Assembly for testing shock absorbers incorporated in a vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to an assembly for checking shock absorbers incorporated in vehicles, particularly passenger cars, by means of evaluating the oscillations of body components relative to the wheels and wheel axles respectively.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An assembly for testing a shock absorber associated with a wheel pair of a spring suspended vehicle having a vehicle body, said assembly comprising a. a step to produce a drop motion of said wheel pair so that said vehicle body will rise in oscillation under the influence of springs but damped by a shock absorber after dropping motion thereof,   b. means for indicating the condition of a shock absorber of said wheel pair by evaluating the acceleration inherent in the rise of said vehicle body during the first oscillation and first oscillation only of said vehicle body after dropping motion thereof,   said means comprising i. means for sensing the acceleration of said vehicle body during the rise thereof, said means including an inertia body member which is freely mounted for vertical movement in a vertical path,   ii. means for mounting said sensing means to a body component of said vehicle body in the vicinity of a shock absorber to be tested,   iii. means extending into the vertical path of movement of said inertia body member for generating a signal upon movement of said body member in said vertical path more than a predetermined amount, and   iv. an indicating device responsive to the signal generated by said signal generating means for indicating movement more than said predetermined amount by said body member.     
     
     
       2. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said generating means includes means for adjusting the predetermined amount of movement of said body member in said vertical path necessary to initiate generation of a signal thereby. 
     
     
       3. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said generating means includes a pair of metallic conducting members which are spaced from each other, one of said metallic members extending into the path of movement of said body member and being movable with respect to the other of said metallic members. 
     
     
       4. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said body member comprises a ball mounted in a generally cylindrical bore of a mounting member, said bore having an open top thereof and said generating means extending over said open top for movement in response to movement of portions of said ball out of said open top and to retain said ball in said bore. 
     
     
       5. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said indicating means further comprises an adjustable housing for mounting said body member and generating means, said housing having a vertically extending generally cylindrical bore therein, said bore having an open top, and wherein said body member includes a ball member disposed within said generally cylindrical bore and having substantially the same diameter as said bore,   said generating means includes a pair of electrical spring leaf contacts, one spring leaf contact being disposed directly over the open top of said bore to sense movement of portions of said ball out of the open top of said bore and for retaining said ball in said bore, and the second spring leaf contact being spaced from said first leaf contact a predetermined distance but adapted to be contacted thereby to generate an electrical signal, and means for adjusting the predetermined distance said first spring leaf contact is spaced from said second spring leaf contact.   
     
     
       6. An assembly as recited in claim 5 wherein said electrical contacts are disposed in a circuit containing a power supply and a cross rectifier means providing a plus and minus terminal, said contacts lying across said plus and minus terminals in series with a switch comprising a thyristor.