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SAE HS-1576 Document Information:
Title
SAE Manual for Incorporating Pnuematic Springs in Vehicle Suspension Designs
SAE International
Publication Date:
Jan 1, 1994
Scope:
This manual has been prepared to assist the engineer and the designer
to have a better
understanding of the basic principles, types, and uses of pneumatic
springs. In addition, it has
been designed to serve as a useful guide in the selection of pneumatic
springs for specific
applications. The need for such a manual has been dictated by the
popularity and growth of
pneumatic spring applications.
The use of pneumatic springs in commercial applications has been a
relatively recent development,
but the idea of such a spring is not a new concept.
The earliest available records of a practical approach to pneumatic
springs is a patent granted to
John Lewis in February 1847. Prior to 1910, Benjamin Bell was engaged
in experimental work on
sleeve-type pneumatic springs with various piston shapes. The work and
ideas put forth by these two
gentlemen were made possible through the combined efforts of an
Irishman and an Englishman some 300
years before that time.
Robert Boyle published a paper in 1660, "New Experiments Touching the
Spring of Air," setting forth
the law "absolute pressures and volumes are in reciprocal proportion
when temperature remains
constant." Eighteen years later, Robert Hooke formulated the
relationship between force and
elongation of elastic solid materials.
The first serious work toward adapting the pneumatic spring to the
automotive industry was carried
out by the Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. in the early 1930s. By 1935,
experimental Buick and
Plymouth cars were equipped with pneumatic springs. These were soon
followed by installations on
other vehicles, such as Studebaker, Chrysler, Ford, Lincoln, etc. In
spite of this interest, the
pneumatic spring was not adopted in the late 1930s, primarily because
of costs and the tremendous
improvements being made with steel springs and suspensions in general.
In 1938, General Motors Corporation became interested in a new
suspension with pneumatic springs
for its buses. Working with Firestone, the first buses were tested in
1944 and first production was
realized in 1953. This breakthrough triggered the growth and
development of the pneumatic spring
into the many new fields and applications that are in use today. In
addition, new concepts in
pneumatic springs have evolved to meet the requirements of these new
and changing needs.
During the mid-50s, Goodyear developed and patented the rolling lobe
type air spring. The rolling
lobe air spring load vs. deflection characteristics can be greatly
influenced by piston contour.
The pneumatic spring has been able to make inroads into applications
formerly reserved for, more
conventional springs because of some unique characteristics and
versatility. The more common and
better known advantages of pneumatic springs are:
1. Controllable spring rate
2. Adjustable load capacity
3. Simplicity of height control
4. Reduction of friction
5. Nearly constant frequency with respect to load variations.
Why and how pneumatic springs can offer these advantages and meet the
needs of modern industry will
be described in the following chapters which cover: basic principles,
types, design problems, and
special uses of pneumatic springs.
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