From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Article detailing a transverse leaf spring suspension design developed by the Leaf Spring Institute.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 124\3\ scan0251 | |
| Date | 19th May 1934 | |
| 616 Leaf Spring Institute Designs Transverse spring construction said to reduce both total and unsprung weights DETAILS of an independent springing design developed co-operatively by the Leaf Spring Institute of the Automotive Parts and Equipment Manufacturers Association have now been released for publication. Representing probably the first instance in which a group of competitive companies within the automotive industry have cooperatively developed a basic design for the benefit of the industry, the system is of the transverse leaf spring and arm parallelogram type. It differs in basic concept from the parallelogram type of suspension used on a number of 1934 cars in that two leaf springs, side by side, are substituted for the lower wishbone arms, and the coil spring eliminated. The Institute was one of the first to be set up under the APEM code last fall and began functioning under the direction of John H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Shoemaker, formerly vice-president of the Gabriel Company of Cleveland, and now the Institute's code commissioner. Mr. Shoemaker immediately proceeded to set up an engineering committee which was charged with the developing of data and doing research work for the benefit of the entire membership of the Institute—in addition to the individual research work conducted by the various member companies. The committee immediately plunged into the problem of independent springing, checking into known devices, analyzing submitted patents. Contacts were also established for the accumulation of data, with car owners, dealers, car factories, of course, and particularly service men. The problem set up as the objective of the committee was a suspension which, in comparison with designs being considered, would give: 1. Decreased weight unit per car. 2. Decreased weight per car. 3. Less manufacturing and assembly complications. 4. Decreased cost per car. 5. Decreased service problems. Of the various designs investigated, a system which had been under development by the Logan Gear Company (Automotive Industries understands) was selected as offering the greatest immediate promise for the purpose of demonstrating certain characteristics. One of the problems faced by leaf spring producers, of course, has been the statements made by a number of engineers, who had been active in car plants in designing independent suspensions of coil spring type, that leaf springs could not be used. The first installation of the developed suspension system was made on a Plymouth six, merely replacing the necessary parts of the front suspension in order to effect as few changes in general car structure as possible, for comparison purposes. In the original installation therefore no attempt was made to obtain the maximum advantage obtainable in the way of riding qualities by a complete consideration of the entire car suspension. The car is being shown and demonstrated to all interested parties particularly at the various car plants. As to the suspension itself, the accompanying illustration gives the major details of the simple construction employed. It might be noted that spring eyes are double wrapped for additional safety factor. Spring oscillation periods designed into the suspension were around 70 to 80 cycles. [Image Diagram Text] Progressive Pressed Steel Spring Seats Needle Bearings 'Oilite' Thrust Washers Shim Castor Adj. Washers 'Oilite' Thrust Washers The Leaf Spring Institute Suspension is of the transverse spring and arm parallelogram type. Automotive Industries | ||