Impact absorbing apparatus

Claim 1

AN IMPACT ABSORBING APPARATUS FOR INTERPOSITION BETWEEN THE DRAFT GEAR AND THE LADING IN A RAILWAY CAR OF THE TYPE HAVING A CENTER SILL AND A LADING SUPPORTING FRAME MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, THE APPARATUS HAVING A PAIR OF HEADS NORMALLY ABUTTED AGAINST STOPS CARRIED ON THE CENTER SILL AND FORCE TRANSMITTING MEMBERS CARRIED ON THE LADING SUPPORTING FRAME, A CYLINDER MOUNTING ONE OF THE HEADS, A PISTON ROD MOUNTED ON THE OTHER OF THE HEADS AND PROJECTING INTO THE CYLINDER, A PISTON SLIDABLE IN THE CYLINDER AND FIXED TO THE ROD, A FLUID RESERVOIR SURROUNDING THE CYLINDER, AND A SPRING INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE OTHER OF THE HEADS AND THE CYLINDER TO URGE THE HEADS TOWARDS NORMAL POSITION, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF FLUID FLOW RESTRICTING ORIFICES IN THE SIDE WALL OF THE CYLINDER BEYOND THE HEAD END OF THE PISTON IN ITS NORMAL POSITION, SAID ORIFICES BEING SPACED LONGITUDINALLY AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE RESERVOIR SO THAT WHEN THE HEADS ARE MOVED TOWARD EACH OTHER HYDRAULIC FLUID IS EXPELLED FROM THE HEAD END OF THE CYLINDER AND TAKEN IN AT THE ROD END OF THE CYLINDER AND THE PISTON PROGRESSIVELY CLOSED AND ORIFICES IN THE HEAD END TO DIMINISH THE FLUID OUTFLOW RATE FROM THE HEAD END, FLOW RESTRICTING MEANS IN THE RESERVOIR LIMITING THE FLUID FLOW THROUGH THE RESERVOIR LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CYLINDER, AND A CHECK VALVE CONTROLLED PASSAGE BETWEEN THE RESERVOIR AND THE HEAD END OF THE CYLINDER TO ACCOMMODATE RAPID INFLOW OF FLUID WHEN THE SPRING IS RESTORING THE HEADS TO NORMAL POSITION.