Device for preventing multiple rebounds of an impacting mass

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH SHOCK TESTING MACHINE HAVING A MASS THAT IS RAISED ABOVE AN IMMOVABLE MEMBER AND DROPPED ON THE IMMOVABLE MEMBER, GUIDE MEANS SECURED TO SAID MASS, AND A VERTICALLY EXTENDING ROD ENGAGING SAID GUIDE MEANS TO GUIDE THE FALL OF SAID MASS, A MEANS FOR PREVENTING MULTIPLE REBOUNDS OF SAID MASS AFTER THE INITIAL IMPACT THEREOF COMPRISING: (A) FLUID CYLINDER MEANS DEFINED BY A VERTICALLY EXTENDING PERIPHERAL SLEEVE TERMINATED IN TOP AND BOTTOM CLOSED ENDS EACH HAVING A CENTRAL APERTURE; (B) A CENTRALLY POSITIONED CYLINDRICAL TUBE DEFINING AN INSIDE SURFACE DEPENDING FROM SAID TOP END INCLUDING A TRANSVERSE PASSAGE THROUGH SAID TUBE ADJACENT TO SAID TOP END; (C) RECIPROCATIVE, CLYINDRICAL PISTON MEANS INCLUDING A CENTRAL PASSAGE AND AN ENLARGED FLANGE AT ONE END DIMENSIONED TO SLIDABLY ENGAGE THE INSIDE SURFACE OF SAID CYLINDRICAL TUBE, THE OTHER END BEING DIMENSIONED TO SLIDABLY PASS THROUGH THE APERTURE IN SAID TOP END AND TO EXTEND ABOVE SAID FLUID CYLINDER MEANS, THE STROKE OF SAID PISTION BEING LONGER THAN THE LENGTH OF SAID CLYINDRICAL TUBE, SAID ROD PASSING THROUGH SAID CENTRAL PASSAGE IN SAID PISTON AND THROUGH THE APERTURE IN SAID BOTTOM END THEREBY FORMING A CONCENTRIC CONSTRUCTION OF SAID ROD, PISTON, CYLINDRICAL TUBE AND SAID FLUID CYLINDER MEANS; AND (D) MEANS FOR SUPPLYING FLUID TO SAID FLUID CYLINDER MEANS FOR DEVELOPING A CONTINUOUS UPWARD FORCE ON SAID FLANGE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLING THE WEIGHT OF SAID MASS.