Self-centering liquid spring assembly and constructions thereof

A self-centering construction comprising a base member, a platform, and a plurality of spring assemblies mounted between said base member and said platform, each of said spring assemblies comprising a liquid spring including a cylinder, first and second ends on said cylinder, a piston, a first portion of said piston in said cylinder, a second portion of said piston extending outwardly beyond said first end of said cylinder, a casing slidably mounted on said cylinder, a connection between said second portion of said piston and said casing, a cylinder extension on said cylinder extending beyond said first end of said cylinder, a first pivotal connection between said base member and each of said cylinder extensions, and a second pivotal connection on each of said casings located outwardly of said first pivotal connection for pivotal movement relative to said base member, said platform being connected to said cylinder, whereby said pivoting of said cylinders relative to said base member from centered positions effects relative axial movement between said cylinders and said casings for effecting actuation of said liquid springs for biasing said self-centering spring assemblies back to said centered position from which they were pivoted to thereby bias said platform back to a centered position relative to said base member.

A self-centering construction comprising a base member, a body, and a spring assembly mounted between said base member and said body, said spring assembly comprising a liquid spring including a cylinder, first and second ends on said cylinder, a piston, a first portion of said piston in said cylinder, a second portion of said piston extending outwardly beyond said first end of said cylinder, a casing slidably mounted on said cylinder, a connection between said second portion of said piston and said casing, a cylinder extension on said cylinder extending beyond said first end of said cylinder, a first pivotal connection between said base member and said cylinder extension, and a second pivotal connection between said casing and said base member, said second pivotal connection lying outwardly of said first pivotal connection, whereby said pivoting of said cylinder relative to said base member from a centered position effects relative axial movement between said cylinder and said casing for effecting actuation of said liquid spring for biasing said self-centering spring assembly back to said centered position from which it was pivoted, said first pivotal connection comprising an universal joint, and a rigid connection between said second end of said cylinder and said body.

A self-centering construction comprising a base member, a body, and a spring assembly mounted between said base member and said body, said spring assembly comprising a liquid spring including a cylinder, first and second ends on said cylinder, a piston, a first portion of said piston in said cylinder, a second portion of said piston extending outwardly beyond said first end of said cylinder, a casing slidably mounted on said cylinder, a connection between said second portion of said piston and said casing, a cylinder extension on said cylinder extending beyond said first end of said cylinder, a first pivotal connection between said base member and said cylinder extension, and a second pivotal connection between said casing and said base member, said second pivotal connection lying outwardly of said first pivotal connection, whereby said pivoting of said cylinder relative to said base member from a centered position effects relative axial movement between said cylinder and said casing for effecting actuation of said liquid spring for biasing said self-centering spring assembly back to said centered position from which it was pivoted, said first pivotal connection comprising a first universal joint, and a second universal joint between said second end of said cylinder and said body.