seal and guide ring rest the cap 32 also includes a stepped configuration shown generally at 41 for mating with the scraper 38 to maintain the scraper 38 within the cylinder body and against piston rod 16 the scraper 38 is generally annular in shape and scrapes along the piston rod 16 to remove any contaminants on the piston rod to prevent their entry into the cylinder body 12 the u cup seal 40 is positioned below the scraper 38 and facilitates the sealing of gas pressure within cylinder body 12 and prevents the ingress of contaminants and atmospheric pressure to the interior of cylinder body 12 the fiber guide ring 42 acts as a guide to facilitate proper reciprocation of the piston rod 16 into and out of cylinder body 12 the cylinder body 12 has external threads 44 which permit the cylinder body to be threaded into a manifold 61 in the preferred embodiment the manifold would have several internally threaded openings into which external threads 44 mate controlled pressure such as pressurized nitrogen gas is supplied to the manifold for entry into the second chamber 24 of gas spring 10 the pressure acts upon the piston head 18 to force the piston rod against the plenum of a press and the pressurized gas acting in conjunction with piston head 18 restricts the movement of piston rod 16 into and out of gas spring 10 in this way the movement of the press can be cushioned in the preferred embodiment a seal 48 is provided to maintain proper sealing of the gas spring within the manifold as the piston rod reciprocates within cylinder body 12 atmospheric pressure has a tendency to be pulled.