Adjustable stroke shock absorber

Claim 1

An adjustable stroke shock absorber comprising: a. an outer tube having a closed rear end and an open front end; b. an inner tube having an open rear end slidably mounted in the outer tube through the open front end thereof and having a closed front end for receiving a shock load extended outwardly of said outer tube and to form a closure end for a chamber in the inner tube; c. a piston rod disposed in said tubes with a rear end fixed to the closed rear end of said outer tube, and having a front end extended into the inner tube chamber; d. a piston head fixed on the front end of said piston rod and having the outer peripheral surface thereof spaced from the surface of the chamber in the inner tube to form a ring shaped metering orifice therebetween; e. a resilient rod seal slidably mounted about said piston rod on the rear end of said piston head; f. means for retaining said resilient rod seal in said inner tube; g. return passage means formed through said piston head to communicate the portion of the inner tube chamber in front of the piston head with the portion of the inner tube chamber behind the piston head; h. check valve means operatively mounted on the front end of said piston head and movable to a closed position over the outer end of said fluid passage means so as to blockflow therethrough, and to an open position spaced apart from the outer end of said passage means to allow flow therethrough; i. said inner tube chamber carrying a volume of fluid; and, j. return means operatively mounted in said outer tube for returning said inner tube from an inward position in the outer tube after a shock absorbing stroke to the initial shock absorbing position, whereby when the inner tube receives an impact load it moves into the outer tube and creates a fluid pressure on the check valve and moves it to the closed position and forces the fluid from the outer end of the inner tube chamber over the piston head and through the ring-shaped metering orifice between the piston head outer peripheral surface and the surface of the chamber in the inner tube and thence into the inner end of the inner tube chamber to the rear of the piston head, and when the inner tube reaches the end of the shock absorbing stroke, the return means moves the inner tube outwardly to the initial shock absorbing position.