Rotary viscous fluid damper

Claim 1

A DAMPER STRUCTURE COMPRISING: A HOUSING; A SHAFT JOURNALED IN SAID HOUSING, SAID SHAFT AND HOUSING DEFINING AN ANNULAR CYLINDRICAL SPACE CONTAINING VISCOUS FLUID, SAID FLUID HAVING A VISCOSITY WHICH VARIES WITH VARIATIONS IN TEMPERATURE; A PLURALITY OF DISK-LIKE ROTATABLE VANES MOUNTED TO AND EXTENDING FROM SAID SHAFT THROUGH SAID CYLINDRICAL SPACE TO INTERSECT AT AN ANGLE THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT THEREBY DEFINING A PLURALITY OF ZONES; AND A PLURALITY OF VISCOSITY-VARIANCE COMPENSATING BIMETALLIC DISKS MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING AND INTERLEAVED IN SAID PLURALITY OF ZONES THEREBY DEFINING A PLURALITY OF SHEAR REGIONS, A PAIR OF SAID DISKS BEING ARRANGED FOR COOPERATION WITH EACH OF SAID VANES, SAID DISKS COMPRISING LAMINATIONS OF DISSIMILAR BIMETALLIC MATERIALS ADAPTED TO DEFLECT UNDER VARYING TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS AND VARY THE EXTENT OF THE SHEAR REGIONS ON EACH LATERAL SIDE OF SAID VANES WHEREBY THE VISCOSITY RESISTANCE OF THE FLUID BETWEEN AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH VANES AND DISKS WILL RESULT IN A RELATIVELY CONSTANT RETARDING AND DAMPING OF THE ROTATION OF SAID VANES.