Fluid flow control apparatus

A shock absorbing mechanism comprising a generally cylindrical pressure chamber having a first end with a force transmitting piston slidably received in the chamber and adapted to slide toward and away from the first end, a fluid medium received in the pressure chamber, a second chamber in communication with the first end of the pressure chamber,

• a valve housing disposed at the first end of the pressure chamber separating the pressure chamber from the second chamber, the housing having a generally circular valve seat and having passages leading from the valve seat into the pressure chamber, a valve element having a fluid control wall mounted in the housing and adapted to move toward and away from the valve seat, means biasing the valve element toward the valve seat, the valve element closing the passages when the valve element is seated on the valve seat, a bore extending through the control wall, a bracket attached to the valve element spaced from and extending over the bore, a bore extending through the bracket in alignment with the bore in the control wall, a pivotably mounted pin extending through the bores, a thermostatic strip formed into a coil having a first end connected to the pin and a second outer end slidably connected to the bracket so that a change in temperature will cause pivotable movement of the pin, the slidable connection of the second end of the coil to the bracket allowing the second end to move in and out in a radial direction as the coil moves with changes in temperature, the control wall formed with an orifice adjacent the bore in the control wall extending from one side of the control wall to an opposite side of the control wall so that the orifice communicates with the pressure chamber on the one side of the control wall and the second chamber on the opposite side of the control wall, a flag mounted on the pin and adapted to pivot with the pin, the flag adapted to slide on the control wall from a position in which the flag is in alignment with at least a portion of the orifice to a position in which the flag is completely out of alignment with the orifice, whereby a shock force received by the piston will force fluid medium through the orifice whose effective size changes with temperature,
• and pressure means in the second chamber adapted to move the valve element away from the valve seat following the transmission of shock to allow fluid medium to pass by the valve seat through the passages back into the pressure chamber.