Unlabelled technical diagram sheet: spring/ball mechanism and "+" / "–" markers

In this document

Page 23 is a technical sketch sheet without title, date, or written legend, except for two "+" and "–" markers associated with a horizontal arrow p. 23.

The main drawing

In the centre-left of the sheet is a large cross-sectional view of a complex mechanical mechanism: a central cylindrical body traversed by a horizontal shaft, with hatching indicating several assembled metal parts. A vertical axis carries a stack of small parts — described as "springs or balls" — topped by a rod ending in a ball. Two orifices or mounting lugs with circular holes appear on the right, and a hexagonal nut closes the assembly on the left. In the background, a thin-lined circle with its axes of symmetry suggests a front or top view of a circular part, such as a steering wheel or disc p. 23.

The secondary drawing (top right)

A second, smaller sketch repeats the same vertical stacking motif (ball-ended rod, springs or balls) but mounted this time on an articulated support in the shape of an angled lever, superimposed on a dotted arc of a circle evoking a wheel or drum. It is above this drawing that the horizontal arrow bearing the "+" (left) and "–" (right) markers is located p. 23.

The drawing at the bottom of the page

A third view, in cross-section, shows a horizontal axis passing through a hatched rectangular body, with a nut at the top right and dotted centre lines p. 23.

No dimensions, part identifiers, or mentions of date or author appear on this sheet.

Context

This type of sketch — stacking of springs or balls on an axis, lever articulation — evokes, by its composition, the research conducted in the Citroën workshops on suspension and damping systems, a field in which Paul Magès carried out the bulk of his work, later leading to the hydropneumatic suspension of the DS.

The "+" and "–" markers are common conventions in engineering diagrams to indicate a direction of movement, a variation in pressure or force; their isolated use, without a legend, is however typical of working drafts rather than plans intended for distribution.

This connection with the world of suspension remains an external hypothesis of interpretation: nothing in the sheet itself names the mechanism represented.

Archivist's perspective

Without title, date, or legend, this sheet probably belongs to an exploratory design phase: it seems that Magès sketched several variants of the same mechanical principle (stacking of parts on a vertical axis, lever articulation) before refining them elsewhere p. 23.

The absence of dimensions and explanatory text suggests a personal working document, intended to capture an idea quickly rather than to serve as an execution plan.

The collection contains other items of the same vein, mixing freehand sketches and repurposed workshop materials, such as the "Part Tooling Sheet" forms (B. No. 103) repurposed as sketch supports — a comparison which, without certainty of a direct link, sheds light on Magès's working method consisting of successive sketches.