Abstract: An improved pivotal mounting assembly, preferably for use with a centrifugal clutch for pivotally mounting the clutch shoes, has a plastic insert which forms either a sector-like portion of a usual cylindrical-shaped, metallic pivot pin, or a portion of the clutch shoe which forms a pivot pin receiving opening. The plastic insert will have an outer convex surface when forming a part of a cylindrical pivot pin or will have a concave surface when forming a part of the clutch shoe. Preferably the convex and concave surfaces will have arcuate lengths of approximately 120.degree.. The plastic insert provides a low-friction pivotal bearing surface for the clutch shoe, which will absorb many of the forces and stresses exerted on the pivot assembly upon coupling engagement of the clutch shoes with a driven drum. The supporting metal areas of the pivot pin or clutch shoe adjacent the plastic strip provides the mechanical strength for the strip.

Abstract: A clutch housing and pulley assembly is formed from a plurality of stamped metal components. A plurality of annular discs are mounted on a radially extending base of a V-grooved pulley member. A cup-shaped clutch housing having a radially extending base is mounted in abutting relationship with one of the outer discs on one side of the pulley base. A plurality of rivets extend through axially aligned holes formed in the pulley base, discs and housing base to assemble these components into a single unit. A ring bearing is telescopically mounted in the axially aligned central openings of the discs and pulley base for rotatably mounting the clutch housing and pulley assembly on a drive shaft which is adapted to extend through a central opening of the clutch housing base.The pulley member and discs are arranged in a stacked relationship on a plurality of guide pins extending through the rivet receiving holes.

Abstract: A centrifugal clutch having a drive flange mounted on a hub which is adapted to be mounted on a driving shaft. A pair of clutch shoes is pivotally mounted at diagonally opposite ends of the shoes on the drive flange by a pair of pins which extend axially outwardly from the drive flange in a cantilever manner, with the clutch shoes being mounted in end-to-end relationship with respect to each other. Extension springs bias the swinging ends of the clutch shoes toward retracted position. The clutch shoes are adapted to move outwardly under the influence of centrifugal force and overcome the biasing effect of the springs to drivingly engage a concentrically mounted clutch housing. A plurality of weight plates may be mounted on the webs of the clutch shoes to provide various operating characteristics without changing the basic clutch construction.

Abstract: A centrifugal clutch has an axially extending hub formed with a central bore for receiving and mounting the clutch on a drive shaft. A drive flange is attached to the hub for rotation with the hub when it is rotated by the drive shaft. A pair of clutch shoes is pivotally mounted on the drive flange in an end-to-end relationship with respect to each other by a pair of pivot pins. Extension springs bias the swinging ends of the clutch shoes toward retracted position. The clutch shoes are adapted to move outwardly under the influence of centrifugal force and overcome the biasing effect of the springs to drivingly engage a concentrically mounted clutch housing. Each of the clutch shoes has an arcuate-shaped web and an outer shoe table with a strip of frictional material being mounted on the table.

Abstract: A skid-control traction-control system is provided for a motor vehicle including at least two driven wheels connected by a differential mechanism, characterized by the provision of a skid-control solenoid valve operable--when the vehicle is decelerating and either driven wheel has a rotational deceleration which differs from an estimated predetermined amount--for automatically deactivating the brakes associated with both driven wheels, in combination with a system operable--when the vehicle is accelerating and one driven wheel has a rotational velocity which differs from the other by a predetermined amount--for automatically braking only the faster driven wheel, thereby causing torque to be transferred to the slower wheel via the differential mechanism.

Abstract: A speed-responsive tag axle control system is disclosed including a comparison circuit which is operable when the rotational velocity of one driven wheel of a motor vehicle overruns the opposite driven wheel by a predetermined amount to simultaneously brake the faster driven wheel and shift the vehicle load from the tag axle wheels to the driven wheels. In one embodiment, a pressure fluid motor is connected between the tag axle and the vehicle chassis for normally transferring load from the driven wheels to the non-driven tag axle wheels, said motor being vented by said comparison circuit means to transfer the load back to the driven wheels upon the occurrence of a driven wheel overspin condition.

Abstract: A method of making a dynamically balanced V-grooved sheet metal pulley from a flat sheet metal disc by roller spinning and splitting tools. The disc is provided with a central hole for mounting the disc on rotating die means between first headstock and tailstock die form assemblies of a spinning machine. The spinning tool presses the disc against an end of a headstock die form and moves generally radially outwardly pressing a portion of the die against the end of the die to provide a circular hub wall. The spinning tool then moves in a series of passes along the headstock die form thereby rolling, forming and ironing the rotating outer metal portions of the disc against the die and forming an axially extending cylindrical side wall terminating in a radially outwardly extending annular flange of a cup-shaped stage blank. The flange then is trimmed to a predetermined length and to form a peripheral axially extending edge on the flange.

Abstract: A sintered pulley hub construction for mounting on a bottom wall of a sheet metal pulley cup. A pair of tubular members is pressure formed in a green compact state from a metal powder mixture. One of the members has a cylindrical body which terminates at one end in an outwardly extending annular flange which forms a hub pulling flange. The other member has an interior annular cavity formed in one end and a radially outwardly extending annular flange formed on the other end. The cylindrical body of the one member is telescopically received within the annular cavity of the other member. The members are joined by sintering to form an integral homogeneous body. The outer surface of the other member has a cylindrical portion extending axially between the radial end flange and an annular shoulder for receiving an axially extending flange of a pulley cup, with the shoulder providing a zone for welding the pulley cup to the hub.

Abstract: A digital traction control system is disclosed for a motor vehicle having a plurality of driven wheels connected by a differential mechanism, characterized by the provision of a plurality of counters for counting pulses produced in accordance with the rotational velocities of the driven wheels, respectively, the counters being resettable when the count totals therein are within a given ratio. In the event that a driven wheel experiences a spin condition causing it to rotate at a higher rotational velocity than the other wheels, whereby the pulse count total of its associated counter exceeds the count total of the other counters outside the given ratio, a solenoid-operated brake is automatically activated to brake the faster wheel, thereby to transfer driving torque to the other driven wheel or wheels.

Abstract: A quick release centrifugal clutch construction having a driven member rotatably mounted on a shaft and a drive member rotatable with the shaft and axially engageable with the driven member. The drive member includes a rotor mounted on the shaft for rotation with the shaft. A cartridge is axially slidably mounted on the shaft and has a frictional coupling surface for engagement with the driven member, and has a preloaded disc spring mounted thereon. A drive block also is axially slidably mounted on the rotor and is adapted to engage the cartridge to further load the disc spring and to drivingly connect the cartridge with the driven member. A plurality of individual pairs of links are mounted circumferentially spaced on the rotor and are movable in radial directions between retracted and extended positions. The inner ends of each of the link pairs are pivotally joined by a pivot pin with the outer link ends being pivotally connected to the drive block and rotor member respectively.

Abstract: A one-piece sintered pulley hub construction formed of powder metal is provided with a pair of radially outwardly extending hub pulling flanges. The hub has a generally tubular-shaped body with front and rear end faces and a cylindrical bore extending axially therebetween. The pulling flanges are formed integrally with the tubular body and extend radially outwardly from adjacent the front end of the tubular body in diametrically opposite directions, with the front surfaces of the flanges preferably lying in the same plane with the front end face of the tubular body. The flanges provide lugs for gripping by a hub pulling device and they enable the hub to be formed in one piece by a powder metal sintering process eliminating costly machining procedures.

Abstract: A method of making a dynamically balanced cup-shaped blank for use in the production of a V-grooved pulley from a flat sheet metal disc by flow forming the metal with an improved metal spinning roller construction. The disc is mounted on rotating die means between headstock and tailstock die forming assemblies of a spinning machine. A first spinning roller pressure shear forms and thins an intermediate annular portion of the disc along a conical surface of the headstock die to form a conical wall of the cup-shaped blank, with an unworked outer annular portion of the disc extending outwardly of the conical wall. A plurality of the improved rollers are moved axially along and parallel with the headstock die means in a single pass. Outer curved front end surfaces of the rollers lay the outer unworked annular portion of the disc along a cylindrical surface of the headstock die form without materially reducing the metal thickness to rough form a cylindrical wall of the cup-shaped blank.

Abstract: A sintered pulley hub construction for mounting on a bottom wall of a sheet metal pulley cup. A pair of tubular members is pressure formed in a green compact state from a metal powder mixture. One of the members has a cylindrical body which terminates at one end in an outwardly extending annular flange which forms a hub pulling flange. The other member has an interior annular cavity formed in one end and a radially outwardly extending annular flange formed on the other end. The cylindrical body of the one member is telescopically received within the annular cavity of the other member. The members are joined by sintering to form an integral homogeneous body. The outer surface of the other member has a cylindrical portion extending axially between the radial end flange and an annular shoulder for receiving an axially extending flange of a pulley cup, with the shoulder providing a zone for welding the pulley cup to the hub.

Abstract: A method of making a dynamically balanced integral clutch housing and bearing assembly from a flat sheet metal disc by a roller spinning tool. A bearing and the metal disc is mounted on rotating die means between headstock and tailstock die form assemblies of a spinning machine. The spinning tool presses the disc against an end of the bearing to provide a bottom web wall of a cup-shaped bearing housing. The spinning tool then moves in a series of passes along the bearing outer race and along the headstock die form thereby rolling, forming and ironing rotating outer metal portions of the disc against the bearing and die, and forming an annular circumferential flange wall of the bearing housing which terminates in an annular shoulder. The bearing is telescopically mounted and retained within the bearing housing by the side and web walls and retaining shoulder.

Abstract: A one-piece, sheet metal multi V-grooved pulley has a circular hub wall integrally connected with a cylindrical side wall, which side wall terminates in an open end opposite of the hub wall. A series of outwardly opening V-shaped grooves is formed by pairs of V-shaped flange walls in the cylindrical side wall. The pairs of flange walls decrease in metal thickness progressively from the hub wall toward the open end.The V-grooved pulley is made by forming a cup-shaped stage blank having a bottom hub flange wall and a connected outer cylindrical wall terminating in an open end. The stage blank is formed by roller spinning an outer annular portion of a sheet metal disc along a stepped cylindrical surface of a headstock die. A series of integrally connected cylindrical surfaces is formed along the interior of the cylindrical wall of the stage blank by the roller spinning operation.

Abstract: A modulating pump is disclosed including a pumping member that is initially operable by a solenoid device in a relatively long full-stroke condition to effect rapid pressure build-up of the fluid supplied to a load, the pumping member being subsequently operated by the solenoid device in a relatively short stroke condition to effect further pressure build-up in the load. A main spring device normally biases the armature of the main solenoid device to achieve the full-stroke operating condition, and when the pressure of the load reaches a value to cause the return force of the main spring to be overcome, a resilient abutment device becomes operable to achieve the desired short stroke pumping condition. A self commutating pump device is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of making a dynamically balanced V-grooved sheet metal pulley from a flat sheet metal disc by roller spinning and splitting tools. The disc is provided with a central hole for mounting the disc on rotating die means between first headstock and tailstock die form assemblies of a spinning machine. The spinning tool presses the disc against an end of a headstock die form and moves generally radially outwardly pressing a portion of the die against the end of the die to provide a circular hub wall. The spinning tool then moves in a series of passes along the headstock die form thereby rolling, forming and ironing the rotating outer metal portions of the disc against the die and forming an axially extending cylindrical side wall terminating in a radially outwardly extending annular flange of a cup-shaped stage blank. The flange then is trimmed to a predetermined length and to form a peripheral axially extending edge on the flange.

Abstract: A method of making a dynamically balanced integral clutch housing and bearing assembly from a flat sheet metal disc by a roller spinning tool. A bearing and the metal disc is mounted on rotating die means between headstock and tailstock die form assemblies of a spinning machine. The spinning tool presses the disc against an end of the bearing to provide a bottom web wall of a cup-shaped bearing housing. The spinning tool then moves in a series of passes along the bearing outer race and along the headstock die form thereby rolling, forming and ironing rotating outer metal portions of the disc against the bearing and die, and forming an annular circumferential flange wall of the bearing housing which terminates in an annular shoulder. The bearing is telescopically mounted and retained within the bearing housing by the side and web walls and retaining shoulder.

Abstract: A vehicle brake having a pair of brake shoes moveably mounted and arranged in end-to-end relationship on a fixed backing plate. A pair of levers is pivotally mounted on the backing plate. The levers have thrust transmitting portions which are interposed between a pair of opposed brake shoe ends and a hydraulic service brake actuator for moving the brake shoes into engagement with the brake drum. The levers also have swinging end portions which pivot inwardly in opposite directions upon outward movement of the thrust transmitting portions. The lever thrust portions have concavely curved camming surfaces which slidably engage complementary convexly curved brake shoe end surface for transmitting the hydraulic actuator force to the brake shoes. A mechanically actuated parking brake mechanism is mounted on the backing plate and is operatively connected to the lever swing end portions by a pair of links.

Abstract: An improved reversible overrunning clutch is disclosed of the type including a central driver member that is axially shiftable by helical spline means between clutch engaged positions relative to axially spaced forward and reverse clutch members, respectively, mounted on an output shaft. Automatic shift control means operable in accordance with the direction of rotation of the rotary input drive means are provided for shifting the central driver member toward a readiness position immediately adjacent the appropriate clutch member, thereby insuring the correct directional operation of the unit. In order to maintain the central driver member in position, friction drag spring means are provided which afford rotational resistance between the central drive member and the output shaft.