Motor truck hood opening damper restraint

Claim 1

A motor truck hood opening damper restraint, comprising: a motor truck frame; a motor truck hood; a hood hinge means having a stationary part mounted on the frame and a swingable part swingable about a hinge axis mounted to a lower forward inside portion of the hood for tilting the hood forwardly and downwardly from a closed position to an open position; an upright beam means having a lower end fixed to the frame; and a hydraulic dampening means having a cylinder pivotally mounted at one end to an upper end of the upright beams means and a piston slidably mounted in the cylinder and having a piston rod extending axially outwardly from a second end of the cylinder and pivotally connected to the swingable part of the hinge means and swingable therewith, the cylinder and piston rod extending substantailly vertically in the closed position of the hood, the cylinder partially filled to a predetermined level with a hydraulic fluid and the piston rod holding the piston above the predetermined level of hydraulic fluid in the closed position of the hood, the partially filled cylinder permitting unrestricted speed of travel of the hood up to an overcenter balance point of the hood with respect to the hinge axis at which point the piston rod swinging with the swingable part of the hinge means pulling the piston downwardly into the hydraulic fluid at the predetermined level and restricting the speed of travel of the hood forwardly past the overcenter balance point to the fully opened position.