Energy-absorbing safety apparatus

Claim 2

In apparatus for absorbing shock forces impacting upon a body structure, the combination of a bumper positioned at one end of the body structure, bracket means secured to said bumper and extending toward said body structure, said bracket means including bracket arms adapted to carry said bumper between a ready position normally extended outwardly from said body structure and a recoil position displaced towards said body structure following impact of said shock forces upon the bumper, resilient means mounted between said body structure and bumper and adapted to yieldably urge said bumper to said ready position, and hydraulic fluid shock absorbing means includIng cylinder means carried by said body structure and having a head end and a rod end, piston means mounted for movement within said cylinder means, hydraulic fluid confined within said cylinder means to restrict said movement of said piston means, and piston rod means interconnecting said piston means with said bracket arms, said piston rod means including a rod distal end projecting through the rod end of said cylinder means in a direction remote from said bumper, said piston means being disposed adjacent said head end with said bumper in said ready position and said piston means being disposed adjacent said rod end with the bumper in said recoil position, first articulated joint means interconnecting said rod distal end for movement with said bracket arms, and second articulated joint means interconnecting said cylinder means with said body structure whereby impact forces having direction components oblique to the longitudinal axis of the body structure are absorbed while said first and second joint means undergo articulation to substantially maintain alignment of said piston rod means within said cylinder means.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1 in which said body structure comprises a vehicle, said bumper is positioned to extend laterally across one end of said vehicle, and said cylinder means comprises a plurality of cylinders transversely spaced-apart and carried at said one end of the vehicle, said piston means including a piston mounted for movement within each cylinder and said bracket means comprises laterally spaced-apart pairs of said bracket arms extending between said bumper and the distal ends of said piston rod means.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 2 in which said bracket arms of each of said arm pairs project along diametrically opposed lateral sides of respective cylinders.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 2 in which said shock absorbing means includes means to direct a restricted flow of said hydraulic fluid between the head and rod ends of said cylinder means during movement of said piston means therein.

Claim 6

In apparatus for absorbing shock forces impacting upon a vehicle having a frame member adjacent one end thereof, the combination of a bumper positioned at one end of and extending laterally across said vehicle, bracket means secured to said bumper and extending toward said vehicle, said bracket means including bracket arms adapted to carry said bumper between a ready position normally extended outwardly from said vehicle and a recoil position displaced toward said vehicle following impect of said shock forces upon the bumper, resilient spring means mounted between said vehicle and bumper and adapted to yieldably urge said bumper to said ready position, and hydraulic fluid shock absorbing means including cylinder means carried by said vehicle, said cylinder means comprising a plurality of cylinders each having a head end and a rod end and being carried by said vehicle, piston means mounted for movement within said cylinder means, said piston means including a piston mounted for movement within each cylinder and piston rod means interconnecting said pistons with said bracket arms, said piston rod means including rod distal ends projecting through the rod end of said cylinders in a direction remote from said bumper, hydraulic fluid confined within said cylinders to restrict the movement of said pistons, said bracket means comprising laterally spaced-apart pairs of said bracket arms extending between said bumper and the distal ends of said piston rod means, together with means interconnecting said rod distal ends for movement with said bracket arms, said pistons being disposed adjacent said cylinder head ends with said bumper in said ready position and disposed adjacent said cylinder rod ends with the bumper in said recoil position, and resilient spacer means mounted on said frame member on a side thereof remote from said bumper, said cylinder means being mounted on said resilient spacer means to afford limited angular movement of the cylinder with respect to the frame mEmber.

Claim 7

In apparatus for absorbing shock forces impacting upon a vehicle having a frame member adjacent one end thereof, the combination of a bumper positioned at one end of and extending laterally across said vehicle, bracket means secured to said bumper and extending toward said vehicle, said bracket means including bracket arms adapted to carry said bumper between a ready position normally extended outwardly from said vehicle and a recoil position displaced toward said vehicle following impect of said shock forces upon the bumper, resilient spring means mounted between said vehicle and bumper and adapted to yieldably urge said bumper to said ready position, and hydraulic fluid shock absorbing means including cylinder means carried by said vehicle, said cylinder means comprising a plurality of cylinders each having a head end and a rod end and being carried by said vehicle, piston means mounted for movement within said cylinder means, said piston means including a piston mounted for movement within each cylinder and piston rod means interconnecting said pistons with said bracket arms, said piston rod means including rod distal ends projecting through the rod end of said cylinders in a direction remote from said bumper, hydraulic fluid confined within said cylinders to restrict the movement of said pistons, said bracket means comprising laterally spaced-apart pairs of said bracket arms extending between said bumper and the distal ends of said piston rod means, together with means interconnecting said rod distal ends for movement with said bracket arms, said pistons being disposed adjacent said cylinder head ends with said bumper in said ready position and disposed adjacent said cylinder rod ends with the bumper in said recoil position, and resilient spacer means mounted on said frame member on a side thereof remote from said bumper, said cylinder means being mounted on said resilient spacer means to afford limited angular movement of the cylinder with respect to the frame mEmber.