Rolling lobe airspring and assembly method

Claim 2

A rolling lobe airspring for mounting between two members and capable of relative motion between them comprising: a flexible tubular member of substantially even thickness throughout its length and circumference; a ring fitting; and a piston having an end secured in airtight manner to an end of the flexible member by a ring fitting, the piston including a circumferentially extending recess of a depth corresponding approximately to the thickness of the flexible member, the recess being adjacent the end of the piston secured to the flexible member, the piston end of the flexible member lying in the recess, the manner in which the piston is secured to the flexible member being such that the piston may move axially into the tubular flexible member and the walls of the flexible member may form a lobe encasing the piston, wherein the end of the flexible member which is secured to the piston substantially fills the recess and extends axially away from and beyond where it is secured to the piston end.

Claim 3

A rolling lobe airspring for mounting between two members and capable of relative motion between them comprising: a flexible tubular member of substantially even thickness throughout its length and circumference; a pair of ring fittings; a plug secured in airtight manner to one of the two ends of the flexible member by one of the ring fittings; and a piston having an end secured in airtight manner to the other end of the flexible member by the other ring fitting, the piston including a circumferentially extending recess of a depth corresponding approximately to the thickness of the flexible member, the recess being adjacent the end of the piston which is secured to the flexible member, the piston end of the flexible member lying in the recess, the manner in which the piston is secured to the flexible member being such that the piston may move axially into the tubular flexible member and the walls of the flexible member may form a lobe encasing the piston, wherein the end of the flexible member which is secured to the piston lies in the recess and substantially fills said recess and extends axially away from and beyond where it is secured to the piston end; the flexible member, plug, and piston together forming an airtight chamber between them.

Claim 4

A rolling lobe airspring for mounting between two members and capable of relative motion between them comprising: a flexible tubular member of substantially even thickness throughout its length and circumference; a pair of ring fittings; a plug secured in airtight manner to one of the two ends of the flexible member by one of the ring fittings; and a piston having an end secured in airtight manner to the other end of the flexible member by the other ring fitting, the piston including a circumferentially extending recess of a depth corresponding approximately to the thickness of the flexible member, the recess being adjacent the end of the piston which is secured to the flexible member, the piston end of the flexible member lying in the recess, the manner in which the piston is secured to the flexible member being such that the piston may move axially into the tubular flexible member and the walls of the flexible member may form a lobe encasing the piston, wherein the end of the flexible member which is secured to the piston lies in the recess and substantially fills said recess and extends axially away from and beyond where it is secured to the piston end; the flexible member, plug, and piston together forming an airtight chamber between them.

Claim 5

The airspring of Claim 1 or 2 wherein the end of the recess which is opposite the end of the pis-ton which is secured to the flexible member is of a diameter substantially corresponding to the inside diameter of the undeformed flexible member.

Claim 6

The airspring of Claim 1 or 2 wherein the outside diameter of the piston where it is secured to the flexible membrane is at least 75 percent of the inside diameter of the undeformed flexible member.

Claim 7

The airspring of Claim 1 or 2, wherein the outside diameter of the piston where it is secured to the flexible member is at least 90 percent of the inside diameter of` the undeformed flexible member.

Claim 8

The airspring of Claim 1 or 2, wherein the outside diameter of the piston where it is secured to the flexible member is about 95 percent of the inside diameter of the undeformed flexible member.

Claim 9

The airspring of Claim 1 or 2 wherein the length of the flexible membrane extending beyond where it is secured to the piston end and lying in the recess is at least three millimeters.

Claim 10

A method of assembly of a rolling lobe airspring of the type claimed in Claim 1, the method of assembly including: (a) inserting the coaxially aligned piston into the flexible member such that the end of the flexible member extends beyond and entirely covers the recess, and thereafter (b) securing the flexible member to the end of the piston in airtight manner by means of a ring-shaped fitting.

Claim 11

The method of assembly according to Claim 8, further including, after securing the flexible member to the piston, cutting off the flexible member, at a point corresponding to the end of the recess distal the piston ring-shaped fitting such that the end of the flexible member substantially fills the recess.

Claim 12

The method of assembly according to Claim 8, further including forming an end of the flexible member such that an inside chamfer exists the sides of which form an in-cluded angle of not greater than about 170 degrees but not less than about 90 degrees, and inserting the piston into the chamfered end of the flexible member such that the chamfered end extends a predetermined amount beyond the recess, the chamfered end of the flexible member being drawn back toward the ring-shaped fitting and dropping into and substantially filling the recess.

Claim 13

The method of assembly according to Claim 8 wherein the piston includes a recess the end of which distal the ring-shaped fitting forms an angle less than 90 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the piston further including: forming an end of the flexible member approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the flexible member prior to insertion of the piston; inserting the piston into the flexible member such that the approximately perpendicular end of the flexible member extends a predetermined amount beyond the recess, the approximately perpendicular end of the flexible member being drawn back toward the ring-shaped fitting and dropping into and substantially filling the recess.

Claim 14

A method of assembly of a rolling lobe airspring of the type claimed in Claim 1 or 2, the method of assembly including: (a) inserting the coaxially aligned piston into the flexible member such that the end of the flexible member extends beyond and entirely covers the recess, and thereafter (b) securing the flexible member to the end of the piston in airtight manner by means of a ring-shaped fitting, and thereafter (c) trimming off the piston end of the flexible member at a point corresponding to the end of the recess distal the piston ring-shaped fitting such that the end of the trimmed flexible member substantially fills the recess.