Abstract: A cushion assembly having an outer cylinder and a metering cylinder extending between end caps and defining an annular reservoir therebetween with communication being provided by metering orifices distributed along the length of the metering cylinder. A piston is slideable in the metering cylinder having a first piston rod connected to one side and a second piston rod of hollow construction connected to the other side, the first piston rod having a head at its outer end. The head and the first end cap define a gap between them when the first piston rod is in its contracted state. Stop members on the slideable sill and frame of the car occupy normal side by side positions in register with one another in the gap, so that a shock applied to the sill in either direction causes the stop members to shift out of register with one another elongating the gap so as to tension and extend the first piston rod.

Abstract: An end-of-car hydraulic pneumatic cushioning device for connecting to the coupler of a railway car having a piston mounted within a cylinder and a piston rod secured to the piston extending rearwardly from the cylinder. The piston divides the cylinder into a front high pressure chamber and a rear low pressure chamber, and a gaseous and liquid fluid mixture is provided in both the high and low pressure chambers. The piston carries normally closed metering valves which open in buff travel a buff flow passage between the low and high pressure chambers after around two inches or more of buff travel from neutral extended position, and open upon return draft travel after buff travel a restricted draft flow passage between the low and high pressure chambers. The gas in the fluid mixture particularly upon high velocity impact loads is dispersed throughout the liquid and thus has a large contact area with the liquid to minimize the increase in temperature of the gas upon being compressed.