Patent ID: 7008340

Claim:
A tensioner assembly having a fully extended position, a fully retracted position, and a plurality of partially extended positions therebetween, comprising: a cylinder having a cylinder first end, a cylinder second end, a cylinder outer wall surface, a cylinder inner wall surface, and a cylinder cavity, the cylinder first end having a cylinder opening, the cylinder second end having a first attachment member, and the cylinder cavity having hydraulic fluid disposed therein; a stop tube having a stop tube first end, a stop tube second end, a stop tube outer wall surface, a stop tube inner wall surface, and a stop tube cavity, the stop tube being disposed along at least a portion of the cylinder inner wall surface such that the cylinder inner wall surface is in communication with the stop tube outer wall surface; a ram having a ram first end, a ram second end, a ram inner wall surface, a ram outer wall surface, and a ram cavity, the ram first end being sealed and including a second attachment member, the ram second end having a ram flange disposed along the ram outer wall surface and a ram opening for fluid communication between the ram cavity and the cylinder cavity, the ram cavity having a gas disposed therein in a gas over hydraulic fluid arrangement, the ram outer wall surface being slidably engaged with a portion of the stop tube inner wall surface and the ram flange being slidably engaged with a portion of the cylinder inner wall surface; a hydraulic fluid accumulator defined as an annular space created by the cylinder inner wall surface, the ram outer wall surface, the stop tube second end, and the ram flange; at least one hydraulic fluid return line in fluid communication with the hydraulic fluid accumulator and the cylinder cavity; and at least one gas transfer tube disposed within a portion of the cylinder cavity and within a portion of the ram cavity, the at least one gas transfer tube being in fluid communication with a gas source and the gas disposed within the ram cavity.