Sept. 3, 1957 G. S.

KNOX 2,804,884
ACCUMULATOR WITH DIAPHRAGM STABILIZER
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Sept. 3, 1957 G. S. KNOX 2,804,884
ACCUMULATOR WITH DIAPHRAGM STABILIZER
Filed Aug. 16, 1954

BY
 2,894,834
United States Patent Office Patented Sept. 3, 1957
2
As a result, when the pressure of the gas above the
diaphragm became effectively predominant upon tem
porarily shutting down the pumps, the central portion of
2,804,884 the diaphragm was plunged down through the low vis
ACCUMULATOR WITH DAPHRAGM STABLIZER 5 cosity zone, pulling the upper part of the bladder away
from the upper wall of the housing. The elongation of
Granville S. Knox, Glendale, Calif., assignor to Eydril
Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Ohio
the diaphragm necessary to seat the stopper was thus
accomplished by displacement of the upper extent of the
Application August 16, 1954, Serial No. 450,139 bladder rather than by a stretching of the lower extent
0 thereof, as was intended and was normally the case. This
14 Claims. (Cl. 138-30) left an annular body of gel-like material about the elon
gated diaphragm. The bladder, being unstretched, had
no "snap-back” characteristics when pressure conditions
on opposite sides of the diaphragm were subsequently
i This invention has to do generally with accumulators or equalized, and therefore failed to return to a position of
5
pulsation dampeners and is more particularly concerned equilibrium. As a consequence, its upper extent remained
with such devices wherein diaphragm stabilizing means in spaced relation with respect to the upper wall of the
are included, as well as to the stabilizing means, per se. housing and an annulus of gel-like material remained
The invention is particularly well adapted to handle the around the lower extent. During subsequent cycles of
severe service requirements of and to withstand the severe 20 operation additional quantities of the gel-like material
conditions encountered in pumping mud laden fluid during gathered between the upper extents of the housing and
well drilling operations, and therefore I have illustrated bladder, further exaggerated the undesirable effect. And,
and will describe an embodiment especially suited to that of course, each time the volumetric capacity of the dia
use, though this is not to be construed as limitative. phragm bladder was reduced by an ever enlarging annulus
In the above environment, dampeners are installed in of sediment, the contained pressure was increased until
output lines of reciprocating-plunger, mud or slush pumps, it so nearly approached the peak pressure of the pumped
to smooth out pressure peaks. The pre-charged surge fluid that it offered no effective dampening action.
chamber effectively eliminates surging and water hammer It is therefore a general object of the present invention
in the rotary hose and mud lines, resulting in longer to provide means whereby the dampener will continue to
service life and less maintenance trouble and expense as 30 function with full efficiency in spite of the fact that the
regards the pumps, the rotary hose, the swivel packing, fluid being handled is thixotropic, or of any nature which
etc. all as is well understood in the art. tends to cause it to accumulate in unduly large amount
In my copending application on Accumulator or Pulsa about the bladder. In other words it cares for conditions
tion Dampener, Serial No. 327,280, filed December 22, where the suspension is stable but its viscosity depends on
1952, now Patent No. 2,757,689, August 7, 1956, I its degree of agitation, or where the suspension is so un
have shown, described and claimed a device having, among stable that the solids settle out with undue rapidity and
other features and advantages, superior characteristics as "crust' when the fluid is relatively quiescent.
regards capacity and efficiency, as well as avoidance of In general, I accomplish the desired result by attaching
harmful folding and wrinkling of the diaphragm, in spite the center of a stabilizer, preferably in the form of a
of its advantageous length of stroke. 40
relatively stiff rubber disk, to the center of the diaphragm
In that application it is pointed out that undue ac at the gas-chamber side thereof and thus in axial aline
cumulation of sediment in the body chamber is prevented ment with the stopper at the opposite side of the dia
by the sweeping effect of the diaphragm when the dia phragm. However, the radially outwardly extending por
phragm is forced downwardly by gas pressure after the tion of the disk is unattached to the diaphragm, thus being
pumps have shut down. It is also set forth that certain 45 movable with relation to the underlying portion of the
parts of the device are so shaped and relatively located diaphragm and permitting said underlying portion to
that sediment entering the chamber is evenly distributed retain its full stretch and snap-back capacities. In other
to the extent that there are no harmful local accumula words, the stabilizer has the effect of vertically stiffening
tions of sediment during operation. Thus the accumulator the central portion of the diaphragm without affecting the
was said to be, in all essence, “self-cleaning.” 50 elastic characteristics of the lower extent of the bladder
This all proved to be true in actual practise except wall. At the same time, the stabilizer is preferably ca
when certain types of mud laden fluid were encountered. pable of limited, resilient deformation to the extent that
For instance, peculiar results followed when the mud it may substantially conform itself to the shape of the
laden fluid tended to gel when it was unagitated. Such engaged portion of the bladder and perform its necessary
was the case when bentonite was one of the constituents. stiffening function without tending to overstress or punc
of the drilling mud, and I will therefore discuss the prob ture the bladder. The stabilizer thus creates an enlarged
lem in that light, without inferring that a stable suspen central area which is axially relatively stiff without im
sion, such as this, is the only cause of the difficulty or that pairing other desirable characteristics.
my remedy applies only when the suspension is stable. If the diaphragm is working in the lower half of the
Bentonite is a soft, porous, moisture-absorbing rock, - 60 housing during a given period, the stabilizer acts to in
composed essentially of clayey materials, having the prop crease the effective area of the diaphragm insofar as agita
erty of thixotropy, that is, of becoming fluid when agi tion is concerned, thus giving an increased-area zone of
tated-the change being reversible. Thus, when a body relative fluidity and reducing the extent of the quiescent
of bentonite-laden fluid gathered in the accumulator Zone. There is, accordingly, less material available for
chamber below the diaphragm, it had zones of differential 65 the formation of gel, thus reducing the hazards otherwise
viscosity; that is, the material in the relatively quiet zone resulting from such formation. On the other hand, such
around the periphery of the chamber became gel-like, gel as may form beneath the diaphragm (and this also
whereas the material in the central zone or core became applies where the diaphragm may be working in the upper
fluid due to the agitation caused by the more pronounced half of the housing where, under certain circumstances,
movement of the central portion of the diaphragm and 70 the stabilizer adds nothing to the agitating effect) is, in
to the jetting effect as the material was discharged from large part, pushed out of the chamber by the larger-di
the mud chamber. ameter, stiffened portion of the diaphragm, thus reducing
 2,804.884
3 4.
the thickness of the gel-annulus below the danger-point,
the upper wall of the bladder continuing to hug to the
complementary wall of the housing and the lower wall of
the bladder being forced to stretch" as theistopper ap
proaches and reaches its seat. . -
The stabilizer is also helpful even though the liquid
being handled is entirely free of sediment. For instance,
it "irons out” the wrinkles and folds of: the diaphragm
as they start to form when the diaphragm. passes through
a median zone, all as will be explained.
- I will describe the invention as applied to a pulsation
dampener corresponding to the showing of said, copend
ing application, with which it is peculiarly well adapted to
function, but this is not to be considered as limitative on
the broader aspects of the invention.
Other objects and features of novelty will become ap
parent from the following detailed description, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the dampener;
Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1 partly in broken
away section;
; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;
Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary views showing the be
havior
ditions.
of the diaphragm under certain operating con
The body shell or housing 10 is made up of main sec
tion 11, cap section 12, and bottom section 13, the por
tions of the housing above and below the central axial
plane A being considered, respectively, as upper and lower
shell-walls 14 and 15. The upper end of section 11 has
a relatively large-diameter central mouth 16 which re
ceives the cylindrical plug portion 17 of section 12, while
the flange portion 18 of section 12 is bolted to section
11 at 19. The peripheral face 20 of plug portion 17 is
annularly spaced from the defining wall 21 of mouth 16
to provide a downwardly opening, annular groove 22
which, as well as counterbore 23, serve to receive and
anchor portions of the diaphragm or baldder, as will ap
pear later.
The lower end of section 11 has a relatively small
diameter central mouth 24 adapted to receive the cylin
drical plug portion 25 of bottom section 13, the flange
portion 26 of section 13 being bolted to section 11 at 27.
The joint between sections 11 and 13 is packed off by
compressed sealing ring 28. Flange 26 has threaded
holes 29 to receive bolts 30 (Fig. 1), whereby the flange
31 of fitting 32 may be fastened to the dampener, this
fitting being connected by pipe 32' to the output line (not
shown) of a pump or the like. The pipe communicates
with the central flow passage 33 extending through bottom
section 3.
Walls 14, 15 define a chamber C which has the gen
eral-shape characteristics of an oblate spheroid with its
polar or shorter axis B extending vertically, it being under
stood that the words “vertical” and “horizontal” are
used merely for the purpose of orientation of parts and
not in their limited sense. Axial plane A-may-thus be
considered as the equatorial axial plane of chamber C,
since the line representing that plane also represents the
longer axis of the generating ellipse.
The lower portion of the defining wall of chamber C
is preferably slightly modified so that the curved defining
wall 34 merges smoothly into a conical surface or zone
34' immediately surrounding the orifice 35 of passage 33,
the conical surface smoothly and with stream lines merg
ing into the defining wall of the passage, which latter is
in the nature of a venturi, with the venturi streamline
restriction 36 at a point near said orifice.
The diaphragm 37 is in the nature of a bladder made
of natural or synthetic rubber and is pre-formed, as by
molding, so, when it is in equilibrium, it has the shape
shown in solid lines (position D) in Fig. 3. The neck
39, and neck flange 40 of the bladder are tightly clamped
in groove 22 and counterbore 23, respectively, thus not
only positively fixing the upper end of the bladder to
housing 10, but also packing off the joint between sec
tions 11 and 12.
When in position D (that is, when the diaphragm is
in equilibrium and thus in the shape it inherently assumes
when detached from the housing) its upper portion 41
has an arcuate extent 42 which is complementary to and
engages upper shell wall 14. Arcuate portion 42 termi
nates at 45, lying approximately in plane A, and is con
nected to base portion 43 by a bend 44, annular as
10 viewed in plan, whose lower edge 45' lies in plane G,
and thus below plane. A. Each portion of bend 44 is ar
cuate in vertical cross section, with the centers-of cross
sectional curvature lying approximately in plane A.
Thus, when the diaphragm is in equilibrium, base portion
15 43 lies, in major extent at least, within the space bounded
by upper portion 42.
Starting from bend 44, the base portion has a conical
extent 46 which merges, by way of curved extent 47, into
an uppermost, substantially horizontal, but preferably
20 slightly crowned, central extent 48. Embedded in this
central extent is a downwardly pointing, conical valve
stopper 49 which is rigid in nature and is keyed to the
rubber diaphragm at 50. As will later appear, the stop
per provides anchoring means: for the stabilizer, to be
25 described.
The axes of stopper 49 and passage 33 are coincident
with polar axis B. The rubber making up the diaphragm
is continued integrally across the lower conical surface
51 of stopper, 49 to provide a rubber facing 52 to seat
30 on conical face 34' around orifice 35 when the bladder is
in fully distended condition, as represented by the dot
dash position F, thus to close off passage 33 and prevent
extrusion of the bladder into said passage.
Opening through cap section 12 and into the bladder,
35 is a fluid flow passage 53, into which a valved fitting 54
is set. Gas such as compressed air or compressed-nitro
gen is introduced through fitting 54 to provide the pulsa
tion absorbing or dampening medium when surges occur
in the fluid admitted through passage 33 to chamber C
40 below the bladder. A gage 55 is in communication
through passage 56 with the bladder interior, whereby the
gas pressure within the bladder may be ascertained. Pref
erably, a guard 57 is bolted to cap section 12 to protect
fitting 54 and gage 55, the guard having a gage-sighting
opening 58.
- Stopper 49 is centrally bored and threaded at 65 to
take bolt-66. This bolt, in conjunction with flanged, cup
shaped retainer: 68, holds the stabilizer, generally indi
50 cated at 69, to diaphragm 37. The bottom 70 (Fig. 4)
of the cup-portion 71 of retainer 68 engages the upper
end 72 of stopper 49, while flange 73 is vertically spaced
above and substantially parallel to central crown 48 of
diaphragm 37.
55 Stabilizer 69 is pre-formed as a flat disk of rubber,
natural or synthetic, having greater axial stiffness than
does the rubber of the diaphragm, and, preferably is some
what thicker than is the wall of the diaphragm. For in
stance, it has been found satisfactory, where the dia
60 phragm has a hardness of from 50 to 55 on the durometer
A scale, to provide a stabilizer having a hardness of from
72 to 85 on that same scale, though these particular
ranges are not to be considered as limitative. Also as
illustrative of satisfactory relationships, the thickness of
65 the stabilizer may be in the order of /2' where the
thickness of the diaphragm is in the order of Ag'.
Stabilizer 69 is centrally apertured at 74 to receive cup
71, whereby the stabilizer is held centered with the re
tainer and hence with the diaphragm, and its inner, annu
70 lar portion 75 is held down to crown 48 by flange 73, said
portion 75 being slightly flexed to conform to said crown.
The outer, annular portion 76 extends substantially hori
zontally when the diaphragm is in equilibrium, there
thus being developed an angle of about 30° between said
portion and the conical extent 46, though this angle is
not critical and, in fact, may be absent where it is desired
 fe. 2,804,884
that the stabilizer-portion 76 engage wall 46 even when
the diaphragm is in equilibrium.
However, it is important that portion 76 be unattached
to diaphragm wall 46; that is, portion 76 and wall 46 are
to be capable of such relative movement that the stabilizer
in no way diminishes the stretchability of wall 46. On
the other hand, not only do the inner annular portion 75
of the stabilizer and the retainer flange 73 increase the
axial rigidity of central portion 48 of the diaphragm,
but also the outer annular portion 76 of the stabilizer
axially stiffens or reinforces wall 46 when the diaphragm
is moved in a manner to engage that wall.
While the illustrated relative diameters of the dia
phragm, at equatorial plane A, and of the stabilizer 69 are
not to be considered as limitative, I have found that, for
instance, a ratio of about 11 to 9, is especially well
adapted to the purpose, this giving a desirable extent of
radial extension or overhang of the stabilizer with respect
to wall 46. The illustrated ratio (about 5.5 to 9) of the
inside diameter of bladder-neck 39 and stabilizer 76, is
not at all limitative. However, with this ratio existing it
is possible to assemble the relatively large-diameter sta
bilizer with the diaphragm by bending the stabilizer nearly
double and inserting the doubled-up member endwise
through the neck. As soon as it is released it will, of
ccurse, spring back to its original shape, whereupon the
retainer 68 and bolt 66 may be readily applied. Prefer
ably, a shake-proof lock washer 77 is inserted between
cup 7 and the underside of the head of bolt 66.
Preferably, though not necessarily, the outer periphery
of stabilizer 69 has a double chamfer, as illustrated at
78 to prevent this edge from digging into the diaphragm
wall during periods of operation. It may be noted at
this point that stabilizer 69 is adapted to flex and there
fore approximately conform itself to the upper wall of the
bladder in the event the bladder fluid accidentally leaks
out and allows the pressure in the lower part of chamber
C to drive the diaphragm to its upper limit. In such event,
the interposition of the stabilizer between folds of the
bladder and between the bladder and the lower end of 40
plug 17 prevents chafing and undue wear on the bladder
rubber.
I will first describe the action of the dampener when
the liquid being handled is not of the thixotropic or crust
ing types spoken of in the introduction. The bladder is
preferably precharged so it will be in position F, it having
passed through position E in reaching this position F.
In going from position D to position E there is a natural
tendency for the diaphragm to fold, wrinkle and become
locally off-center-obviously undesirable effects if not held
to a minimum. in the illustrated device such effects are
sufficiently minimized to insure fully efficient and long
life operation. Contributing to this end is the fact that
the slant height X of the conical extent 46 of bladder
base-portion 43 is made to be appreciably less than the
radius Y of the bend-annulus 44 when the bladder is in
equilibrium (position D). Also contributing is the pre
formation of the slant angle 60 of the conical extent so,
when the diaphragm is in equilibrium, said angle is less
than the angle 61 between plane A and a chord 62 drawn
from that plane to the upper end of arcuate extent 42.
In the illustrated case, angle 60 is about 30 as against the
approximately 54 of angle 61.
Additionally contributing to the above end, is the sta
bilizer 69, for, as it progressively engages the extent 46,
it has the effect of trusting that extent ahead of it through
the median zone, more or less "ironing out' the wrinkles
or folds as they start to form.
When in position E, the rubber of the diaphragm is
unstretched, except slightly at bend 44. In going from
position E to position F, the rubber making up wall 46
of the bladder is stretched, the upper part 42 of the
bladder continuing to hug housing wall 41. On the other
hand, due to the relative rigidity of bend 44, there will be
a flattened or return-bend effect 44 which will tend to 75 present. By the time stopper 49 is fully seated (Fig. 5).
6
stand the base portion 43, except for the stopper area,
away from wall 15, thus developing a space 59. Subse
quently, an upward surge of fluid through passage 33 over
comes the previously predominant pressure in the bladder
5 and thus unseats valve stopper 49 to admit fluid to cham
ber C below the bladder. The lower part of the dia
phragm then tends to "spring' back towards positions
E and D. When the gas pressure again becomes pre
dominant and re-seats the stopper, some fluid will be
O trapped in space 59 between return bend 44' and the
seated stopper, and this trapped fluid will hold the affected
part of the bladder from contacting the shell wall, thus
preventing abrasive wear on the bladder. The rubber
facing 52 is adapted to make a tight seal whereby the
15 trapping of a relatively small amount of the fluid is
assured. m
When the liquid being handled is, for instance, thixo
tropic, or rapidly crust-forming, the tendency is that
spoken of in the introduction. That is, if thixotropic, the
20 Suspension tends to gel in the more quiescent annular
Zones around the housing wall while the central "core'
of the suspension body becomes very fluid due to the more
pronounced movement of the central portion of the dia
phragm and to the jetting effect as the material is dis
25 charged from the mud chamber. The jetting effect is
increased by the venturi nature and streamlining of pas
sage 33. These characteristics of passage 33 are helpful
in that they so direct the incoming stream of liquid as to
distribute sediment evenly over the shell walls, as ex
30 plained in the aforementioned co-pending application, but
the jetting effect during discharge has its disadvantages
where the material is thixotropic, due to its production of
a central column of low viscosity-for, if remedial pro
visions are not made, the stopper and lower end of the
35, diaphragm then Would tend to plunge downwardly through
the low viscosity column, pulling the upper portion 4
of the bladder away from housing wall 14, rather than
stretching diaphragm wall 46. The gel-like material
would then build up progressively around the vertically
elongated, unstretched bladder, and the volumetric ca
pacity of the bladder would thus be progressively dimin
ished until the pressure of the contained gas would so
nearly approach the peak pressure of the pumped fluid
that it would offer no effective dampening action.
45 However, stabilizer 69 prevents such disadvantageous
diaphragm action, the stabilizer effect being illustrated in
Figs. 4 and 5. In the first place, the stabilizer provides
a radially extended, axially reinforced or stiffened central
portion of the diaphragm which increases the cross-sec
50 tional area of the central core of the mud-laden material
which is kept in a low-viscosity fluid condition by reason
of agitation due to diaphragm reciprocation-thus corre
spondingly reducing the volume of the surrounding an
nulus of gel-like material.
55 In the second place, assume that the gel-like material
has gathered beneath the diaphragm when the latter is
in the equilibrium position D indicated by dotted lines in
Fig. 4. The annulus of such material would appear, in
cross section, as made up of the body of material M,
60 shown in full lines, plus the then continguous body M’
indicated in dotted lines. Then, as the diaphragm de
scends towards E (Fig. 4) the stabilizer comes into en
gagement with diaphragm wall 46, backing it up and
axially stiffening it so as to thrust the gel-like material
ahead of it, the surplus being discharged through pas
sageway 33. By the time the diaphragm reaches position
E, the gel-like material has the approximate cross-sectional
shape indicated at M. - .. .
In going from position E to position F (Fig. 5) the
70 stabilizer continues to axially back up and stiffen the dia
phragm in a manner to sweep the gel-like material ahead
of it, the diaphragm wall 46 being stretched in the proc
ess, rather than pulling diaphragm wall 42 away from shell
wall 14 as would be the case if the stabilizer were not
 2,804,884:
7 8
there is left-only the relatively small body. M-2 of gel-like
material between the diaphragm and the shell, this body
being of insufficient volume to materially affect the volti
metric capacity of the bladder and, in fact, having the
beneficial effect previously spoken of in connection with
trapped fluid in space 59.
Thus, at the end of the down stroke of the diaphragm,
the bulk of the gel-like material will have been swept
clear of the housing chamber so the volumetric capacity
of the bladder will be nearly normal, and so diaphragm
wall 46 will be in effective tension. Consequently, the
entire device is in condition to continue to act effectively
as a pulsation dampener in spite of the peculiar nature
of the material being handled. - a base portion turned upwardly and inwardly to lie, in
While I have shown and described a preferred embodi
ment of the invention, various changes in design, struc
ture and arrangement. may be made without departing
from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
I claim: . axis of said other passage being coincident with the axis
1. In a device of the character described, a body shell
defining an interior chamber, a rubber diaphragm within
the chamber and dividing the chamber. into two pressure
zones, there being a pair of fluid flow passages through
the shell, and opening, one each, to said zones, one, at
least, of the passages being coaxial with the diaphragm
whereby the central part of the diaphragm moves axially.
towards and away from said one passage during dia
phragm flexure in opposite directions, and a stabilizer
mounted on said central portion at the side of the dia
phragm remote from said one passage, said stabilizer. hav
ing a radially outwardly extending portion overlying but
unattached to the diaphragm in the region surrounding
said central portion, said stabilizer comprising a member
which is flexible and axially resilient.
2. A device as in claim 1, wherein said member is
axially stiffer than is the diaphragm.
3. In a device of the character described, a body shell
having upper and lower walls defining an interior cham
ber, a rubber diaphragm within the chamber, said dia
phragm being pre-formed as a bladder which, when in . 40
equilibrium, has an upper portion substantially comple-.
mentary to and engaging the upper shell wall, and a base.
portion movable axially of the chamber. toward and away
from the central portion of the lower shell wall, there.
being a pair of fluid flow passages opening through the
shell, one to the interior of the bladder and the other to
the chamber at a point below the bladder and in line with
the axis thereof, and a stabilizer carried by the bladder.
and located centrally of the inner face of the base portion.
of the bladder, said stabilizer comprising a vertically flex i
ible and resilient member having greater vertical stiffness.
than has the flexing wall of the bladder, said stabilizer
being centrally fixed to said base portion of the bladder
and having a radially outwardly extending portion over
lying said base portion but unattached thereto.
4. A device as in claim 3, including reinforcement in
the central zone of the base portion of the bladder, which
central zone acts to close off said other passage when the
bladder is fully inflated, said extension of the stabilizer
exetnding radially outward beyond the reinforced Zone. 60
5. A device as in claim 3, wherein the stabilizer, when
in equilibrium, is disk-like in formation.
6. A device as in claim 3, wherein the stabilizer is made
of rubber. - - - - - - -
7. A device as in claim 3; wherein the stabilizer is made
of rubber which is stiffer than is the rubber of the bladder,
and, when in equilibrium, is disk-like information. . . . .
8. A device as in claim 3, wherein, when the upper
portion of the bladder complementarily engages the upper
shell wall, the base portion of the bladder must be
stretched by bladder.inflation in order to reach the lower
shell wall, and wherein the stabilizer allows such stretch
without effective interference.
9. In a device of the character described, a body shell
having upper and lower walls defining an interior cham
ber having the general shape-characteristics of an oblate
spheroid-arranged with its polar axis extending vertically,
O a rubber diaphragm within and coaxial with said cham
ber, said diaphragm-being pre-formed as a bladder which,
when in equilibrium, has an upper portion substantially
complementary to and engaging the upper shell wall, and
: major extent at least, above the lower edge of said upper
portion, there being a pair of fluid flow passages opening
through the shell, one to the interior of the bladder and
the other to the chamber at a point below the bladder, the
20 of the chamber, a centrally arranged stopper carried by
said base portion and adapted to close said other passage
when the diaphragm is fully distended by predominant
fluid pressure existing within the bladder, and a stabilizer
centrally attached to the inner face of the base portion
of the bladder, the stabilizer and stopper being coaxial,
said stabilizer having a vertically resilient, radially out
wardly extending portion overlying, but unattached to
the base portion of the bladder.
10. A device as in claim 9, wherein said stabilizer
30 comprises a member of disk-like formation which is
centrally attached to said stopper.
11. A device as in claim 9, wherein said stabilizer com
prises a rubber member of disk-like formation, the rubber
of the stabilizer being stiffer than the rubber of the
35 bladder.
12. A device as in claim 9, wherein, when said dia
phragm is in equilibrium, the base portion includes an
upwardly pointing substantially conical extent and the
radially outwardly extending portion of the stabilizer
lies in a substantially horizontal plane and is thus angular
ly spaced from said conical-extent.
13. An assembly for the purpose described, compris
ing a pre-formed flexible bladder. having a central base
portion adapted for flexible displacement along a central
axis, a stabilizer mounted within the bladder, said stabi
lizer being connected to the base proximate said axis and
having a portion - extending radially outwardly relative
to said axis in overlying but unattached relation to said
base, said stabilizer portion being axially resilient and.
being adapted to flex when in contact with the inner
surface of the base during said displacement.
14. An assembly for the purpose described, compris
ing a rubber, diaphragm having a circular periphery, and
a stabilizer comprising a member centrally attached to
the center of the diaphragm and having a radially out
wardly extending portion overlying but unattached to the
diaphragm, said member being flexible and axially re
silient and being of rubber, which is stiffer than is the
rubber of the diaphragm. v -
References Cited in the file of this patent
UNITED STATES PATENTS
1,867,365. Lee. ------------------- July 12, 1932
2,246,621 Davis.--------------- June 24, 1941.
2,378,517 Trautman ------------ June 19, 1945
2,397.248 De Kiss. --------------- Mar. 26, 1946