Clutch release cylinder for vehicles

Claim 1

A releasing mechanism, for a clutch or the like, comprising a cylinder housing open at one end, a piston slidable in said housing, a solid piston rod passing out of the open end of the cylinder housing for direct engagement with a clutch actuating member, and a tubular folding bellows hermetically sealed at one end to the open end of the cylinder housing and at the other end to the piston rod, said bellows having an axially compressible center portion and rigid end portions including thickened rim flanges which seat in grooves in said housing and piston rod respectively to hermetically seal the cylinder housing, there being a chamber formed between said piston and bellows, a snifting hole provided in a rigid end portion of the folding bellows to vent said chamber to the atmosphere, and an elongated pipe communicating with said snifting hole positioned externally of the housing and bellows and leading away therefrom a considerable distance to prevent entrance of dust and water into said chamber, said pipe being connected to a pipe receiver integrally formed in the rigid portion of said bellows, said receiver including said snifting hole, said receiver being a tube of slightly larger diameter than said pipe in which one end of the pipe is inserted, and a clamping clip surrounds the receiver pressing the latter into sealing engagement with the pipe.