Abstract: A second press 10 irons a plate-like steel plate W. This second press 10 comprises a base block 22 for supporting the lower surface of the steel plate W, a rod 11 disposed on the upper surface of the steel plate W, an upper die 30 including a guide rail 24, a first cam 25 and a second cam 34 and a lifting mechanism 40 for moving the rod 11 along the surface of the steel plate W. The base block 22 regulates the movement of the rod 11 in a thickness direction of the steel plate W by contacting the upper surface of the rod 11 over the movement range of the ironing member in the surface direction of the steel plate W.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an oil storage structure defining an oil storage chamber provided for storing oil therein. The engine is configured such that a crankcase cover, covering a clutch mechanism, is joined to a crankcase for forming an oil storage chamber. The oil storage structure is applied to an engine having a vertically split crankcase, and is configured to prevent the clutch mechanism from dipping into stored oil so that clutch disengagement performance is not affected, and reliability of the liquid-tight sealing performance is extended. The crankcase cover is formed with a partition wall extending along the outer circumference of the clutch mechanism. The partition wall splits a space between the crankcase and the crankcase cover into two chambers. Of these chambers, a chamber separate from a clutch mechanism is used as the oil storage chamber, which is formed only by a lower crankcase and the crankcase cover.

Abstract: An arrangement structure for mounting an evaporated fuel treatment device including a canister for a saddle-type vehicle includes an under cowl arranged at a front lower portion of an engine. The canister is arranged below the engine and inside the under cowl. Such arrangement structure enables mounting of the canister on a vehicle body in a compact manner while protecting the canister from traveling wind during vehicle operation, and also from direct sunlight during a parked state of the vehicle, thereby favorably ensuring charge performance and purge performance of the canister.

Abstract: A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus includes: a plurality of imaging units which capture an external region of a present-vehicle and output images; a display unit which is installed in an interior of the present-vehicle; a selector which selects an image to be displayed on the display unit from the images output from the imaging units; and a display control unit which displays the images output from the imaging units on the display unit so as to be switched in accordance with a selection by the selector and displays an image indicator display indicating a display region in the external region of the present-vehicle corresponding to the images so as to be switched by the selector on the display unit.

Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing an unvulcanized tire, with which formation of air pockets is reduced in adhering a cylindrical film member and an adhesive sheet member to each other by using a forming drum having an expansion/contraction mechanism. In the method, a forming device having a forming drum (1) which has an expandable/contractible outer diameter and a forming roller (2) disposed in parallel to the forming drum (1) is used; a cylindrical film member (3) is wound around the forming drum (1) and the forming roller (2); thereafter, the diameter of the forming drum (1) is expanded whereby the cylindrical film member (3) is tensioned so as to be in close contact with the forming drum (1); and subsequently, an adhesive sheet member (4) is supplied and adhered to an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical film member (3) on the forming roller (2), while the cylindrical film member (3) is being moved in a circumferential direction by rotating the forming drum (1).

Abstract: In a vehicle in which a front end of a hood is formed so as to extend forward from an upper portion of radiator in side view, and to be partly vertically aligned and overlapped with cooling fins of the radiator, in a first area of the radiator where the hood and the cooling fins are vertically aligned and overlapped with each other, the cooling fins are covered with a fan shroud from behind, and in a second area of the radiator where an air-intake port allows traveling wind to pass therethrough during movement of the vehicle, the cooling fins are not covered with the fan shroud, but are exposed to such traveling wind. Such arrangement of the cooling system achieves satisfactory cooling of the vehicle even in a situation in which an air-intake port, for introducing air into the radiator, must be made small.

Abstract: A bush cutter includes two types of cutting blades which differ completely in characteristics used to cut grasses and the like. One cutting blade is a resin string blade wound around a reel installed on a base plate, and the other is a metal blade installed in such a way as to protrude outward from the base plate. The bush cutter also includes a string guide which guides the resin blade to extend outwardly at less than a 90 degree angle from the reel as it projects from the base plate.

Abstract: A four-cycle air-oil cooled engine includes a cylinder head having a spark plug mounting hole formed therein, and a ring-like groove formed therein and surrounding the spark plug mounting hole. The cylinder head is formed with first and second co-planar sealing surfaces, disposed on a plane perpendicular to an axis of the spark plug mounting hole, and having an opening end of the ring-like groove disposed therebetween. The ring-like groove defines an oil jacket around the periphery of the spark plug mounting hole. A cover member having a flat surface opposed to the first and second flat sealing surfaces of the cylinder head is secured to the cylinder head such that a single gasket is interposed between the first and second sealing surfaces and the flat surface of the cover member.

Abstract: A rotatable turntable tool is used in trimming wheel-thrown pottery. The turntable tool includes a base portion, a bearing member, and a cap portion which is rotatably attached to the base portion. A method of trimming an unfired clay workpiece includes steps of inverting the workpiece and placing it at a central portion of a wheel head on a potter's wheel; placing the turntable tool on top of a central portion of the inverted workpiece; pressing downwardly on the cap portion of the turntable tool while rotating said wheel head to stabilize the workpiece, whereby the base portion of the turntable tool rotates with the workpiece, while the cap portion is substantially restrained from rotating; and applying a trimming tool to an edge of the workpiece to remove unwanted clay therefrom.

Abstract: A cover system for a substantially flat support surface on a vehicle includes multiple stakes having channels defined along longitudinal sides thereof and which are disposed at a lateral side of the vehicle adjacent the support surface such that the stakes extend substantially perpendicular and upwardly relative to the support surface, removable panels which are removably fitted to the channels of the of the stakes and extend substantially perpendicularly at the lateral side of the vehicle adjacent the support surface and such that open gaps are defined between lower portions of the panels and the support surface, a tarp cover disposed between upper ends of the panels to cover an opening above the support surface, and a sealing device which seals the opens gaps.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling operation of an outboard motor mounted on a boat and having a torque converter equipped with a lockup clutch, it is configured to have a clutch controller that controls the lockup clutch to ON when a speed ratio of the torque converter is equal to or greater than a reference value, the clutch controller being configured to determine whether a throttle valve is at about a fully-opened position and to control the lockup clutch to ON when the speed ratio becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value set smaller than the reference value before the speed ratio reaches the reference value, and the throttle valve is discriminated to be at about the fully-opened position. With this, it becomes possible to reliably make a lockup clutch ON when the acceleration is completed, so that the boat speed can reach the maximum speed.

Abstract: A magnetostrictive torque sensor includes a rotatable shaft rotatably supported by bearings, a magnetostrictive film disposed on the surface of the rotatable shaft, and a detecting coil that detects a change in a magnetic property of the magnetostrictive film. A hollow cylindrical ring is press-fitted over and fixed to the rotatable shaft near the magnetostrictive film, for example, near the right end of the magnetostrictive film.

Abstract: A vehicle travel support device capable of continuing operation even when the recognition accuracy of a lane mark has been degraded, and the like, wherein the degree of control on the operation of a steering device or the like is set higher as the reliability of a lane mark becomes higher. In a state in which the reliability of a travel area demarcated by the lane mark is high, a vehicle's travel is relatively strongly or actively supported so that the vehicle will not depart from the travel area. On the other hand, the degree of control on the operation of the steering device or the like is set lower as the reliability of the lane mark is lower. In a state in which the reliability of the travel area demarcated by the lane mark is low, the vehicle's travel is relatively weakly or passively supported so that the vehicle will not depart from the travel area.

Abstract: A multi-plate clutch includes a clutch inner member, having a cylindrical portion and a pressure-applying plate portion, and a pressure-receiving plate opposite the pressure-applying plate portion with plural driving and driven friction plates interposed therebetween. The multi-plate clutch also includes a center cam having a disc portion, an assist cam and a slipper cam disposed on the disc portion. The assist and slipper cams include identical material, and have substantially identical shapes. An outer circumference of the assist cam is splined to an inner circumference of the cylindrical portion of the clutch inner member, so the assist cam can move in the axial direction relative to the clutch inner member. An outer circumference of the slipper cam is splined to the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion, so that axial motion of the slipper cam, relative to the clutch inner member away from the disc portion, is limited.

Abstract: The invention is directed to the provision of a wavelength conversion-type ultraviolet light source apparatus that can obtain a stable output. A light source apparatus according to one mode of the invention includes: a laser light source 1 which produces fundamental light L1; at least one nonlinear optical crystal 3 which takes the fundamental light L1 or a harmonic thereof as incident light and outputs wavelength-converted light L2; and polarization adjusting means 2 which is placed in an optical path of the incident light and causes an output of the wavelength-converted light L2 to change by changing its refractive index for a polarized component of the incident light. The polarization adjusting means 2 changes the amount of change of the refractive index in accordance with an electrical signal output from a photodetector 7.

Abstract: When a target vehicle speed setting unit switches from a target vehicle speed to a higher target vehicle speed, a reaction force controller of a reaction force apparatus lowers, at the same ratio, a reaction force applying characteristic, which corresponds to the target vehicle speed before being switched to the higher target vehicle speed.

Abstract: A rail gun launcher consists of an armature where a magnetic core with a multiple turn conductive coil, two parallel conductive rails on which terminals of the coil contact and slide, and a non-magnetic conductive barrel enclosing the rails and the armature. The coil partially encloses the magnetic core to shift magnetic equilibrium. When an AC power source is connected to the rails, the coil generates a source magnetism around the coil as well as an induced magnetism on the conductive barrel in an opposite direction through the magnetic core. The source magnetism and the induced magnetism are shifted in magnetic equilibrium and in opposite direction thereby repelling the armature forward. This repulsive force travels with the armature and is continuous from breech to muzzle and propels the armature forward to a high velocity without control circuitry or commutation.