AIR SPRING PISTON

The present invention discloses an air spring design wherein the second retainer plate utilized in some conventional designs is eliminated. This accomplishes the objective of reducing the manufacturing cost of the air spring as well as its weight. The air springs of this invention also offer an advantage over conventional air springs that do not include a second retainer plate in that the flexible member of the air spring cannot be detached from the piston. The subject invention more specifically discloses an air spring which is comprised of a retainer plate, a piston, and an elastomeric sleeve, wherein the elastomeric sleeve is sealingly engaged with the first retainer plate and the piston to define a pressurizable chamber, wherein the piston has a wall which provide a surface on which the elastomeric sleeve rolls during compression, wherein the piston has a bead seal which extends from the piston wall toward the center of the air spring to provide a surface onto which the elastomeric sleeve is crimped with a crimp ring which extends from the bead seal.