Friction shock-absorbing assembly and method of making

A friction shock-absorbing assembly, said friction shock-absorbing assembly comprising:

• (a) a base member disposed at one end of said assembly;
• (b) an elongated body member secured to and extending from said base member, said body member having an internal cavity with a generally uniform cross-sectional size and shape in a plane transverse to a longitudinal axis of said body member, said base member and said body member forming a housing of said assembly which is closed at one end thereof and open at an opposite end thereof;
• (c) an elongated generally compressible energy storage and release means disposed within said cavity of said body member with one end thereof positioned adjacent said base member and an opposite end thereof facing an open end of said body member for respectively storing and releasing energy during a respective compression loading and unloading on said assembly;
• (d) a collar member removably secured to said body member adjacent said open end thereof, said collar member including;
• (i) a hexagonal tapered inner friction surface, said hexagonal tapered inner friction surface being tapered downwardly and inwardly toward said longitudinal axis of said body member in the range of between about 0.180 inch and about 0.200 inch in a length of about six inches,
• (ii) a plurality of lug members extending inwardly from said inner friction surface and spaced substantially equidistant apart, and
• (iii) an outer ledge portion extending outwardly from and in abutting engagement with said open end of said body member;
• (e) at least one removable securing means engageable with said collar member and said body member for removably securing said collar member to said body member;
• (f) at least one friction shoe having at least a substantial portion thereof disposed within said cavity of said body member adjacent said open end, said portion disposed within said cavity including an engageable surface to transmit forces to compress said energy storage and release means and at least one tapered friction surface engageable with said inner friction surface of said collar member to frictionally dissipate energy during a compression loading on said assembly;
• and
• (g) a wedge member having a portion disposed within said cavity adjacent said open end of said body member, said portion including a tapered surface engageable with a correspondingly tapered surface of said at least one friction shoe, said wedge member applying an outwardly-directed radial force on said at least one friction shoe to maintain said at least one tapered friction surface in frictional engagement with said inner friction surface of said collar member, said wedge member having an outwardly-facing surface engageable with said plurality of lug members to secure said assembly in assembled relationship.