Impact absorbing apparatus

Claim 1

IN AN IMPACT ABSORBING APPARATUS FOR INTERPOSITIION BETWEEN THE DRAFT GEAR AND THE LADING IN A RAILWAY CAR OF THE TYPE HAVING A BUFF AND A DRAFT CENTER SILL AND A LADING SUPPORTING FRAME MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, THE APPARATUS HAVING A PAIR OF HEADS NORMALLY ABUTTED AGAINST STOP LUGS CARRIED ON THE CENTER SILL AND FORCE TRANSMITTING STOPS CARRIED ON THE LADING SUPPORTING FRAME, AND A SPRING URGING THE HEADS TOWARD NORMAL POSITION, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING, A CYLINDER MOUNTING ONE OF THE HEADS, A FLUID RESERVOIR MOUNTING THE OTHER OF THE HEADS, A PISTON SLIDABLE IN SAID CYLINDER, A PIATON ROD CONNECTED TO SAID PISTON AND TO SAID FLUID RESERVOIR, A BORE THROUGH SAID PISTON ROD OPEN TO THE HEAD END OF THE CYLINDER, FIRST PORTS IN SAID PISTON ROD CONNECTING SAID BORE WITH SAID RESERVOIR, SECOND PORTS IN SAID PISTON ROD CONNECTING SAID BORE WITH THE ROD END OF SAID CYLINDER, CHECK VALVE CONTROLLED PASSAGES THROUGH SAID PISTON PERMITTING FLUID FLOW ONLY FROM THE ROD END TO THE HEAD END OF SAID CYLINDER, A TAPERED FLOW METERING PIN IN SAID CYLINDER ADAPTED TO ENTER SAID PISTON ROD BORE TO RESTRICT INCREASINGLY FLUID FLOW THERETHROUGH DURING AN IMPACT ABSORBING MOVEMENT OF THE PISTON IN THE CYLINDER, AND A PLURALITY OF AIR FILLED COMPRESSIBLE HOLLOW RINGS SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING SAID RESERVOIR WHEN THE IMPACT ABSORBING APPARATUS IS IN EXTENDED POSITION AND ADAPTED TO BE COMPRESSED UPON THE TRANSFER OF FLUID FROM THE HEAD END OF THE CYLINDER TO THE RESERVOIR.