Shock lockout and piston system

Claim 2

A hydraulic direct acting shock absorber alternately having a normal dampening mode of operation and a lockout mode of operation comprising: a cylindrical pressure cylinder tube; valved piston means within said pressure cylinder tube for the regulation of fluid flow therethrough during the dampening mode of operation; a cylindrical bypass tube concentrically around said pressure cylinder tube and forming an annular bypass passageway therebetween; a reservoir tube concentrically around said bypass tube forming an annular reservoir chamber therebetween; a piston rod concentrically within said pressure cylinder tube for reciprocating said piston means in said pressure cylinder tube; piston rod sealing means encircling said piston rod and supported within one end of said pressure cylinder tube to prevent fluid leakage therebetween a base valve means on another end of said pressure cylinder tube for regulating fluid flow from said bypass passageway into said reservoir chamber and for regulating fluid flow from said reservoir chamber into said compression chamber; a variable volume rebound chamber within said pressure cylinder tube between said piston means and said sealing means; a variable volume compression chamber within said pressure cylinder tube between said piston means and said base valve means; said piston means including a cylindrical valve having a small diameter end and a large diameter end integrally joined by a variable diameter intermediate portion; said valve being supported at its small and larger diameter ends within said piston means for axial reciprocation between open and closed positions; a spring which normally biases said valve into a closed position; means for exposing said small diameter end of the valve to fluid pressure in said compression chamber which causes said valve to move into an open position against the force of said spring in response to a predetermined pressure level within the compression chamber; fluid passageway means for exposing said intermediate portion of the valve to fluid pressure in said rebound chamber which causes said valve to move into an open position against the force of said spring in response to a predetermined pressure level within the rebound chamber; a rotatable pilot valve within said piston means adjacent said large diameter end of the valve; reversible rotative drive means operably attached to said pilot valve to pivot said pilot valve between a normal dampening position and a lockout position; fluid passage means in said pilot valve for transmitting fluid pressure from said rebound and compression chambers against said large diameter end of said cylindrical valve when the pilot valve is in a lockout position and whereby pressure forces on said large diameter end of the valve counterbalance pressure forces on said small diameter end of the valve and on said intermediate portion of the valve to maintain said valve in a closed position by said spring force and consequently to prohibit reciprocation of said piston means within said pressure cylinder tube.

Claim 3

A hydraulic direct acting shock absorber alternately having a normal dampening mode of operation and a lockout mode of operation comprising: a pressure cylinder tube; valved piston means within said pressure cylinder tube for the regulation of fluid flow therethrough during the dampening mode of operation; a reservoir tube concentrically around said pressure cylinder tube and enclosing an annular reservoir chamber therein; a piston rod concentrically within said pressure cylinder tube for reciprocating said piston means and said pressure cylinder tube; piston rod sealing means encircling said piston rod and supported within one end of said pressure cylinder tube to prevent fluid leakage therebetween; a variable volume rebound chamber and a variable volume compression chamber on opposite sides of said piston means within said pressure cylinder tube; said piston means including a cylindrical valve having a small diameter end and a large diametEr end integrally joined by a variable diameter intermediate portion; said valve being supported at its small and large diameter ends within said piston means for axial reciprocation between open and closed positions; a spring which normally biases said valve into a closed position; means for exposing said small diameter end of the valve to fluid pressure in said compression chamber which causes said valve to move into an open position against the force of said spring in response to a predetermined pressure level within the compression chamber; fluid passageway means for exposing said intermediate portion of the valve to fluid pressure in said rebound chamber which causes said valve to move into an open position against the force of said spring in response to a predetermined pressure level within the rebound chamber; a rotatable pilot valve within said piston means adjacent said large diameter end of the valve; reversible rotative drive means operably attached to said pilot valve to pivot said pilot valve between a normal dampening position and a lockout position; fluid passage means in said pilot valve for transmitting fluid pressure form said rebound and compression chambers against the said large diameter end of said cylindrical valve when the pilot valve is in a lockout position and whereby pressure forces on said large diameter end of the valve counterbalance pressure forces on said small diameter end of the valve and on said intermediate portion of the valve to maintain said valve in a closed position by said spring force and consequently to prohibit reciprocation of said piston means within said pressure cylinder tube.

Claim 4

A hydraulic direct acting shock absorber alternately having a normal dampening mode of operation and a lockout mode of operation comprising: a pressure cylinder tube; valved piston means within said pressure cylinder tube for the regulation of fluid flow therethrough during the dampening mode of operation; a reservoir tube concentrically around said pressure cylinder tube and enclosing an annular reservoir chamber therein; a piston rod concentrically within said pressure cylinder tube for reciprocating said piston means and said pressure cylinder tube; piston rod sealing means encircling said piston rod and supported within one end of said pressure cylinder tube to prevent fluid leakage therebetween; a variable volume rebound chamber and a variable volume compression chamber on opposite sides of said piston means within said pressure cylinder tube; said piston means including a cylindrical valve having a small diameter end and a large diametEr end integrally joined by a variable diameter intermediate portion; said valve being supported at its small and large diameter ends within said piston means for axial reciprocation between open and closed positions; a spring which normally biases said valve into a closed position; means for exposing said small diameter end of the valve to fluid pressure in said compression chamber which causes said valve to move into an open position against the force of said spring in response to a predetermined pressure level within the compression chamber; fluid passageway means for exposing said intermediate portion of the valve to fluid pressure in said rebound chamber which causes said valve to move into an open position against the force of said spring in response to a predetermined pressure level within the rebound chamber; a rotatable pilot valve within said piston means adjacent said large diameter end of the valve; reversible rotative drive means operably attached to said pilot valve to pivot said pilot valve between a normal dampening position and a lockout position; fluid passage means in said pilot valve for transmitting fluid pressure form said rebound and compression chambers against the said large diameter end of said cylindrical valve when the pilot valve is in a lockout position and whereby pressure forces on said large diameter end of the valve counterbalance pressure forces on said small diameter end of the valve and on said intermediate portion of the valve to maintain said valve in a closed position by said spring force and consequently to prohibit reciprocation of said piston means within said pressure cylinder tube.

Claim 5

A hydraulic direct acting shock absorber alternately having a normal dampening mode of operation and a lockout mode of operation comprising: a pressure cylinder tube; valved piston means within said pressure cylinder tube for the regulation of fluid flow therethrough during the dampening mode of operation; a bypass tube concentrically around said pressure cylinder tube and forming an annular bypass passageway therebetween; a reservoir tube concentrically around said bypass tube forming an annular reservoir chamber therebetween a piston rod concentrically within said pressure cylinder tube for reciprocating said piston means in said pressure cylinder tube; piston rod sealing means encircling said piston rod and supported within one end of said pressure cylinder tube to prevent fluid leakage therebetween; a variable volume rebound chamber and a variable volume compression chamber on opposite sides of said piston means within said pressure cylinder tube; base valve means on another end of said pressure cylinder tube for regulating fluid flow from said bypass passageway to said reservoir chamber and for regulating fluid flow from said reservoir chamber into said compression chamber; said piston means including a cylindrical valve having a small diameter end and a large diameter end integrally joined by a variable diameter intermediate portion; said valve being supported at its small and large diameter ends within said piston means for axial reciprocation between open and close positions; a spring which normally biases said valve into a closed position; means for exposing said small diameter end of the valve to fluid pressure in said compression chamber which causes said valve to move into an open position against the force of said spring in response to a predetermined pressure level within the compression chamber fluid passageway means for exposing said intermediate portion of the valve to fluid pressure in said rebound chamber which causes said valve to move into an open position against the force of said spring in response to a predetermined pressure level with the rebound chamber; a rotatable pilot valve within said piston means means adjacent said large diameter end of the valve; reversible rotative drive means operably attached to said pilot valve to pivot said pilot valve; said drive means including a DC motor for pivoting said pilot valve betWeen a normal dampening position and a lockout position; circuit means connecting said DC motor to a DC power source including first and second switch means coactive together in the circuit to energize said DC motor to pivot said pilot valve between its dampening position and its lockout position and to deenergize said DC motor when said pilot valve attains its dampening and lockout positions; said first switch means operably connected to said pilot valve to reverse the polarity of the DC motor leads after pivoting said pilot valve between dampening and lockout positions; said second switch means being selectively operable to energize said DC motor through said first switch means; fluid passage means in said pilot valve for transmitting fluid pressure from said rebound and compression chambers against said large diameter end of said cylindrical valve when the pilot valve is in a lockout position and whereby pressure forces on said large diameter end of the valve counterbalance pressure forces on said small diameter end of the valve and on said intermediate portion of the valve to maintain said valve in a closed position by said spring force and consequently to prohibit reciprocation of said piston means within said pressure cylinder tube.

Claim 6

A hydraulic direct acting shock absorber alternately having a normal dampening mode of operation and a lockout mode of operation comprising: a pressure cylinder tube; valved piston means within said pressure cylinder tube for the regulation of fluid flow therethrough during the dampening mode of operation; a bypass tube concentrically around said pressure cylinder tube and forming an annular bypass passageway therebetween; a reservoir tube concentrically around said bypass tube forming an annular reservoir chamber therebetween a piston rod concentrically within said pressure cylinder tube for reciprocating said piston means in said pressure cylinder tube; piston rod sealing means encircling said piston rod and supported within one end of said pressure cylinder tube to prevent fluid leakage therebetween; a variable volume rebound chamber and a variable volume compression chamber on opposite sides of said piston means within said pressure cylinder tube; base valve means on another end of said pressure cylinder tube for regulating fluid flow from said bypass passageway to said reservoir chamber and for regulating fluid flow from said reservoir chamber into said compression chamber; said piston means including a cylindrical valve having a small diameter end and a large diameter end integrally joined by a variable diameter intermediate portion; said valve being supported at its small and large diameter ends within said piston means for axial reciprocation between open and close positions; a spring which normally biases said valve into a closed position; means for exposing said small diameter end of the valve to fluid pressure in said compression chamber which causes said valve to move into an open position against the force of said spring in response to a predetermined pressure level within the compression chamber fluid passageway means for exposing said intermediate portion of the valve to fluid pressure in said rebound chamber which causes said valve to move into an open position against the force of said spring in response to a predetermined pressure level with the rebound chamber; a rotatable pilot valve within said piston means means adjacent said large diameter end of the valve; reversible rotative drive means operably attached to said pilot valve to pivot said pilot valve; said drive means including a DC motor for pivoting said pilot valve betWeen a normal dampening position and a lockout position; circuit means connecting said DC motor to a DC power source including first and second switch means coactive together in the circuit to energize said DC motor to pivot said pilot valve between its dampening position and its lockout position and to deenergize said DC motor when said pilot valve attains its dampening and lockout positions; said first switch means operably connected to said pilot valve to reverse the polarity of the DC motor leads after pivoting said pilot valve between dampening and lockout positions; said second switch means being selectively operable to energize said DC motor through said first switch means; fluid passage means in said pilot valve for transmitting fluid pressure from said rebound and compression chambers against said large diameter end of said cylindrical valve when the pilot valve is in a lockout position and whereby pressure forces on said large diameter end of the valve counterbalance pressure forces on said small diameter end of the valve and on said intermediate portion of the valve to maintain said valve in a closed position by said spring force and consequently to prohibit reciprocation of said piston means within said pressure cylinder tube.

Claim 7

A shock absorber as set forth in claim 3; and pressure relief passage means in said pilot valve for withdrawing fluid pressure forces from said large diameter end of the valve when said pilot valve is in a dampening position.

Claim 8

A shock absorber as set forth in claim 3; said drive means including a gear which is attached to and rotated by said DC motor; a gear sector coactive with said rotative gear; a valve rod extending axially through said piston rod and attached at one end to said pilot valve and attached at another end to said gear sector.

Claim 9

A shock absorber as set forth in claim 3; said piston means including a high pressure relief valve which is opened to permit fluid flow from said compression chamber to said rebound chamber in response to a predetermined fluid pressure in said compression chamber.