outer circular plate having a flat interior surface and the inner reinforcement bar having a length and a width which is smaller than the length, the inner reinforcement bar being disposed within the pneumatic chamber and comprising a corrugated wall having a surface which is interrupted by depressions and which is disposed flat against the flat interior surface of the outer circular plate such that at a middle of the inner reinforcement bar's width the inner reinforcement bar's length lies on a diameter of the outer circular plate, the inner reinforcement bar being joined to the outer circular plate to endow the one closure with a moment of inertia along the diameter of the outer circular plate which is greater than that of the outer circular plate alone, the inner reinforcement bar's length stopping short of a perimeter of the outer circular plate, the inner reinforcement bar comprising flanges which, at either side of the middle of the inner reinforcement bar's width, extend lengthwise of the inner reinforcement bar and transversely from widthwise margins of the corrugated wall.
8. The pneumatic spring as set forth in claim 7 in which the flanges have narrowing tapers at their lengthwise ends.
9. The pneumatic spring as set forth in claim 8 in which between their narrowing tapers, the flanges extend transversely farther away from the surface of the corrugated wall which is disposed flat against the flat interior surface of the outer circular plate than do the depressions.
10. The pneumatic spring as set forth in claim 7 including fastening elements which pass through aligned through-holes in the outer circular plate and in the corrugated wall, one of the fastening elements being hollow to provide for the pneumatic chamber to pneumatically communicate with a gas source.
11. The pneumatic spring as set forth in claim 7 further including a rail having a vertical web and a bottom flange to which a central portion of the one closure is fastened, and in which the rail has a length to which the length of the inner reinforcement bar is transverse, and the outer circular plate and the inner reinforcement bar overhang inboard and outboard limits of the bottom flange.