Abstract: A seal assembly for providing a seal between a cylindrical member and a bore formed in a housing, the housing and cylindrical member being rotatable relative to one another, the seal assembly being located within an annular groove formed in the cylindrical member and having an annular seal body of a plastics material having an outer axially extending circumferential face for sealing abutment with the bore and at least one radially extending end face for sealing abutment with a side face of the groove and a resilient ring member located in abutment with the inner axially extending circumferential face of the seal body for urging said outer circumferential face radially outward to maintain sealing abutment between said outer circumferential face and the bore during cooling of the seal and housing, the resilient ring member having an axial end face contiguous with or located in-board of said end face of the seal body, the resilient ring and seal body being interconnected so as to be axially movable in unison wit

Abstract: A fluid control system (10) for a vehicle power steering mechanism having a manually driven steering member and a fluid driven driving member (16) operatively connected to steering means of the vehicle by which steerage of the vehicle is achieved, the control system (10) including a first valve (12) for metering pressurised fluid flow to the fluid operated driving member (16) in response to the force required to move the steering means when operating the manually driven steering member, the first valve (12) including at least two independent metering valve means (170, 171) each of which are simultaneously operated by the steering member to meter fluid flow to and/or from the fluid operated driving member (16) at a predefined rate, at least one of the metering valve means (170, 171) communicating independently to a drain via a second valve (14), the second valve (14) being arranged to selectively connect and disconnect said at least one of said valve means (170, 171) to the drain in response to vehicle speed.

Abstract: A ball and socket joint comprising a ball housing threaded into the socket using a screw-thread of one hand and an annular locking member threaded into the socket and into engagement with the ball housing using a screw-thread of the opposite hand, the annular locking member having an inwardly directed portion at least a part of which is deformed axially into at least one recess in the ball housing to prevent relative rotation between the locking member and the ball housing.