Abstract: A rubber block is shaped as a segment of a circular washer wherein opposite ends of the segment are surfaces against which torsional forces are applied to the blocks. A plurality of hollow ducts extend through the block and all the ducts are parallel to each other and essentially perpendicular to a main plane of the block. The main plane is perpendicular to the load bearing surfaces. The hollow ducts are intersected by cavities having cross-sectional areas larger than the corresponding cross-sectional areas of the ducts intersecting these cavities.

Abstract: A compliant, acoustically insulating, torsionally elastic shaft coupling includes a shaft part and a driver part formed by support plates. At least one cage is defined by the support plates which house at least one rubber element of corresponding shape. To achieve an especially compliant torsionally spring characteristic line, the rubber element is formed with uniformly spaced cavities having a cross-section larger than that of hollow ducts centrally crossing a series of these cavities and extending at least essentially over the entire height of the rubber element.

Abstract: The invention relates to a surface bearing 1 comprising a rubber strip or plate material penetrated by hollow channels 3 and cavities 2. The cavities 2 and hollow channels 3 all lie in a single surface at least essentially parallel or complementary in shape to the principal surface of the sheet material, each cavity 2 being penetrated in each case by only one hollow channel 3. The hollow channels 3 are open on at least one side and have a clear cross-sectional area which is at least a quarter of the largest cross-sectional area of the cavities 2 penetrated by this hollow channel 3. The hollow channels 3 can extend non-parallel to at least one longitudinal axis or to the longitudinal axis of the surface bearing, thus, for example, can form an angle of 90.degree. or 45.degree. with the latter, while they are parallel or non-parallel to one another.

Abstract: A torsional vibration damper comprises a plurality of arcuate centrifugal mass segments arranged within a radially outer hub ring through which a shaft extends with spring segments therebetween. The centrifugal mass segments may be interconnected in a predetermined arrangement to each other with further spring members. The resonant frequency and the stiffening behavior of the spring characteristics of the damper increase as a function of shaft speed. Additionally, the torsional vibration damper absorbs axial and radial vibrations by supporting the centrifugal mass segments with the spring segments.

Abstract: The invention relates to a surface bearing 1 comprising a rubber strip or plate material penetrated by hollow channels 3 and cavities 2. The cavities 2 and hollow channels 3 all lie in a single surface at least essentially parallel or complementary in shape to the principal surface of the sheet material, each cavity 2 being penetrated in each case by only one hollow channel 3. The hollow channels 3 are open on at least one side and have a clear cross-sectional area which is at least a quarter of the largest cross-sectional area of the cavities 2 penetrated by this hollow channel 3. The hollow channels 3 can extend non-parallel to at least one longitudinal axis or to the longitudinal axis of the surface bearing, thus, for example, can form an angle of 90.degree. or 45.degree. with the latter, while they are parallel or non-parallel to one another.

Abstract: In order to obtain a particularly soft spring characteristic the rubber spring element consisting of relatively hard material having good mechanical strength is traversed by cavities and hollow channels, which intersect said cavities, in such a manner that the area of the inside cross-section of the hollow channels amounts to at least 25% of the area of the largest inside cross-section of the nearest cavity traversed by this hollow channel, while the hollow channels may directly intersect in the rubber matrix.

Abstract: A torsional-vibration damper comprises three concentric ring elements being a hub ring, a flywheel ring and an elastic ring. The flywheel ring is mounted radially inside the hub ring and inside the elastic ring mounted between the hub ring and the flywheel ring. The operating frequency of the torsional-vibration damper is thereby dependent on anguular speed such that as the angular speed increases, the effective operating frequency of the tornsional-vibration damper is shifted higher by increased stiffening of the elastic link between the flywheel ring and the hub ring due to the centrifugal force.

Abstract: In a spring element according to the present invention, all channels formed in the elastomer block are mutually parallel and all cavities formed in the elastomer block, too, which are intersected by said channels, are arranged like a cubic-free-centered sphere packing in reverse order. Comprising a good mechanical lateral rigidity, a spring element according to the present invention shows exceptionally good acoustic insulating and damping facilities.

Abstract: A suspension spring system includes a housing, a suspension spring located in the housing and a bistable control spring located in the housing. A load supporting member is positioned at least partially within the housing and is movable with respect to the housing. The control spring is radially compressed within the housing so that the control spring is prestressed. The control spring is shiftable between two stable final positions and is, thus, able to influence and control the spring characteristics of the suspension spring.

Abstract: The invention relates to a spring element (1) used for elastically supporting large loads. The spring element comprises an elastic rubber block having uniformly distributed spherical cavities (2) which are intersected by clindrical or prismatic channels (3) also formed in the rubber material. The channels (3) form groups of channels defining areas stacked on top of each other in the direction of the vector of a load to be supported, which areas neither intersect nor touch each other. These areas may be three-dimensionally-shaped areas, for example envelopes of a cone or corrugated areas, as well as mutually parallel planes oriented obliquely to the direction of the load vector. When projected onto a horizontal plane, the groups of channels (3) are either radially extending and uniformly angularly spaced if the areas are envelopes of a cone, or are mutually parallel if the areas are obliquely arranged planes. In no way, the channels (3) intersect or touch each other.

Abstract: The invention relates to a spring device capable of softly dissipating the energy of an accelerated mass which is relatively great with respect to the inert mass of a reference system coupled to said spring device. The force deflection curve of said spring device exhibits an abrupt steep rise within the linear working range of the force deflection curve so that the required deflection is reduced. The spring device can include a soft suspension spring coupled to a control spring.

Abstract: The hydraulically damped elastomer-metal bearing comprises a bell-type housing two rigidly connected truncated conical support springs, which are located in the housing and which are oriented in the same direction. Between the two support springs, a disc-type separating element is fixed in a liquid-tighten manner such that above that disc-type separating element a second working chamber containing a damping liquid is defined, which is activated when the bearing is unloaded, while below the disc-type separating element a first working chamber is defined, from which the hydraulic liquid is pressed back to the second working chamber when the bearing is compressed by the load to be supported. Two entirely hydraulically independent throttling channels are formed in the disc-type separating element, which throttling channels can be closed by back valves, whose working direction is oppositely directed. Thus each of the two independent channels is passed by the pressurized damping liquid in one flow direction only.

Abstract: The bearing includes of a beaker-type housing part in which a soft rubber support spring is arranged bearing a load supporting plate which is enclosed by a disc-type control spring arranged transversely to the support spring. The combination of the control spring and the load support plate is clamped radially pre-stressed in the upper portion of the beaker-type housing part such that the beaker-type housing part is hermetically closed in a gas-tight and liquid-tight manner. A clapper-type damping piston is suspended in a recess at the lower side of the load support plate and is free to move in an axial direction; The piston head is slidably fitted in a substantially exactly fitting manner into a cylindrical tube attached to the bottom of the beaker-type housing part. The hermetically closed bearing is filled with a damping liquid.

Abstract: A soft mounting for insulating body transmitted waves comprises a soft support spring block made of elastic material. The support spring block is disposed between two beaker-type housing parts which serve to transfer load forces into the support spring block. The housing parts are arranged coaxially with respect to one another and are telescopically positioned within one another. Elastomer spring elements having cavities located therein concentrically surround the support spring block. The cavities serve to show the effect of a collapse of a spring restoration force by kinking.

Abstract: A spring element comprises an elastomer block (5) interspersed with at least two sets of cylindrical or prismatic channels (1) which in turn intersect cavities (2) formed in the elastomer block (5), the greatest inside cross-section of which cavities in the plane located at right angles to the channel axis is greater than the cross-section of the channels in that plane, said sets of channels mutually crossing at different levels in space without mutually intersecting. By virtue of this mode of interspersing the elastomer spring element with cavities, an optimal distribution of compressive stresses in the spring element combined with an optimum acoustic damping are achieved.

Abstract: A spring element comprising a resilient block interspersed with mutually parallel channels has an especially soft spring characteristic, since the block is interspersed with at least two series of channels mutually crossing in space without intersecting each other.

Abstract: Torsionally resilient coupling with, between two coupling halves, at least one movement-transforming intermediate element which transforms a rotation into a translation and is connected frictionally in rotation to one of the two coupling halves and is connected in translation to a connecting element which is in turn articulated pivotably to a resilient intermediate element which is in turn connected frictionally and integrally in rotation to the respective other coupling half. In this coupling a maximum degree of symmetry of the forces acting is achieved, and shear forces which lead to an asymmetrical stressing of the resilient intermediate elements are eliminated in that the journal pins or journal bolts by which the connecting element if articulated to the resilient intermediate element are guided in lateral slot slits.

Abstract: The invention relates to a torsionally elastic coupling in which the two coupling halves are connected to one another via at least one movement-converting intermediate member and at least one spring member, which allow the two coupling halves to rotate relative to one another. To improve the service life of a torsionally elastic coupling of this type by reducing shear stress and making it possible to subject the resilient intermediate members to pressure, coupling members are inserted between the movement-converting intermediate members and the resilient intermediate members.

Abstract: A torsionally elastic coupling includes a pair of load first and second coupling plates capable of twisting relative to each other by means of a motion-changing link connected to one of the plates, a coupling link connected to the motion-changing link and a spring link coupled to the coupling link. The coupling link is connected to a bearing plate which, when the first and second coupling plates are twisted with respect to one another, is pulled radially inward to act upon the spring link so that a high degree of softness in twisting is achieved by the bearing plate acting as a centrifugal weight.

Abstract: A rotationally elastic coupling with two half-couplings can be twisted relative to one another, these half-couplings being connected with one another so as to transmit forces by means of a sprung intermediate link and by means of a movement-converting intermediate link which converts a rotation into a translational movement or, vice versa, a translational movement into a rotation. At least one sheet metal support is provided which is in contact at a radially outward position with one of the sprung intermediate links which in turn is supported rotationally solidly and frictionally at a radially inward position with one of the two half-couplings. The sheet metal support is subjected to forces directly or by means of a coupling element of the movement converting intermediate link, in particular an eccentric or a crank, this movement converting intermediate link being rotationally and rotationally solidly connected to the other half-coupling.