Abstract: A brake mechanism wherein a bracket is attached to a small engine. The bracket comprises two rotating arms, a spring, a brake pad and cable attachments. When an operator of a small engine releases a cable attached to the brake assembly, the spring rotates an arm which further engages a brake pad for slowing the engine and stopping it. The cable may be attached to either arm for releasing and engaging the brake pad, which allows the small engine to be mounted on an apparatus in more than one orientation.

Abstract: A brake mechanism wherein a bracket is attached to a small engine. The bracket comprises two rotating arms, a spring, a brake pad and cable attachments. When an operator of a small engine releases a cable attached to the brake assembly, the spring rotates an arm which further engages a brake pad for slowing the engine and stopping it. The cable may be attached to either arm for releasing and engaging the brake pad, which allows the small engine to be mounted on an apparatus in more than one orientation.

Abstract: An extendable elevating leg rest assembly for a wheelchair includes a support tube connected to the wheelchair. A first gear member is fixed to the support tube. An extendable strut, which includes a hollow upper strut member pivotally connected to the first gear member and a lower strut member slidably received in the upper strut member, pivots about the first gear member between a lowered position and an elevated position. An adjustable foot rest assembly is releasably clamped to the lower strut member. The leg rest assembly also includes a mechanism for extending the foot rest in reaction to the strut being pivoted toward the elevated position. The extending mechanism includes a second gear member, a drive link, and a follower link. The second gear member is rotatably mounted on the upper strut member and is in meshing engagement with the first gear member so that the second gear member rotates when the strut is povited about the first gear member.

Abstract: A door locking device wherein first and second field magnets are disposed at respective stationary positions opposite to each other through an axial air gap; the first field magnet has 2P (P: an integer of at least 2) contiguous poles of alternating N and S polarity and is formed in a torus shape; the second field magnet has n pole(s) (n: an integer of at least 1) of alternating N and S poles and is formed so as to define a space capable of receiving a swingable driven gear in the plane opposite to a rotatable coreless armature and hence not to become a complete torus form; a rotatable coreless armature is rotatably provided between the first and second field magnets; a commutator is provided on the rotatable coreless armature so as to rotate integrally therewith; brushes coming into movable contact with the commutator are provided on its corresponding stationary side; a driving gear rotating integrally with the rotatable coreless armature is disposed concentrically with the armature; a back yoke for the seco

Abstract: The invention disclosed herein provides a device which a non-linear force/distance relationship of spring or other device and linearizes it in a range of interest. In accordance with the invention, the device comprises a first gear section and a second gear section. The first and second gear sections are pivotally supported in a meshing relationship. The first gear section includes gear teeth extending about an arc of a first circle having a first center, and the second gear section includes gear teeth extending about an arc of a second circle having a second center. The mating pair of sections comprise a non-circular gearing pair. For limited ranges of motion the non-circular gears can be approximated by eccentrically mounted circular gears. The two gear sections thus pivot eccentrically with respect to each other such that a variable torque or force must be applied to one gear section to obtain a constant torque or force from the other gear section, and vice versa.

Abstract: A table suspended from a room ceiling has a table top that is positionable between a retracted first position against the ceiling and a second position extended from the ceiling toward the floor. Extension and retraction occur through a pivotal arm assembly. The arm assembly is controlled by electric or manual powered drive mechanisms. The drive mechanisms are enclosed in a modular housing that is manufactured to interchangeably accept either the electrical or the manual drive mechanisms. The suspended table includes a table top that is rotatable about a vertical axis.

Abstract: A control assembly for an electric powered wheelchair having a forward steering column (13) on which a handle bar (14) and a control lever (119) are mounted, said control lever adapted when pressed forward to move the chair forwardly, and when pressed rearward to move the chair rearwardly, a second control lever (120) mounted on an idler shaft (130) and operatively engaged with said first control lever (119) whereby pressing either lever forward or rearward will cause the chair to move in the desired direction.

Abstract: A transport mechanism for silicon wafers comprises an elongate four arm linkage and a wafer support arm which is secured to the linkage through a gearing system. One of the short arms of the linkage is fixed, and as the linkage is rotated, the gearing system produces a different motion in the support arm. Preferably pinion gears are secured to the ends of the long arms and engage a pinion gear secured to one end of the support arm, so as to produce linear motion of a wafer placed on the support arm.

Abstract: Apparatus for turning over a workpiece, such as a metal stamping, including a turnover shaft. A pneumatic piston and cylinder rotates the turnover shaft in a cammed rate of motion from an initial position to a final position. A vacuum-operated workpiece support is rotated with the turnover shaft and is adapted to engage a metal stamping to swing it with the turnover shaft. The workpiece support is connected by a gear box to the turnover shaft in such a manner that as the workpiece is swung to an upside down position, it is also rotated about a second axis with respect to the turnover shaft.

Abstract: A wiper device for a vehicle, has a sub-arm turnably supported by a vehicle body through a supporting shaft provided in a base end thereof. An arm shaft is turnably provided in a tip end of the sub-arm and a base end of a wiper arm is fixed to the arm shaft. The supporting shaft has a cylindrical shape and a drive shaft is inserted into the cylindrical supporting shaft. One end of the drive shaft on the side of the sub-arm, is connected to the arm shaft by a gear mechanism and the other end of the drive shaft is connected to a drive source and is reciprocally turned thereby. To the outer surface of the supporting shaft is fixed a Geneva gear. On a circular plate turnably connected to the drive source is an eccentrically provided pin.

Abstract: The present invention includes a robot wrist actuator having a cylindrical housing with first and second housing wall portions coaxially disposed with respect to each other. First and second gimbal assemblies are included within the housing for pitch and yaw movement and are rotatably mounted to the housing. First and second linkages connect the first and second gimbal assemblies such that movement is transmitted from one gimbal assembly to another.

Abstract: An arm-window lifter, especially for motor vehicles, with a main arm engaging at a window which is supported at a support member by way of a first pivot bearing and pivotal manually and/or motor driven, and with a positively controlled auxiliary arm engaging at the window and rotatably supported on the main arm, which includes a planetary gear element which is supported at the main arm at an axial distance to the first pivot bearing in a second pivot bearing, whereby the planetary gear element engages at the auxiliary arm and in teeth fixedly arranged at the support member.

Abstract: A personal flotation assistance device includes a housing having an open end, a cover pivotally movable from a first position closing the open end and a second position opening that end, a container of pressurized fluid having a frangible membrane, a pin for puncturing the membrane, an expandable envelope disposed in an initially collapsed condition, and a gear assembly connecting the cover and pin. User manipulation of the cover to move the same from its first to its second position causes pin movement both rotationally about its axis and translationally along that axis into membrane puncturing abutment, thereby releasing the pressurized fluid for inflating the envelope to provide the user with flotation assistance. Cover movement to its second from its first position additionally serves to clear the housing open end thus enabling expansion of the inflating envelope outwardly from the housing interior.

Abstract: A roller guide device enabling a vehicle to be steered automatically consists of a roller retaining mechanism having a retaining lever connected to a steering linkage of a vehicle, and a pivoting lever which is pivotally connected to the forward end of the retaining lever. Arranged at the free end of the pivoting lever is a freely rotatable contact roller which can be pivoted from a retracted position in which the pivoting lever essentially coincides with the retaining lever in the direction of the pivoting shaft, into an operatively extended essentially straight-line position. The pivoting lever additionally rotates as a function of its pivoting motion about its longitudinal axis through about 90.degree., so that retraction and extension of the contact roller by pivoting through 180.degree. is achieved by a primary drive, with the contact roller concurrently rotating through 90.degree. through a secondary drive.

Abstract: A folding knife having a blade and a pair of folding handles. The handles are channel shaped and bifurcated at one end for receiving one end of the blade. The bifurcated ends of the handles are attached to the blades by adjacent pivot pins. Rotation of the handles to the closed position encloses the blade inside the opposing channels of the handles. The ends of the handles are coupled by meshing gears pivoted on the same pins so that the handles must rotate together in opposite directions through 180.degree. between closed and open positions.

Abstract: A transmission for a windshield wiper includes a non-circular pinion gear having a closed pitch curve with a basic elliptical segment and a circular segment and a non-circular output gear having an open pitch curve with a third order elliptical segment and a circular segment. The pinion and the output gears mesh such that the basic elliptical and third order elliptical pitch curve segments roll against each other and the circular pitch curve segments roll against each other so that the gear ratio of the combination varies sinusoidally through a first included angle of output gear rotation and remains substantially constant through a second included angle of output gear rotation.

Abstract: An elephant nose type arm for a programme controlled manipulator, comprises gears meshing with each other, connecting members for connecting the gears to each other and actuator for rotating the one of the gears to bend said arm.

Abstract: Apparatus for breaking up stacks of boards in a power saw has a platform which carries a stack of boards and is movable upwardly by a motor which is automatically arrested in response to lifting of a preselected number of boards above a given level. The unit which effects the transfer of boards above such level onto a table which supports the boards during cutting carries a pivotable lever with an idler roller which rests on the topmost board during lifting of the platform, and the lever causes a switch or a signal comparing stage to arrest the motor for the platform when it assumes a preselected angular position. When the idler roller is moved off the topmost panel in response to transfer of the selected number of boards onto the table and resulting movement of the transfer unit relative to the platform, the lever assumes a given position in which it arrests the motor for the transfer unit.

Abstract: A control linkage is provided between an actuating crank and the throttle butterfly valve of an internal combustion engine. The control linkage is a second degree hesitation mechanism, such as an epicyclic gear train, for example having a gear ratio of 4:1 and an eccentricity ratio of between 0.7 and 0.8. The control linkage results in a more linear relationship between engine output and the rotational movement of the actuating crank.

Abstract: A rail-supported carriage, adapted to be moved along a pair of rails spaced from one another at a predetermined distance includes at least three wheel assemblies, each including a frame; at least one wheel assembly is adapted to travel on one rail, and the remaining wheel assemblies are adapted to travel on the oppositely disposed rail. A connecting mechanism connects oppositely disposed wheel assemblies, and includes a compensating arrangement mounted on each wheel assembly for compensating any variation of distance between oppositely disposed wheel assemblies due to any curvature in the rails, each compensating arrangement includes a platform and a pin passing through the platform, and wherein the platform is movable with respect to the frame.

Abstract: A control device has a fixedly mountable frame which has recesses and a fixed shaft extending across the recesses. Flat sided spherical elements having manual levers extending from them are rotatable on the shaft and each element has a sector gear fastened to one of its flat sides. Flat springs extend from the frame and press on the spherical elements to develop friction. Potentiometer support brackets are pivotally mounted to shoulders on the flat springs. Each potentiometer shaft has a spur gear which meshes with a sector gear. The spur gears and sector gears are biased into meshing relation with coil springs that span between brackets. A lip seal is provided between the spherical elements and their housing.

Abstract: An actuator (10) for effecting relative pivotal movement between two structures (12, 14) includes a bent beam member (18) having a first portion (20) rotatably secured to one structure and a second portion (22) supported for rotation and eccentric revolution by a housing (42) grounded to the other structure. Index gears (64, 66) assure eccentric revolution of the beam member (18) in an opposite direction in response to rotation of the bent beam member to produce relative pivotal movement between the beam members (20, 22). In the first two embodiments, the actuators (10, 120) incorporate internal hydraulic or electric drive arrangements. In other embodiments, the actuators (150, 172, 250, 270) employ various planetary type gear arrangements to achieve even greater mechanical advantage. In the last embodiment, both portions (304, 306) of the bent beam member (302) of the actuator (300) are driven and supported for eccentric revolution.

Abstract: A fire detection system for rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus having multiple detectors, each detector being mounted independently on an arcuately reciprocable scanning arm. The several arms are laterally adjustable by a system of opposed screws in an articulated yoke to permit the selective positioning of each arm independent from the other scanning arms of the system.

Abstract: A pair of slotted, sector-shaped centrifugal weights 7, 8 are radially slidable on posts 5, 6 upstanding from a disk 4 mounted on the drive shaft 2 of a reversible electric motor 1. A cup member 11 carrying a pinion gear 13 is rotatably journalled on the shaft, and includes a cylindrical wall 11a surrounding the weights. A reduction gear mechanism 12 transmits the rotation of the pinion gear to a pivotally mounted sector gear 16, to which a linearly movable actuating rod 17 is connected. Alternatively, a plurality of sector-shaped weights 27 may be accomodated in similar shaped cavities between a pair of radially partitioned discs 24a, 24b.

Abstract: An external vehicular rearview mirror assembly comprises a reflective mirror element which is adjustable about two perpendicular axes by means of a pair of Bowden wire cables operated from within the vehicle by two dials or knobs which are digital insofar as each knob is selectively positionable at one of several discrete positions which are indexed so that the exact positioning of the mirror can be unerringly duplicated.

Abstract: A seat back frame member and a seat cushion frame member are connected by a pivot to permit adjustment of the reclining angle of the seat back. A sector is provided on the seat back frame member and is serrated to display a plurality of teeth disposed in an arcuate path about the seat back pivot. First and second latch bars, each having a serrated arcuate end surface, are pivotally mounted on the seat cushion frame member for pivotal movement between engaged positions in which the teeth of the latch bars engage the teeth of the sector and disengaged positions. A spring acts between the latch bars to urge rotation of the latch bars in opposite directions of rotation to their respective engaged positions. When the latch bars are in engaged position, forced pivoting of the back frame member in either direction relative the cushion frame member causes one of the latch bars to be forcibly wedged against the sector while the other latch bar tends to pivot in the disengaging direction.