A motor vehicle suspension unit with a device for varying the static load of the suspension, comprising a pair of elements telescopically guided one within the other and a spring resting with its opposing ends on stops rigid with the one and other of the telescopic elements respectively. One of the stops consists of a sleeve able to be rotated coaxially to one telescopic element and provided with cam means for its axial positioning in accordance with the angular position assumed. The sleeve comprises peripherally a plurality of axial notches. A pair of ring elements is supported on the ring. One sleeve is provided with a radial lever and an axial projection arranged to penetrate into one of the notches and the other acts as a support for a spring urging the projection into one of the axial notches. The ring is disengageable from the sleeve to rotate the lever into a position in which it does not cause trouble for the passenger.

A suspension for two-wheeled vehicles is provided which may arbitrarily adjust its spring characteristics almost without changing the initial load applied to the suspension spring so that the optimum spring characteristics may be selected depending upon the desired riding quality or road conditions. A pair of series-disposed helical or coil springs are fitted over a telescopic shock absorber and are spaced apart from each other by a spacer whose position with respect to the shock absorber is adjustable and which is retained in position by a stopper securely fitted over the shock absorber. The pair of helical springs have different forces, that is the load causing the maximum deflection of one helical spring is different from that causing the maximum deflection of the other helical spring. By the coaction between the spacer and the stopper and by a mechanism for causing the axial displacement of one of the spring seats fitted over the shock absorber, the preload applied to one of the pair of helical springs may be so adjusted as to be equal to or in excess of the load applied to the other helical spring.

An adjustable spring stop assembly (10) for a spring (S) received within a bore (B) is provided. The adjustable spring stop assembly comprises a washer member (12) and an adjustment member (14). The washer member is axially fixable within the bore and is provided with a centrally located aperture (16) and a plurality of radially extending, radially aligned slot pairs of different diametrical lengths (18--18, 20--20, 22--22, 24--24, and 26--26). The adjustment member is provided with a pair of axially extending and inwardly tapering ear portions (34) which may be received within any selected one of the slot pairs. The adjustment member is provided with a fitting (40) which is accessible from the exterior of the bore through the centrally located aperture in the washer member for incrementally selectively varying the separation (44) of a surface (32) on the adjustment member from the washer member.

A vehicle suspension device comprising a telescopic shock absorber including an elongated tubular housing, a piston reciprocable within the housing and connected to one end of a piston rod extending axially outwardly from one end of the housing, a tubular dirt shield supported on one end of the piston rod and extending coaxially of the rod and the housing, a helical coil spring extending coaxially of the housing and the dirt shield with the dirt shield being disposed entirely within the confines of the coil spring, and first and second spring supports located on the dirt shield and the exterior of the housing for operatively supporting the coil spring in its proper position around the shock absorber.

An article conveyor for carrying articles along a path with the center line of each article maintained substantially on a preselected datum plane extending in the direction of the path. A pair of endless, elongated, opposed, power-driven conveyor chains are positioned with their article-engaging reaches extending along opposite sides of the path. These reaches of chain are yieldably biased toward the datum plane with substantially equal force so that an article carried therebetween will urge the opposed reaches of chain substantially equal distances from opposite sides of the datum plane. An article conveyed along the path by powered movement of the chains thus is supported with its center line substantially at the datum plane, regardless of the thickness of the article.