Abstract: A method of determining a calibration factor used to calibrate vehicle speed signals includes the steps of driving the vehicle over a measured distance, counting the pulses generated while driving the vehicle over the measured distance, and then calculating the calibration factor from the number of pulses counted and a nominal pulse count stored in memory. An indication of the difference in a reference speed using the old and new calibration factors is displayed to the vehicle operator who can then choose to accept or abort the new calibration factor.

Abstract: A liquid filter as disclosed which includes a housing in which a filtering media is disposed. A relief valve permits the liquid filtrate to bypass the media when the pressure differential across the media exceeds a predetermined level. The relief valve includes a valve member consisting of a valve disc from which four legs extend. The valve closure spring engages the legs to maintain the valve closed until the pressure differential attains a predetermined level. The legs are designed so that only two of the legs engage the spring during normal operation of the valve. Accordingly, the other two legs remain unstressed by the valve spring, but can engage the edge of the valve aperture in case of failure of one or both of the other legs to prevent the valve member from falling into the liquid filtrate, thus blocking the flow of liquid filtrate to the engine, causing catastrophic failure of the engine.

Abstract: A control valve for a vehicle parking brake system is controlled by a pair of camming mechanisms, one of which is controlled by the shift lever of the vehicle automatic transmission and the other of which is controlled by a manual control knob in the vehicle operator's compartment. Camming mechanisms control the valve such that the parking brakes on the vehicle are always applied when the shift lever is disposed in the "Park" position, but the vehicle parking brakes can be applied or released manually by manipulation of the control knob when the shift lever is placed in one of the other positions other than the "Park" position along the shift quandrant of the automatic transmission.

Abstract: An exhaust gas driven turbocharger includes a center housing comprising a circumferentially extending annular wall enclosing a cavity in which the bearings supporting the turbocharger shaft are mounted. The center housing also includes a separate hollow annular member, which extends circumferentially around the shaft and extends radially from the circumferentially extending wall to the shaft. A cavity is defined within the hollow annular member, which receives coolant from the vehicle coolant system, to thereby control heat transfer from the turbine to the center housing and the bearings contained therewithin.

Abstract: An air cleaner assembly for a motor vehicle includes a housing which carries a substantially flat valve cover plate which defines a pair of openings. A valve is slidable relative to the valve cover plate through a linkage operated from the vehicle operator's compartment to cover one or the other of the openings in the valve cover plate. During normal operation of the vehicle, combustion air is communicated to the air cleaner housing through the normal air induction system. However, when heavy snow blocks communication through the normal air induction system, the vehicle operator operates the linkage to move the valve to a position opening the other opening into the air cleaner, so that underhood air may be used for combustion as long as the normal air induction system is blocked by snow.

Abstract: An air dryer of the type fitted with a purge valve 92 is fitted with an input cut-off valve (81) which closes when the purge valve is opened in order that the compressor output line 2 is not vented thereby maintaining compressor and/or turbo charger pressure during off-load conditions.

Abstract: A suspension control system for controlling a liftable axle of a vehicle between a retracted, non-load bearing position and an extended, load bearing position includes a valve mechanism which responds to the pressure level in the air bags of the air suspension system of the non-liftable rear axle of the vehicle. The system includes a leveling valve which increases pressure in the air bags to maintain a constant vehicle height. Accordingly, the pressure level in the air bags in directly proportional to vehicle loading. The valve means responds to this pressure level to communicate pressure to the actuator means controlling the liftable axle when the pressure level in the air bags on the non-liftable rear axle attains a predetermined level. The liftable axle responds to this increase in pressure to extend into load bearing engagement with the road.

Abstract: A liquid filter includes a filtering medium of a collapsed cylindrical form which defines cooperating accordian pleats that form contaminant collecting walls. The medium is self-supporting, and divides the filter into inlet and outlet chambers across the medium. When the restriction of the medium increases, thereby increasing the pressure differential across the medium, the accordian pleats collapse until corrugations on the pleats engage with one another, thereby resisting further collapse of the medium. As the pressure differential increases still further to the extent that the corrugations are collapsed, a part of each fold is kept apart by adjacent double thickness portion of the fold or pleat, so that a minimum flow of liquid through the filter is maintained.

Abstract: A compressed air system includes an electronic control which controls enabling and disabling of the compressor in response to pressure level variations in the system storage reservoir. The control unit responds to compressor disabling by causing the system air dryer to regenerate or purge for a predetermined time period, even if the compressor is unloaded for time periods greater than the predetermined time period. If the compressor comes back on load before expiration of the predetermined time periods, purging of the air dryer is immediately discontinued. Accordingly, the air dryer is never purged for long periods of time, thereby conserving the desiccant used in the air dryer, and also increasing the efficiency of the engine which operates the air compressor, since turbocharged engines normally communicate the output of the turbocharger to the air compressor, and venting a portion of the turbocharger for long periods of time can significantly decrease engine efficiency.

Abstract: A hydraulic control valve for controlling the parking brakes of a vehicle hydraulic braking system having mechanically applied parking brakes which are released by hydraulic pressure includes a housing having a mechanically actuated control valve and a diverter assembly. When the vehicle is parked, the parking brakes are vented to reservoir and fluid from the vehicle hydraulic pump is communicated directly from the inlet of the valve to the return or drain port of the valve. When the brakes are released, communication between the spring brakes and reservoir pressure is cut off, and fluid communicated into the inlet is diverted to the diverter assembly, which builds pressure to a predetermined level which is communicated to the vehicle parking brakes to release the latter. When the predetermined pressure level is attained, the diverter assembly automatically opens to permit fluid to bypass the diverter assembly back to the return or drain port.

Abstract: The present invention is a composition comprising a friction resistant filler and a cyanato group containing phenolic resin which has repeating units of the formula: ##STR1## wherein p is 0 or an integer of one or more, q is an integer of one or more, and X is a radical selected from the group consisting of: --CH.sub.2 --, --CO--, --SO.sub.2 --, ##STR2## with --CH.sub.2 -- preferred. R is the same or different and is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and methyl radicals and composition based on phenolic triazine resins derived therefrom.

Abstract: A control system includes a microcontroller which receives input signals from input sensors and transmits output signals to electrically actuated solenoid valves in response to the input signals. A drive circuit controller is responsive to the output signals and to a solenoid enable signal generated by a watchdog circuit to control the solenoid valves. The watchdog circuit is responsive to watchdog pulses generated by the microcontroller and transmitted through the watchdog port of the microcontroller to generate the solenoid enable signal. The watchdog circuit generates the solenoid enable signal only when the frequency of the pulses generated at the watchdog port is within a relatively narrow frequency range. Accordingly, the watchdog circuit disables the drive circuits during failure of the microcontroller to assure that the solenoids will not be operated.

Abstract: A spring force actuator comprising a housing, an output member axially moveable in the housing, a spring captive between the member and the end wall of the housing. The actuator further comprises an axially located screw-threaded wind-off element operable to apply an opposing force to the spring between the output member and the end wall. The wind-off element is threadedly cooperable with a nut which is non-rotationally captive in an externally accessible recess of the end wall.

Abstract: In a pneumatically operable clutch driven piston and cylinder compressor assembly a multiplate friction clutch comprises a drive member of the clutch carried on an input shaft which has internal bearings supporting the driven end of the compressor crankshaft and the drive shaft being rotatable in an island portion of the crankcase which carries a fluid pressure operable annular piston engageable with a shell of the clutch for release thereof, the arrangement permitting the clutch to be located at least in part within a projection of the cylinder of the compressor. A plurality of webs connecting the island portion with the crankcase are arranged to allow unrestricted communication between the compressor crankcase and a crankcase of an engine to which the compressor is mounted.

Abstract: An exhaust gas driven turbocharger is provided with a single pneumatic actuator which controls both a pivoting vane which varies the flow area or aspect ratio of the exhaust gas inlet passage to the turbine, and also controls the wastegate valve. A linkage mechanism including a preloaded spring and a bellcrank lever actuates levers controlling the wastegate valve and the pivoting vane.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed which ensures that a rotor-shaft assembly is in rotational balance after assembly of the individually balanced components by preventing the creation of any imbalance during assembly. The rotor member is formed with an annular groove about the nose portion at a point near its mounting face, which during assembly is crimped before any shaft bending occurs, thereby eliminating any rotor-shaft imbalance.

Abstract: Method for manufacturing a molded article, for use, for example as a fluid filter or as a preform for a structural composite, is prepared from a batt of nonwoven structural fibers and a binder material, such as binder fibers or a thermoresponsive resin. The batt is stabilized by exposing it to a temperature slightly below the melting point of the binder material, so that the binder material becomes tacky and bonds the fiber materials at the surface of the batt. By exposing the batt to the heat for only a few seconds, only the binder material at the surface of the batt bonds the structural fibers; the structural fibers within the batt remain unbonded. Accordingly, the batt is "skinned", so that it is stiff enough to be handled, but is still flexible enough that it can be molded into complex shapes. The molding is effected in a mold in which heated air is drawn through the batt to force it to assume the contours of the mold.

Abstract: A turbocharger turbine housing particulate debris trap for collecting all unwanted exhaust gas entrained particles before engagement with the turbine wheel. The trap can be located anywhere in the exhaust system upstream of the turbine wheel and is designed to take advantage of both inertial and gravitational forces. Systems for purging the trap of collected debris is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for balancing turbochargers or other high speed rotating equipment in which relatively large masses require balancing in two axially separated planes includes the steps of mounting the mechanism to be balanced in a test fixture so that the mechanism can move in a substantially unrestrained manner in any of the three spatial dimensions. Accelerometers adjacent opposite ends of the rotating component measure maximum acceleration of the housing due to vibration. Since the housing substantially unrestrained, the measurement of vibration at any end of the device will be influenced by vibrations induced by the mass at the other end of the device, since the mechanism is not otherwise damped by supporting structures. An optical sensor measures phase angle, and this information along with the information generated by the accelerometers is fed to a conventional vibratory analysis device to determine the unbalance of the rotating component.

Abstract: An engine induction air filter element and a positive crankcase ventilation breather element are combined into a single discardable cartridge which is received within an air cleaner housing in a vehicle induction air system. The induction air filter media is comprised of an array of pleats, the tips of which respectfully define the upstream and downstream planes of the filter. A sealant material circumscribes the perimeter of the downstream plane of the induction air filter, and the sealant material on one end thereof includes a projecting portion which supports the breather air filtering media on the one side of the induction air filtering media, with a gap therebetween which receives a partition which is a part of the air cleaner housing. The partition includes a flow restricting aperture, which is closed by the transverse surface of one of the end pleats of the induction air filtering media.