Kinetic energy absorber

A device for absorbing the kinetic energy resulting from a relative motion between two bodies, which comprises:

• a first tube,
• a deformable test-tube being anchored and coaxially disposed within said first tube and presenting an intermediate portion of lesser transverse dimension than the remainder of the tube,
• a first ball-joint anchoring said first tube and said test-tube to one of said bodies,
• a second tube,
• a pressure member co-acting with said test-tube housed within and connected to said second tube which is adapted to move telescopically in relation to said first tube and which is anchored to the other of said bodies through a second ball-joint, said pressure member comprising at least one pair of parallel rollers mounted on a carriage, said rollers being spaced from one another a distance equal to the lesser transverse dimension of the test tube and normally contacting said intermediate portion of the test-tube, whereby relative telescoping movements of the first and second tubes will move said carriage and rollers relative to said test-tube to cause deformation of the test-tube moving between said rollers in portions adjacent to said intermediate portion thereof.