So very stuck...

It doesn't come in "all at once" at all, it varies as the manifold depression goes up & down, the can arms are notched to control the maximum the can will add to the basic total You've set...the spring tension adjuster is the control of the "curve".
This is what I thought, so a stiffer spring should act as the curve creator forcing the timing to not advance all at once. Allowing a person to set initial timing, then once accelerating more timing comes on as the motor advances in rpms and the throttle blades open up more, allowing more vacuum on the can therefore pulling more timing in that " curve". I can see it in my head... just cant seem to put it on paper as it were.