Abstract: There is provided a curtain opening/closing device whose number of parts is reduced, which is lightened, whose safety and durability are improved, whose installation space is reduced, whose appearance is improved and which can be installed freely along a curved surface, and a vehicle carrying the curtain opening/closing device. The curtain opening/closing device comprises a spiral long coil member, a movable member capable of moving within the long coil member, a rail member rotably and loosely fitting the long coil member and having a slit continuous in a longitudinal direction and a rotational driving section fixed at one end of the rail member and rotating and driving the long coil member. The movable member is inserted within the long coil member so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: In a structure including rotary gears spaced apart from each other in a radial direction, and chains which are placed to face each other, engage individually with the respective rotary gears and move in an interlocking manner, have flexible chain sections and flexure preventing sections which project from the chain sections and come into engagement with each other at a point located on one end side with respect to an engaged portion where the chains engage with the rotary gears, and are attached at their one ends to a sliding body such as a window glass, the flexure preventing sections are brought into engagement with each other to prevent the chains from flexing in separating directions and join them together to make one end side of the chains a non-flexible portion in the form of an angular bar.

Abstract: A roller chain incorporates a plurality of rolling members between a roller and a bushing. A thrust bearing plate is provided between the end surfaces of the roller and inside surfaces of inner link plates. The outer diameter of the roller is smaller than the widths of the inner link plates and the outer link plates and the roller is accomodated in a projected area of the widths of the inner link plates and the outer link plates.

Abstract: A rocker joint silent chain includes rocker joints articulately connecting together multiple interleaved link plates and guide plates located outside the interleaved link plates in the widthwise direction of the chain. Each of the rocker joints is composed of a longer pin firmly fitted at opposite ends thereof in a pair of aligned pin-accommodation holes of two opposed guide plates, and a shorter pin having opposite ends projecting from opposite outer surfaces of the interleaved link plates. The ends of the shorter pin are in slight contact with inner surfaces of the guide plates. High-frequency noise and abrasive wear of the rocker joints and link plates, which may occur due to free movement of the shorter pin in the widthwise direction of the chain, can be avoided.

Abstract: A roller chain incorporates a plurality of roller members between a roller and a bushing. A thrust bearing plate is provided between the end surfaces of the roller and inside surfaces of inner link plates. The outer diameter of the roller is smaller than the widths of the inner link plates and the outer link plates and the roller is accommodated in a projected area of the widths of the inner link plates and the outer link plates.

Abstract: A wear-resistant silent chain includes a large number of link plates articulately connected together in an endless fashion by rocker joint pins each composed of a long pin and a short pin. The long and short pins have an outer peripheral surface formed by, at least, a convexly arcuate rocker surface which is adjacent to the convexly arcuate rocker surface of another pin, a load-bearing surface on the side opposite to the rocker surface and being seated on an inner peripheral surface of each of a pair of pin holes formed in each link plate, and a pair of lubricant guide surfaces each extending substantially linearly from one circumferential end of the load-bearing surface to an adjacent circumferential end of the rocker surface while extending divergently with respect to the inner peripheral surface of each of said pin holes.

Abstract: A silent chain include a number of link modules articulately connected together in an endless fashion by rocker joint pins. The rocker joint pins include a first rocker joint pin composed of a first longer pin and a first shorter pin each having a different first thickness in a direction of pitch of the rocker joint pins, and a second rocker joint composed of a second longer pin and a second shorter pin each having a different second thickness in the direction of pitch of the rocker joint pins. The second thickness of the second longer or shorter pin is different from the first thickness of a corresponding one of the first longer and shorter pins. The first joint rocker pin and the second rocker joint pin are arranged in a random pattern along the length of the silent chain so as to suppress generation of periodic noise when teeth of the silent chain and teeth of a sprocket engage with each other.

Abstract: A silent chain power transmitting device includes a driving sprocket and at least one drive sprocket, and a silent chain stretched over the driving and driven sprockets to provide a tension run and a slack run on opposite sides of the driving sprocket. The driving and driven sprockets have a sprocket pitch (chordal pitch) designed to become substantially equal to a chain pitch of the tension run of the silent chain while operating under load. By thus designing the sprocket pitch relative to the chain pitch, toothed link plates of the silent chain are smoothly guided into sliding contact with teeth of the sprockets without causing objectionable interference or collision. The sprockets and silent chain are substantially free from abnormal wear and hence have an increased degree of durability.

Abstract: A power transmitting mechanism includes a first silent chain trained around teeth of a first driving sprocket and a teeth of first driven sprocket, and a second silent chain trained around teeth of a second driving sprocket and teeth of a second driven sprocket. The first and second driving sprockets are mounted in parallel relationship on a single drive shaft, and the teeth of the first driving sprocket are offset from the teeth of the second driving sprocket by one-half pitch. The pitch of the driving sprockets is a random pitch which varies in a random pattern along the circumference of the sprockets. The silent chains have a single pitch. By thus phasing the two driving sprocket, periodic meshing impact sounds emitted from the respective silent chains are canceled out or offset each other. The periodicity of the meshing impact sound is agitated by the random tooth pitch of the driving sprockets to such an extent that resonance sound is sufficiently reduced.

Abstract: A sealed chain includes an elastic seal member fitted around the circumferential surface of a pin and disposed between the inner side surface of an outer link plate and the end face of a bushing. The end face of the bushing is retracted from the outer side surface of an inner link plate so that an annular recess or space is formed between the end face of the bushing, the outer circumferential surface of the pin and the peripheral wall of a bushing hole in the inner link plate. The seal member is partly received in the annular space. The width of the sealed chain is equal to that of a standard chain even when a relatively thick seal member such as an O-ring is used.

Abstract: A silent chain for use with a driving or driven sprocket includes a plurality of link plates each having a pair of teeth engageable with teeth of the sprocket. In each of the link plates, the teeth have a pair of symmetric outside flanks that are caused to be seated on corresponding teeth of the sprocket when the teeth of the link plate are placed in full meshing engagement with the corresponding sprocket teeth, and a pair of symmetric inside flanks each having an arcuately convex profile protruding toward the other inside flank in such a manner that a leading one of the inside flanks of the link plate interferes with one of the corresponding teeth of the sprocket at the onset of the meshing engagement between the link plate and the corresponding sprocket teeth. These link plates are interconnected serially, by a plurality of pivot pins, into a longitudinally articulated strand.

Abstract: A rocker joint silent chain includes rocker joints articulately connecting together multiple interleaved link plates and guide plates located outside the interleaved link plates in the widthwise direction of the chain. Each of the rocker joints is composed of a longer pin firmly fitted at opposite ends thereof in a pair of aligned pin-accommodation holes of two opposed guide plates, and a shorter pin having opposite ends projecting from opposite outer surfaces of the interleaved link plates. The ends of the shorter pin are in slight contact with inner surfaces of the guide plates. High-frequency noise and abrasive wear of the rocker joints and link plates, which may occur due to free movement of the shorter pin in the widthwise direction of the chain, can be avoided.

Abstract: A silent chain includes guide links and articular links arranged in the longitudinal direction of the chain. The guide links each include one or more guide link plates, and the articular links each include two or more articular link plates. When the chain is in the straight-line state, the inside flank of each meshing tooth of any one of the link plates projects outwardly from the outside flank of each meshing tooth of another laterally adjacent one of the link plates. The projecting length of the inside flank relative to the outside flank is allowed to vary between the adjacent links, either in a random fashion or in a regular alternate fashion, along the length of the chain.

Abstract: Two rocker pins inserted into each of two pin holes of each link plate of a silent chain each include a rocker surface, a first non-contact surface opposed to an inner peripheral surface of the pin hole on a side opposite to the rocker surface, a pair of load-bearing surfaces contiguous with both circumferential ends of the first non-contact surface, and two second non-contact surfaces interconnecting the pair of load-bearing surfaces and both circumferential ends of the rocker surface, respectively. A part of the inner peripheral surface of the pin hole is formed in a pair of pin-seating surfaces which is in register with the pair of load-bearing surfaces of each rocker pin, respectively, to prevent rotation of the rocker pin within the pin hole. Since the load-bearing surfaces are supported by the pin-seating surfaces in an exactly matched or registered condition, rotation and wobbling of the rocker pin within the pin hole are securely prevented.

Abstract: A silent chain is constituted by a number of articulately connected link plates each having an engagement surface for meshing engagement with teeth of a sprocket. The link plates are press-formed so that the engagement surface includes a smooth sheared surface. All of the link plates have respective sheared surfaces along not more than 60% of the thickness of the link plates. In order to reduce noises produced when the link plates mesh with the sprocket teeth, more than 50% of the link plates have respective sheared surfaces along 7 to 15% of the thickness of the link plates and are arranged randomly in the silent chain.

Abstract: A silent chain includes double rocker joint pins articulately connecting together adjacent links of the chain. The double rocker joint pins are each composed of a longer pin and a shorter pin. The longer pin has a cross-sectional shape different from that of the shorter pin, and the thickness of the longer pin as measured in a direction parallel to a chain pitch line is made greater than the corresponding thickness of the shorter pin. By thus designing the longer pin relative to the shorter pin, the longer pin has a large mechanical strength sufficient to withstand not only an impact force applied when the longer pin is swaged or riveted at opposite ends thereof, but also a shear force and a bending force applied at one time to opposite end portions of the longer pin during power-transmitting operation of the chain.

Abstract: Link plates connected together by connecting members to form an endless silent chain each include a pair of teeth and a pair of connecting holes each receiving therein one of the connecting members. The teeth each have an outer flank, an arcuate tip end portion, and an inner flank. The outer flank has a rectilinear tooth face having an intermeshing point, and a tooth length extending from the intermeshing point toward a tip end of each tooth. The tooth length is 5 to 15% of a pitch between the connecting members. The tip end portion has a first arc adjacent to the outer flank and a second arc adjacent to the inner flank, the second arc having a smaller radius of curvature than the first arc. The shortest distance from a junction between the first and second arcs of the arcuate tip end portion to a face angle forming line of the outer flank is 0.5 to 3.0% of the pitch between the connecting members.

Abstract: A silent-chain transmission apparatus includes a silent chain and a sprocket. The silent chain is formed of a plurality of plates, each of which has a pair of link teeth each having an inner crotch and an outer flank. The plates are connected through use of connection pins. The sprocket has sprocket teeth that come into meshing engagement with the link teeth of the silent chain. Each of the inner crotches has a projection that is formed on a tooth tip side with respect to a working pitch line and has a straightly profiled portion.

Abstract: A silent chain has a plurality of interconnected plates adapted for operative engagement with toothed surfaces of a sprocket. Each of the plates has flank surface portions and crotch surface portions, with the crotch surface portions having protruding portions. The protruding portions of the crotch surface portions make contact with the toothed surfaces of the sprocket at the beginning of engagement of each plate with the sprocket and are spaced away from the toothed surfaces of the sprocket at least during engagement of the flank surface portions with toothed surfaces of the sprocket.

Abstract: A plate for a silent chain has a side punched into a forked shape for engagement with a sprocket. The forked side of the plate has inner engaging surfaces opposing each other, outer engaging surfaces, and an arcuate leg-side end surface connecting the inner engaging surfaces. The leg-side end surface, on which stress is likely to be concentrated, has a shear face tissue along at least 70% of the thickness of the plate. A silent chain having such a plate has a high plate fatigue strength and enhanced durability and reliability, and can be manufactured at a low cost.