Abstract: A pressure-limiting valve coaxial with the drive shaft is installed in a multi-piston pump. The valve is biased by a compression spring to closed condition to prevent output flow from the pump into a pressure-collecting dome of the housing. The spring is supported for reaction against a gasket having a throttle bore leading directly for flow toward a return chamber wherein the end of the pump shaft is a radial wall. When pressure in the pressure-collecting dome reaches a certain value, it will open the pressure-limiting valve against spring bias to relieve pressure through the throttle bore back into the suction channels of the pump. However, the relief flow through the throttle bore causes heating of the oil, an effect which is an important purpose of the invention on pump start-up. Thus, by making the return flow of reduced viscosity due to heating, such oil impinging against the shaft of the pump does not cause a sudden shift of the shaft against the pump housing.

Abstract: A rotary valve assembly having a valve sleeve and a rotary valve core are provided with flow control grooves having control edges distributed over the peripheries for regulation of pressurized fluid. Such pressure regulation occurs at the control edges forming sets of three gaps in each rotational direction of the steering control valve. One of such gaps forms a relatively deep return flow passage that is fully opened in the neutral position of the valve assembly and two throttle gaps on opposite sides thereof that are relatively shallow for restricted return flow. Rotational displacement of the valve core initially effects pressure regulation through the intermediate deep gap within a low pressure range.

Abstract: Vehicles which have power steering for rotating a steering force shaft articulated via tie rods to a steering linkage can be steered by manual force steering in event of failure of the power steering. The manual force must not exceed a legal limit. The invention accomplishes this by a geometric relationship between such shaft and the pivots for tie rods which connect the shaft to the tie rods for respective steered wheels. A link to which the shaft is secured has provision for carrying tie rod end pivots at a particular distance from each other and each at a particular distance from the shaft. The distances are such that the distance between the pivots is at least 0.8 the distance from the shaft to each pivot. By such proportioning the force transmittal that effects steering becomes more indirect as the medium steering angle of steering increases. The total steering forces then become lower.

Abstract: A vehicle driven by a super charged engine has a gear transmission that is automatically shifted between drive ratios under the joint control of vehicle speed and engine load demand, modified by a loading signal pressure derived from the engine carburetor to correctively influence the change in drive ratio so as to accommodate a super charged type of engine. Such loading signal pressure is applied to a shift valve of the transmission control system independently of control pressure reflecting vehicle speed and engine load demand in order to correctively modify the pressure control exercised during the drive ratio change interval.

Abstract: A Servosteering system especially for motor vehicles utilizes a piston type of control valve having reaction chambers for simulating steering resistance in the course of a turn. Communication for pressure flow to the reaction chambers is via fixed throttle in series with a speed responsive variable throttle which at low speeds reduces the simulated steering resistance to low or nonexistent, as in parking, but varying to higher steering resistance at higher speeds. Additionally, a pressure reduction valve is series connected with the fixed throttles. Reaction chamber pressure is thus held to a maximum so that simulated steering resistance, is comfortable in a tight turn.

Abstract: A conventional rack and pinion vehicle steering mechanism of the kind having a spring biased pressure member for compensating for tooth wear has a non-rotative friction spring biased against a coacting frictional torque resistance that prevents the pinion from transmitting oscillatory to-and-fro vibratory movement of the rack to the steering spindle through the pinion. The result is the avoidance of steering wheel shimmy otherwise felt by the vehicle operator.

Abstract: In a servosteering arrangement, a control mechanism combines a pressure operated valve responsive to servomotor chamber pressure, and a solenoid and plunger responsive to speed of the vehicle by means of a proportional magnet solenoid for controlling reaction chamber pressure and thus the manual force required to be exerted by a driver for steering a vehicle. Thus, a variable throttle pressure responsive valve combined with a speed responsive solenoid responsive inversely to speed, controls the manual steering force necessary to effect steering at various speeds, particularly in tright curves at low speeds with high servomotor pressures. An important safety feature in the event of failure of solenoid current is the maintenance of openness of the pressure operated valve with consequent high resistance to steering.

Abstract: Formations on a workpiece (1) are machined along an arcuate path (5) having a center (4) in eccentrically spaced relation to a rotational axis (3) about which the workpiece is indexed by a holder (2). A tool (7) is controllably displaced through its carrier (12) in such a manner as to establish radial alignment of the tool relative to the indexing axis and the path center during operational strokes to enable machining of identical formations spaced along the path. The radius of curvature of the path is greater than the maximum distance (4-14) to which said operational strokes are limited.

Abstract: A pair of flow restricting orifices regulate flow from a main engine driven pump through a control valve and steering wheel metering device to a servo motor in a vehicle steering system. Under emergency conditions, an additional flow restricting orifice connects the downstream side of one of the aforementioned pair of orifices to a flow dividing valve. The flow dividing valve connects a reserve pump in parallel with the main pump to augment the supply of pressure medium and sustain a minimal operational steering speed under control of the differential pressure across the other of the pair of orifices, which then dominates control of the supply of pressure medium to the servo motor through the additional flow restricting orifice while there is no flow through said one of the pair of orifices.

Abstract: A gearing arrangement for a motor vehicle has a prime mover mounted transversely to the direction of travel. The arrangement provides for a change speed transmission (3) connected to the prime mover by way of a hydrodynamic torque converter (2). The speed changes are accomplished by using clutches (A, B, C); brakes (C, Cl, D) and one way clutches (F, G). Output to the final drive (4) of the vehicle is provided by gearing (51,52) on a shaft (5) which is parallel to and offset from the change speed transmission. At least one of the one way clutches is co-axial with the output support element (31) of the change speed transmission and has its reaction element (G1) in an end cover, 12 for the housing of the transmission. As a result of this arrangement a better utilization of the installation space and a weight reduction are realized.