Rotary hydraulic snubber with a bypass valve

Claim 1

In a hydraulic snubber, a cylinder having a rotor axially disposed therein, said rotor being adapted to rotate relative to said cylinder, a first radially extending vane in said cylinder and a second radially extending vane on said rotor, means coupling the said rotor and cylinder between elements as to which the relative rotation is to be damped, each vane being equipped with a resilient extension for adjustably limiting the flow of fluid therepast and equally in both directions of rotation from one side of said vane to the other, each extension being equipped with at least two orifices communicating one side of its associated vane with the other, each orifice being equipped with a pocket, with the pockets in a given extension being located adjacent opposite sides of their associated extension, passage means operably associated with said cylinder and communicating one side of said first vane with the other side, and a valve in said passage means whereby additional fluid is adapted to bypass said first vane to prevent excessive pressure buildup on one side of said first vane.