Abstract: An acceleration device for enhancing the speed of synchronous writes in a computer system includes a novel control subsystem, in one embodiment a device driver, and stable storage having an access time on the same order of magnitude as the access time of the main memory in the computer system. In one embodiment, the novel device driver is interposed in the operating system of the computer between the proprietary kernel and one or more peripheral storage unit device drivers. The novel device driver intercepts I/O commands, for example, synchronous write commands, from the operating system that are intended for one of the peripheral storage unit device drivers and subsequently copies the data specified in the write command from main memory of the computer to the stable storage of the acceleration device. The stable storage is operated as a cache and upon one of a set of predetermined conditions being satisfied, selected data stored in the stable storage are transferred, i.e.

Abstract: An acceleration device for enhancing the speed of synchronous writes in a computer system includes a novel control means, in one embodiment a device driver, and stable storage having an access time on the same order of magnitude as the access time of the main memory in the computer system. In one embodiment, the novel device driver is interposed in the operating system of the computer between the proprietary kernel and one or more peripheral storage unit device drivers. The novel device driver intercepts I/O commands, for example, synchronous write commands, from the operating system that are intended for one of the peripheral storage unit device drivers and subsequently copies the data specified in the write command from main memory of the computer to the stable storage of the acceleration device. The stable storage is operated as a cache and upon one of a set of predetermined conditions being satisfied, selected data stored in the stable storage are transferred, i.e.

Abstract: A cantilevered spring is supported proximate the transaxle of a piece of power equipment so as to be operatively related to the shift lever used to actuate the transaxle. The cantilevered portion of the spring comprises a main resilient section and an extension at its outer end which lies in a plane angularly related to that of the main section of the spring. The extension is provided with an elongated slot having a major axis which extends parallel to the plane of the spring's main section. The shift lever is received in the slot whereby actuation of the lever in a direction normal to the slot's major axis is resisted by the spring.