Pneumatic device for attenuation of vertical, horizontal and rotational dynamic forces

Claim 1

In an air isolation system wherein a horizontal surface is isolated from vibrational forces by being supported by pneumatic piston assemblies which assemblies each have a loading chamber and a damping chamber, the chambers being pressurized, the improvement of the pneumatic piston assembly comprising: (a) a loading chamber; (b) an annular piston flexibly received in the chamber in a pressure-tight manner, said piston including a piston well which well includes an upwardly facing bearing surface in its depending end; (c) an annular diaphragm to secure flexibly the piston in the chamber, the piston supported by the pressure in the chamber, the chamber and the piston adapted for movement one relative to the other with reference to a vertical roll center in a region of vertical roll; (d) an elongated load support member which passes through the piston and pivotally engages the bearing surface of the piston well below the region of vertical roll to allow relative pivotal movement between the piston and load support member, the upper end of the support member including a support plate to support a load to be isolated; and, (e) means to limit the vertical movement of the first and second members respectively between upper and lower limits of the region of vertical roll; whereby forces acting on the chamber will be substantially absorbed by the first member which will move relative to the position of the second member thereby isolating the second member and the supported load from said forces.