Fichtel & Sachs Industries, Inc.

Gas Spring Company, Division of Fichtel & Sachs Industries, Inc.

Gas Spring Corporation

Gas Spring Company, Div. of Fichtel & Sachs Industries, Inc.

Timothy L Howard

Lawther O Smith

Kalman Broitman

Franz A Kautz

A mechanical locking device for restraining the piston rod of a gas spring n an extended position comprises a lock tube mounted on the piston rod coaxially with the cylinder and adapted to ride telescopingly over the cylinder during normal inward and outward movement of the piston rod. Apparatus is provided on the piston rod whereby the piston rod can be overextended, beyond its normal fully extended position, to permit the lock tube to move out of coaxial alignment with the cylinder; the end of the lock tube thereby abuts the end face of the cylinder and prevents inward movement of the piston rod.

Gas spring with secondary lock

A resilient support column for height-adjustable chairs or the like includes a piston-and-cylinder type pneumatic spring that is installable in and removable from the column by means of a retaining sleeve structure carried by the spring. The retaining sleeve is connected to the column through a threaded connection that permits quick one-step insertion of the combined sleeve-spring unit into the column, while thereafter affording the advantage of threaded adjustment within the column or threaded removal therefrom. A simple mechanical fastener holds the retaining sleeve in place on the pneumatic spring during shipment and/or assembly.

Support column unit

A seal between a piston rod and a housing in which the piston reciprocates for preventing the escape of compressed fluid from the housing. A fixed sealing member engages the piston rod adjacent the housing wall, and a floating sealing member engages the piston rod at a location spaced from the fixed sealing member. A liquid is in the space between the sealing members.

Redundant high-pressure seal for fluid spring

A socket assembly for a ball and socket coupling comprises a socket body having a ball-receiving socket which includes a cylindrical portion. A pair of slots extend through the socket body and open into the cylindrical portion at locations diametrically opposite each other and outwardlyfrom the seated position of the ball. Each slot has a flat surface which generally faces the seated position of the ball and converges inwardly toward the axis of the cylindrical portion of the socket, thus to lie obliquely to the axis of the cylindrical portion. A generally C-shaped spring clip wraps around the socket body. The clip has opposed end portions which extend through the slots and part way into the socket far enough to engage the neck of the ball component. The end portions of the clip are oriented generally obliquely to the axis of the socket. The socket body has a pair of external flat surfaces which underlie the clip, and the clip has flat portions which engage the flat faces of the socket body to keep the clip from turning out of proper position to permit the socket assembly to be pressed onto the ball component.

Growing community of inventors

Ambler, PA, United States of America

Timothy L Howard