The hydraulic shock absorber was patented by a British engineer named George Westinghouse. In 1872, Westinghouse filed a patent for his invention titled “Improvements in Railway Carriages and Vessels for the Transport of Passengers and Goods.” This patent described a hydraulic system that included a device for damping and controlling the motion of vehicles, which essentially served as a hydraulic shock absorber. The action of damping is the reason why sometimes, shock absorbers are referred to as dampers.
While the initial patent was primarily focused on railway carriages, the same principles and concepts could be applied to automotive applications. Over time, hydraulic shock absorbers became widely adopted in the automotive industry to improve ride comfort and vehicle stability.