Abstract: A method of cleaning an aluminum surface includes treating the surface by cold plasma process employing a mixture of about 30 to 70 percent oxygen by volume and about 30 to 70 percent freon by volume and preferably about 40 to 60 percent by volume of each constituent gas. Performance is enhanced by employing particular wattage and flow rates. The process also produces a water wettable surface and a hydration resistant surface. The process will effect such conversions without substantial etching of the aluminum surface.

Abstract: A battery system for a vehicle includes a main battery for energizing the vehicle SLI circuits and an auxiliary battery for energizing the vehicle EHC system, the battery system providing back-up of the auxiliary battery by the main battery under certain conditions and back-up of the main battery by the auxiliary battery under certain other conditions, and the battery system providing opportunity charging of the auxiliary battery once the vehicle engine is running whereby the auxiliary battery shares the charging current with the main battery with the auxiliary battery being gradually connected to the source of charging current for the main battery by increasing the duty cycle of the drive circuit that connects the auxiliary battery to the source of charging current while monitoring the state of charge of the main battery and decreasing the duty cycle of the drive circuit to protect the main battery state of charge.

Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly includes a fixed seat portion which is adapted to be mounted on the floor of a vehicle and a movable seat portion which is mounted on the fixed seat portion and adapted to be moved between a normal use or drive position and an access position where the front edge of the movable seat portion overlies the sill of the vehicle to facilitate egress from the vehicle, the movable seat portion providing substantial support for the occupant at the drive position and during its movement to the access position, the vehicle seat assembly including mechanisms for pivoting and/or sliding movement of the movable seat portion relative to the fixed seat portion and for locking the movable seat portion to the fixed seat portion to prevent unwanted movement of the movable seat portion.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing flash from a flexible molded part includes a support for supporting the part being deflashed in underlying relation with first and second pinch rollers which are located at opposite ends of the part, and first and second conveyor assemblies associated with the first and second pinch rollers, respectively, are adapted to move the flash at both ends of the part into engagement with the pinch rollers which are driven in opposite directions and have knurled surfaces, causing the flash to be pinched between the pinch rollers and the associated conveyor assemblies, pulling the flash from said part, the conveyor assemblies conveying the flash away from part.

Abstract: A sitting section of a vehicle seat which provides comfort for an occupant of the seat and affords protection against the occupant sliding forwards in the event of a crash, the sitting section having a frame with a seat shell having a selected natural vibration and a forward arched section and a section rearward of the arched section which is adapted to oscillate freely and is reinforced with corrugations, the seat shell sloping downwards towards the rear at an angle of about 15.degree., and the seat shell having relatively thin upholstery fitted thereover.

Abstract: A method for producing a prototype of an article includes generating a data file utilizing a computer aided design apparatus to provide data representing all of the geometry and contours for the inner cavity of the mold required to mold the article, using the data file to create the mold as a physical object directly from photosensitive resin utilizing a stereolithographic apparatus whereby the mold which is created utilizing the stereolithographic apparatus has a mold cavity having the geometry and contours required to blow mold the prototype of the article, positioning the mold in the blow molding apparatus, introducing a preform into the mold; and expanding the preform against the surface of the inner cavity of the mold to produce the prototype of the article.

Abstract: A damper assembly gear system for interchangeably carrying either airfoil damper blades or single-ply damper blades. A first embodiment, in which the damper blades rotate in opposition to one another, includes a group of gear bodies, each of which includes a tab structure, including both airfoil tabs and single-ply tabs, for mounting both types of damper blades. The airfoil tabs are shaped to match an airfoil damper and are spaced apart such that an airfoil damper can be inserted between and gripped by the airfoil tabs. Single-ply tabs are located between the airfoil tabs, shaped to match a single-ply damper and spaced apart such that a single-ply damper can be inserted between the single-ply tabs and gripped thereby. An alternative embodiment allows the system to be used in conjunction with both opposed and parallel damper assemblies. First, this embodiment includes two types of gears, blade gears and idler gears.

Abstract: An arrangement for mounting a battery monitoring circuit on the cover of the battery and for connecting the terminal ends of first and second lead wires of a battery monitoring circuit to the positive and negative terminals of the battery, the arrangement including a cavity formed in the battery cover for mounting the battery monitoring circuit, first and second battery terminal bushings which are molded integrally with the cover and are adapted to be mounted on and connected to the positive and negative battery terminals when the battery cover is installed on the battery, each of the battery terminal bushings including a pad having an upwardly directed mounting post that is adapted to receive and secure the terminal end of one of the lead wires of the battery monitoring circuit, the battery cover having first and second lead wire slots in its surface which extend from the cavity in which the battery monitoring circuit is mounted, to the locations of the battery terminal bushings for directing the lead wires

Abstract: A vehicle seat back frame including two bracing members, one being linearly extended from the lower end of the outboard upright member to the upper end of the inboard upright member and the other being extended linearly from the lower end of the inboard upright member to the upper end of the outboard upright member, the bracing members being connected together at a point intermediate their ends so that a side impact load applied to the seat back frame will place one of the bracing members fully, and the upper half of the other member, in tension substantially instantaneously upon the application of the load to the seat back frame, enabling the seat back frame to resist lateral deformation due to side impact forces applied to the seat back frame.

Abstract: An instrumentation interface circuit controlled by a microprocessor of a data acquisition system enables identification of the type of input/output devices that are connected to its inputs through a systematic analysis of the characteristics of the connected devices, the systematic analysis including monitoring the current through and the voltage across the devices as different drive signals are applied to the connected devices, the interface circuit including a conditioning circuit having a drive circuit which is controlled by the microprocessor for providing the drive signals, a current sensing circuit for sensing the load current flowing through the connected device, a voltage sensing circuit for sensing the voltage across the connected device, and a switchable feedback circuit which is controlled by the microprocessor to selectively feed back the load current or the sensed voltage to the input of the drive circuit to establish the drive signals for the connected device.

Abstract: A battery cell includes at a plurality of composite separator/electrode structures, each composite structure including a support member having a plurality of parallel, closely spaced ribs defining a plurality of grooves which extend longitudinally of the support member, alternating ones of the grooves having a positive paste of an active material therein, and the remaining grooves having a negative paste of an active material therein, and a current collector lead wire in each groove embedded in the paste and centrally located in the groove with the terminal ends of the lead wires of the positive electrodes extending out of one end of the composite structure and being interconnected to form a positive termination, and the terminal ends of the lead wires of the negative electrodes extending out of the opposite end of the composite structure and being interconnected to form a negative termination, a plurality of the battery cells being stacked together to form a battery having a desired amp hour capacity.

Abstract: A hydraulically controlled seat adjuster mechanism for providing fore-and-aft adjustment in the position of a vehicle seat includes first and second hydraulic cylinders, which support the seat on the floor of the vehicle, the hydraulic cylinders being connected in a series hydraulic circuit with a control valve in a manually driven embodiment, and with a control valve and a pump and motor assembly in a power driven embodiment, the control valve being manually operable between a flow preventing condition to interrupt the hydraulic circuit in which the hydraulic cylinders are prevented from operating so that the seat is locked in position, and a flow permitting condition to complete the hydraulic circuit, permitting the hydraulic cylinders to operate and move the seat to an adjusted position. The hydraulic mechanism is also described with reference to an application for controlling the adjustment of the angle of inclination of the seat back relative to the seat cushion.

Abstract: An anti-theft battery system for vehicles includes a control circuit which is connected in the starting circuit and responds to a starting current which exceeds a set point value to interrupt the starting circuit, thereby disconnecting the starter motor from the battery preventing starting of the vehicle, a reset circuit responsive to the control circuit which resets the control circuit after a delay interval to permit the starter motor to be connected to the vehicle battery, and an override circuit for generating an override signal for overriding the control circuit for a preselected interval of time to permit an authorized operator to start the vehicle, the override circuit including a small portable transmitter adapted to be carried by the vehicle operator and a receiver connected to the control circuit.

Abstract: A wall-mounted enclosure for mounting electrical and electronic equipment and the like, in modular form. The enclosure body takes the form of a mounting assembly, including mounting modules, with each module including a backbone element and a cover element. The backbone element has a horizontally extending backplane bordered by two upstanding side portions, with an interassembly connecting mechanism for joining one backbone element to an adjacent backbone element. The backplane includes a flat mounting surface, with a pattern of preformed pilot holes, and two recessed wiring channels. Interconnection is provided by interlocks and screw anchor points. The cover element includes a horizontally extending cover plate with coverwalls and a cover assembly connecting mechanism for joining one cover element to another cover element. Adjacent cover elements are joined by mutual engagement of a mating tab and slot, and by screw anchor points.

Abstract: Many seats are of complicated construction and are therefore heavy and expensive. To obviate these disadvantages, a self-springable seat member on which a cushion is placed, is mounted in its front region on a bridge which is mounted on the outside on the upper parts of the running or sliding rails. Connections for a backrest are secured to the rear regions of the upper parts.

Abstract: A method for shaping a trim cover fabric for the entire front surface of a vehicle seat back portion or the entire top surface of a vehicle seat cushion portion, includes providing a forming tool having a forming surface with a portion complementary to a basic shape to be provided for the seat surface and a portion defining a cavity; providing a plurality of style line inserts, different ones of the style line inserts having different styling surfaces that are complementary to different desired stylized shapes to be provided for the seat surface; selecting one of the style line inserts and inserting the selected style line insert into the cavity; positioning the trim cover fabric on the forming tool assembly; providing a pressing tool having a surface formed to be complementary to the forming surface of the forming tool and the styling surfaces of the plurality of style line inserts to enable the pressing tool to be used with a forming tool assembly that includes any of the style line inserts; and pressing th

Abstract: A tilt-away system for front seats of vehicles for permitting the entire front seat to be moved as far as possible out of the entry and exit region of the vehicle includes a seat frame front support assembly including a support stand which supports the front portion of the seat frame, a seat frame rear support assembly including link arms on each side of the seat frame, the link arms having forward ends pivotally secured to travellers which are displaceably mounted in rails and rearward ends connected to the rearward portion of the seat frame and being locked in a use position for the seat by a link arm locking mechanism, the link arms being adapted to be pivoted forwardly and upwardly to tilt the seat forwardly after it has been moved forwardly on the rails to a position intermediate the use and access positions, and a release mechanism for releasing the front portion of the seat frame from the support stand and the link arm locking mechanism in one operation so that the front seat can be moved forward to th