Reinforced fluid spring

Claim 2

A flexible, resilient tubular member of the type used in a fluid pressure system in which the member is subjected to external forCes acting substantially coincident to and along its longitudinal axis and thereby undergoes movement causing a rolling motion forming a rolling lobe in at least one peripheral end portion of the member, said member comprising a hollow body of flexible polymeric material having tension resisting reinforcement therein, said body having a flexible portion at one peripheral end thereof and a connecting portion extending longitudinally of said member between said flexing portion and the opposite peripheral end thereof, at least one-half of the length of said connecting portion including at least one layer of deformation resisting reinforcement coextensive and integrally formed therewith, said deformation resisting reinforcement comprised of a plurality of metallic elements disposed around the circumference of said connecting portion and extending generally longitudinally of said member to support said tension resisting reinforcement and provide said connection portion with increased rigidity and a stable axial configuration under conditions of normal use.

Claim 3

The member as claimed in claim 1 wherein said body has a flexing portion at each peripheral end thereof and said connecting portion extends between and joins each said flexing portion.

Claim 4

The member as claimed in claim 1 wherein said deformation-resisting reinforcement is disposed radially outwardly of said tension-resisting reinforcement.

Claim 5

The member as claimed in claim 1 wherein said deformation-resisting reinforcement is disposed radially inwardly of said tension-resisting reinforcement.

Claim 6

The member as claimed in claim 1 wherein said body includes at least two plies of tension-resisting reinforcement and said deformation-resisting reinforcement is disposed between any two said plies of tension-resisting reinforcement.

Claim 7

The member as claimed in claim 3 wherein said deformation-resisting reinforcement forms the outer peripheral surface of said connecting portion.

Claim 8

The member as claimed in claim 4 wherein said deformation-resisting reinforcement forms the inner peripheral surface of said connecting portion.

Claim 9

The member as claimed in claim 5 wherein said deformation-resisting reinforcement is comprised of two layers and one said layer is disposed radially outwardly of said plies of tension-resisting reinforcement.

Claim 10

The member as claimed in claim 5 wherein said deformation-resisting reinforcement is comprised of two layers and one said layer is disposed radially inwardly of said plies of tension-resisting reinforcement.

Claim 11

The member as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metallic elements are solid and rigid.

Claim 12

The member as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metallic elements are flexible.

Claim 13

The member as claimed in claim 11 wherein said deformation-resisting reinforcement is comprised of one band including a plurality of metal cords.

Claim 14

The member as claimed in claim 12 wherein said cords in said band are disposed at an angle of from about 0* to about 60* as measured with respect to an imaginary line extending longitudinally of the member which would be formed by a plane through the axis of the member and intersecting the surface thereof.

Claim 15

The member as claimed in claim 13 wherein said deformation-resisting reinforcement is comprised of two bands of metal cords in which the corods of one said band are disposed at different angles with respect to the cords of the other said band.

Claim 16

The member as claimed in claim 14 wherein each said cord is a fine stranded steel wire.

Claim 17

A flexible resilient fluid spring member having a generally tubular hollow body of elastomeric material containing tension-resisting reinforcement therein comprised of a plurality of biased oriented cords extending from one end of the body to the other, said member of the type used in a fluid pressure system in which the end portions of said member are attached to retaining elements to form a fluid-tight chamber capable of supporting a load with said elements adapted fOr movement relative to each other as the result of a reciprocating means which moves within said member causing a rolling motion in the wall of the body in the direction of such movement thereby defining a toroidal loop, said body comprising at least one flexing portion at one end thereof which receives the reciprocating means therein, said portion having a toroidal shape during the operation of the systetm, a generally cylindrical non-flexing portion comprising a wall of substantially high rigidity extending along the axial length of said member conneccting said flexing portion with the opposite end thereof, said non-flexing portion including at least one group of non-tension resisting cords of flexible metallic material substantially coextensive and integrally formed therewith, said non-tensile resisting cords extending generally axially of said member and being of less flexible than said tensile resisting cords to support said tension-resisting reinforcement and provide said connecting portion with a stable cylindrical configuration during its operation in the system when said member is inflated so that points on diametrically opposite sides of the wall of said connecting portion are substantially equidistant from the longitudinal axis of the member passing through the longitudinal center plane of the member.

Claim 18

A flexible resilient fluid spring member having a generally tubular hollow body of elastomeric material containing tension-resisting reinforcement therein comprised of a plurality of biased oriented cords extending from one end of the body to the other, said member of the type used in a fluid pressure system in which the end portions of said member are attached to retaining elements to form a fluid-tight chamber capable of supporting a load with said elements adapted fOr movement relative to each other as the result of a reciprocating means which moves within said member causing a rolling motion in the wall of the body in the direction of such movement thereby defining a toroidal loop, said body comprising at least one flexing portion at one end thereof which receives the reciprocating means therein, said portion having a toroidal shape during the operation of the systetm, a generally cylindrical non-flexing portion comprising a wall of substantially high rigidity extending along the axial length of said member conneccting said flexing portion with the opposite end thereof, said non-flexing portion including at least one group of non-tension resisting cords of flexible metallic material substantially coextensive and integrally formed therewith, said non-tensile resisting cords extending generally axially of said member and being of less flexible than said tensile resisting cords to support said tension-resisting reinforcement and provide said connecting portion with a stable cylindrical configuration during its operation in the system when said member is inflated so that points on diametrically opposite sides of the wall of said connecting portion are substantially equidistant from the longitudinal axis of the member passing through the longitudinal center plane of the member.

Claim 19

The fluid spring as claimed in claim 16 wherein each said non-tension resisting cord is comprised of strands of metal filaments and has a diameter of from about 0.003 to about 0.150 of an inch.

Claim 20

The fluid spring as claimed in claim 17 wherein said non-flexing portion is comprised of a band containing a plurality of steel cords and the distance between each adjacent steel cord is from about 0.003 to about 0.375 of an inch.

Claim 21

The fluid spring member as claimed in claim 16 wherein said body has a flexing portion at each end thereof and a reciprocating means is received in each said end during the operation of the system.

Claim 22

The fluid spring member as claimed in claim 19 wherein the longitudinal axis of said body is disposed generally horizontally.

Claim 23

In a fluid spring including the combination of a flexible resilient spring member having: A. a hollow body of elastomeric material with layers of tension-resisting reinforcement therein and having a flexing portion at one end thereof, a connecting portion extending between said flexing portion and the opposite end thereof; B. a pair of spaced retaining elements with each being attached to an end portion of said spring member to form a fluid-tight chamber capable of supporting a load with said elements being movable relative to each other to cause a change in the configuration of the spring member and in the pressure of the fluid in the chamber, at least one of said elements being a generally cylindrical relatively rigid piston member which moves within said spring member to cause a rolling motion therein; and C. the improvement comprising a layer of shape retaining, generally axially oriented reinforcing material integrally formed with said connecting portion and extending for at least a majority of the length thereof, said shape retaining material comprised of a plurality of flexible metallic elements disposed in a parallel relationship around the circumference of said connecting portion with said connecting portion thereby having a stable axial configuration under conditions of inflation to provide improved axial alignment of the spring member and the piston member during the operation of the system.

Claim 24

In a fluid spring including the combination of a flexible resilient spring member having: A. a hollow body of elastomeric material with layers of tension-resisting reinforcement therein and having a flexing portion at one end thereof, a connecting portion extending between said flexing portion and the opposite end thereof; B. a pair of spaced retaining elements with each being attached to an end portion of said spring member to form a fluid-tight chamber capable of supporting a load with said elements being movable relative to each other to cause a change in the configuration of the spring member and in the pressure of the fluid in the chamber, at least one of said elements being a generally cylindrical relatively rigid piston member which moves within said spring member to cause a rolling motion therein; and C. the improvement comprising a layer of shape retaining, generally axially oriented reinforcing material integrally formed with said connecting portion and extending for at least a majority of the length thereof, said shape retaining material comprised of a plurality of flexible metallic elements disposed in a parallel relationship around the circumference of said connecting portion with said connecting portion thereby having a stable axial configuration under conditions of inflation to provide improved axial alignment of the spring member and the piston member during the operation of the system.

Claim 25

The fluid spring as claimed in claim 21 wherein said connecting portion has a wall of generally cylindrical configuration and the wall before inflation of the spring member is substantially concentric with the wall after inflation of the spring member.

Claim 26

The fluid spring as claimed in claim 22 wherein the length to diameter ratio of the spring is at least 2 to 1.

Claim 27

The fluid spring as claimed in claim 22 wherein said body includeS a flexing portion at each end thereof and each said retaining element comprises a generally cylindrical relatively rigid piston member which moves within said body.

Claim 28

The fluid spring as claimed in claim 24 wherein the length to diameter ratio of the spring is from about 1.3 to about 2.5 to