Combination pneumatic spring and shock absorbing apparatus

Claim 1

A combination pneumatic spring and shock absorbing apparatus, comprising: a substantially cylindrical housing; closure means for closing opposite ends of said housing, one of said closure means comprising first mounting means; piston means coaxially mounted within said housing for sliding movement between said opposite ends and for separating said housing into first and second absorption chambers of respectively increasable and decreasable volumes, said piston means comprising first and second sections each providing an annular surface radially offset from and contric to the other; a piston rod having a first end section coaxially connected to said piston means and a second end section extending through the other of said closure means and provided with second mounting means; substantially tubular resilient means having one end connected to said housing adjacent said other closure means and an opposite end connected to said piston rod adjacent said second end section for forming a resilient spring chamber; throttle means provided within said piston means for permitting limited exchange of pneumatic pressure between said first and second absorption chambers, said throttle means comprising a plurality of coaxially superposed annular disc members separated by a substantially thin layer of substantially elastic material and biased against each other by the outer marginal portion of one of said disc members engaging one of said annular surfaces and the inner marginal portion of another of said disc members engaging the other of said annular surfaces, whereby said exchange of said pneumatic pressure in one direction between said first and second absorption chambers takes place substantially by way of said outer marginal portion and in the opposite direction substantially by way of said inner marginal portion.