Externally adjustable dampening control for a shock absorber

A shock absorber comprising:

• a) a first hollow cylinder defining an internal chamber having an open end and a closed end;
• b) a piston rod received in sealed relation to the cylinder at the open end of the cylinder and being movable toward and away from the closed end of the cylinder;
• c) a piston affixed to the piston rod within the internal chamber and separating the internal chamber into a compression compartment adjacent the closed end of the cylinder and a rebound compartment adjacent the open end of the cylinder, the volumes of the compartments varying in accordance with the position of the piston in the cylinder, the piston including valve means for permitting controlled fluid flow between the compression and rebound compartments;
• d) a valve body extending longitudinally along an intermediate region of the outer diameter of the hollow cylinder and defining a flow passage having first and second longitudinally spaced ports opening to the internal chamber, the flow passage permitting fluid to bypass the piston only when the piston is in the intermediate region, the intermediate region corresponding to the curb height of the shock absorber when the shock absorber is mounted on a vehicle, the valve body further including a transverse bore intersecting the flow passage;
• e) a valve adapted to adjustably control the rate of flow through the flow passage, the valve comprising:
• i) a second piston slidably movable in the transverse bore for adjustably restricting the flow passage;
• and
• ii) adjustment means for controllably adjusting the position of the second piston within the transverse bore to control the rate of fluid flow passage;
• f) a second hollow cylinder outwardly spaced from the first hollow cylinder and defining a fluid reservoir between the first and second cylinders;
• and
• g) a second valve adapted to permit fluid flow between the compression compartment and the fluid reservoir.

A shock absorber comprising:

• a) a first hollow cylinder defining an internal chamber having an open end and a closed end;
• b) a piston rod received in sealed relation to the cylinder at the open end of the cylinder and being movable toward and away from the closed end of the cylinder;
• c) a piston affixed to the piston rod within the internal chamber and separating the internal chamber into a compression compartment adjacent the closed end of the cylinder and a rebound compartment adjacent the open end of the cylinder, the volumes of the compartments varying in accordance with the position of the piston in the cylinder, the piston including valve means for permitting controlled fluid flow between the compression and rebound compartments;
• d) a valve body extending longitudinally along an intermediate region of the outer diameter of the hollow cylinder and defining a flow passage having first and second longitudinally spaced ports opening to the internal chamber, the flow passage permitting fluid to bypass the piston only when the piston is in the intermediate region, the intermediate region corresponding to the curb height of the shock absorber when the shock absorber is mounted on a vehicle, the valve body further including a transverse bore intersecting the flow passage;
• e) valve means for adjustably controlling the rate of flow through the flow passage, the valve means comprising
• i) a second piston slidably movable in the transverse bore for adjustably restricting the flow passage;
• and
• ii) adjustment means for controllably adjusting the position of the second piston within the transverse bore to control the rate of fluid flow passage;
• f) a second hollow cylinder outwardly spaced from the first hollow cylinder and defining a fluid reservoir between the first and second cylinders;
• g) second valve means for permitting fluid flow between the compression compartment and the fluid reservoir;
• and
• h) wherein the adjustment means comprises:
• i) a collar positioned on the outer diameter of the second cylinder, adjacent the valve body, the collar including a flange extending through the second cylinder and into the transverse bore, the collar defining a central bore extending axially with and opening into the transverse bore;
• and
• ii) an adjustment rod threadably engaging the central bore, the adjustment rod having an inner end extending into the transverse bore and being connected to the second piston for moving the second piston within the transverse bore.