Skirted dashpot piston

An apparatus for damping the return shock between a pair of first and second elements that are moved out of engagement and returned into engagement comprising:

• a dash pot cylinder carried on the first element having an internal cylindrical surface of a predetermined diameter,
• a dash pot piston on said second element having an annular sealing member projecting in a cantilever fashion generally outwardly from said piston and toward said cylinder, said sealing member displaying a first surface toward said cylinder,
• said cylinder defining an outwardly tapered camming surface continuous with the inner surface of said cylinder and extending outwardly therefrom and disposed toward said piston sealing member, the maximum diameter of said tapered surface being more than the maximum diameter of said sealing member so as to facilitate entrance of said piston into said cylinder and serving to cam said piston and cylinder into mutual axial alignment,
• said sealing member being constructed of a material exhibiting sufficient rigidity to retain said cantilever portion relatively close to the sides of said piston and exhibiting sufficient flexibility to permit entrance of said sealing member into said cylinder and deflect outwardly so as to seal a gap between the piston and the cylinder,
• said cylinder containing an operative fluid reacting upon said sealing member first surface to force said cantilever portion away from said piston thereby insuring contact of said sealing member with the walls of said cylinder,
• said cylinder including a fluid exit orifice and said piston having a projection extending from the end thereof oriented to enter said orifice near the terminal end of the piston entrance to said cylinder so as to increase the constriction of said fluid.