Abstract: A peeling apparatus and method using rotating rollers as a peeling bed includes a mechanism that moves food products through the peeling bed. The mechanism has multiple walls mounted to a continuous loop that is driven over the peeling bed to define cavities between each adjacent pair of walls. The walls' lower edges are spaced close to the rollers to prevent food products from exiting a cavity. One or more of the walls may have cleaners, such as spray nozzles connected to high pressure liquid, to clean particles from the rollers. The nozzles spray the particles off as the spray nozzles pass over the rollers during normal operation of the peeling apparatus.

Abstract: A peeling apparatus and method using rotating rollers as a peeling bed includes a mechanism that moves food products through the peeling bed. The mechanism has multiple walls mounted to a continuous loop that is driven over the peeling bed to define cavities between each adjacent pair of walls. The walls' lower edges are spaced close to the rollers to prevent food products from exiting a cavity. One or more of the walls may have cleaners, such as spray nozzles connected to high pressure liquid, to clean particles from the rollers. The nozzles spray the particles off as the spray nozzles pass over the rollers during normal operation of the peeling apparatus.

Abstract: An improvement to hydrocutting systems includes a curved shape for the acceleration and deceleration sections of the system. In the acceleration and deceleration tubes, the curvature of the sidewall is non-linear along its length, and the water flowing therein accelerates, positively or negatively, at a substantially constant rate. In an embodiment, there is a second curvature, which may be offset from the first curvature by about 90 degrees, that accelerates the water at a second, different substantially constant rate, in order to align the food product both lengthwise and rotationally to a desired orientation.

Abstract: An improvement to hydrocutting systems includes a curved shape for the acceleration and deceleration sections of the system. In the acceleration and deceleration tubes, the curvature of the sidewall is non-linear along its length, and the water flowing therein accelerates, positively or negatively, at a substantially constant rate. In an embodiment, there is a second curvature, which may be offset from the first curvature by about 90 degrees, that accelerates the water at a second, different substantially constant rate, in order to align the food product both lengthwise and rotationally to a desired orientation.

Abstract: A brush assembly using a spacer and the spacer permit multiple brushes to be combined on a driveshaft that is driven in rotation. The use of multiple brushes allows one to vary the characteristics of the brush assembly along the assembly's length. This also permits one to change fewer than all brushes when needed, thereby saving the cost of replacing an entire brush assembly's brushes when worn. The spacer is a body with a central opening that is preferably polygonal in section, opposing ends that form shoulders and a radially extending gasket located intermediate the opposing ends.

Abstract: A brush assembly using a spacer and the spacer permit multiple brushes to be combined on a driveshaft that is driven in rotation. The use of multiple brushes allows one to vary the characteristics of the brush assembly along the assembly's length. This also permits one to change fewer than all brushes when needed, thereby saving the cost of replacing an entire brush assembly's brushes when worn. The spacer is a body with a central opening that is preferably polygonal in section, opposing ends that form shoulders and a radially extending gasket located intermediate the opposing ends.

Abstract: A clamping mechanism for a food slicing machine having a product holder that is driven cyclically through a food slicing blade along an arcuate or linear path. The clamping mechanism is driven by the drive means that drives the product holder, thereby assuring the timing of the clamping during the cutting portion of the stroke. A drive rod extends from the drive means, which can be a driveshaft, and extends to a plate that is pivotably mounted to the product holder. The plate pushes plungers through the sidewall of the holder to seat against and clamp the food product against the sidewall of the holder.

Abstract: A clamping mechanism for a food slicing machine having a product holder that is driven cyclically through a food slicing blade along an arcuate or linear path. The clamping mechanism is driven by the drive means that drives the product holder, thereby assuring the timing of the clamping during the cutting portion of the stroke. A drive rod extends from the drive means, which can be a driveshaft, and extends to a plate that is pivotably mounted to the product holder. The plate pushes plungers through the sidewall of the holder to seat against and clamp the food product against the sidewall of the holder.

Abstract: A feed mechanism for a food slicing machine. The feed mechanism is capable of dual configurations: gripper mode and continuous feed mode. The apparatus has dual conveyors that can feed food products continuously, and a gripper mechanism that can feed food products reciprocatingly. Before engaging the continuous mode, the gripper mechanism is driven to an end of the machine and then a drive belt, which a jaw clamps during the gripper mode, is released. The dual, opposing conveyors then feed the food product that rolls to them by gravity over a moveable roller frame extending beneath the gripper mechanism. During gripper mode, the upper conveyor can be removed or raised out of the way, and the moveable roller frame is positioned just beneath the gripper. The gripper jaw clamps the drive belt and the gripper is driven in a reciprocal manner over the lower conveyor.

Abstract: A torque converter clutch has an engagement chamber and a disengagement chamber. The clutch engagement force, and therefore torque capacity of the clutch, is established by the pressure differential between the engagement and disengagement chambers. Fluid flow from the engagement chamber to the disengagement chamber is controlled by a sliding valve member operated on by opposing governor weights which are rotated with respective input and output members of the torque converter. The valve member can be controlled to effect complete clutch engagement if desired.

Abstract: A vibration damper is disposed between the input and output members of a friction clutch to reduce the transmission of torsional vibrations. The damper has a plurality of elastomeric bands each having one end connected to the clutch input and the other end connected to the clutch output. The bands are guided between the ends by a plurality of spaced guide members. As torque is transmitted between the clutch input and output, the bands will elongate and contract to permit relative movement between the clutch input and output thereby reducing the transmission of torsional vibration.

Abstract: A torsional vibration damper has an input hub and an output hub drivingly connected by a plurality of elastomeric band support members and an elastomeric band. The support members are maintained in contact with at least one of the hubs by the elastomeric band. The band permits relative angular movement between the hubs in response to a camming action which is transmitted to the elastomeric band by the support members. The relative angular displacement between the input and output members increases as the base level of torque transmission increases while slight relative movements from the base torque level setting are operative to attenuate and dampen the torsional disturbances which are imposed on the input hub by a prime mover such as an internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A vehicle brake booster and master cylinder assembly has a vacuum suspended booster section which is controlled by movement of the vehicle brake pedal. A hydraulic booster section is in series with the vacuum suspended booster section, and a master cylinder unit is in series with the hydraulic booster section. The assembly is so arranged that in normal operation the vehicle operator obtains boosted brake actuating pressures by operation of the vacuum suspended booster which acts through the hydraulic booster mechanism without operating the hydraulic booster. When greater brake actuating pressures are required, as indicated by increased brake pedal force exerted by the operator, the vacuum booster reaches its limit or runout condition and the hydraulic booster is operated so as to continue the increase in master cylinder output pressure.

Abstract: A vehicle brake booster and master cylinder assembly has a vacuum suspended booster section which is controlled by movement of the vehicle brake pedal. A hydraulic booster section is in series with the vacuum suspended booster section, and a master cylinder unit is in series with the hydraulic booster section. The assembly is so arranged that in normal operation the vehicle operator obtains boosted brake actuating pressures by operation of the vacuum suspended booster which acts through the hydraulic booster mechanism without operating the hydraulic booster. When greater brake actuating pressures are required, as indicated by increased brake pedal force exerted by the operator, the vacuum booster reaches its limit or runout condition and the hydraulic booster is operated so as to continue the increase in master cylinder output pressure.

Abstract: A vehicle brake booster and master cylinder assembly has a vacuum suspended booster section which is controlled by movement of the vehicle brake pedal. A hydraulic booster section is in series with the vacuum suspended booster section, and a master cylinder unit is in series with the hydraulic booster section. The assembly is so arranged that in normal operation the vehicle operator obtains boosted brake actuating pressures by operation of the vacuum suspended booster which acts through the hydraulic booster mechanism without operating the hydraulic booster. When greater brake actuating pressures are required, as indicated by increased brake pedal force exerted by the operator, the vacuum booster reaches its limit or runout condition and the hydraulic booster is operated so as to continue the increase in master cylinder output pressure.

Abstract: A vehicle brake booster and master cylinder assembly has a vacuum suspended booster section which is controlled by movement of the vehicle brake pedal. A hydraulic booster section is in series with the vacuum suspended booster section, and a master cyclinder unit is in series with the hydraulic booster section. The assembly is so arranged that in normal operation the vehicle operator obtains boosted brake actuating pressures by operation of the vacuum suspended booster which acts through the hydraulic booster mechanism without operating the hydraulic booster. When greater brake actuating pressures are required, as indicated by increased brake pedal force exerted by the operator, the vacuum booster reaches its limit or runout condition and the hydraulic booster is operated so as to continue the increase in master cylinder output pressure.

Abstract: A vehicle brake booster and master cylinder assembly has a vacuum suspended booster section which is controlled by movement of the vehicle brake pedal. A hydraulic booster section is in series with the vacuum suspended booster section, and a master cylinder unit is in series with the hydraulic booster section. The assembly is so interconnected that the master cylinder can be operated manually when there is no or insufficient power pressure to operate either booster section. It may also be operated by actuating the vacuum suspended booster section, and, when no hydraulic pressure is available to the hydraulic booster section, this operation may be followed by manual actuation. It may be operated by initially actuating the hydraulic booster section when there is no vacuum available for initially operating the vacuum suspended booster section, followed by manual actuation as needed.

Abstract: A wheel cylinder body is made from a constant cross section extrusion having a bore forming the working chamber of the wheel cylinder without further finishing of the chamber wall. A block-like step section, formed as part of the extrusion on the outside of the cylinder portion, is drilled and threaded for appropriate inlet and bleeder screw connections, and mounting holes. The inlet and bleeder screw holes intersect the bore so that they do not engage the sealing cups of the wheel cylinder pistons during wheel cylinder operation.

Abstract: A vehicle brake booster and master cylinder assembly has a vacuum suspended booster section and a hydraulic booster section in series, and a master cylinder unit in series with the booster sections. During normal operation the vehicle operator obtains boosted brake actuating pressures from the master cylinder by operation of the hydraulic booster section throughout the normal stroke of both booster sections without operating the vacuum booster section. If additional brake actuating pressure is required after the hydraulic booster has reached its run-out condition, the master cylinder is actuated normally through mechanical force transmitting elements which are parts of the booster sections. If there is no hydraulic pressure available for hydraulic booster operation, the control valves of the booster sections move from the first range of operation which normally controls the hydraulic booster section to a second range of operation which actuates the vacuum booster section.

Abstract: A drum brake assembly for a vehicle wheel includes an axle housing flange extending upwardly and provided with an opening through which the wheel cylinder hydraulic line input and bleed fittings extend. A thin wall backing plate is secured to the flange and supports the wheel cylinder but does not take brake torque. The anchor pin is assembled through the backing plate directly to the flange, also fastening the backing plate to the flange at this point. This provides a precise anchor pin location with the anchor pin also acting as a braking unit mounting bolt, taking the place of two mounting bolts in common usage. A pair of backing plate mounting bolts generally opposite the anchor pin also secure the backing plate to the flange. The wheel cylinder is retained on the backing plate by a wire clip instead of the commonly used mounting bolts. The brake shoes, springs and other control elements are mounted on the backing plate in the usual manner.