Abstract: A hydraulic tensioner having a sleeve located in the opening in the tensioner body and a pin to slide within the sleeve to retain the tensioner plunger in a retracted position. In another embodiment, the tensioner includes a support member located around the periphery of the plunger to support a coil spring to bias the plunger in the protruding direction. A male thread formed on the outer surface of the support member engages a female thread formed in the tensioner opening. In another embodiment, the tensioner includes a stopper pin and spring-loaded hook member that retains the plunger in a retracted position. In another embodiment, a check valve located to permit fluid flow into the plunger chamber has a retainer with several extending legs.

Abstract: A multi-purpose interface apparatus for a television receiver for digital or analog, broadcast or switched video distribution systems is provided which eliminates the necessity of having the user operate a separate set-top cable converter at the location of the subscriber in order to receive any switched or broadcast, digital or analog CATV offering transmitted to the subscriber by the cable service provider, regardless of the particular type of cable service requested by the subscriber from the cable service provider (i.e., basic cable program offering, a scrambled premium program offering and/or a pay-for-view program offering). This interface will also be fully capable of operating with novel CATV distribution systems, including all prospective video dial tone systems. Also disclosed is a related method.

Abstract: A self-guiding chain assembly includes a silent chain with inner and outer links having depending toes. Traditional guide links are replaced by inverted tooth outer links with a crotch of lesser height than the crotch of the inner links. The outer links perform the self-guiding function and act to maintain the chain on the sprockets. The chain has particular application in engine timing systems that utilize phased chains and sprockets.

Abstract: A transfer case includes a clutch assembly having a disc pack clutch, a cone clutch and a lockup hub or collar. All three clutch components are disposed in mechanical parallel between the primary transfer case shaft and the secondary output. The disc pack clutch includes a plurality of interleaved discs and an electromagnetic operator which effects compression of the disc pack to transfer torque from the primary transfer case output shaft to a chain drive sprocket, through a chain, to a secondary output shaft. The cone clutch is disposed adjacent the disc pack and is also actuated by the electromagnetic operator. The cone clutch includes a conical drive member driven by the primary transfer case output shaft. A conical driven member provides torque to the drive chain and, in turn, to the secondary output shaft. Preferably, the driven cone member is integrally formed with the chain drive sprocket.

Abstract: A vibration damper assembly to absorb vibrations in a camshaft and sprocket system has a sprocket positioned around a camshaft, an inertia ring positioned around the camshaft and adjacent the sprocket, yet capable of moving independently of the sprocket, and a hub member positioned around the camshaft adjacent the inertia ring. Frictional material is interposed between said hub member and a rim portion of the inertia ring whereby the inertia ring and hub member slide with respect to one another along said frictional material to absorb vibrations from the camshaft through heat dissipation.

Abstract: A hydraulic tensioner having a plunger slidably fitted in a cavity in a housing and biased in a protruding direction by a spring and fluid. A check valve permits fluid to only flow into, and thereby protrude the plunger, but not out of the cavity. A pressure relief valve is mounted on the housing and is in communication with the cavity. The relief valve includes a flat spring member applying a preload against a reed valve to seal an exhaust passageway connecting to the cavity.

Abstract: A polygonal mirror is rotated by a brush motor, and a laser beam deflected by the polygonal mirror is detected by a sensor for generating a signal which determines a printing start position of each scanning line. The rotating speed of the motor is proportional to the frequency of the signal, and when the frequency of the signal becomes equal to a reference value, the motor can be judged to come to a steady rotation state. In a control circuit, the rotating speed of the motor is detected from the frequency of the signal, and the difference between the detected speed and a reference value is calculated and is sent to a comparator. Based on the speed difference and the back electromotive force which occurs in the motor, the comparator controls the driving voltage of the motor.

Abstract: A combination mounting flange and handle for attaching a flasher light unit to a plastic traffic barricade is disclosed herein. A handle is integrally molded to each of the barricade panels to allow for convenient dismantling and transportation of the barricade. A flange is molded onto each handle so that a flasher light unit may be affixed to a handle using a fastening bolt. The position of the mounted flasher light unit near the cross-bars of the barricade prevents the unit from being knocked out of placement by common road or construction disturbances. The shape and position of the handle allows for simplified usage and easier access to the fastening bolt by the user.

Abstract: A rocker joint for a power transmission chain constructed of an assembly of links and pivot members including a chain assembly having a plurality of sets of links interleaved with other sets of links. Each link has end portions and a central body portion and a pair of spaced apertures each spaced aperture defining a boundary. The pivot members include a pair of pins, each pin having a circular arc rocker surface, a circular arc seat surface opposite to the rocker surface and concentric with the rocker surface and a pair of side surfaces connecting the rocker surface and the seat surface. The pin side surface includes a circular arc having its center located outside the pin. Each aperture has a circular arc support surface located toward the end portion of the link. The aperture circular arc support surface engages the seat surface of one of the pins.

Abstract: A chain and sprocket system includes a plurality of chains and phased or offset sprockets. The transmission system includes a random or hybrid chain with the offset sprockets. The timing system can include single or dual overhead camshafts, with phasing of the crankshaft sprockets and camshaft sprockets.

Abstract: A camshaft vibration damper comprises an inertia ring having a friction clutch surface disposed in driving contact with a complementary clutch surface and a spring for biasing the clutch surfaces toward one another. The complementary clutch surface may be disposed on a drive member, for example, a camshaft sprocket or similar structure rotating with the camshaft. The spring is a compression spring, preferably a Belleville spring washer, which biases the two friction clutch surfaces together. The inertia of the inertia ring opposes the instantaneous variations in rotational speed (d.theta./dt) of the camshaft causing relative rotation between the inertia ring and the drive member thereby reducing vibration without resisting camshaft rotation. Relative motion at the clutch face between the inertia ring and the drive member results in energy absorption and dissipation thereby minimizing unwanted vibration.

Abstract: An improved solenoid valve harness assembly for a vehicle transmission is disclosed that is more reliable, less costly to manufacture, and easier to test. In one embodiment, the solenoid valve assembly includes a plurality of solenoid valves and a harness. The harness includes a plurality of conductors for electrically connecting the plurality of solenoid valves to a controller. The harness is connected to the solenoid valves by a plug and receptacle arrangement that reduces the cost of manufacture and that allows each component to be separately tested prior to being plugged together. In one embodiment, the plug and receptacle arrangement permits the solenoid valves to be disconnected from the harness so that a defective component can be replaced without discarding the entire solenoid valve harness. In a further aspect, a solenoid valve harness is provided in which the solenoid valves are internally grounded thereby eliminating the need for ground wires from the solenoid valves.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a feeder for feeding a new paper accommodated in a feeding cassette, an image forming device which forms an image on the paper fed by the feeder, an intermediate container which temporarily accommodates the paper fed by the feeder and having the image thereon, a refeeder which refeeds the accommodated paper from the intermediate container to form an image on the paper again, a detector which detects presence or absence of paper to be fed by the refeeder for image formation, and a controller which effects a change-over from the paper feeding operation by the refeeder to the paper feeding operation by the feeder when the detector detects the absence of paper to be refed or forbids the paper feeding operation by the refeeder until the detector detects the absence of paper to be refed after the paper has been accommodated in the intermediate container.

Abstract: A coprocessor is incorporated in a processor comprising a CPU, an instruction cache, a data memory, a bus controller, an interruption control section and a DMA controller. This coprocessor has a parallel sum-of-products arithmetic operation section, a comparator, an I/O register section, and a sum-of-products factor register section. A frame memory, provided on the input side, stores MUSE or NTSC signals digitized per pixel. The DMA is in control of the transfer of data between the input-side frame memory and the data memory as well as the transfer of data between a frame memory provided on the output side and the data memory. Pixel data stored in the data memory is processed according to broadcasting systems by the switching of sum-of-products factors on the basis of software.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image processing apparatus by which a first image corresponding to first image information and a second image corresponding to second image information are superimposed one on the top of the other, the apparatus comprising a scanning device for scanning a document line by line to output the first image information; a composing device for composing the first and second image information so that the first and second images are superimposed one on the top of the other; a detecting device for detecting changes of the scanning speed in a direction perpendicular to the lines; and a controlling device for so controlling the composing device that the relative position of the second and first images in the direction are adjusted line by line in accordance with the results detected.

Abstract: A charging device and method in which a charging member, for example, of a brush, plate, film or roller type, for charging a charge-receiving member is disposed at a predetermined distance from the charge-receiving member. The distance is adjusted at not greater than a discharge start distance when the discharge is started and is adjusted at greater than the discharge start distance and less than a discharge stop distance after the discharge is started. The discharge start distance is the distance at the start of discharge when two electrodes are in close proximity as a voltage is applied, and the discharge stop distance is the distance directly before a stable discharge stops when two electrodes are separated while in state of discharge.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for storage and retrieval of measured aberration correction values used in adaptive focus ultrasound imaging. The aberration correction values, corresponding to an aberration region in an imaged subject, are measured at a transmit focal depth. The measured aberration correction values, typically delays, from a measurement depth are stored in a geometric aberration transform (GAT.TM.) table and transformed to aberration correction values at other focal depths for correcting the focus of both transmit and receive beamformers. The transformation is accomplished by using a geometric aberration transform (GAT.TM.) index table which retrieves one or more aberration correction values in the table for any desired depth.

Abstract: A sheet sorting apparatus of a moving bin type for sorting sheets received successively from a sheet delivery station into collated sets, which apparatus comprises. This sheet sorting apparatus includes a plurality of trays stacked one above the other in a vertical direction, and vertically movably supported by a frame structure, first and second camming members extending in a direction parallel to a direction of movement of the trays and having helically continuing threads each having an upwardly oriented camming face engageable with any one of the trays, a sheet delivery mechanism for successively discharching the sheets towards the delivery station, and a drive motor drivingly coupled with the first and second camming members for driving the camming members about respective longitudinal axes of the camming members to move the trays up and down therealong.

Abstract: A liquid dishwashing detergent having improved sudsing and cleaning properties includes the combination of selected secondary alkyl sulfates with alkyl ether sulfates. The secondary alkyl sulfates selected from the group consisting of C.sub.14 or C.sub.16 secondary alkyl sulfates and their salts with the secondary alkyl sulfates being substantially free from other carbon length secondary alkyl sulfates.