ABSTRACT
The unique utility of rubber-to-metal (R-to-M) assemblies began to be appreciated around the turn of the century through applications that helped cushion motion and deaden noise. Eventually, bonded R-to-M composites came to be employed in the mechanical world to not only minimize the damaging effects of vibration and to protect against shock, but also to seal against leakage of oil and other fluids, and to simplify assembly by providing a tolerance for misalignment. R-to-M assemblies are necessary in their aforementioned functions for the nonaeronautical vehicles of war and for rail and rapid transit rolling stock, as well as for trackbeds and rail crossings. The basic designs of R-to-M mounts have not changed greatly over the years, particularly for the less demanding applications such as isolation or damping of industrial machinery. Most of the synthetic elastomers that are now available had been thoroughly investigated in R-to-M assemblies of various types by 1970.
