Shock absorbing snubber for derrick hooks

A shock absorbing snubber for a derrick hook of the type having a housing, a shank axially movable in the housing, and a load bearing hook connected to the lower end of the shank, comprising:

• a plunger carried by the housing, having a hollow interior and a lower end;
• a sliding barrel having a closed bottom adapted to be contacted by the upper end of the shank, and an open top telescopingly receiving the lower end of the plunger;
• the barrel and plunger containing hydraulic fluid with a volume less than the volume of the interiors of the barrel and the plunger when the shank has pushed the barrel to an uppermost position;
• check valve means mounted in the interior of the plunger for restricting fluid flow rate from the barrel to the plunger upon movement of the barrel upward relative to the plunger, and for allowing an increased rate of fluid flow from the plunger to the barrel upon movement of the barrel downward relative to the plunger;
• and
• air passage means in the top of the plunger communicating with the atmosphere for allowing air to pass in and out of the plunger above the hydraulic fluid in response to hydraulic fluid volume changes to maintain the pressure in the plunger substantially at ambient.