Liquid spring-shock absorber assembly

Claim 1

In a liquid spring shock absorber assembly including housing means adapted to hold a body of fluid, a piston head having a longitudinal axis and slidably disposed within said housing means, a semi-flexible seal and retaining cap disposed within one end of said housing means, and a body of compressible fluid within said housing means the improvements comprising: a. a piston rod slidably disposed along the longitudinal axis of said piston head and through said seal and cap and having a first end portion disposed outside said housing means and a second end portion frictionally engaged in a press fit relationship within said piston head, whereby the area of frictional engagement and the frictional force created by said press fit is sufficient to maintain said piston rod and said piston head in fixed engagement after said compressible fluid is pressurized within said housing means; and b. a jacketing member having an open end slidably disposed over said housing means, a closed end abutting the first end portion of said piston rod, guide means for maintaining said open end in slidable disposition with said housing means, and a plurality of tow pins inserted through said housing means and into said retaining cap, said tow pins being aligned with said guide means, whereby said jacketing member accomodates tension loads applied to the shock abosrber assembly and none of said loads are transmitted to said piston rod.