Abstract: A piston having a body member made from plastic material adapted for mounting to a piston rod for axial movement with the piston rod in a hydraulic cylinder under high working pressure conditions is disclosed. The plastic piston body member has a first axial end portion, an opposite second axial end portion, an outer circumferential surface portion adapted to be located in intimate relation with a cylinder wall of the hydraulic cylinder when the piston is positioned for axial movement therein, and an inner peripheral surface portion defining a centrally located axially extending aperture through the body member adapted for cooperatively receiving a mounting portion of the piston rod, one of the axial end portions being positioned to abut an adjacent shoulder of the piston rod when the mounting portion of the piston rod is located in a fully received position in the aperture.

Abstract: An end-of-stroke bidirectional snubber for a suspension cylinder includes an elongate snubber element having a first flow regulating end portion co-acting with an annular edge for gradually restricting fluid flow from a head end chamber as the piston approaches an end wall of a casing to snub end-of-stroke retraction motion of a piston rod. The snubber element also has a second flow regulating end portion which coacts with a radial passage for gradually restricting fluid flow from a rod end chamber as the piston approaches an end of cap to snub end-of-stroke extension motion of the piston rod.

Abstract: A composite rod wiper for an end cap of a hydraulic cylinder is disclosed for wiping the cylindrical exterior surface of an extensible and retractable rod extending through the end cap. The rod wiper includes a wiper ring of a first, hard and wear resistant elastomeric material. The wiper ring has a generally Vee shaped cross-sectional configuration having a radially inner acute wiper lip, an outer leg and an inner leg, each leg extending radially and axially inwardly in a diverging relation from each other from the wiper lip, and a cavity disposed intermediate the inner and outer legs. An energizer ring of a second, softer and more resilient elastomeric material is disposed in the cavity of the wiper ring. The composite rod wiper 10 provides wiper that has a long wear life, while at the same time maintaining the wiper lip in continuous wiping contact with the rod surface at a sufficient radial force level to ensure proper cleaning action throughout its useful life and during all temperature extremes.

Abstract: A composite radial seal for sealing the rod end of a hydraulic cylinder or suspension strut is disclosed. The composite seal includes a high abrasion resistant elastomeric seal ring having an elongated body. The body has a pressure end and a non-pressure end, with the pressure end having a U-cup configuration and a first dynamic seal lip and the non-pressure end having an enclosed annular cavity and a second dynamic seal lip. The cavity contains and is filled with a highly resilient energizer ring. Seal also includes an integral anti-extrusion ring that is bonded to the non-pressure end of the seal ring body adjacent and on the non-pressure side of the second seal lip to prevent extrusion of the seal lip into a clearance gap between a rod and a head of the cylinder or strut.