Self-adjusting cushioned vehicle coupler arrangement

Claim 1

A SELF-ADJUSTING CUSHIONED VEHICLE COUPLER ARRANGEMENT FOR MOUNTING ON A VEHICLE FRAME EQUIPPED WITH A VEHICLE COUPLER, SAID ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING: A COUPLER ADAPTER HOUSING SECURABLE TO THE VEHICLE FRAME, A COUPLER SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING, MEANS FOR SECURING THE VEHICLE COUPLER OF SAID ADAPTER, AN INITIAL ENERGY-ABSORBER INCLUDING A HYDRAULIC PISTON OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID ADAPTER FOR TRAVEL THEREWITH AND A HYDRAULIC CYLINDER RECIPROCABLY RECEIVING SAID PISTON, A PRIMARY HYDROPNEUMATIC ACCUMULATOR HAVING A PRIMARY CYLINDER AND A PRIMARY PISTON THEREIN DIVIDING SAID PRIMARY CYLINDER INTO A PRIMARY HYDRAULIC CHAMBER AND A PRIMARY GAS CHAMBER CONTAINING A HIGH PRESSURE GAS, A HYDRAULIC FLUID CONDUIT CONNECTING SAID INITIAL ENERGY ABSORBER CYLINDER TO SAID PRIMARY CYLINDER WITH A FLUID FLOW-RESTRICTING ORIFICE THEREBETWEEN, A SECOND HYDROPNEUMATIC ACCULUMATOR HAVING A SECONDARY CYLINDER AND A SECONDARY PISTON THEREIN DIVIDING SAID SECONDARY CYLINDER INTO A SECONDARY HYDRAULIC CHAMBER AND A SECONDARY GAS CHAMBER CONTAINING A LOW PRESSURE GAS, AND CONTROL VALVE MEANS HYDRAULICALLY CONNECTED TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FLOW-RESTRICTING ORIFICE AND RESPONSIVE TO A RISE IN PRESSURE TO A HIGHER PRESSURE ON THE INITIAL ENERGY-ABSORBER SIDE OF SAID ORIFICE BEYOND A PREDETERMINED RATIO OF PRESSURES ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID ORIFICE TO CLOSE COMMUNICATION FROM SAID PRIMARY ACCULUMATOR TO SAID SECONDARY ACCUMULATOR AND RESPONSIVE TO A RISE OF PRESSURE ON THE ACCUMULATOR SIDE OF SAID ORIFICE TO A PREDETERMINED RATIO OF PRESSURES ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID ORIFICE TO OPEN COMMUNICATION FROM SAID ORIFICE AND PRIMARY HYDRAULIC CHAMBER TO SAID SECONDARY HYDRAULIC CHAMBER.