Hydropneumatic shock absorber

Claim 1

A hydropneumatic shock absorber comprising, in combination: a. an outer shell member and an inner cylinder member elongated in a common direction, 1. said cylinder member having a longitudinal axis and being received in said shell member, 2. said members defining an annular chamber therebetween; b. a first annular end wall and a second imperforate end wall axially bounding said chamber and a cavity in said cylinder member; c. a piston member axially slidable in said cavity and axially dividing the same into a first compartment adjacent said first end wall and a second compartment adjacent said second end wall, 1. said piston member being formed with a throttling passage having respective orifices in said compartments for flow of fluid between said compartments; d. a piston rod member attached to said piston member and extending therefrom through said first compartment and outward of said cavity; e. sealing means sealIng said piston rod member to said first end wall, 1. the first end wall being upwardly spaced from said second end wall in the normal operating position of said shock absorber; f. connecting means defining a permanently open connecting conduit between said chamber and said second compartment for flow of fluid therebetween; g. a gas under a pressure substantially greater than atmospheric pressure substantially confined in said chamber adjacent said first end wall in said operating position of the shock absorber; h. a liquid substantially completely filling said compartments, said passage, and said conduit, and filling the remainder of said chamber in direct contact with said gas in said operating position of the shock absorber; i. check valve means connecting a portion of said first compartment axially adjacent said first end wall and radially remote from said piston rod with said chamber for permitting flow of fluid toward said chamber only; j. an annular baffle member arranged in said first compartment axially intermediate said check valve means and said piston member in axial alignment with an orifice of said throttling passage in said first compartment, 1. said cylinder member being formed with an opening connecting said first compartment with said chamber and having an orifice in said chamber adjacent said first end wall, 2. said check valve means including a resilient sleeve member on said cylinder member and normally covering said orifice, 3. said first end wall having an axially terminal portion conformingly received in an end portion of said cylinder member, and 4. said first end wall having another axial portion contiguous to said terminal portion and projecting from said cylinder member in an axial direction.