Popular Science Monthly 



887 



A Combined Automobile 

 Spring and Shock Absorber 



A CANADIAN, Henry Dixon, 

 has invented a device which 

 combines the functions of an 

 ordinary automobile spring and 

 a shock absorber. The same 

 degree of elasticity may be main- 

 tained between the lightest and 

 heaviest loads in order to reduce 

 the sudden bound and rebound 

 so uncomfortable to the passen- 

 gers of a car. 



The apparatus consists of one 

 \ertical air cylinder and piston 

 mounted on a yoke, at the bot- 

 tom of which are pivoted two 

 inclined spring cylinders. These 

 in turn are connected with two 

 other oppositely inclined cylin- 

 ders pivoted to a top yoke and 

 with two other similar horizontal 

 spring cylinders spaced on either 

 side of the vertical air cylinder. 



Each of the cylinders has a 

 piston, that in the air cylinder 

 being provided with a ball valve 

 by which air may pass from one 

 side to the other, and those in 

 the spring cylinders with 

 washers at the ends which serve 

 to compress the springs under 

 action. 



The device is inserted between 

 the vehicle frame and each of the springs. 

 When subjected to an excess load or to 

 concussion, as when the vehicle passes over 

 ruts or car tracks, the four inclined spring 

 cylinders straighten out in the manner of a 

 toggle and exert great 

 endwise pressure, 

 to compress the springs 

 and increase their nat- 

 ural force in the ratio of 

 their compression. This 

 compression is retarded, 

 however, by the resist- 

 ance of the air in the 

 center vertical cylinder 

 and by the springs in 

 the two horizontal cyl- 

 inders. The return of 

 the cylinders to their 

 normal position is ef- 

 fected by a gradually 

 diminishing force, this 

 action tending to reduce 

 sudden bounds and re- 

 bounds of the body. 



The switchboard and operators were raised by easy stages 

 to the floor above and not a call was missed. This was 

 naade possible by lengthening the switchboard cable 



Moving a Telephone Switchboard 

 Without Interrupting the Service 



A 



TELEPHONE company at West 

 Palm Beach, Florida, recently added a 



frame 



5prin9 

 CyliryJer 



Air 

 Cylinder 



In this combined automobile spring 

 and shock absorber the same degree 

 of elasticity is maintained between 

 the lightest and heaviest loads 



floor to its building and 

 raised the operating 

 switchboard one flight 

 up into the new addition. 



The switchboard was 

 moved to a temporary 

 platform, to which p)ow- 

 erful chain falls were 

 attached. A half dozen 

 rafters of the new floor 

 had not been placed in 

 position, so that the 

 platform could be raised 

 through that space. 



During the movement 

 the three telephone 

 girls continued their 

 work unconcerned, an- 

 swering calls and asking 

 for numbers as usual. 



