Abstract: A steel for a gear which is formed on a drive plate gear includes; C: 0.32 to 0.38%, Si: 0.1% or less, Mn: 0.60 to 0.90%, P: 0.03% or less, and S: 0.035% or less.

Abstract: A seat reclining device is provided, which has a base plate secured to a seat cushion; a tooth plate secured to a seatback; a center shaft for permitting the tooth plate to pivot relative to the base plate; first teeth possessed by the tooth plate; a tooth piece having second teeth which are engageable with the first teeth to establish a locked condition between the base plate and the tooth plate, the tooth piece having parallel side walls; and a guide groove defined by the base plate for slidably receiving therein the tooth piece, the guide groove having parallel guide walls which face and contact the parallel side walls of the tooth piece respectively. The parallel side walls are provided near the first teeth with respective projections which are directed toward each other. Due to provision of the projections, the locked engagement between the tooth piece and the tooth plate through the first and second teeth is assuredly kept without producing play even when a marked shock is applied therebetween.

Abstract: An adjustable hinge mount in which a first hinge member is fixed to a seat proper or frame and a second hinge member fixed to the seat back comprises a control arrangement acting on a bearing plate with upper teeth for locking engagement with internal teeth of the second hinge member. The bearing plate is guided by spaced guide walls of the first hinge member and pushed by an elevated portion of a cam pivotable about an axle together with a lever which is pivotable about the axle. Pivoting the lever to an unlocking or released position causes the cam to disengage from the internal teeth.

Abstract: An adjustable hinge mount in which a first hinge member is fixed to a seat proper or frame and a second hinge member fixed to the seat back comprises a control arrangement acting on a bearing plate with upper teeth for locking engagement with internal teeth of the second hinge member. The bearing plate is guided by spaced guide walls of the first hinge member and pushed by an elevated portion of a cam pivotable about an axle together with a lever which is pivotable about the axle. Pivoting the lever to an unlocking or released position causes the cam to disengage from the internal teeth.

Abstract: In a method for increasing the thickness of an outer peripheral portion of a metallic disc material, a first forming die is prepared so as to have a first groove portion on an outer periphery thereof for receiving the metallic disc material. The first groove portion has a pair of side walls and a bottom wall therebetween. The side walls has inclined surfaces facing each other so as to increase the width of the first groove portion toward the outer peripheral portion of the metallic disc material. One of the side walls has a greater length from the bottom wall of the first groove portion than that of the other side wall. The first cylindrical forming die is pressed against the outer peripheral portion of the metallic disc material in a radial direction to form a thickened outer peripheral portion of the metallic disc material.

Abstract: A yoke of a universal joint is substantially U-shaped and includes a base portion and first and second arm portions. A method of producing the yoke includes the sequential steps of: (a) shearing a metal plate which is rectangular in shape and has certain uniform width and thickness so as to form a blank which is rectangular in shape and consists of a middle portion and first and second end portions; (b) squeezing the middle portion of the blank by cold forging so that the middle portion is expanded to have first and second peripheral bulge portions which are opposed to each other and that the expanded middle portion becoming substantially oval in shape and thinner than the first and second end portions in thickness; and (c) pressing the blank with a press machine to produce the yoke so that the expanded middle portion and the first and second end portions of the blank are turned into the base portion and the first and second arm portions of the yoke, respectively.

Abstract: The seat belt retractor comprises a frame; a drum rotatably supported by the frame to wind up the seat belt therearound; an emergency lock mechanism; and a seat belt take-up mechanism including, in particular a coiled spring for applying a take-up force to the seat belt. Since a coiled spring is used to apply a take-up force to the seat belt, the take-up torque can be simply determined by changing the diameter of the coiled spring and the number of turns, without increasing the outer diameter of the coiled spring, thus improving the binding feeling of the seat belt to the driver. Further, the coiled spring is excellent in durability, low in cost and small in size as compared with the conventional flat spiral spring.