Torsional vibration damper

Claim 1

A VIBRATION DAMPER ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON A ROTATABLE SHAFT COMPRISING A FLUID TIGHT ANNULAR HOUSING MEMBER CONNECTABLE TO SAID SHAFT AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH; A MASS UNIT SYMMETRICALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING, SAID MASS UNIT BEING RESPONSIVE TO CENTRIFUGAL FORCE GENERATED BY SAID ROTATING SHAFT TO CHANGE ITS RADIAL POSITION UNIFORMLY AND BEING TORSIONALLY UNRESTRAINED TO PERMIT CIRCUMFERENTIAL MOVEMENT THEREOF RELATIVE TO SAID HOUSING; FRICTION MEANS CONNECTED TO THE NNER SURFACE OF SAID MASS UNIT AND BEING CIRCUMJACENT THE INNER WALL OF SAID ANNULAR HOUSING; AND A METERED QUANTITY OF LIQUID PARTIALLY FILLING THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID MASS UNIT AND SAID ANNULAR HOUSING, SAID MASS UNIT HAVING A SPECIFIC GRAVITY LESS THAN THAT OF SAID LIQUID WHEREBY THE CENTRIFUGAL FORCE GENERATED BY THE ROTATING SHAFT ACTS ON SAID MASS UNIT AND SAID LIQUID IN UNEQUAL PROPORTIONS RESULTING IN A NET POSITIVE INWARDLY RADIALLY DIRECTED FORCE ACTING ON SAID MASS UNIT CAUSING SAME TO MOVE SAID FRICTION MEANS INTO FRICTION DAMPING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ANNULAR HOUSING DURING WHICH TIME RELATIVE CIRCUMFERENTIAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE MASS UNIT AND LIQUID IS PERMITTED PRODUCING A VISCOUS DAMPING ACTION THEREBETWEEN.