Got this with a bunch of parts today. HEAVY DUTY Front helper spring accessory. Anyone know who made these??
Looks like it didn't stop them from bending the tie rod. Do you have a front shot showing the mounting brackets?
Looks like it is not what we would think of a helper spring today. The total weight of the vehicle is still carried on the original spring. It would rise the front end some and effectively have a larger range then the original because as the lower spring flexes it would rotate/lower the point that the original spring attaches. It would make a softer ride and reduce the chance that the spring would bottom out because of the larger range(more distance from the center of the original spring to the axle).
Jim
Other than the double U bolt under axle mount in the patent drawings
compared with a single center bolt through the axle shown in Scott’s
photo, this patent appears to be for the same or similar accessory.
Robert F. Brock
Fresno, California
Assignor of one half to
N. Paterson,
Fresno, California
Shock Equalizer
Patent number: 1546711
Filing date: Jul 18, 1923
Issue date: Jul 21, 1925
http://tinyurl.com/d4pd3up
Regards
Art
Looks like I'm missing a few parts. Thanks Art!
Here's a closer look at the parts.
Scott,
If the center bolt goes through the axle on yours, you may not be missing any parts. Quite often item details change from the patent drawings to the actual production. The shape or the added spring is also different on yours but the basic operation is the same in either case.
Jim
What would this typically be used for? Perhaps a TT carrying heavy loads? Or is it just useful as a sort of shock absorber on a regular T?
I think I would prefer the two U-bolts over the weakening that would occur by drilling a hole in the middle of the axle.
Herb
Henry,
The patent says that it is a Shock Equalizer primarily for automobiles. It does not allow more weight, just makes it ride smoother. "...the shock caused from passing over obstructions or depressions in the road are equalized or absorbed."
Jim
The spring bolt actually doesn't go all the way through the axle. I'm thinking there is just a shallow hole for the spring bolt to keep the spring centered.
It seems to me that like most (all?) of these devices, notably Hasslers, this one seems to just put extra flexibility in series with the Ford spring, so it is the same as fitting a softer (lower rate) spring. Unlike the devices which use coil springs, this device will also add damping through inter-leaf friction. But it also adds quite a lot to the unsprung weight.