Vehicle suspension system

Claim 1

IN AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE SUSPENSION SYSTEM, THE COMBINATION INCLUDING A SPRUNG ASSEMBLY AND AN UNSPRUNG ASSEMBLY, SAID UNSPRUNG ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN AXLE AND A GROUND ENGAGING WHEEL MOUNTED ON SAID AXLE, A MAIN SUSPENSION SPRING ADJACENT SAID WHEEL AND CONNECTED WITH SAID SPRUNG AND UNSPRUNG ASSEMBLIES TO YIELDABLY SUPPORT THE SPRUNG ASSEMBLY ON THE UNSPRUNG ASSEMBLY, A HYDRAULIC DIRECT-ACTING TUBULAR SHOCK ABSORBER HAVING RELATIVELY RECIPROCATING TELESCOPING PARTS POSITIONED ADJACENT SAID MAIN SUSPENSION SPRING WITH ONE OF SAID PARTS CONNECTED TO SAID SPRUNG ASSEMBLY AND THE OTHER OF SAID PARTS CONNECTED TO SAID UNSPRUNG ASSEMBLY ADJACENT THE MAIN SUSPENSION SPRING, SAID SHOCK ABSORBER INCLUDING A GENERALLY TUBULARLY ARRANGED WALL STRUCTURE DISPOSED COAXIALLY AROUND THE SHOCK ABSORBER IN SPACED RELATION THERETO OF WHICH AT LEAST A PART OF WHICH STRUCTURE IS A FLEXIBLE RESILIENT TUBULAR MEMBER ONE END OF WHICH IS ATTACHED TO ONE OF SAID PARTS OF SAID SHOCK ABSORBER AND THE OTHER END OF WHICH IS CONNECTED WITH THE OTHER OF SAID PARTS OF SAID SHOCK ABSORBER AND COOPERATING THEREWITH TO FORM A FLUID PRESSURE RECEIVING CHAMBER OF AN AIR SPRING UNIT FORMED THEREBY THE SAID WALL STRUCTURE OF WHICH RECIPROCATES WITH THE RELATIVE RECIPROCATION OF THE SAID PARTS OF SAID SHOCK ABSORBER, REMOTELY POSITIONED MANUALLY OPERATED FLUID PRESSURE FLOW CONTROL MEANS PROVIDING FOR EITHER SUPPLY OF FLUID PRESSURE TO SAID AIR SPRING OR EXHAUST OF FLUID PRESSURE FROM SAID AIR SPRING UNDER MANUAL CONTROL, OTHER AUTOMATIC CONTROL VALVE MEANS ACTUATED BY INCREASE IN FLUID PRESSURE IN SAID AIR SPRING AUTOMATICALLY LIMITING MAXIMUM FLUID PRESSURE APPLIED TO SAID AIR SPRING DURING MANUALLY CONTROLLED SUPPLY OF FLUID PRESSURE TO SAID AIR SPRING, AND STILL ADDITIONAL CONTROL VALVE MEANS ACTUATED BY DECREASE IN FLUID PRESSURE IN SAID AIR SPRING AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING MINIMUM FLUID PRESSURE RETAINED IN SAID AIR SPRING DURING MANUALLY CONTROLLED EXHAUST OF FLUID PRESSURE FROM SAID AIR SPRING.