A procedure for charging an oleo-pneumatic shock absorber

Claim 2

A procedure for charging a gas and liquid suspension device for a vehicle, said suspension device including an inner cylinder defining a first liquid reservoir, an outer cylinder closed at one end, a piston and piston rod subassembly, a flexible sleeve bladder, and an end cap, comprising the steps of slidably inserting said piston and piston rod subassembly in said inner cylinder, fabricating a cylinder and bladder unit by loosely arranging said bladder around said inner cylinder such that the former cooperates with the latter in defining a gas chamber surrounding said inner cylinder adapted to be tightly sealed by longitudinally directed forces on the ends of said cylinder and bladder unit, said gas chamber communicating with the surrounding environment at the loose interfaces between said bladder and said inner cylinder, inserting said cylinder and bladder unit into said outer cylinder with a rod portion of said piston and piston rod subassembly projecting out of said outer cylinder open end, said bladder cooperating with said outer cylinder in defining a second liquid reservoir surrounding said gas chamber, filling said outer cylinder with a gas at a predetermined pressure, said gas circulating through each of said first and said second liquid reservoirs and said gas chamber, assembling said end cap over said outer cylinder open end to sealingly close said first and said second reservoirs and to apply longitudinal force on said cylinder and bladder unit for tightly sealing said gas chamber, depressurizing the interior of said outer cylinder to evacuate said gas from said first and said second reservoirs, and charging each of said first and said second reservoirs with liquid until said bladder is biased inwardly toward said inner cylinder.

Claim 3

A procedure for charging a gas and liquid suspension device for a vehicle, said suspension device including an inner cylinder defining a first liquid reservoir, an outer cylinder closed at one end, a piston and piston rod subassembly, a flexible sleeve bladder, and an end cap, comprising the steps of slidably inserting said piston and piston rod subassembly in said inner cylinder, forming on each end of said inner cylinder a radial flange disposed in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said inner cylinder, fabricating a cylinder and bladder unit by loosely disposing said bladder around said inner cylinder with a pair of beads on opposite ends of said bladder overlying corresponding ones of said radial flanges so that said bladder cooperates with said inner cylinder in defining a gas chamber surrounding said inner cylinder adapted to be tightly sealed by longitudinally directed forces in said bladder beads, said gas chamber communicating with the surrounding environment at the loose interfaces between said radial flanges and said bladder beads, inserting said cylinder and bladder unit into said outer cylinder with a rod portion of said piston and piston rod subassembly projecting out of said outer cylinder open end, said bladder cooperating with said outer cylinder in defining a second liquid reservoir surrounding said gas chamber, filling said outer cylinder with a gas at a predetermined pressure, said gas circulating through each of said first and said second liquid reservoirs and said gas chambers, assembling said end cap over said outer cylinder open end to sealingly close said first and said second reservoirs with said cylinder and bladder unit being tightly captured between said end cap and said outer cylinder closed end so that longItudinal force is exerted on said bladder beads for tightly sealing said gas chamber, depressurizing the interior of said outer cylinder to evacuate said gas from said first and said second reservoirs, and charging each of said first and said second reservoirs with liquid until said bladder is biased inwardly toward said inner cylinder.

Claim 4

A procedure for charging a gas and liquid suspension device for a vehicle, said suspension device including an inner cylinder defining a first liquid reservoir, an outer cylinder closed at one end, a piston and piston rod subassembly, a flexible sleeve bladder, and an end cap, comprising the steps of slidably inserting said piston and piston rod subassembly in said inner cylinder, forming on each end of said inner cylinder a radial flange disposed in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said inner cylinder, fabricating a cylinder and bladder unit by loosely disposing said bladder around said inner cylinder with a pair of beads on opposite ends of said bladder overlying corresponding ones of said radial flanges so that said bladder cooperates with said inner cylinder in defining a gas chamber surrounding said inner cylinder adapted to be tightly sealed by longitudinally directed forces in said bladder beads, said gas chamber communicating with the surrounding environment at the loose interfaces between said radial flanges and said bladder beads, inserting said cylinder and bladder unit into said outer cylinder with a rod portion of said piston and piston rod subassembly projecting out of said outer cylinder open end, said bladder cooperating with said outer cylinder in defining a second liquid reservoir surrounding said gas chamber, filling said outer cylinder with a gas at a predetermined pressure, said gas circulating through each of said first and said second liquid reservoirs and said gas chambers, assembling said end cap over said outer cylinder open end to sealingly close said first and said second reservoirs with said cylinder and bladder unit being tightly captured between said end cap and said outer cylinder closed end so that longItudinal force is exerted on said bladder beads for tightly sealing said gas chamber, depressurizing the interior of said outer cylinder to evacuate said gas from said first and said second reservoirs, and charging each of said first and said second reservoirs with liquid until said bladder is biased inwardly toward said inner cylinder.

Claim 5

A procedure for charging a gas and liquid suspension device for a vehicle, said suspension device including an inner cylinder defining a first liquid reservoir, an outer cylinder closed at one end and incorporating a flow controlling valve assembly adjacent said one end, a piston and piston rod subassembly, a flexible sleeve bladder, and an end cap, comprising the steps of slidably inserting said piston and piston rod subassembly in said inner cylinder, forming on each end of said inner cylinder a radial flange disposed in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said inner cylinder, fabricating a cylinder and bladder unit by loosely disposing said bladder around said inner cylinder with a pair of beads on opposite ends of said bladder overlying respective ones of said radial flanges so that said bladder cooperates with said inner cylinder in defining a gas chamber surrounding said inner cylinder adapted to be tightly sealed by longitudinally directed forces in said bladder beads, said gas chamber communicating with the surrounding environment at the loose interfaces between said radial flanges and said bladder beads, inserting said cylinder and bladder unit into said outer cylinder with a rod portion of said piston and piston rod subassembly projecting out of said outer cylinder open end, and with one of said bladder beads seatingly engaging said valve assembly, said bladder cooperating with said outer cylinder in defining a second liquid reservoir surrounding said gas chamber, assembling said end cap over said outer cylinder open end to sealingly close said first and said second reservoirs, said first and said second reservoirs being in communication through said valve assembly, forming in said rod portion a passage communicating between the surrounding environment and said first reservoir, filling said outer cylinder through said rod passage with a gas at a predetermined pressure, said gas circulating through each of said first and said second liquid reservoirs and said gas chamber, seating said end cap against the other of said bladder beads so that said cylinder and bladder unit is tightly captured between said valve assembly and said end cap with longitudinal force being applied on said bladder beads for tightly sealing said gas chamber, evacuating said gas from each of said first and said second reservoirs through said rod passage, and charging each of said first and said second reservoirs through said rod passage with liquid until said bladder is biased inwardly toward said inner cylinder.

Claim 6

A procedure for charging a gas and liquid suspension device for a vehicle, said suspension device including an inner cylinder defining a first liquid reservoir, an outer cylinder closed at one end and incorporating a flow controlling valve assembly adjacent said one end, a piston and piston rod subassembly, a flexible sleeve bladder, and an end cap, comprising the steps of slidably inserting said piston and piston rod subassembly in said inner cylinder, forming on each end of said inner cylinder a radial flange disposed in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said inner cylinder, fabricating a cylinder and bladder unit by loosely disposing said bladder around said inner cylinder with a pair of beads on opposite ends of said bladder overlying respective ones of said radial flanges so that said bladder cooperates with said inner cylinder in defining a gas chamber surrounding said inner cylinder adapted to be tightly sealed by longitudinally directed forces in said bladder beads, said gas chamber communicating with the surrounding environment at the loose interfaces between said radial flanges and said bladder beads, inserting said cylinder and bladder unit into said outer cylinder with a rod portion of said piston and piston rod subassembly projecting out of said outer cylinder open end, and with one of said bladder beads seatingly engaging said valve assembly, said bladder cooperating with said outer cylinder in defining a second liquid reservoir surrounding said gas chamber, assembling said end cap over said outer cylinder open end to sealingly close said first and said second reservoirs, said first and said second reservoirs being in communication through said valve assembly, forming in said rod portion a passage communicating between the surrounding environment and said first reservoir, filling said outer cylinder through said rod passage with a gas at a predetermined pressure, said gas circulating through each of said first and said second liquid reservoirs and said gas chamber, seating said end cap against the other of said bladder beads so that said cylinder and bladder unit is tightly captured between said valve assembly and said end cap with longitudinal force being applied on said bladder beads for tightly sealing said gas chamber, evacuating said gas from each of said first and said second reservoirs through said rod passage, and charging each of said first and said second reservoirs through said rod passage with liquid until said bladder is biased inwardly toward said inner cylinder.