Suspension systems

Claim 1

A suspension system for a member which is supported at a number of spaced locations by fluid actuated units at each of said locations, each unit defining a pair of chambers to contain fluid, with changes in volume in said chambers under changing load conditions resulting in an element of said unit moving relative to said member, said element being connected to means for supporting member, and the chambers of the units at the respective positions being interconnected so that fluid acting in one unit to move said element thereof in one direction produces movement of an element in an adjacent or opposite unit in the same direction, said interconnection existing between the units in a closed circuit, characterized by each of said units including a cylinder and first sealing means secured therein, said each unit further including a piston rod slidably engaged within said first sealing means and carrying thereon spaced apart second and third sealing means, said second and third sealing means each slidably engaging the inner wall of said cylinder at locations above and below, respectively, said first sealing means to thereby define a pair of fluid-containing chambers within said cylinder separated by said first sealing means, said piston rod passing through both said chambers and extending from one of said second or third sealing means outward from said cylinder through an open end thereof on one side of said one sealing means secured in said cylinder, the volumes of said chambers changing inversely equally as the piston rod moves relative to said cylinder in response to said changing load conditions, said interconnection between the units comprising pipe means, a first chamber on one side of said first sealing means in one cylinder being connected by said pipe means to a second chamber on the correspondingly opposite side of said first sealing means in the cylinder of an adjacent unit, said second chamber on said correspondingly opposite side of said adjacent unit being connected by said pipe means to a third chamber on the correspondingly opposite side of said first sealing means in the cylinder of another adjacent unit, said fluid in said chambers being incompressible.