Bidirectional snubber for a hydraulic suspension cylinder

A bidirectional end-of-stroke snubber for a suspension cylinder having a tubular casing having an access port and open and closed ends, a closure cap sealingly fitted in the open end of the casing and having a bore extending therethrough, a piston rod slidably extending through the bore in the cap, a piston attached to the piston rod and being slidably disposed within the casing to define head end and rod end chambers on opposite sides thereof comprising:

• an axially extending bore in the piston rod opening into the head end chamber;
• a radial passage in the piston rod communicating the bore in the piston rod with the rod end chamber;
• an elongate snubber element coaxially disposed within the casing and having first and second flow regulating end portions separated by a reduced diameter stem, a passage extending axially therethrough and being in continuous communication with the access port, and a radial port in the stem communicating with the passage, the first end portion being secured to the closed end of the casing and disposed to gradually block fluid flow between the head end chamber and the bore of the piston rod as the piston approaches its retracted end-of-stroke position, the second end portion being disposed to gradually block fluid flow through the radial passage in the piston rod as the piston approaches its extended end-of-stroke position;
• and
• means to connect the snubber element to the closed end of the casing.