Monroe Auto Equipment Company

Michael G Gaines

Michael R Bethell

Richard P Woidke

James F Mowat, Jr

Roger D Wheeler

A proportioning valve actuation member (110) for a vehicle (12) having a braking system and a load leveling system has an actuator (22) mounted between the proportioning valve (20) of the braking system and the rear suspension (14) of the vehicle (12). The actuator (22) is operative to increase the amount of braking applied to the rear wheels in response to the movement of the rear suspension (14). The actuation member (110) further includes an activation cylinder (112) which is placed in parallel with the actuator (22) and is in communication with the load leveling system. When the load leveling system activates to correct the attitude of the vehicle (12), the activation cylinder (112) is also signaled to correct the reading provided to the proportioning valve (20) by the actuator (22).

Actuation member for a proportioning valve for load leveling applications

A hydraulic shock absorber is formed as a sealed assembly and subsequently, at a desired time, an opening is non-contaminantly pierced in the outer shell and the shock absorber is pressurized by passing a pressurized fluid through the opening and the opening is then non-contaminantly sealed with a metal ball by welding to make the hydraulic shock absorber permanently gas pressurized. The shock absorber assembly, the method of making it and the apparatus for making it are disclosed in this specification.

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Temperance, MI, United States of America

Michael G Gaines