Abstract: A gas spring with a sealing and bearing assembly received within a casing of the gas spring adjacent to a rod slidably received through the assembly for axial reciprocation. The assembly has an annular retaining ring received within the casing, an annular bearing with a throughbore through which the rod reciprocates carried by the retaining ring, an annular retainer carried by the retaining ring downstream of the bearing, and a sealing member received within the retaining ring adjacent to the retainer and in firm engagement with the rod and retaining ring to provide a gas-tight seal between the rod and the retaining ring to prevent the escape of gas from the gas spring. The retainer preferably has a dovetail flange extending therefrom and the sealing ring has a complementarily shaped recess molded or press-fit onto the flange to attach the sealing ring to the retainer. The retainer is preferably firmly clamped to the retaining ring by rolling its upper edge over the retainer.

Abstract: A tool to remove a retaining ring at least partially received in a groove of a cylinder has a handle lever constructed to engage the open end of the cylinder and a claw lever having a hooked end or claw constructed to be received at least partially underneath the retaining ring with the claw lever pivotally connected to the handle lever permitting relative movement between the two levers. The pivotal connection between the handle lever and claw lever permits them to be separated and joined together in a scissor-like fashion to facilitate engaging the claw with the retaining ring. When engaged with the retaining ring, the tool is pivoted about the cylinder to displace the claw and thereby displace the retaining ring inwardly and upwardly of the groove to remove it from the cylinder. The tool permits easy and non-destructive removal of the retaining ring and requires relatively low force and a relatively low level of skill to safely remove the retaining ring from the cylinder.

Abstract: An array of a plurality of module blocks with a common through-passageway with a combined fluid coupling and mechanical connector fitting received in the passageway between each pair of adjacent blocks. The fitting has a swivel body rotatably retained by a flexible retaining wire on a main body with two static-type O-rings. The main body has external straight threads on one end and a hex head protrusion adjacent the other end. A fluid conducting through-passageway in the main body has an enlarged cylindrical counterbore open at the hex end and with a circular internal groove therein. A tangentially intersecting wire-insertion radial opening leads from an external surface of the hex head into this groove. The swivel body has external straight male threads at one end, a cylindrical shank at the other end and a fluid conducting through-passageway communicating at one end with the main body passageway and having a hex socket in the other passageway end.

Abstract: A trunnion mount for a fluid-actuated cylinder assembly which has a pair of opposed trunnion pins carried by a framework with a plurality of separate pieces that can be easily assembled onto the cylinder tie rods without having to disassemble the cylinder assembly. The frame pieces have a tongue at one end and a complementary groove at the opposite end and are assembled end-to-end to form the framework with an open center to accommodate the casing tube of the cylinder. The pieces have complementary gripping portions adjacent each end that releasably clamp the framework to the tie rods. Thus, the framework can be attached to the cylinder without disassembling it.

Abstract: A fluid connector fitting which reduces the required space for assembly in fluid handling systems. The fitting has an internal sealing face which, together with a conventional fluid adapter fitting, forms a fluid tight seal. A swivel nut is rotatably mounted in the body by a retainer. The swivel nut is internally threaded for connection with the adapter fitting.

Abstract: A filler valve and fitting for a gas spring. The filler valve has a body slidably received in a cavity in a housing and movable between a first sealed position for retaining gas within a gas chamber in the spring and a second position for bleeding gas from the chamber to relieve pressure within the chamber. For charging the chamber with gas, a core valve is carried by the body. Preferably, the housing has an exterior configuration and size of a standard flow-through type coupling having a pair of exteriorly threaded portions separated by a central portion with parallel flats constructed and arranged for engagement by a tool to install and remove the housing. The body has opposed effective areas with the effective area adjacent an inlet in the housing being greater than the effective area adjacent the outlet for enabling gas within the chamber to be compressed to a pressure much greater than the supply line pressure.

Abstract: A gas spring with a piston reciprocable in a chamber of a casing, a sealing assembly at the rear end of the casing through which the piston rod extends, and an end cap closing the rear end of the casing. The sealing assembly has a reinforcing ring having a sealing ring on one side and a wiper on the other side. The sealing ring and wiper are portions of a single body of elastomeric material molded to the reinforcing ring and integrally connected through one or more openings in the reinforcing ring. The casing wall is rolled radially inwardly over the sealing assembly into pressure contact with the reinforcing ring so that the sealing assembly becomes in effect an end cap for the front end of the casing. The rear end of the casing is rolled over the rear end cap by swaging into pressure contact with the end cap. A filler valve is disposed in the end cap.

Abstract: A gas spring with a piston reciprocable in a chamber of a casing, a sealing assembly at the rear end of the casing through which the piston rod extends, and an end cap closing the rear end of the casing. The sealing assembly has a reinforcing ring having a sealing ring on one side and a wiper on the other side. The sealing ring and wiper are portions of a single body of elastomeric material molded to the reinforcing ring and integrally connected through one or more openings in the reinforcing ring. The casing wall is rolled radially inwardly over the sealing assembly into pressure contact with the reinforcing ring so that the sealing assembly becomes in effect an end cap for the front end of the casing. The rear end of the casing is rolled over the rear end cap by swaging into pressure contact with the end cap. A filler valve is disposed in the end cap.

Abstract: A valve modular control panel having a gas supply module at one end of a row of valve modules and a bleed module at the other end. Each valve module is individually controlled by its own valve mechanism. Gas under pressure is suppled to all of the valve modules from an inlet in the supply module by a passage running through all of the valve modules and terminating in the bleed module. A bleed passage runs through the valve modules and into the bleed module. All valve modules are bled through the bleed module. The bleed module is also capable of exhausting the supply passage. The panel can be expanded or contracted to include any number of valve modules which are releasably secured together by a series of nuts and tie rods. A protective shield for the panel can be adjusted in size depending on the number of modules in the panel.