Abstract:
The present invention is a motorcycle suspension fork that combines a presently available conventional suspension with a presently available inverted suspension. The suspension of the present invention has two telescoping segments, with each segment capable of moving independently from the other. This design allows one segment to compress to absorb a shock while allowing the other segment to expand in preparation of absorbing another shock, thus allowing better shock absorption and a more comfortable ride.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     Applicant&#39;s invention relates to suspension systems and, more specifically, to a novel front wheel suspension fork for motorcycles or bicycles. 
     2. Background Information 
     Presently, motorcycle suspensions are of two general types called the conventional type or the inverted type. Conventional type suspensions consist of a damping mechanism—for example, a combination spring, rod, and hydraulic assembly—encased in two hollow cylinders that telescope into each other. The two hollow cylinders are of different diameters so that one cylinder telescopes snugly into the other. The primary damping mechanism—the receiving tube and valving assembly—is placed in the cylinder with the larger diameter and is located at the bottom of the suspension so that shocks transferred from the wheel to the suspension can be immediately damped before traveling to the hands of the rider. Any remaining compression force not absorbed by the damping mechanism are transmitted through the rod to the hands of the rider. In actual practice, conventional suspensions are suited for absorbing small bumps and tend to bottom out on large bumps. Furthermore, these conventional suspensions tend to deform under large stresses, causing the entire suspension to flex, thus decreasing its efficiency to absorb shocks. Inverted suspensions also consist of a damping mechanism encased into two hollow cylinders. As with conventional suspensions, the primary damping mechanism is located in the lower cylinder. However, unlike the conventional suspension, this lower cylinder is the cylinder with the smaller diameter. In fact, an observer can easily distinguish a conventional suspension from an inverted suspension because, in a conventional suspension, the cylinder having the larger diameter is attached to the wheel axis while in an inverted suspension, the cylinder having the smaller diameter is attached to the wheel axis. This configuration-one with the cylinder having a smaller diameter at the bottom and the cylinder having a larger diameter at the top causes the suspension to be rigid and stiff due to the increased length and increased stiffness of the upper cylinder. This increased rigidity solves the deformation problem encountered in conventional forks. In practice, the inverted suspension design is not ideal because it can only damp out large bumps while allowing smaller vibrations to travel from the wheel to the rider&#39;s hands, making the ride uncomfortable. 
     The damping mechanism in today&#39;s shock absorbers comprises a rod and a receiving tube—i.e., one telescoping part—along with two hydraulic valving assemblies. One hydraulic valving assembly—the upper hydraulic valving assembly—is located on the portion of the rod permanently located inside the receiving tube. The other hydraulic valving assembly—the lower hydraulic valving assembly—is located near the bottom and inside of the receiving tube. Small orifices are located near the bottom of the receiving tube, just below the lower hydraulic valving assembly. 
     The entire damping mechanism, along with a coil spring encircled around the damping mechanism, is attached to and placed inside of the hollow cylinders and partially immersed with hydraulic fluid. The coil spring is also attached to the hollow cylinders. Through the small orifices, the hydraulic fluid seeps into the receiving tube, completely filling the inner cavity of the receiving tube. 
     When a compression force is applied to the damping mechanism, the receiving tube is forced into the rod; the mass of the rod displaces the hydraulic fluid from the inner cavity of the receiving tube; and the hydraulic fluid flows past both the upper and the lower hydraulic valving assemblies, with the portion flowing past the lower hydraulic valving assembly being expelled out of the receiving tube through the orifices at the bottom of the receiving tube. Both the top and the bottom hydraulic valving assemblies control the speed by which the hydraulic fluid pass through them, thereby controlling the damping rate. 
     As the external force pushes the receiving tube into the rod, the coil spring is also compressed. When the external force can push the receiving tube into the rod no further, the spring coil returns the rod and receiving tube back to their rest positions. As the rod exits the receiving tube, hydraulic fluid can either pass though the upper hydraulic valving assembly or can enter through the orifices and pass through the lower hydraulic valving assembly and refill the inner cavity of the receiving tube. The suspension is now ready to damp another road bump. 
     While the above described damping mechanism—i.e. one with a single telescoping part—works well against an individual compression force, it gradually loses its effect when damping compression forces of different magnitudes occurring in quick succession of each other. Because the spring may not have time to return the receiving tube to its rest position before another compression force pushes the receiving tube further into the rod, the above described damping mechanism tends to lose its effect and may even bottom out when damping rapidly successive compressions. This problem becomes especially pronounced when the mechanism must damp out both small and large compression forces in quick succession of each other. 
     Some motorcycle riders ride their motorcycles strictly on well paved roads where bumps are typically small and separated by lengthy stretches of road, and thus the suspension systems presently available readily satisfy their needs. However, other riders—especially dirt bike riders—tend to encounter both large and small bumps in rapid succession of each other. With today&#39;s shock absorbers, which are specifically designed to absorb either large bumps or small bumps but not both, dirt bike riders must choose to either endure small vibrations throughout the entire ride or risk bottoming out the motorcycle suspension when going over large bumps. Furthermore, today&#39;s shock absorbers work poorly when damping bumps that occur in quick succession of each other. Inventors have tried to solve the above problem without success. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,475,774 to Benson discloses an inverted suspension that uses both a light spring and a heavy spring to absorb shocks. The light spring is attached to the heavy spring and together they form the primary damping mechanism of this invention. The light spring is to be used to damp small shocks, while the heavy spring is to be used to damp large shocks. However, only one telescoping rod and one receiving tube—i.e. one telescoping part—is used for this invention. Thus, although this invention may be able to absorb both large and small shocks, it is not effective when such shocks come in quick succession of each other. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,156 to Offenstadt discloses of a motorcycle suspension system having an anti-skid breaking mechanism. Because this invention uses a shock absorbing mechanism having only one telescoping part, it cannot adequately absorb shocks that arrive in quick succession of each other or damp out both small and large shocks. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,669 to Simons discloses another inverted suspension. This invention provides a lightweight, highly rigid fork with low friction, high quality damping characteristics and no axle overhang. One spring is found throughout the entire inner length of the suspension. However, since damping is still achieved with one telescoping part, this invention cannot adequately absorb both large and small shocks, whether or not they appear in quick succession of each other. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,138 to Shu discloses a handlebar assembly for bicycles. This invention prevents the rod from rotating relative to the shank, thereby allowing only up and down motion and preventing any twisting motion. Again, this invention has only one telescoping part and therefore is not able to absorb shocks that come in quick succession of each other. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,954 to Chonan discloses a wheel suspension type front fork and a method of manufacturing the same. The advantage of this invention over the prior art is that this invention can be manufactured without a metal mold and cutting work. This invention does not provide a method for absorbing both large and small shocks. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,397 is again issued to Chonan. This patent discloses a wheel suspension type front fork that eliminates the need of a rebound absorption mechanism by securing the upper end of the spring coil to the lower end of the receiving tube and the lower end of the spring coil to the upper end of the sliding tube (the tube enclosing the spring), thereby preventing the receiving tube, the spring coil, and the sliding tube from springing apart from the rebounding force of the compressed spring coil. This invention uses conventional shock absorbers having only one telescoping part and therefore is not designed to absorb both large and small shocks. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,099 issued to Kawahara discloses a bicycle wheel fork assembly that telescopes from one side only. The advantage of this invention over other front fork assemblies is that the stiffness of the shocks in both the contraction and the expansion parts of the shock absorption cycle can be adjusted by placing a contraction adjuster on one fork, an expansion adjuster on the other fork, and a cross member that connecting the two forks. Although this invention allows the stiffness of the shocks to be adjusted and thus allows better shock absorption, it does not allow both large and small shocks to be absorbed at the same time. Furthermore, since this invention uses a damping mechanism that telescopes from one side only, it also cannot satisfactorily absorb shocks that come in quick succession of each other. Thus, this invention does not provide an adequate solution to the present problem. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus and method for a motorcycle or bicycle front wheel suspension system that can absorb both large and small road bumps. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shock absorber that can absorb both small and large bumps that come in quick succession of each other. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel suspension system that can easily replace any existing suspension system. 
     In satisfaction of these and related objectives, Applicant&#39;s present invention provides a mechanism and method for motorcycle riders to ride comfortably over small and large successive bumps without experiencing excessive vibrations and without having to worry about excessive flexing of the suspension fork. Applicant&#39;s invention, the Front Wheel Suspension Fork and Method, is installed in place of a presently available suspension system in the front portion of a motorcycle. A rider can easily replace a conventional or inverted suspension with Applicant&#39;s invention without the need to purchase additional equipment because the present invention is of similar size and weight as presently available suspensions. 
     The present invention consists of two suspensions, one mounted on each side of the front wheel. The suspensions are connected to each other by a triple clamp. In addition to connecting the two suspensions, the triple clamp also secures the steering stem to the two suspensions. The suspensions, the triple clamp, and the steering stem form what is typically called a suspension fork. In addition to attaching the steering stem to the two suspensions to form the suspension fork, the triple clamp also secures the suspension fork to the motorcycle frame. 
     The two suspensions mounted on either side of the front wheel are mirror images of each other. For ease of description, only one suspension will be described below. The suspension forming a part of the present invention consists of an upper telescoping cylinder, a center cylinder, and a lower telescoping cylinder. The upper and lower telescoping cylinders can both freely and independently telescope into the center cylinder. 
     The upper telescoping cylinder and the lower telescoping cylinder are slidably connected to the center cylinder through a series of low friction bearings, clamps, and seals. These bearings, clamps, and seals provide a means for the three cylinders to smoothly slide into and out of one another, prevent the outside dust from entering into the inner part of the suspension, and prevent the hydraulic fluid inside the suspension from leaking out. 
     Turning to the inner construction of the suspension assembly, both the upper telescoping cylinder and the lower telescoping cylinder are attached to upper and lower end blocks, respectively, at the ends farthest from the center cylinder. A center plate is fixedly attached to the inner circumference of the center cylinder, at the center cylinder&#39;s midpoint, thus dividing the suspension into two equally spaced and independent sections. Each independent section is partially filled with hydraulic fluid. 
     A coil spring—the upper coil spring—is placed inside the upper section. Upper coil spring extends throughout the entire length of the upper section. 
     The upper coil spring surrounds the upper rod and the upper receiving tube. The upper rod has a first end and a second end, and the upper receiving tube has a first end and a second end. The first end of the upper rod is detachably attached to the upper end block in and the second end of the upper rod is telescopically attached to the first end of the receiving tube. The second end of the receiving tube is detachably attached to the center plate. The upper coil spring abuts against the upper end block and the center plate at either end. 
     A first hydraulic valving assembly is fixedly attached to the second end of the upper rod located inside the receiving tube. A second hydraulic valving assembly is located at the second end of the receiving tube, at an end opposite to the first hydraulic valving assembly. This second hydraulic valving assembly is attached to a short rod which is, in turn, attached to the bottom end of the upper receiving tube. Additionally, a number of orifices are located near the bottom of the receiving tube, generally below the second hydraulic valving assembly. The inner cavity of the receiving tube is filled with hydraulic fluid. 
     The lower section of the suspension houses the lower coil spring, the lower rod, and the lower receiving tube. All three are generally similar in construction and assembly as their counterparts located in the upper section. One hydraulic valving assembly is attached to the lower rod and another hydraulic valving assembly is attached to the lower receiving tube in the same manner and in the same location as in the upper section. 
     As an external compression force is applied to the suspension, the lower section is first used to damp the compression force. If the lower section is unable to completely damp out the compression force, then the remainder of the force is transmitted to the upper section, to be damped out by the upper section. 
     Since the method used by the upper and lower sections to damp out a compression force is the same, only the damping cycle of the upper section will be described below. 
     When a compression force is applied to the upper damping mechanism, the upper receiving tube is forced into the upper rod; the mass of the upper rod displaces the hydraulic fluid from the inner cavity of the upper receiving tube; and the hydraulic fluid flows past both the first and the second hydraulic valving assemblies, with the portion flowing past the lower hydraulic valving assembly being expelled out of the receiving tube through the orifices at the bottom of the receiving tube. Both the first and the second hydraulic valving assemblies control the speed by which the hydraulic fluid can pass through them, thereby controlling the damping rate. 
     As the external force pushes the upper receiving tube into the upper rod, the upper coil spring is also compressed. When the external force can push the upper receiving tube into the upper rod no further, the upper spring coil returns the upper rod and upper receiving tube back to their rest positions. As the upper rod exits the upper receiving tube, hydraulic fluid can either pass through the first hydraulic valving assembly or can enter through the orifices and pass through the second hydraulic valving assembly, and refill the inner cavity of the upper receiving tube. The upper section is now ready to damp another road bump. 
     When fully compressed, the edge of the upper telescoping cylinder meets the edge of the lower telescoping cylinder, obscuring the entire center cylinder from view. Internally, the upper rod fully recedes into the upper receiving tube and the lower rod fully recedes into the lower receiving tube. The coil springs are at their maximum compression. 
     The above description uses a spring, rod and hydraulic valving assembly to damp shocks. However, it is important to note that the novel aspect of the present invention rests on the fact that the present invention has two independently telescoping segments that are used to absorb both large and small shocks. Thus, the actual internal damping mechanism used to achieve this double telescoping action is unimportant—that is, any conventional damping mechanism, such as spring and rod, hydraulic, or combination spring and rod and hydraulic, can be used as the internal damping mechanism for the present invention. 
     Although the present invention was designed to be used on motorcycles, this invention can easily be adapted to any kind of two-wheeled vehicle including but not limited to mountain bikes. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a motorcycle incorporating the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown separately from the motorcycle. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross section view of the telescoping mechanism between the center cylinder and the upper telescoping cylinder. 
     FIG. 4 is a broken cross sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in its normal rest position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1, the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown attached to the front end of motorcycle  10 . The present invention is of generally the same dimensions as suspension forks presently available in the marketplace, thus the present invention can easily replace existing suspension forks without having to make any major modifications to the motorcycle. FIG. 2 shows front wheel suspension fork  11  in greater detail. Front wheel suspension fork  11  comprises left suspension  12 , right suspension  13 , triple clamp  14 , and steering stem  15 , all of which will be described in further detail below. 
     Both left suspension  12  and right suspension  13  generally consist of a series of hollow cylinders linked together in a telescoping fashion. Left and right suspensions  12  and  13 , respectively, can be further subdivided into left and right upper telescoping cylinders  16  and  17 , respectively; left and right center cylinders  18  and  19 , respectively; and left and right lower telescoping cylinders  20  and  21 , respectively. Left and right upper telescoping cylinders  16  and  17 , respectively, are generally of the same length with respect to each other and with respect to left and right lower telescoping cylinders  20  and  21 , respectively. To allow the hollow cylinders to link together in a telescoping fashion, the inside diameter of left and right upper telescoping cylinders  16  and  17 , respectively, are slightly larger than the outside diameters of left and right center cylinders  18  and  19 , respectively. Likewise, the inside diameters of left and right lower telescoping cylinders  20  and  21 , respectively, are also slightly larger than the outside diameters of left and right center cylinders  18  and  19 , respectively. In addition, in order to easily telescope into the larger cylinders, left and right center cylinders  18  and  19 , respectively, both have smooth outer surfaces. Finally, the telescoping actions of the cylinders require all cylinders to be generally straight. 
     Left and right upper telescoping cylinders  16  and  17 , respectively, terminate into telescoping clamps  22  and  23 , respectively, at the connecting point between left and right upper telescoping cylinder  16  and  17 , respectively, and left and right center cylinders  18  and  19 , respectively; left and right lower telescoping cylinders  20  and  21 , respectively, terminate into telescoping clamps  24  and  25 , respectively, at the connecting point between left and right lower telescoping cylinders  20  and  21 , respectively, and left and right center cylinders  18  and  19 , respectively. The specific manner in which the above telescoping clamps are connected to left and right center cylinders  18  and  19 , respectively, will be discussed below in conjunction with FIG.  3 . Although, in the preferred embodiment, all of the above telescoping cylinders are made of metal, they can be made of any material strong enough to resist the physical forces experienced by a typical suspension fork. 
     Left lower telescoping cylinder  20  has lower edge  26 ; right lower telescoping cylinder  21  has lower edge  27 . Left axle clamp  28  is attached a certain distance from lower edge  26  of left lower cylinder  20 ; right axle clamp  29  is attached a certain distance from lower edge  27  of right lower cylinder  21 . Although left and right axle clamps  28  and  29 , respectively, can be located at any distance from lower edges  26  and  27 , respectively, of their respective lower telescoping cylinders, once the distance between one axle clamp is fixed with respect to one lower edge, the other clamp must be fixed at the same distance from its lower edge. 
     In the preferred embodiment, both left axle clamp  28  and right axle clamp  29  are attached generally perpendicularly to their respective lower telescoping cylinders. Left axle clamp  28  can be divided into upper half  32  and lower half  33 , with lower half  33  being fixedly attached to left lower telescoping cylinder  20 . Right axle clamp  29  can be divided into upper half  34  and lower half  35 , with lower half  35  being fixedly attached to right lower telescoping cylinder  21 . Upper half  32  of left axle clamp  28  is removably attached to lower half  33  by bolts  36 ,  37 ,  38 , and  39 . Upper half  34  of right axle clamp  29  is removably attached to lower half  35  by bolts  40 ,  41 ,  42 , and  43 . 
     Each axle clamp contains a generally circular hole drilled through its entire length in a direction perpendicular to the lengthwise axis of left and right suspension units  12  and  13 . Hole  30 , located in left axle clamp  29 , is bisected by the dividing line between upper half  32  and lower half  33 . Hole  31 , located in right axle clamp  30 , is bisected by the dividing line between upper half  34  and lower half  35 . Holes  30  and  31  must be adequately large enough to allow the front wheel axis of motorcycle  10  to be clamped to left and right axle clamp  28  and  29 , respectively. Although, in the preferred embodiment, left and right axle clamps  28  and  29 , respectively, are attached generally perpendicularly to left and right lower telescoping cylinders  20  and  21 , respectively, left and right axle clamps  28  and  29 , respectively, can be attached to lower telescoping cylinders  20  and  21  in any manner, in any orientation, and be formed in any shape known to those skilled in the art of motorcycle suspension forks. 
     Triple clamp  14  secures left suspension  12  to right suspension  13  in a parallel and apart fashion. Triple clamp  14  consists of upper clamp  44  and lower clamp  45 , with each having three clamping members located at the right side, the left side, and in the center of triple clamp  14 . In addition to clamping left and right suspension units  12  and  13  to each other, triple clamp  14  also attaches steering stem  15  in a parallel and apart fashion to left and right suspension units  12  and  13 , respectively. Steering stem  15  is then attached to the body of motorcycle  10 . 
     Triple clamp  14  is located on the upper part of left and right suspensions  12  and  13 , respectively. Upper clamp  44  is located at or near the upper edges of left and right telescoping cylinders  12  and  13 , respectively, with its clamping members securely holding upper telescoping cylinder  16 , upper telescoping cylinder  18 , and the upper portion of steering stem  15  in a parallel and apart fashion. Lower clamp  45  is located separate and apart from upper clamp  44 , generally at or near the lower tip of steering stem  15 . Lower clamp  45  also secures left and right upper telescoping cylinders  16  and  17 , respectively, and steering stem  15  to each other in a parallel and apart fashion. Triple clamp  14  must be located somewhere on left and right upper telescoping cylinder  16  and  17 , respectively. No part of triple clamp  14  may be located on left and right center cylinder  18  and  19 , respectively, or left and right lower telescoping cylinder  18  and  19 , respectively. 
     FIG. 3 shows a cross section view of telescoping clamp  22 . Although only telescoping clamp  22  is shown, it should be understood that the mechanical parts contained in telescoping clamps  22 ,  23 ,  24 , and  25  are the same. Left telescoping clamp  22  is actually an extension of left upper telescoping cylinder  16 . Near the edge of left upper telescoping cylinder  16 , the cylinder suddenly flares out to form an annulus with a larger diameter. This larger diameter formed by the annulus is part of the left telescoping clamp  22 . 
     Telescoping clamp  22  consists essentially of movable bearing  51 , washer  52 , oil seal  53 , stopper ring  54 , and dust seal  55 . Although not a part of telescoping clamp  22 , fixed bearing  50  and orifices  56 ,  57 , and  58  form an essential part of the telescoping mechanism. Fixed bearing  50  is fixedly attached close to the tip of left center cylinder  18 . Fixed bearing  50  is a metal ring of a certain thickness and a certain length—in the preferred embodiment, the length is greater than the thickness—and is coated with a low friction material such as Teflon® on its outside surface where it comes into contact with the inner wall of left upper telescoping cylinder  16 . This low friction material allows left center cylinder  18  to smoothly telescope into and out of left upper telescoping cylinder  16 . 
     Orifices  56 ,  57 , and  58  are located on left center cylinder  18 , between fixed bearing  50  and movable bearing  51 . Orifices  56 ,  57 , and  58  allow air or hydraulic fluid to freely flow from the inside chamber of left upper telescoping cylinder  16  to the inside chamber of left center cylinder  18  so that the air pressure between the chambers can be equalized and the hydraulic fluid inside left upper telescoping cylinder  16  and inside left center cylinder  18  are at the same level. 
     Movable bearing  51  is located behind fixed bearing  50  and inside telescoping clamp  22 , but is not fixedly attached to either left center cylinder  18  or telescoping clamp  22 . Movable bearing  51  has a certain thickness and a certain length. In the preferred embodiment, the length of movable bearing  57  exceeds its thickness. The outside diameter of movable bearing  51  is slightly larger than the outside diameter of fixed bearing  50  and the inside diameter of left upper telescoping cylinder  16 , but is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of telescoping clamp  22 . Thus, movable bearing  51  can slide into telescoping clamp  22  but cannot slide further into left upper telescoping cylinder  16 . Also, when fixed bearing  50  is placed next to movable bearing  51 , fixed bearing  50  will abut against but can never slide past movable bearing  51 , thus preventing left center cylinder  18  from being completely pulled out of left upper telescoping cylinder  16 . Finally, the inside diameter of movable bearing  51  is coated with a low friction material such as Teflon® to allow it to smoothly slide past left center cylinder  18 . 
     Washer  52  is located inside telescoping clamp  22 , immediately behind but not attached to movable bearing  51 . Washer  52  is also not fixedly attached to left center cylinder  18  or telescoping clamp  22 . Washer  52  divides movable bearing  51  from oil seal  53 . In the preferred embodiment, washer  52  is made of a metallic material and is commercially available. 
     Oil seal  53  is located inside telescoping clamp  22 , immediately behind but not fixedly attached to washer  52 . Further, oil seal  53  is not fixedly attached to left center cylinder  19  or telescoping clamp  22 . Instead, oil seal  53  can freely slide along the inside diameter of left center cylinder  18 . Oil seal  53  prevents any hydraulic fluid from leaking to the outside environment. Oil seal  53  can be made of any flexible material such as rubber and is commercially available. 
     Both dust seal  55  and stopper ring  54  are located behind oil seal  53 . Stopper ring  54  is a metallic ring with small inwardly protruding “c” shaped bends throughout its structure and is commercially available. The outside diameter of stopper ring  54  rests against the inside diameter of telescoping clamp  22  while the inside diameter of stopper ring  54  rests against the outside diameter of dust seal  55 . This configuration allows stopper ring  54  to secure dust seal  55  to telescoping clamp  22 . 
     Dust seal  55  rests against oil seal  53  at one end and completely covers the opening between the edge of telescoping cylinder  22  and left center cylinder  18 , thus preventing dust from entering the inside of left suspension unit  12 . Dust seal  55  can be made with any flexible material such as rubber and is commercially available. It is important for dust seal  55  to fit snugly over left center cylinder  18  yet be loose enough to allow left center cylinder  18  to freely telescope into and out of left upper telescoping cylinder  16 . 
     FIG. 4 shows a cross section of left suspension  11 . No illustration or detailed description of right suspension  12  is shown or will be described below because the suspensions are identical and, in fact, interchangeable. Any person skilled in the art of motorcycle shocks will be able to construct a right suspension by looking at FIG.  4  and reading the description below. 
     The outer components of left suspension  12  have three major parts: left upper telescoping cylinder  16 , left center cylinder  18 , and left lower telescoping cylinder  20 . The inside diameter of left upper telescoping cylinder  16  is the same as the inside diameter of left lower telescoping cylinder  20 . The outside diameter of left center cylinder  18  is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of both left upper telescoping cylinder  16  and left lower telescoping cylinder  20  so that the three outer components of left suspension  12  can be telescopically attached to each other. When properly assembled, the edge of left upper telescoping cylinder  16  overlaps the edge of left center cylinder  18  for a certain distance. Likewise, the edge of left lower telescoping cylinder  20  overlaps the edge of left center cylinder  18  for a certain distance. 
     Left upper telescoping cylinder  16  has upper end block  59 ; left lower telescoping cylinder has lower end block  60 . Both upper end block  59  and lower end block  60  are generally circular plates. Upper end block  59  is located at the non-telescoping end of left upper telescoping cylinder  16  while lower end block  60  is located at the non-telescoping end of left lower telescoping cylinder  20 . Both upper and lower end blocks  59  and  60 , respectively, are removably attached to left upper and lower telescoping cylinders  16  and  20 , respectively. 
     Center plate  61 , a generally circular plate, is fixedly attached to the inner circumference of left center cylinder  18 , at generally the midpoint of left center cylinder  18 . Thus, the damping mechanism of left suspension  12  is divided into two generally equally spaced and independent sections-upper section  62  and lower section  63 . 
     Upper section  62  houses upper coil spring  64 , upper rod  65 , and upper receiving tube  66 . Upper coil spring  64  is located inside left center cylinder  18  and extends throughout the entire length of upper section  62 . Upper coil spring  64  abuts against center plate  61  at one end and against upper end block  59  at the other end. 
     Upper rod  65  and upper receiving tube  66  are enclosed within the coils of upper coil spring  64 . In the preferred embodiment, upper rod  65  is made of metal. However, upper rod  65  can be made of any material that can withstand forces typically associated with motorcycle suspensions. Upper rod  65  has a first end  67  and a second end  68 . 
     Upper receiving tube  66  is a hollow cylinder with a first end  69  and a second end  70 . First end  69  is open to receive upper rod  65  while second end  70  is closed. Although, in the preferred embodiment, upper receiving tube  66  is made of metal, it can be made of any material that can withstand forces typically associated with motorcycle suspensions. Upper rod  65  is telescopically attached to upper receiving tube  66  such that a portion of second end  68  of upper rod  65  is permanently located inside of upper receiving tube  66 . 
     First end  67  of upper rod  65  is threadedly attached to upper end block  59  and secured to upper end block  59  by nut  71 . Second end  68  of upper rod  65 , as previously stated, is located permanently within the inner cavity of upper receiving tube  66 . First hydraulic valving assembly  72  is detachably attached to second end  68  of upper rod  65  and secured to second end  68  with nuts  73   a  and  73   b.    
     First hydraulic valving assembly  72  generally consists of a first and second series of extremely thin washers and springs  74   a  and  74   b  attached on either side of a first metallic ring  75  having a certain thickness and a plurality of holes (not shown) drilled through it. The above described hydraulic valving assembly are familiar to those skilled in the art of motorcycle suspension forks and are readily available in the marketplace. 
     Second hydraulic valving assembly  76  is located near second end  70  of upper receiving tube  66 . Second hydraulic valving assembly  76  consists of a third and fourth series of extremely thin washers and springs  77   a  and  77   b , respectively, attached on either side of a second metallic ring  78  having a certain thickness and a plurality of holes drilled through it. In fact, first and second hydraulic valving assemblies  72  and  76 , respectively, are constructed in the same manner and are interchangeable. Second hydraulic valving assembly  76  is attached to short rod  79  and secured at both ends by nuts  80  and  81 . 
     Short rod  79  extends for some distance from second hydraulic valving assembly  76  before becoming detachably attached to second end  70  of upper receiving tube  66 . A plurality of orifices  82  are located on upper receiving tube  66 , below second metallic ring  78  and above second end  70  of upper receiving tube  66 . 
     Upper section  62  is partially filled with hydraulic fluid. The precise amount of hydraulic fluid is unimportant as long as enough fluid completely covers first end  69  of upper receiving tube  66  and as long as upper section  62  is not completely filled with hydraulic fluid. Hydraulic fluid seeps through orifices  82  to fill the inner cavity of upper receiving tube  66 . 
     Lower section  63  houses the same components as upper section  62 . Generally, lower section  63  contains lower coil spring  83 , lower rod  84 , lower receiving tube  85 , third hydraulic valving assembly  86 , and fourth hydraulic valving assembly  87 . The above items are connected to each other in the same manner as their counterparts housed in upper section  62 . Finally, lower section  63  is also partially filled with hydraulic fluid in the same manner and generally to the same extent as upper section  62 . 
     Because the damping mechanism contained in upper section  62  is generally similar to the mechanism contained in lower section  63 , the process by which a compression is damped is the same for both mechanisms. Therefore, a detailed description of the damping cycle of only one damping mechanism—the one contained in upper section  62 —will be described below. 
     When a compression force is exerted on upper section  62 , upper receiving tube  66  moves up to receive upper rod  65  and second hydraulic valving assembly  76  moves toward first hydraulic valving assembly  72 . As upper rod  65  moves into upper receiving tube  66 , the mass of upper rod  65  inside upper receiving tube  66  displaces an amount of hydraulic fluid within upper receiving tube  66 . This hydraulic fluid escapes the inner cavity of upper receiving tube  66  via second hydraulic valving assembly  76 . The rest of the hydraulic fluid passes through first hydraulic valving assembly  72  and remains inside the inner cavity of upper receiving tube  66 . 
     If passing through first hydraulic valving assembly  72 , the hydraulic fluid first flows past first series of washers and springs  74   a , snakes through the holes in first metallic ring  75 , and exits through second series of washers and springs  74   b . Once passed through first hydraulic valving assembly  72 , the hydraulic fluid fills any space left inside the inner cavity of upper receiving tube  66  not already filled by upper rod  65 . 
     If the hydraulic fluid escapes through second hydraulic valving assembly  76 , then the hydraulic fluid first flows through third series of washers and springs  77   a , snakes through the holes in second metallic ring  78 , and then exits through fourth series of washers and springs  77   b . After passing through second hydraulic valving assembly  76 , the hydraulic fluid is expelled out of upper receiving tube  66  via orifices  82 . 
     Hydraulic valving assemblies  72  and  76  are key components to the damping mechanism of upper section  62 . In fact, the damping rate of the entire suspension is controlled through the rate by which hydraulic fluid is allowed to pass through each hydraulic valving assembly. The compression force is completely damped when it can no longer force upper receiving tube  66  into upper rod  65  any further. 
     As upper receiving tube  66  moves to receive upper rod  65 , upper coil spring  64  is also compressed. After the external force has been completely damped, coil spring  64  provides the necessary counter force to return upper receiving tube  66  and upper rod  65  to their respective ready positions. As upper rod  65  exits upper receiving tube  66 , hydraulic fluid refills the inner cavity of upper receiving tube  66  by passing through first hydraulic valving assembly  72 , or orifices  82  and then second hydraulic valving assembly  76 . When upper coil spring  64  has been returned to its ready position, it holds upper rod  65  and upper receiving tube  66  in their ready positions until upper section  62  experiences another compression force. Although the foregoing only describes the damping of an external force by upper section  62 , the same series of action also apply to lower section  63 . In fact, when a compression force is applied to the entire left suspension  12 , the force is first damped by lower section  63 . If lower section  63  cannot completely damp the compression force, then upper section  62  is used to damp out the remainder of the compression force. 
     As the present invention damps a compression force, an observer first sees lower telescoping cylinder  20  telescope into left center cylinder  18 . If the compression force is not completely damped by the above telescoping action, left center cylinder  18  then telescopes into left upper telescoping cylinder  16 . Note that, for the present invention, it is possible for a short period of time for one telescoping part to be in the expansion or rest stage of the damping cycle while the other telescoping part to be in the compression stage of the damping cycle. 
     The above description uses a spring, rod, and hydraulic assembly to damp shocks. However, it is important to note that the novel aspect of the present invention rests on the fact that the present invention has two independently telescoping segments used to absorb both large and small shocks. Thus, the actual internal damping mechanism used to achieve this double telescoping action is unimportant—that is, any conventional damping mechanism can be used as the internal damping mechanism for the present invention. 
     In addition to motorcycles, the present invention can be adapted for use on bicycles such as mountain bikes. Two suspensions can be attached to the mountain bike, one on each side of the front wheel, connecting the wheel axis to the steering column. Alternatively, a smaller version of the present invention can replace the bicycle&#39;s steering column so that only one suspension is needed to damp the shocks. 
     Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limited sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments of the inventions will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon the reference to the description of the invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications that fall within the scope of the invention.