Stepless or continuously adjustable shock absorber

Claim 1

CONTINUOUSLY ADJUSTABLE SHOCK ABSORBER, COMPRISING A CYLINDER HAVING AN OPERATING CHAMBER CONTAINING DAMPING FLUID, AN OPERATING PISTON DISPLACEABLY LOCATED IN SAID CYLINDER AND DIVIDING SAID OPERATING CHAMBER INTO TWO SPACES ON RESPECTIVE OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID OPERATING PISTON, SAID PISTON BEING FORMED WITH A PLURALITY OF FLOWTHROUGH CHANNELS, A PISTON ROD OF HOLLOW CONSTRUCTION CARRYING SAID OPERATING PISTON, THE HOLLOW INTERIOR OF SAID PISTON ROD FORMING A FLUID FLOW-THROUGH PATH BETWEEN SAID OPERATING CHAMBER SPACES, AN ADJUSTING ROD LOCATED IN SAID HOLLOW PISTON ROD, SAID ADJUSTING ROD BEING MOVABLE IN SAID PISTON ROD FOR STEPLESSLY ADJUSTING ROD BEING MOVABLE FLOW-THROUGH CROSS SECTION OF SAID FLOW-THROUGH PATH, SPRING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID PISTON ROD AND LOCATED ADJACENT SAID OPERATING PISTON, AN ADJUSTING PISTON MOUNTED ON SAID PISTON ROD AND DEFINING AN ANNULAR SPACE WITH SAID OPERATING PISTON, SAID ADJUSTING PISTON BEING AXIALLY DISPLACEABLE INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SPRING MEANS, ANNULAR SPRING PLATE VALVE MEANS SUPPORTED AT THEIR RADIALLY INNER EDGE ON SAID HOLLOW PISTON ROD AND ABUTTING AT THE RADIALLY OUTER EDGE THEREOF AGAINST SAID ADJUSTING PISTON, SAID ADJUSTING PISTON BEING FORMED WITH THROTTLING BORE MEANS PROVIDING FLUID-CONDUCTIVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID ANNULAR SPACE AND SAID FLOW-THROUGH CHANNELS OF SAID OPERATING PISTON, WHEREBY SAID ANNULAR SPACE IS FLUID-CONDUCTIVELY CONNECTED AT ALL TIMES WITH THE ONE OR THE OTHER OPERATING CHAMBER SPACES BY SAID THROTTLING BORE MEANS AND SAID FLUID FLOW-THROUGH CHANNELS OF SAID OPERATING PISTON ON THE ONE HAND AND BY SAID STEPLESSLY ADJUSTABLE FLOW-THROUGH PATH IN THE HOLLOW INTERIOR OF SAID PISTON ROD ON THE OTHER HAND, DEPENDING UPON THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF SAID DAMPING FLUID.