hydrospring

{{Short description|Mechanical device}}

A hydrospring or hydro-spring is a spring damped by hydraulic fluid (typically oil) being driven through holes in a piston, as the piston moves in response to a force. The spring is often made of rubber. Inside a rubber hydrospring there are hydraulic viscous damping systems which damp movement in all three directions but require very few parts. Even the slack adjustment may be integrated into the element.{{Cite conference|url=http://railknowledgebank.com/Presto/content/GetDoc.axd?ctID=MTk4MTRjNDUtNWQ0My00OTBmLTllYWUtZWFjM2U2OTE0ZDY3&rID=NDI1NA==&pID=Nzkx&attchmnt=VHJ1ZQ==&uSesDM=False&rIdx=MzI0Ng==&rCFU=|format=pdf|title=Wear and Energy Saving Bogie Design with Rubber Primary Springs – Principles and Experiences|last=Hecht|first=Markus|conference=IHHA Specialist Technical Session (STS)|location=Kiruna, Sweden|year=2007}}

Hydrosprings are used mainly as shock absorbers in applications such as damped suspension in railway bogies, bulldozer blade shock absorbers and as recoil absorbers for artillery.

Rubber Hydrospring.png|A railway type rubber hydrospring{{cite patent |country=EP |number=1369616 |status=patent}}

Rubber Hydrospring Cross Section Up.png|A railway type rubber hydrospring in relaxed state

Rubber Hydrospring Cross Section Down.png|A railway type rubber hydrospring in compressed state

60PounderRecoilMechanismDiagram.jpg|Hydro-spring recoil system of British WWI 60 pounder gun, with working explained