Combined assist spring and shock absorber unit

Claim 1

IN A COMBINED ASSIST SPRING AND SHOCK ABSORBER UNIT OF THE TYPE INCLUDING A PAIR OF RELATIVELY MOVABLE TELESCOPING PARTS, MEANS AT THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID PARTS FOR ATTACHING THE SAME TO A VEHICLE OR THE LIKE, ONE OF SAID TELESCOPING PARTS INCLUDING AN OUTER TUBULAR MEMBER LONGITUDINALLY OUTWARDLY FIXED WITH RESPECT TO THE ASSOCIATED ATTACHING MEANS THEREOF, A SPACER ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ON THE EXTERIOR PERIPHERY OF SAID OUTER TUBULAR MEMBER, AND COIL SPRING MEANS MOUNTED IN SURROUNDING RELATION TO SAID SPACER ASSEMBLY AND HAVING THE ENDS THEREOF LONGITUDINALLY OUTWARDLY FIXED WITH RESPECT TO SAID ATTACHING MEANS RESPECTIVELY, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES SAID SPACER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING RESILIENT PAD MEANS MOVABLE INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EXTERIOR PERIPHERY OF SAID OUTER TUBULAR MEMBER BY A MOVEMENT INCLUDING A RADIALLY INWARD COMPONENT, SAID PAD MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING OUTER PAD PORTIONS HAVING OUTER SURFACES DISPOSED GENERALLY IN A CYLINDRICAL PLANE OF A SIZE LESS THAN THE INTERIOR SIZE OF SAID COIL SPRING MEANS, SAID PAD MEANS PROVIDING OUTWARDLY FACING SURFACES DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF EACH OF SAID OUTER PAD PORTIONS GENERALLY IN A CYLINDRICAL PLANE OF A SIZE LESS THAN THE SIZE OF THE CYLINDRICAL PLANE OF SAID OUTER PAD PORTION SURFACES AND GREATER THAN THE SIZE OF SAID OUTER TUBULAR MEMBER, PAD RETAINING MEANS MOVABLE FROM A RECEIVING POSITION INTO A PAD RETAINING POSITION BY A MOVEMENT INCLUDING A RADIALLY INWARD COMPONENT, AND MEANS FOR SECURING SAID PAD RETAINING MEANS IN SAID PAD RETAINING POSITION, SAID PAD RETAINING MEANS IN SAID PAD RETAINING POSITION INCLUDING METALLIC WALL PORTIONS ENGAGING THE OUTWARDLY FACING SURFACES OF SAID PAD MEANS AND HAVING OPENINGS THEREIN OF A SIZE TO RECEIVE SAID OUTER PAD PORTIONS, SAID OUTER PAD PORTIONS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID OPENINGS.