Rod and piston connection for hydraulic devices

Claim 1

In a hydraulic device including a cylinder reciprocatingly receiving a piston separating said cylinder into first and second chambers, an axially extending passage through said piston for establishing communication between said chambers, a hydraulic fluid supply port communicating with said first chamber between one end of said cylinder and said piston, a push rod extending through said one end of said cylinder and being connected with said piston by lost motion connecting means for providing limited axial movement of said rod relative to said piston, said connecting means having no moving parts or fasteners separate from said rod and piston and including cooperating separable coupling parts formed integrally on said rod and piston for connecting and disconnecting said rod and piston by relative lateral movement therebetween, said coupling parts being formed integrally on said rod and piston in the sense of being unitary and whole therewith as opposed to being made separately therefrom and then secured thereto, said coupling part on said rod comprising an enlargement defined on one end portion thereof between a terminal rod end facing said piston and a circumferential groove spaced from said rod end, said coupling part on said piston including a laterally open arcuate first pocket for closely receiving said enlargement and a laterally open arcuate second pocket axially aligned with said first pocket for closely receiving said groove, said pockets being separated by a radially extending shoulder, said first pocket having an axial length slightly greater than said enlargement and said second pocket having a length less than said groove so that said enlargement moves axially relative to said first pocket between said shoulder and one end of said piston, said rod end facing said piston having a bore therein with an entrance opening of smaller diameter than the diameter of said bore inwardly of said rod end, an elastomeric valve seal received in said bore and having a seal projection extending through said entrance opening outwardly of said rod end, said cylinder having a cylinder bore communicating with one end thereof, said rod being closely guided in said cylinder bore so that said separable coupling parts cannot be connected or disconnected while said piston is in said cylinder, said cylinder having a predetermined length and a removable plug at the opposite end thereof from said cylinder bore, and said rod having a length greater than said predetermined length for location of said separable coupling parts on said piston and rod outside of said cylinder beyond said opposite end thereof to connect or disconnect said coupling.