Spring Shackles in Rubber
Page 78
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A RUBBER unit that replaces the con
ventional shackle in a suspension system is shown in patent No. 882,954. The unit is free from all wear and requires no lubrication. (Cranes (Dereham), Ltd., South Green Works, Dereham, Norfolk.) The drawing shows a laminated spring (1) which has to be pivotally shackled to a bracket (2). The main part is a moulded rubber unit (3). This surrounds a tubular metal sleeve (4) at each end. The sleeves are provided with a central
bolt that fixes them firmly to a stationary part.
The rubber unit is partially surrounded by a pair of metal clamp-rings (5), the bolts of which pass through holes in the rubber. When these clamps arc tightened, the rubber is firmly gripped both externally and internally on to the sleeve. Any deflections that occur are accommodated by distorting the rubber, so that the absence of sliding friction eliminates wear and the need for lubrication.