Vehicle shock absorber assembly

A shock absorber assembly, comprising:

• a cylinder containing a substantially incompressible fluid;
• a piston slidably mounted in the cylinder to divide the cylinder into separate chambers on opposite sides of the piston;
• a hollow piston rod secured at one end to the piston and extending from the piston out of one end of the cylinder, the piston and piston rod having at least one fluid flow passageway connecting the chambers together;
• adjusting means slidably mounted in said piston rod for controlling the flow cross-section of said fluid flow passageway;
• base biassing means acting between said piston rod and said adjusting means for urging them relative to one another so as to increase the flow cross-section;
• a shock base;
• slidable mounting means between said shock base and the extending end of said piston rod for allowing a predetermined limited amount of relative movement between said piston rod and shock base assembly, said adjusting means being secured to said shock base assembly and said base biassing means acting between said piston rod and shock base;
• and
• said shock base comprising a shock base cylinder, said piston rod having an enlarged head at its outer end slidably mounted in said shock base cylinder, and said biassing means acting between one end of said shock base cylinder and said piston rod.

A shock absorber assembly, comprising:

• a first cylinder containing a substantially incompressible fluid;
• a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder and dividing it into two separate chambers on opposite sides of said piston, one of said chambers comprising a compression chamber and the other chamber comprising a rebound chamber;
• a piston rod secured at one end to said piston and projecting out through said rebound chamber out of one end of said cylinder;
• a mounting assembly for mounting said piston rod and cylinder between a vehicle frame and wheel assembly;
• a second, compensation cylinder containing a substantially incompressible fluid and a pressurized, gas-filled bladder in said compensation cylinder;
• a restricted fluid passageway connecting said compensation cylinder to said compression chamber;
• and
• auxiliary compensation means for allowing fluid flow out of said compression chamber in a compression stroke of said piston, said auxiliary compensation means comprising an auxiliary compensation chamber containing a substantially incompressible fluid, a pressurized, gas-filled bladder in said auxiliary chamber;
• and a fluid passageway connecting said auxiliary chamber to said compression chamber.

A shock absorber assembly for mounting between a vehicle frame and wheel assembly comprising:

• a shock absorber cylinder containing a substantially incompressible fluid;
• a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder and dividing it into two separate chambers on opposite sides of said piston, one of said chambers comprising a compression chamber and the other of said chambers comprising a rebound chamber;
• a hollow piston rod secured at one end to said piston and projecting through said rebound cylinder out of one end of said cylinder;
• said piston and piston rod having at least one fluid passageway connecting said chambers together;
• an adjustment rod slidably mounted in said hollow piston rod for controlling the flow cross-section of said passageway;
• a shock base assembly;
• slidable mounting means in said shock base assembly for slidably mounting the projecting end of said piston rod relative to said shock base assembly to allow a limited amount of axial movement of said piston rod relative to said shock base assembly;
• securing means for connecting said adjustment rod to said shock base assembly;
• and
• biassing means between said shock base assembly and piston rod for urging said base assembly and piston rod apart to increase said flow cross-section.