Vehicle-supported structure stabilizer

Claim 1

In combination with a vehicle, a removable body structure supported on said vehicle, at least one stabilizing device extending between said structure and said vehicle for minimizing the vibration of said structure and movement of said structure relative to said vehicle when the same are in motion, said stabilizing device including: brackets fixedly attached respectively to said structure and to said vehicle; an inextensible elongated body member attached at a first of its ends to one of said brackets, said body member including an elongated cylindrical fluid chamber adjacent the second of said ends of said housing; a damping fluid disposed withIn and completely filling said fluid chamber; a piston supported in said fluid chamber dividing said fluid chamber into two portions of reciprocally variable capacity, said piston including at least one restricted orifice restricting the flow of said damping fluid between said two portions of said fluid chamber; an inextensible elongated piston rod arrangement extending from opposite sides of said piston and always through said fluidtight packing arrangements at opposite ends of said fluid chamber, a first end of said piston rod arrangement extending beyond said second end of said body member and attached to the other of said brackets and a second end of said piston rod arrangement always being disposed completely within said body member whereby relative movement of said structure and said vehicle causes a directly related reciprocal excursion of said piston in said fluid chamber, the length of said fluid chamber being substantially greater than the normal maximum reciprocal excursion of said piston, wherein each of said brackets include a body portion with attachment holes and also include a Ushaped bracket pivotally mounted on said body portion, said bracket including aligned transverse holes in the arms of said bracket, and wherein said first ends of said inextensible elongated body member and said inextensible elongated piston rod arrangement include a transverse hole and a removable pin normally disposed through associated ones of said transverse holes.