Energy damping device
First Claim
1. An energy damping device, comprising:
- a piston cylinder assembly including a hollow cylinder and a piston mounted at least partially within said hollow cylinder;
a friction assembly acting forcibly between said cylinder and said piston for developing resistive frictional forces therebetween to dissipate large loads exerted axially on said cylinder and said piston relative to one another;
means for mounting said piston and said cylinder to be freely movable axially relative to one another independently of said friction assembly to permit small loads to move said cylinder and said piston relative to one another axially during normal operation;
wherein said means for mounting includes means defining an opening extending axially within said friction assembly for receiving freely and uninhibitedly said piston;
said piston including an enlarged portion extending radially therefrom at a position external of said friction assembly;
means for limiting the free axial relative movement of said cylinder and said piston relative to one another by engaging said enlarged portion of said piston;
means cooperating with said mounting means and said limiting means for defining a space;
said space permitting the limited substantially free relative travel of said piston prior to engaging said friction assembly without developing substantial resistive frictional forces under small loads during said normal operation; and
spring means acting against said friction assembly to urge it resistively for permitting said limited substantially free relative travel without causing substantial resistive frictional forces by said friction assembly responsive to said small loads only, and for biasing said friction assembly to cause said frictional forces to be developed responsive to said large loads only.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An energy damping device that includes a piston-cylinder assembly having a cylinder and a piston movable therein. A pre-loaded double acting spring, and a friction assembly, are enclosed fully within the cylinder, and engage the piston concentrically. The spring acts against the friction assembly for forcing it into frictional engagement with the inner surface of the cylinder. The friction assembly includes at least one wedge for engaging the interior surface of the cylinder. The friction assembly further includes a plurality of spaced-apart compression rings, that are interleaved with the wedges, for forcing them into radially outwardly directed frictional engagement with the interior surface of the cylinder.
-
Citations
16 Claims
-
1. An energy damping device, comprising:
-
a piston cylinder assembly including a hollow cylinder and a piston mounted at least partially within said hollow cylinder; a friction assembly acting forcibly between said cylinder and said piston for developing resistive frictional forces therebetween to dissipate large loads exerted axially on said cylinder and said piston relative to one another; means for mounting said piston and said cylinder to be freely movable axially relative to one another independently of said friction assembly to permit small loads to move said cylinder and said piston relative to one another axially during normal operation; wherein said means for mounting includes means defining an opening extending axially within said friction assembly for receiving freely and uninhibitedly said piston; said piston including an enlarged portion extending radially therefrom at a position external of said friction assembly; means for limiting the free axial relative movement of said cylinder and said piston relative to one another by engaging said enlarged portion of said piston; means cooperating with said mounting means and said limiting means for defining a space; said space permitting the limited substantially free relative travel of said piston prior to engaging said friction assembly without developing substantial resistive frictional forces under small loads during said normal operation; and spring means acting against said friction assembly to urge it resistively for permitting said limited substantially free relative travel without causing substantial resistive frictional forces by said friction assembly responsive to said small loads only, and for biasing said friction assembly to cause said frictional forces to be developed responsive to said large loads only. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. An energy damping device, comprising:
-
a piston cylinder assembly including a hollow cylinder and a piston mounted within said hollow cylinder; a friction assembly acting forcibly between said cylinder and said piston for developing resistive frictional forces therebetween to dissipate large loads exerted axially on said cylinder and said piston relative to one another; means for mounting said piston and said cylinder to be freely movable axially relative to one another independently of said friction assembly to permit small loads to move said cylinder and said piston relative to one another axially during normal operation; means for limiting the free axial relative movement of said cylinder and said piston under small loads during said normal operation; means cooperating with said mounting means and said limiting means for defining a space to allow the limited substantially free relative travel of said cylinder and said piston without said friction assembly developing substantial relative frictional forces; spring means acting against said friction assembly to urge it resiliently for permitting said limited substantially free relative travel without causing substantial resistive frictional forces by said friction assembly responsive to said small loads only, and for biasing said friction assembly to cause said frictional forces to be developed responsive to said large loads only; said piston cylinder assembly including a friction absorbing surface and said friction assembly including at least one wedge for engaging said friction absorbing surface and a plurality of spaced-apart compression rings, said wedge and said compression rings being interleaved to facilitate the movement of the wedge into outward radial frictional engagement with said friction absorbing surface; said spaced-apart compression rings including a pair of outer compression rings, one at each end of the friction assembly; said spaced-apart compression rings further including at least one inner compression ring; said wedge including an annular member being hollow throughout its entire axial length; and said annular member defining an internal generally hourglass configured opening. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
-
Specification