Abstract: The piston cylinder type damper comprises a cylinder connected to either member of the pair of a main body and an openable object, and a piston connected to the other member of the pair and adapted to fit into the cylinder and the piston incorporates therein a check valve adapted to allow the air in the cylinder to escape from the cylinder interior while the piston is driven into the cylinder by the movement of the openable object.

Abstract: An air pressure shock absorber for smoothly stopping a moving object reciprocated by a rod in an air pressure cylinder. The shock absorber absorbs and reduces the internal pressure of a chamber in the cylinder to smoothly stop the moving object by the communication of air compressed in the chamber to the atmosphere through a bypass passage formed in a cylinder wall. The air pressure is released to the atmosphere after the piston has moved through a predetermined stroke.

Abstract: A pneumatic door-closure apparatus comprising an elongated cylindrical housing in which an integrally formed rod and piston are slidably biased, the rod having a free end that extends outwardly therefrom and including a plurality of transversely disposed grooves to receive an adjustable-retainer clamp, so as to regulate the inward longitudinal movement of the piston. The rear closed end of the housing is provided with an air-valve regulator to control the speed of the inward movement of the piston, the piston including an air-flow control to allow air to pass freely from the spring-biased side of the piston to the compressed-air side, when the rod is extended outwardly from the housing. A two-way-mounting bracket is further provided and arranged to be attached at the rear closed end of the cylindrical housing for right or left hand mounting of the apparatus.

Abstract: A gas spring in which a valve permits flow of a pressurized fluid between two compartments of a cylinder cavity separated by a piston for movement of a piston rod attached to the piston outward of the cavity while inward movement of the piston rod is normally blocked by a mechanism which responds to a predetermined, axial, inward force applied to the piston rod for releasing the same.

Abstract: A sliding door for railroad cars which may be manually operable but is also provided with a pneumatic device and a pneumatic control circuit operably connected to the door for closing the door by power operation, which pneumatic device, after effecting power closing of the door, is automatically vented of all pneumatic pressure and operably disconnected from the door so as not to offer any resistance during manual operation, and, in particular, during an opening phase of the door by manual operation subsequently to a pneumatic closing phase of the same door.

Abstract: A door closing apparatus includes a housing member defining a cylinder for receiving a reciprocable piston member. The housing also defines an opening for receiving a rotatable pinion meshing with teeth on the piston. The apparatus also includes a linkage assembly for operatively connecting the door closing apparatus between a door and a door frame. This linkage includes a drive member for rotating the pinion bidirectionally in response to respective opening and closing of the door. An adjustable biasing assembly is provided for urging the piston in a predetermined direction within the housing cylinder, and the housing is sealed to receive a predetermined amount of oil or other fluid for hydraulically regulating the piston motion. To achieve this regulation, the housing includes an arrangement of interconnected fluid carrying channels and one or more valve members are mounted in cooperation with the channels.

Abstract: The invention is an overhead stowage bin mechanism particularly adapted for use in passenger airplanes. In the preferred embodiment, each end of the bin is supported by a pair of pivoted arms of unequal length so proportioned that the bin moves from its stowed position downward and slightly forward, at the same time tilting slightly for ease of access. The arms interengage in the down position to increase rigidity. A spring cartridge is connected to each of the upper arms to counterbalance the weight of the bin, and also is arranged to hold the bin in the down position. The upper arms are interconnected by a torque tube, and a snubbing device is also included in the mechanism.

Abstract: Means are provided for retaining fire doors in the open position against the action of spring or other automatic door closers, with remote control release which can be actuated if a fire is detected. In use, one part thereof is mounted on the wall and has holding means for engagement with another part which is mounted on the door. The wall mounted part also includes pneumatically operated actuating means for actuating the holding means when a gas pressure differing from atmospheric pressure is applied thereto so that the door is released when such pressure is removed. The pneumatically operated actuating means of a number of such door holders may be connected to a common gas pressure source together with means for releasing the gas pressure on occurrence of a fire.

Abstract: The closing mechanism of an automatic door closing arrangement is partly enveloped by an elongated unitary casing of sheet metal. Flanges on two of the longitudinal casing walls bound therebetween an opening in the casing which may be closed by a panel releasably retained by the flanges. Provisions are made for attaching the casing to a door and for linking the output element of the closing mechanism to a door frame. The panel may be removed simply and without tools for access to the mechanism or for replacement by another panel of different decorative appearance.

Abstract: A gas spring includes a cylinder having two axial portions of different cross section and two pistons mounted on a common piston rod and respectively matching the cross sections of the cylinder portions. The pistons are spaced on the piston rod so that they are either both in the wider cylinder portion or respectively received in the two portions. A first throttling passage permits flow of fluid between the two cylinder compartments separated by the larger piston, and a second throttling passage by-passes the smaller piston only during movement inward of the smaller cylinder portion to permit flow of fluid out of that cylinder portion. A valve arrangement is biased for sealing the two parts of the cylinder cavity separated by the smaller piston when the latter is in the smaller cylinder portion, but does not move inward of that portion. The valve arrangement responds to a sufficient, axially applied force for connecting the two cavity parts.

Abstract: There is disclosed a solenoid-dashpot assembly for actuating the foot pedals of a player piano. A solenoid having an armature shaft extending beyond the coil area of the solenoid receives a piston element, which, in turn, has an O-ring which co-acts with a dashpot cylinder. Constricted air passage elements are formed in the piston element and are provided with relatively large air passages which have mufflers thereon so that no sound is made when air ingresses or egresses through these constricted passages due to actuation and deactuation of the solenoid. To silence both ends of travel of the solenoid armature, the solenoid is mounted above a base plate on a mounting bracket and the solenoid armature carries a pad extending from a side opposite the dashpot.

Abstract: A releasable latch, for attachment to a door check unit having a cylinder and a piston, and serving releasably to secure a door in an open position. A lever is freely slidable along the rod of the piston and is tiltable on the rod for releasable locking engagement. A cam and follower are actuable from a pre-set position to tilt the lever into locking engagement when the door is opened beyond a predetermined limit and then released. On release of the lever from locking engagement with the piston rod the cam and follower are returned to their pre-set position.

Abstract: Means are provided for retaining fire doors in the open position against the action of the spring or other automatic door closers, with remote control release which can be actuated if a fire is detected. In use, one part thereof is mounted on the wall and has gripper means for engagement with another part which is mounted on the door. The wall-mounted part also includes release means spring-biased into a first position in which operation of the gripper means is inhibited and pneumatically operated means for holding the release means in a second position in which operation of the gripper means is not inhibited.

Abstract: An air damper comprises a cylinder having air ports at its upper and lower portions, a piston rod, a piston movably mounted on one end of the piston rod, a return spring, an air passage provided between upper and lower chambers within the cylinder which passage is opened and closed by the movement of the piston, and an air regulating valve press-fit into the lower air port portion of the cylinder.

Abstract: A door closer with integral check action comprising a rigid rod movable inwardly and outwardly of a tubular housing which is adapted to be mounted on a door. The rigid rod is pivotally connected to a rigid link plate itself pivotally connected to a fixing plate for mounting on the door frame. A spring within the housing urges the rod inwardly to close the door. On one side of a transverse wall, through which the rod extends, is a fluid filled chamber in which moves a piston, carried by the rigid rod. Valve means on the piston act to resist only inward movement of the piston as the door is closed by the force of said spring and the rate of closure of the door is thereby controlled without substantially restricting outward movement of the piston in response to opening of the door.

Abstract: A device for controlling the movement of a door has a pinion rotatably connected to the door, a rack meshingly engaging with the pinion and connected to a spring device for storing a force therein when the door is moved from its neutral position, and an engaging member resiliently engaging with the rack to restrain the movement of the door when the door is moved a predetermined amount from the neutral position.

Abstract: A closure for sliding arcadia doors utilizes a pair of telescoping tubes biased to their telescoped or closed position by an internal interconnecting tension spring and employs a pneumatic system and a bleeder valve to control the rate of closing or telescoping of the tubes once they have been opened against the bias of the tension spring. A locking mechanism uses a locking bar and a pair of brackets, one connected to the corner of the door frame and the other mounted on the door for movement with it, (1) to lock the door closed, (2) permit the door to be opened using the door closer so that it is automatically closed by the closer, or (3) to permit the door to be used in its normal manner as if the door closer was not present.

Abstract: A typical door closer has a cylinder in which a piston reciprocates to compress a spring. An assistor for such a closer has a cylindrical shell fastened to one end of and continuing the cylinder. The shell has a barrier wall at one end adjacent the cylinder, a partition wall dividing the shell into a booser compartment and a main compartment, and a head wall at the other end. Air under regulated pressure is supplied to the main compartment, wherein the air presses a main plunger tube, extending through the partition wall, against a booster plunger having a rod extending through the barrier wall and abutting the piston. A port in the plunger tube receives air from the main compartment through the tube. In some plunger tube positions the port is blocked by the partition wall and in other plunger tube positions opens into the first compartment. A check valve when open allows air flow from the booster compartment to the main compartment.

Abstract: The present dashpot utilizes a spaced pair of post guides secured to opposed piston sidewall segments to connect the piston to the inner sidewall surface of the cylinder. The guide pair essentially precludes motion of the piston within the cylinder along the first axis connecting the guides while limiting motion of the piston within the cylinder along a second axis transverse to the first axis and the cylinder axis in response to limited misalignment of the axis of the cylinder and the axis of the piston rod.