External clamping band for air spring

An improved air spring of the type having an end cap for mounting the air spring on a structure, a piston member located in a spaced relationship from the end cap, a fluid pressure chamber formed between the end cap and the piston member by a flexible sleeve sealingly connected at opposite ends thereof to the end cap and piston member, and in which a continuous annular sealing ring is located within an open end of the end cap and places an end of the flexible sleeve in a state of compression against an annular sealing surface formed on an interior surface of an annular sidewall of the end cap to a form a generally air-tight seal;

• said improvement including an annular clamping band concentrically engaged with an outer annular surface of the annular sidewall of the end cap to restrict outward movement of said sidewall and subsequent loosening of the interior seal between the flexible sleeve and sealing ring;
• said clamping band having inner and outer circumferential surfaces and a pair of opposed connecting end surfaces, said end surfaces being connected to the inner circumferential surface by tapered surfaces to facilitate the placement of said band about the sidewall of the end cap.

An improved air spring of the type having an end cap for mounting the air spring on a structure, a piston member located in a spaced relationship from the end cap, a fluid pressure chamber formed between the end cap and the piston member by a flexible sleeve sealingly connected at opposite ends thereof to the end cap and piston member, and in which a continuous annular sealing ring is located within an open end of the end cap and places an end of the flexible sleeve in a state of compression against an annular sealing surface formed on an interior surface of an annular sidewall of the end cap to form a generally air-tight seal;

• said improvement including an annular clamping band concentrically engaged with an outer annular surface of the annular sidewall of the end cap to restrict outward movement of said sidewall and subsequent loosening of the interior seal between the flexible sleeve and sealing ring;
• and a circumferential outwardly extending projection formed on the end cap engageable with the clamping band for restraining axial movement of said band along the annular sidewall of the end cap in a first direction, said projection being a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending ribs formed integral with a top wall of the end cap.

An improved air spring of the type having an end cap for mounting the air spring on a structure, a piston member located in a spaced relationship from the end cap, a fluid pressure chamber formed between the end cap and the piston member by a flexible sleeve sealingly connected at opposite ends thereof to the end cap and piston member, and in which a continuous annular sealing ring is located within an open end of the end cap and places an end of the flexible sleeve in a state of compression against an annular sealing surface formed on an interior surface of an annular sidewall of the end cap to form a generally air-tight seal;

• said improvement including an annular clamping band concentrically engaged with an outer annular surface of the annular sidewall of the end cap to restrict outward movement of said sidewall and subsequent loosening of the interior seal between the flexible sleeve and sealing ring, said clamping band having inner and outer circumferential surfaces and a pair of opposed end surfaces;
• and a radially outwardly extending annular rib formed on the sidewall of the end cap with an end surface of the clamping band being engaged with said annular rib to retain said band in engagement with said sidewall.