Low contact force spring
AssigneeBarnes Group Inc.
InventorsHenry J. Kelm, Steven J. Reilly, Walter Santee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid spring assembly. The spring assembly preferably includes a body that slidably supports a piston that is attached to a piston rod. The piston serves to define a fluid chamber within the body that is charged with a pressurized fluid medium. The piston is retained within the body by a rigid retainer member. A biasing member is provided between the retaining member and the piston for resisting the force generated by the fluid medium within the fluid chamber.
Claims66
A method comprising the steps of operating a press assembly between open and closed conditions to deform a workpiece, said steps of operating a press assembly between open and closed conditions includes operating a cushion assembly from an extended condition to a retracted condition against the influence of fluid pressure in the cushion assembly and operating the cushion assembly from the retracted condition to the extended condition, said step of operating the cushion assembly from the retracted condition to the extended condition includes establishing relative movement between a piston and cylinder in the cushion assembly under the influence of fluid pressure in a main chamber in the cylinder of the cushion assembly, said step of operating the cushion assembly from the extended condition to the retracted condition includes transmitting force from a body of elastomeric material to the piston and initiating movement of the piston relative to the cylinder toward the retracted condition under the combined influence of force transmitted from the press assembly to the piston and force transmitted from the body of elastomeric material to the piston.
A method comprising the steps of operating a press assembly between open and closed conditions to deform a workpiece, said steps of operating a press assembly between open and closed conditions includes operating a cushion assembly from an extended condition to a retracted condition against the influence of fluid pressure in the cushion assembly and operating the cushion assembly from the retracted condition to the extended condition, said step of operating the cushion assembly from the retracted condition to the extended condition includes establishing relative movement between a piston and cylinder in the cushion assembly under the influence of fluid pressure in a chamber in the cylinder of the cushion assembly, limiting relative movement between the piston and cylinder when the cushion assembly is in the extended condition by transmitting force between a stop surface and a first surface area on a head end portion of the piston, urging the head end portion of the piston away from the stop surface toward a retracted condition when the cushion assembly is in the extended condition by applying a biasing force against a second surface area on the head end portion of the piston when the cushion assembly is in the extended condition, said step of operating the cushion assembly from the extended condition to the retracted condition includes initiating movement of the piston toward the retracted condition under the combined influence of force transmitted from the press assembly to the piston and the biasing force, interrupting the application of the biasing force to the piston when the piston has moved from the extended condition through a predetermined distance toward the retracted condition, and, thereafter, continuing movement of the piston toward the retracted condition under the influence of force transmitted to the piston from the press assembly.
A method comprising the steps of operating a press assembly between open and closed conditions to deform a workpiece, said steps of operating a press assembly between open and closed conditions includes operating a cushion assembly from an extended condition to a retracted condition against the influence of fluid pressure in the cushion assembly and operating the cushion assembly from the retracted condition to the extended condition, said step of operating the cushion assembly from the extended condition to the retracted condition includes moving a rod portion of a piston along an inner surface of a tubular element under the combined influence of force transmitted from a body of elastomeric material to the piston and force transmitted from the press assembly to the piston to compress fluid in a cylinder in which at least a portion of the piston is disposed, said step of operating the cushion assembly from the extended condition to the retracted condition includes moving at least a portion of a surface on the body of elastomeric material along an outer surface of the tubular element during movement of the rod portion of the piston along the inner surface of the tubular element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.