Shock absorber

Claim 1

A HYDRAULIC SHOCK ABSORBER COMPRISING A HOUSING ADAPTED TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY FILLED WITH HYDRAULIC FLUID, A HORIZONTAL PRESSURE TUBE WITHIN SAID HOUSING, A PISTON ASSEMBLY AXIALLY MOVABLE WITHIN SAID PRESSURE TUBE AND DIVIDING THE LATTER INTO A HIGH PRESSURE CHAMBER AND A LOW PRESSURE CHAMBER, SAID PISTON ASSEMBLY HAVING A NORMAL REST POSITION, A PISTON ROD CONNECTED TO SAID PISTON ASSEMBLY AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID PRESSURE TUBE AND SAID HOUSING FOR RECEIVING IMPACT FORCES, SAID PRESSURE TUBE HAVING BORE MEANS IN THE WALL THEREOF THROUGH WHICH HYDRAULIC FLUID IS METERED FROM SAID HIGH PRESSURE CHAMBER WHEN IMPACT FORCES ARE IMPOSED ON SAID PISTON ROD, SAID PRESSURE TUBE HAVING FIRST AND SECOND RADIAL PORTS IN THE UPPER SIDE OF THE WALL THEREOF, SAID FIRST PORT COMMUNICATING WITH SAID HIGH PRESSURE CHAMBER WHEN SAID PISTON ASSEMBLY IS SUBSTANTIALLY IN ITS NORMAL REST POSITION FOR PERMITTING TRAPPED AIR TO BLEED THEREFROM, SAID PISTON ASSEMBLY INTERRUPTING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID FIRST PORT AND SAID HIGH PRESSURE CHAMBER AS SAID PISTON ASSEMBLY MOVES AWAY FROM ITS NORMAL REST POSITION IN RESPONSE TO IMPACT FORCES IMPOSED ON SAID PISTON ROD WHEREBY TO PERMIT NORMAL METERING OPERATION OF SAID BORE MEANS, SAID SECOND PORT COMMUNICATING WITH SAID LOW PRESSURE CHAMBER WHEN SAID PISTON ASSEMBLY IS AXIALLY SPACED FROM ITS NORMAL REST POSITION FOR PERMITTING HYDRAULIC FLUID TO FLOW OUTWARDLY OF SAID LOW PRESSURE CHAMBER AS SAID PISTON ASSEMBLY MOVES TOWARD ITS NORMAL REST POSITION UPON THE REMOVAL OF IMPACT FORCES FROM SAID PISTON ROD, SAID PISTON ASSEMBLY INTERRUPTING COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN SAID SECOND PORT AND SAID LOW PRESSURE CHAMBER AS SAID PISTON ASSEMBLY CLOSELY APPROACHES ITS NORMAL REST POSITION FOR ENTRAPPING HYDRAULIC FLUID WITHIN SAID LOW PRESSURE CHAMBER WHEREBY TO CUSHION SAID PISTON ASSEMBLY, AND BAFFLE MEANS OVERLYING SAID FIRST AND SECOND PORTS FOR DEFLECTING FLUID EMITTED THROUGH SAID PORTS.