Joint for piston-piston rod combination, and valve function thereof

Claim 1

A DASHPOT OR THE LIKE COMPRISING A CYLINDER AND A PISTON ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A PISTON SLIDABLE IN SAID CYLINDER, AND A MEMBER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID PISTON, EXTENDING FROM SAID PISTON AT A GIVEN END THEREOF FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH AND EXTENDIONG FREELY FROM SAID CYLINDER FOR ANGULAR MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO; THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES SAID PISTON ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AN ELEMENT HAVING A CHAMBER OPENING ONTO SAID GIVEN END OF SAID PISTON, SAID MEMBER EXTENDING INTO SAID CHAMBER AND HAVING A BALL-LIKE PART ROTATABLY RECEIVED THEREIN WITH AIR-FLOW CLEARANCE BETWEEN ITSELF AND SAID CHAMBER, AND WITH SUBSTANTIALLY NO LATERAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN ITSELF AND SAID CHAMBER, SAID ELEMENT COMPRISING RETAINER MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID BALL-LIKE PART FOR RETAINING SAID PART IN SAID CHAMBER, SAID RETAINER MEANS HAVING AN APERTURE THROUGH WHICH SAID MEMBER EXTENDS WITH LATERAL CLEARANCE THEREAROUND SUFFICIENT TO PERMIT SAID MEMBER A DEGREE OF UNIVERSAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID ELEMENT AS IT MOVES ANGULARLY RELATIVE TO SAID CYLINDER.