Abstract: A bellows type air spring having a circular lobed body member with an inner an outer rubberized fabric reinforcing ply and a bead ring at each end. The turn up portion at each end of the fabric layers is wrapped around the bead ring with the turn up portion of the inner ply extending axially inwardly from the bead ring a substantial distance beyond the end of the turn up portion of the outer ply on both ends of the spring to provide longer flex life and prevent premature cracking of the body member in the areas of the end bead rings. The manufacturing method involves the use of an inner fabric ply that is substantially longer in the axial direction than the outer ply instead of using both inner plies of the same axial length.

Abstract: A method for producing an airspring which reduces the time of manufacture by the vulcanization of the airsleeve in the absence of beads. After vulcanization of the sleeve, and end portion of the sleeve is wrapped about a bead ring and crimped within an annular rolled portion of at least one end member.

Abstract: There is disclosed a rolling lobe fluid spring (10) having a rigid end cap (12) and a piston (14) with a generally tubular air impervious flexible membrane (18) sealingly attached thereto to form the air spring. A fabric restraining cylinder (40) is provided circumferentially around the outer periphery of the flexible membrane. The cylinder is composed of at least two layers of fabric (41, 42) having primary cord reinforcements oriented at opposite bias angles such that the cylinder (40) is radially extensible and supports the rolling lobe (32) of the air spring. It also radially supports the flexible membrane (18) over the axial working stroke (WA).

Abstract: A fluid inflatable plug for interiorly cylindrical conduits includes a rigid cylindrical mandrel having an elastomeric tubular sleeve about the outer curved surface of the mandrel. The sleeve includes reinforcements which extend in opposite sense helical paths throughout the longitudinal extent of the sleeve. The sleeve is folded back over one of its ends to form a loop region upon assembly to the mandrel. The ends of the sleeve are sealingly retained to the outer surface of the mandrel. A passage are provided for admitting and exhausting pressurized fluid between the sleeve and the outer curved surface of the mandrel. The plug may include a fluid passage therethrough independent of the passage for admitting an exhausting pressurized fluid between the sleeve and the surface of the mandrel.

Abstract: An elastomeric encapsulated chain wherein the individual links of the chain are covered with an elastomer suitably of polyurethane and in one embodiment the individual links of the chain are separated by a plug of elastomer to permit the chain to be pulled under tension to compress the elastomer plug.