Abstract: An engine starter where a pinion, which is engaged or disengaged with a ring gear of the engine to be started, is formed as an integral part of a drive shaft at an end of the drive shaft which is movable in the axial direction thereof while being rotated by an electric motor. The engine starter has no restriction of the root thickness of the pinion or the number of teeth of the pinion, and has a large gear ratio to the ring gear.

Abstract: A bicycle speed control apparatus according to this invention comprises a wind-up control device including a take-up element for winding a speed control cable, and a position maintaining mechanism for maintaining the take-up element in position. The control device is operable to effect change speed by rotating the take-up element for winding the cable.The present invention is characterized in that the position maintaining mechanism is operable to maintain the take-up element in a plurality of change speed positions and in overshift positions displaced from the change speed positions in a cable winding direction, respectively.

Abstract: A gear mechanism has a plurality of gears provided on a shaft and is housed in a housing. Oil is filled into a lower part of the housing. The bottom of the housing is raised to conform to the contour of the gears and an oil return passage in the form of a groove extending in the direction of the row of the gears is formed in the bottom surface of the housing.

Abstract: In a device for adjusting various parts of an automobile seat, such as its backrest, headrest, etc., there is a switch mechanism (41) with central gearwheel (61) which can be driven by an electric motor. Further gearwheels (101) are arranged distributed at equal distances around the central wheel (61) and can drive the driveshaft for each part to be adjusted. A planetary gearwheel (86) is constantly in engagement with the central gearwheel (61) and is brought selectively into engagement with one of the further gearwheels (101). Only a single electric motor is required for adjusting a plurality of parts.

Abstract: A motion converter for small appliances driven by electric motors, such as electric toothbrushes, electric razors or the like, comprising a motor, tool bit and tool bit carrier, which is driven by the rotary motion of the motor and imparts a preferably orbital motion to the tool bit. The latter is accomplished by a novel mechanism for converting the rotary motion of the motor shaft into a generally transverse reciprocating motion. The mechanism employs a follower having a guide slot with parallel side faces and conically extending, radial outer contoured surfaces. The follower comprises a bore for the motor shaft or for a cam on the motor shaft and is slidingly mounted thereon.

Abstract: A worm shaft machine comprises having a longitudinal direction and composed of a plurality of housing portions located near one another in the longitudinal direction, the housing portions having a substantially rectangular outer contour and being provided with longitudinal openings for receiving a worm, the housing portions being assembled with one another so that they abut against one another in the longitudinal diection, a plurality of tensioning rods which tension the housing portions with one another, a closed frame provided at each end of each of the housing portions and forming a pressing piece, the frames having small sides on which they are horizontally exactly slidingly supported.

Abstract: The articulation mechanisms is made particularly of irreversible satellite mechanisms connected to one another by a connection bar. The connection bar has, on one of its portion, a member with toothings subjected to action of a spring which, when the connection bar is in position between two cams of the articulation mechanisms, causes a rotation of these cams and of the satellites related thereto for taking up the manufacturing and mounting clearances.

Abstract: A coaxial engine starter comprising a d.c. electric motor (11), a planetary speed reduction gear unit (20), a unidirectional clutch and a pinion. The planetary gear unit (20) includes a large-diameter inner gear member (17) mounted to the front end of the motor housing (11a). The clutch and the pinion are housed within a front machine frame (21) attached to the inner gear member. The inner gear member (17) is securely held in place between the motor housing (11a) and the front machine frame (21) by U-shaped connectors (22) and through bolts (23) fastening the front machine frame (21), the inner gear member (17) and the motor housing (11a) together. Alternatively, the inner gear member (27; 37) including gear teeth (27a; 38a) may be directly thread-engaged by the through bolts (32) positioned radially inward of the inner gear teeth (27a; 38a) and the front machine frame (29) may be attached to the inner gear member (27; 37).

Abstract: A vehicle park interlock system has a gearshift selector assembly coupled with an ignition locking slider receiving mechanism. The system prohibits the vehicle gearshift from being moved from a park position without the vehicle ignition mechanism being unlocked, e.g. in an off, on or start position.

Abstract: A flexible drive shaft for a helical gear pump having a rotor 10 in which the drive shaft 18 is formed with an enlarged, e.g. upset forged, head 20 and is provided with a plastics material coating 30. The drive shaft is held on to the rotor by bolts 40 passing through holes 28 in the head 20 and apertures 42 in a cap 32.

Abstract: An engine starter comprises a DC motor having a hollow armature rotation shaft, a drive force transmitting device for transmitting a drive force generated by the DC motor, the drive force transmitting device includes a planetary gear speed reducer connected to the armature rotation shaft axially slidably received in a hollow portion of the armature rotation shaft, the output rotation shaft having a helical spline portion engaged with a helical spline portion of the overrunning clutch device, a pinion mounted on a front end of the output rotation shaft to engage a ring gear of an engine and spring device, provided adjacent to a side face of said pinion, for urging said pinion forwardly.

Abstract: An engine starter is equipped with a motor having a cylindrical armature rotating shaft (3), a clutch mechanism (15) which transmits the rotational force of the motor, an output rotating shaft (17) which is disposed so as to mesh with the clutch mechanism (15) and be movable in the axial direction, and a solenoid switch (25) which has a moving member (32) which pushes the output rotating shaft (17) in the axial direction by electromagnetic force, the switch also causing a movable contact to contact a stationary contact and supply current to the motor. The output rotating shaft and the front portion of the moving body (32) of the solenoid switch (25) are both inserted into the cylindrical bore of the armature rotating shaft (3) from opposite ends, a sleeve bearing (23) is fit into the cylindrical bore and journals the output rotating shaft (17), whereby a cylindrical engine starter is obtained having a short overall length.

Abstract: A mounting mechanism for mounting a steering column in a vehicle, the steering column having a steering shaft assembly having an upper end connected to a steering wheel and a lower end connected to a steering linkage as well as an upper jacket surrounding and rotatably supporting the upper end of the steering shaft and a lower jacket surrounding and rotatably supporting the lower end of the steering shaft is disclosed. The mounting mechanism includes means for securing the mounting mechanism to the vehicle as well as means for rotatably mounting the lower jacket to the mounting mechanism so that the lower jacket rotates relative to the mounting bracket upon exertion of a predetermined axial load upon the vehicle and without rotation of the lower jacket relative to the upper jacket.

Abstract: The actuator for a door locking apparatus for a vehicle has an output shaft rotatably mounted on the body thereof, a cylindrical worm designed to be rotated by a motor, and a shaft tube having an internal toothed portion that is brought into mesh engagement with the cylindrical worm and designed to move between locked and unlocked positions along the axial direction of the worm when the worm is rotated. An elongate hole is formed in the arm fixed to the output shaft, and the pin of the shaft tube is brought into engagement with this elongate hole. A projection is provided on the shaft tube at such a position as to be closer to the output shaft than the pin is. The actuator has a torsion spring for returning the shaft tube from the locked or the unlocked position to a neutral position as an intermediate position between the two positions when the motor is switched off.

Abstract: To override the vehicle immobilizing effect of a failed automatic ratio controller in a hydromechanical transmission, the conventional manually shiftable range selector is loosely linked with a ratio arm while the latter is being stroked by the controller to vary hydrostatic output speed. Upon controller failure, the range selector is drivingly linked with the ratio arm, such that shifting movements of the range selector are translated into stroking movements of the ratio arm to provide manual control of vehicle propulsion. Safeguards are provided to ensure that conversion between the normal propulsion mode governed by the automatic ratio controller and the override propulsion mode manually governed by the vehicle operator is effected in a safe manner.

Abstract: In a multi-axis mechanical manipulator with adjustable travel and protection against overloading. The movement is transmitted to the indexing mechanism (10) by the combination of a sliding rotor motor (2) of a reducing gear with wheel and endless screw (30) and an adjustable torque limiter (40). The law of motion of the indexing mechanism (10) is determined in this way so as to obtain constant speed over a wide range, possibly with stopping points. The rotating frame (56) is linked to the indexing mechanism (10) by a spring bushing (50). The movement is transmitted to the cylindrical cam (6) by an adjustable torque limiter (28). The manipulating arm (7) is displaced by a spring plate which permits a momentary angular retraction of the arm (7) when it encounters an obstacle. The present invention may be used for the handling of loads or parts.

Abstract: A motion transmitting remote control assembly (10) is of the type for transmitting forces in curved path by a flexible motion transmitting core element (18). The assembly (10) comprises a first actuator (12) and a second actuator (14). The first actuator (12) is disposed adjacent the output (35) and comprises a first drive member (24), a first handle (32) and a clutch (36) all coaxial about the first input shaft (30). The clutch (36) comprises a pin (38) which coacts with two slots (37) in the first drive member (24). A spring (42) biases the pin (38) into the two slots (37) so the pin (38) will engage the two slots (37) when they are aligned.

Abstract: A collapsible steering column arrangement for a vehicle is disclosed which comprises a pair of offset shafts and an extrudable housing. One of the shafts is generally fixed with respect to the vehicle and includes a first gear, a second gear and the other shaft includes in rotational driving engagement with the first gear on the one shaft for steering the vehicle and is movable with respect to the one shaft in response to an axial load imposed on the steering column arrangement. The energy of the axial load is absorbed when the second gear extrudes through the housing. In an alternative embodiment, one of the shafts includes a first gear and the other shaft includes a second gear in rotational driving engagement with the first gear to transfer rotation between the shafts, one of the gears having teeth with a width greater than the teeth of the other gear to allow the length of the steering column to be adjusted according to the driver's preference.

Abstract: A multi-mode splined ball screw assembly includes a first shaft, a hollow second shaft and a hollow third shaft. The first shaft extends into the hollow second shaft and a ball spline structure is provided between the first and second shafts so that they may move relative to each other in the longitudinal direction. The second shaft extends into the third shaft and a ball screw structure is provided between the second and third shafts so that they may rotate relative to each other. The first shaft is rotatably supported by a housing and the third shaft has an outer peripheral surface, a part of which is defined as a ball spline surface section and another part of which is defined as a ball screw surface section. Another ball spline structure is provided between the housing and the ball spline surface section and another ball screw structure is provided between the housing and the ball screw surface section.

Abstract: An electronic accelerator pedal assembly for vehicles including a base bracket adapted to be secured to the floor pan and having an upper housing fixedly supporting the associated electronic componentry indicating accelerator pedal position, including the output wiring free from the hostile environment zone beneath the accelerator pedal. The accelerator pedal is hingedly connected to the basic bracket member at a lower end and rotatably and slidably coupled to a spring biased follower member at its upper end by a jointly radiating coupling, and the follower member transmits pedal travel to the electronic componentry and includes a stop member for retaining the accelerator pedal in idle position.