Hydropneumatic cable tensioner

Claim 1

A HYDROPNEUMATIC CABLE TENSIONER COMPRISING A BASE, A CYLINDER CLOSED AT ONE END AND MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, A FIRST CABLE SHEAVE MOUNTED ON SAID BASE ADJACENT SAID ONE END OF SAID CYLINDER, A PISTON RECIPROCABLE SAID CYLINDER, A PISTON ROD CONNECTED TO SAID PISTON AND EXTENDING FROM THE OTHER END OF SAID CYLINDER, A HEAD SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSING SAID OTHER END OF SAID CYLINDER AND PASSING SAID PISTON ROD, A SECOND CABLE SHEAVE MOUNTED ON THE EXTENDED END OF SAID PISTON ROD, A CABLE REAVED AROUND SAID FIRST CABLE SHEAVE AND SAID SECOND CABLE SHEAVE AND WHEN TENSIONED ADAPTED TO URGE SAID PISTON ROD INTO SAID CYLINDER, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING SAID ONE END OF SAID CYLINDER WITH AIR UNDER PRESSURE TENDING TO MOVE SAID PISTON ROD OUT OF SAID CYLINDER AT A DANGEROUS SPEED IF UNRESTRAINED, A SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED RESERVOIR ADAPTED TO HOLD OIL, MEANS FORMING A FIRST PORT IN SAID OTHER END OF SAID CYLINDER IN A POSITION OUT OF THE TRAVERSE PATH OF SAID PISTON, MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID FIRST PORT AND SAID RESERVOIR, A CHECK VALVE IN SAID CONNECTING MEANS CHECKING FLOW TOWARD SAID RESERVOIR, MEANS IN SAID CONNECTING MEANS FOR VARIABLY LIMITING FLOW THEREIN AROUND SAID CHECK VALVE TO RATES AT WHICH SAID PISTON ROD IS THEREBY RESTRAINED TO MOVE OUT OF SAID CYLINDER AT SAFE SPEEDS, MEANS FORMING A CHARACTERIZED SURFACE ON SAID PISTON, MEANS FORMING A SECOND PORT IN SAID OTHER END OF SAID CYLINDER IN A POSITION IN THE TRAVERSE PATH OF SAID PISTON, MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID SECOND PORT AND SAID RESERVOIR AND INTERCONNECTING MEANS ARE PEOVIDED FOR SUPPLYING SAID RESERVOIR WITH AIR UNDER PRESSURE FROM SAID ONE END OF SAID CYLINDER.