GB2095365A

GB2095365A - Spring buffer

Info

Publication number: GB2095365A
Application number: GB8207146A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: RUD Kettenfabrik Rieger und Dietz GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: RUD Kettenfabrik Rieger und Dietz GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1981-03-24
Filing date: 1982-03-11
Publication date: 1982-09-29
Also published as: IT8220208A0; NL8200861A; IT8221157V0; IT1150343B; GB2095365B; DE3112050A1; DE3112050C2; BE892544A

Abstract

In a spring buffer, stroke-limiting elements (2) with a bar-shaped basic body (7) are used. The bar-shaped design of the stroke-limiting elements provided with guide shackles (8) permits a compact design of the spring buffer. In addition to their guide function, the guide shackles (8) also act as stroke-limiting stops. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Spring buffer The invention relates to a spring buffer for retaining lines exposed to tensile forces and intended for fastening articles, especially for lashing articles to vehicles, with connection parts each supported at a narrowing end of a tension spring via supporting shoulders and intended for the retaining lines, and with stroke-limiting elements which limit the maximum spring stroke and which each form one piece with a particular connection part.

A spring buffer of the type mentioned above is known from French Patent Specification 749,497. In the known spring buffer, the connection parts and the stroke-limiting elements are formed by curved lengths of wire, one of the wire ends forming a connection part and the other wire end forming an elongate lug. The lugs of two stroke-limiting elements are engaged into one another.

The known spring buffer cannot give satisfaction for several reasons. A first reason is that it is comparatively complicated and expensive to bend the connection parts and the stroke-limiting lugs.

Another disadvantage is the comparatively large width of the lugs and the fact that the lugs of the two stroke-limiting elements can execute limited rotary movements relative to one another. Supporting the tension springs on the supporting shoulders formed by lengths of wire also leaves much to be desired.

The object on which the invention is based is to provide a spring buffer of the type in question, which consists of simple parts allowing a narrow design and the stroke-limiting elements of which cannot execute any rotary movements relative to one another.

This object is achieved, according to the invention, when each stroke-limiting element has a bar-shaped basic body adjoining its supporting shoulder, and each basic body is provided, at its end facing away from the connection part, with a guide shackle open on one side for the respective other basic body.

The solution according to the invention offers the advantage that it can be made in a simple way in production terms and that its stroke-limiting elements merely need to be put together before the tension spring is coiled round them.

It proves especially advantageous if the guide shackles form, at the same time, stroke-limiting stops, and if the two stroke-limiting elements have the same shape, preferably being made as forgings.

The guide shackles can be made either U-shaped or C-shaped.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to two exemplary embodiments illustrated in the attached drawing in which: Figure 1 shows, partially in section, a tensionspring buffer in the relaxed state; Figure 2 shows the tension-spring buffer according to Figure 1 under load; Figure 3 shows the stroke-limiting elements of the tension-spring buffer according to Figures 1 and 2 being joined together before the spring is coiled round the stroke-limiting elements; Figure 4 shows the stroke-limiting elements after being joined together; Figure 5 shows a section along the line V-V in Figure 4; Figure 6 shows, partially in section, a further tension-spring buffer in the state of rest; Figure 7 shows, partially in section, the tensionspring buffer according to Figure 6 in the stretched state;; Figure 8 shows a side view of the stroke-limiting elements of the tension spring buffer according to Figures 6 and7; Figure 9 shows a front view of the stroke-limiting elements according to Figure 8, and Figure 10 shows a section along the line X-X in Figure 9.

In Figure 1, 1 denotes a tension spring, in the interior of which are located two stroke-limiting elements 2 which have the same shape and are formed by forgings. The stroke-limiting elements 2 possess supporting shoulders 3 for supporting the narrowing ends 4 and 5 of the tension spring 1. Connection parts 6 adjoin the supporting shoulders. At the ends of the stroke-limiting elements, facing away from the connection parts 6, the stroke-limiting elements have basic bodies 7 which take the form of flat bars.

At each of the free ends of the basic bodies 7, the latter are each provided with an open guide shackle 8. When the tension spring is fully extended, the guide shackles 8 come to rest against one another and thus form stroke-limiting stops. As can best be seen in Figure 5, the guide shackles 8 in the first exemplary embodiment are made U-shaped, that is to say they are open on the side. The chosen design of the stroke-limiting elements makes it possible, as indicated in Figure 3, to put together, in each case, two stroke-limiting elements simply, before coiling a tension spring around them, and to transfer them into the position shown in Figure 4. Figure 5 makes it clear that the space required for the bar-shaped basic bodies of the stroke-limiting elements is extremely small, and the coil diameter of the tension spring indicated in Figure 5 can therefore be kept very small.

Because the basic bodies are provided with portions 9 which are offset relative to the central axes of the connection parts 6, favourable force conditions are obtained when the stroke-limiting elements take effect to limit the stroke. The transmission of force in the state where the stroke-limiting elements are moved until they stop takes place in zones of contact located almost on the centre lines of the strokelimiting elements. Adverse bending stresses on the stroke-limiting elements are therefore not to be expected.

Of course, it is no longer possible to release the stroke-limiting elements 2 unintentionally after the tension spring 1 has been coiled round them.

In the second exemplary embodiment also, two identical stroke-limiting elements 9 are used. In the second case, however, the stroke-limiting elements 9 are provided with essentially C-shaped guide shackles 10which result in an improvement in the force conditions when the guide shackles are moved onto one another, specifically because of the sym metrical arrangement. In this case, however, the basic bodies 7 must each be provided, in the vicinity of the supporting shoulders 12 and the connection parts 13, with an introduction neck 14forthe guide shackle 10 of the respective other basic body.

In the second exemplary embodiment also, forgings are used as stroke-limiting elements 9. Production of the C-shaped guide shackle by forging is, naturally, somewhat more expensive than the corresponding production of a U-shaped guide shackle.

On the whole, however, it can be said that because of the small number of parts and the fact that the stroke-limiting elements can be assembled simply a noticeable improvement over known constructions has been achieved.

Claims

1. A spring buffer for retaining lines exposed to tensile forces and intended for fastening articles, especially for lashing articles to vehicles, with connection parts each supported at a narrowing end of a tension spring via supporting shoulders and intended for the retaining lines, and with strokelimiting elements which limitthe maximum spring stroke and which each form one piece with a particular connection part, in which each stroke-limiting element has a bar-shaped basic body adjoining its supporting shoulder and each basic body is provided, at its end facing away from the connection part, with a guide shackle open on one side for the respective other basic body.

2. A spring buffer according to claim 1, in which the guide shackles form stroke-limiting stops.

3. A spring buffer according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the stroke-limiting elements have the same shape.

4. A spring buffer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the stroke-limiting elements are made as forgings.

5. A spring buffer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the guide shackles are made essentially U-shaped.

6. A spring buffer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the guide shackles are made essentially C-shaped.

7. A spring buffer according to claim 6, in which each basic body is provided, in the vicinity of its connection part, with an introduction neck for the guide shackle of the other basic body.

8. A spring buffer according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which the supporting shoulders are formed by the peripheral face of a truncated-cone section of the stroke-limiting elements.

9. A spring buffer according to any one of claims 1 to 8, in which the basic bodies have portions which are axially offset relative to the connection parts.

10. A spring buffer substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.