Patents Represented by Attorney Charles R. White

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  • Adaptive ride hydraulic damper
    Patent number: 4576258
    Abstract: Adaptive ride air suspension strut with internal actuator within hollow piston rod which is operatively connected to a computer control system through electrical bulkhead and high pressure seal which is connected to by cables leading upwardly therefrom through a special wire routing and sealing type dress cap fitted to the hollow end of the strut to guide and direct the cables to a plug connected to the control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1986
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew M. Spisak, Robert L. Adduci
  • Method of servicing a vehicle suspension unit with replacement air spring
    Patent number: 4574450
    Abstract: A suspension unit operatively connected between sprung and unsprung portions of a vehicle includes a replacement air sleeve and special air sleeve fitting facilitating installation. The air sleeve fitting is installed over the reservoir tube of the suspension unit and cooperates with a dust tube to locate the air sleeve on the suspension unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1986
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Wayne V. Fannin, James M. Pees
  • Hydraulic power steering gear and rotary valve therefor
    Patent number: 4573496
    Abstract: Seal wear of hydraulic power steering gear housing is reduced by forcing relative motion to occur between the seal and the control valve whose material is typically more wear resistant than the material of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1986
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Dennis J. Richard
  • Hardbar energy absorbing and vibration damping bumper system damping feature
    Patent number: 4573724
    Abstract: Hardbar bumper assembly is supported by and elastically isolated from the vehicle body by resilient energy absorber so that the bumper functions as a mechanical damper for damping internal vibrations occurring within the vehicle during engine operation including idle. The energy absorber effectively dissipates energy of impact loads including frontal corner and side impacts displacing the bumper from a normal operating position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1986
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Lawrence E. Campen
  • Pressure control valving for pneumatic leveling systems
    Patent number: 4570972
    Abstract: A pneumatic leveling system for vehicles in which a pressure balancing valve assembly is incorporated within the cover assembly of the system air dryer. The pressure balancing valve assembly is operative to limit the pressure in the pneumatic suspension units while allowing effective pump up and restriction release for desiccant regeneration in accordance with changes in vehicle loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1986
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: William Pangos
  • Method of servicing vehicle suspension struts
    Patent number: 4567637
    Abstract: Suspension strut is detached from sprung portion of the vehicle and swung on lower control arm pivot to service position in which onboard repairs can be effected including change or addition of elastomer air sleeve using special inner clamping ring which is manually installed and which provides optimized clearance with respect to the dust tube allowing unrestricted reciprocating strut movements on vehicle operation subsequent to reattachment of the strut to the sprung portion of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1983
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1986
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: James M. Pees, Wayne V. Fannin
  • Tilt steering column for vehicles
    Patent number: 4543848
    Abstract: A steering column for vehicles incorporating an improved tiltable steering wheel head assembly having a separable switch housing that accommodates a wide range of plug-in control switches, the tilt head assembly is pivotally mounted in a one-piece stamped tilt head support which has a neck portion telescoped in and welded to the upper end of the mast jacket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1985
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Howard D. Beauch
  • Tripot joint with spider retaining shaft bumper assembly
    Patent number: 4540384
    Abstract: Stroking type universal joint in which the spider assembly is trapped on the axle shaft by a two-part cylindrical connector sleeve of a bumper assembly which includes a resilient elastomer bumper secured on the end of the axle shaft by the sleeve that in turn is radially retained by a counterbore in the hub of the spider assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1985
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Jack L. Bennett, Wayne E. Wardynski, Kenneth J. Seyuin
  • Vehicle suspension unit with replacement air spring
    Patent number: 4534545
    Abstract: A suspension unit operatively connected between sprung and unsprung portions of a vehicle includes a replacement air sleeve and special air sleeve fitting facilitating installation. The air sleeve fitting is installed over the reservoir tube of the suspension unit and cooperates with a dust tube to locate the air sleeve on the suspension unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1985
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Wayne V. Fannin, James M. Pees
  • Suspension strut for vehicles with onboard service of shock absorber cartridge
    Patent number: 4531759
    Abstract: Vehicle suspension strut having onboard service of shock absorber cartridge through access opening in the mount tower and through the upper mount while the road wheel remains on the support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1983
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1985
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Richard L. Rezanka, Bernard J. Finn
  • Rack and pinion steering gear with adjustable low friction anti-roll rack bearing
    Patent number: 4531603
    Abstract: Rack and pinion steering gear in which an adjustable preloaded rack bearing carries an endless train of balls which are fed into and out of a linear track in the rack. With this ball train interconnection, the sliding friction between the rack and rack bearing is reduced while rack rotation from torque loads is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1985
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Kenneth L. VanCise, Jr.
  • Pneumatic vehicle suspension unit with air sleeve guide
    Patent number: 4527781
    Abstract: A suspension unit has an elastomer air sleeve associated therewith and a low friction ring-like guide is fitted to the bottom of the dust tube of the unit to guide the air sleeve during operation and to prevent abrasion and wear of the air sleeve by the dust tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1983
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1985
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: James M. Pees, Jerry L. Neubauer
  • Tripot joint with spider retainer
    Patent number: 4516957
    Abstract: A tripot type universal joint having a spider assembly retained therein by an annular resilient spring wire retainer having small diameter segments mounted in an internal retention groove in the housing, the spider assembly has offset large diameter access segments disposed externally of the housing and adjacent to one end thereof and ramp portions interconnecting the large and small diameter segments which block internal drive channels in the housing in which drive rollers of the spider assembly are mounted to prevent the inadvertent removal of the spider assembly from the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1985
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: George W. Chyz, David J. McGregor
  • Isolated bumper for damping vibrations in vehicles
    Patent number: 4509781
    Abstract: A bumper/energy absorber system is resiliently mounted at the body mounting location to allow the bumper/energy absorber system to vibrate freely both vertically and in pitch at its natural frequency. The mounting spring rate is selected to use the dynamic energy of the bumper/energy absorbing system to attenuate steering column vibrations excited through the vehicle body structure by the shaking forces of the engine within a predetermined speed range. The mounting is designed to minimize bumper movement relative to the body from forces directly applied to the bumper from loads such as bumper jacking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1985
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Melvin E. Dick, Linn A. Peterson
  • Spring and retainer assembly and spring delashed steering shafts
    Patent number: 4509775
    Abstract: Structure and method of encapsulating a compression spring to a height less than working height in between end seats which can be selectively released when in an installed position to permit the spring to extend to a working height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1985
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Frederick P. Arndt
  • Lash-free telescopic steering shaft assembly and method of making the assembly
    Patent number: 4509386
    Abstract: A collapsible steering shaft assembly incorporating a slide with deforming balls that roll tracks in telescopic shaft members so that the shafts are positively interconnected in a rotational sense and which roll in said tracks to permit relative sliding of said shaft on application of low axial load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1985
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Dan R. Kimberlin
  • Hydraulic control system for vehicle
    Patent number: 4497503
    Abstract: A control system for a vehicle in which a vehicle operator in a first location manually turns a twist grip in one direction to exert a force on and displace an oil column in a conduit tracing a long and tortuous path to an engine throttle remotely located from the twist grip to set the throttle valve at an infinite number of positions. When the twist grip is manually turned in an opposite direction, a spring effects return of the throttle valve and the system toward a closed throttle position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1983
    Date of Patent: February 5, 1985
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Clarence C. Irwin
  • Vehicle engine cooling apparatus
    Patent number: 4485888
    Abstract: Transversely mounted engine cooling fan in parallel with vehicle engine mechanically driven by straight drive and having blades whose pitch is varied in accordance with engine speed and load for optimized cooling performance. The fan has small radial dimension and extended width to match low and wide engine cooling radiator so that the front hood can be aerodynamically streamlined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Mason K. Yu
  • Power steering gear with variable rate torsion bar for optimized steering
    Patent number: 4481866
    Abstract: Vehicle power steering gear with a torsion bar whose stiffness is adjusted by an axially shiftable nut that provides a movable gripping point for one end of the torsion bar whose position determines the pliable length of the bar and the steering effort required to steer the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Michael F. Matouka
  • Cambering vehicle
    Patent number: RE32031
    Abstract: A three-wheeled cambering vehicle having a platform for supporting the vehicle operator and having a pair of laterally spaced rear wheels mounted thereon. The vehicle has a centralized tubular frame with a front leg member that supports a steerable front fork and wheel assembly and a rearward seat for the vehicle operator. A lower leg of the frame is supported for turning movement with respect to a longitudinal roll axis by the platform which permits the frame and front fork and wheel assembly to be cambered by the vehicle operator as the platform remains in a predetermined plane with respect to the support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1985
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Frank J. Winchell