Abstract: A crosshead piston bearing assembly is disclosed. The piston bearing comprises a part-cylindrical upper bearing segment, or slipper, and a pair of spaced part-cylindrical lower bearing segments, or ears, engageable with the upper segment to form a pair of spaced continuous circular bearing surfaces and having an anti-rotation projection on either the slipper or the piston bore. The slipper has an arcuate extent of less than 180.degree. to facilitate replacement of the slipper. The ears have a complementary arcuate extent. The slipper includes axially-spaced notches formed in the ends of the slipper to engage the ears to prevent the ears from moving inwardly into contact with the connecting rod.

Abstract: A shifter for an automatic transmission is prevented from shifting out of park position when the ignition switch is on unless the service brake is applied. A solenoid-operated blocking member is positioned to selectively block movement of a detent pin to prevent the shift lever from leaving the park position of the shift gate. A circuit including switches responsive to ignition, service brake application and shift lever position controls solenoid activation. A cam responsive to the shift lever release button and to the lever position controls the shift lever position switch.

Abstract: A sulky cart, preferably leaving shafts with off-set forward end portions, is releasably attached to an off-set elongated sleeve member with a connector assembly on the forward end of the sleeve member. The connector assembly contains a rotatable ball with a central aperture for sliding over a harness pin secured to and extending from a harness saddle. The harness pin is provided near its outer end with a normally locked locking device, so that the cast can be hitched to the saddle harness by sliding the harness pin and locking device through the central aperture in the ball.

Abstract: A cable-operated park brake actuator for a vehicle park brake is shiftable between engaged and disengaged positions; it includes an operating cable for shifting the park brake between positions, and a cable acutating pedal lever located in the vehicle operator compartment for operating the cable to shift the park brake from disengaged to engaged position upon pedal lever movement from deactuated to actuated position. The park brake actuator is provided with means for positioning the pedal lever in deactuated position, characterized by a stop member located adjacent the pedal lever for engagement thereby in deactuated position. The stop member is mounted for movement between a shipping position, enabling movement of the pedal lever from an operational condition to a non-operational condition to create slack in the cable, and an operating position for engagement by the pedal lever in deactuated position. A spring biases the stop member to its operating position.

Abstract: A window regulator track has a vertical slot with a lateral turn at the top to form a cam, an elongated follower in the slot which rotates when it reaches the cam, a carrier pivotally attached to the follower and pulled by a vertical reach of a driving cable to move the follower in the slot, and a helical cam arrangement coupled to the window and attached to the follower to generate outward movement of the window during the rotation of the follower in the cam.

Abstract: A piston assembly (10) of the type for reciprocating in an internal combustion engine. The assembly (10) includes an integral aluminum head (12) and skirt (14). The skirt (14) has an outer surface for engaging a cylinder wall which includes a plurality of pointed ridges (24). The pointed ridges (24) extend annularly about the skirt (14) and are each separated by a valley (26). The ridges (24) and valleys (26) are coated with a fluorocarbon polymer. The piston therefore has an improved wear surface for increasing the efficiency of the engine.

Abstract: A powered cross-arm window regulator assembly for a vehicle door having a unitized spacer and isolator of an engineering plastic material interposed between the motor and the sector gear and the support bracket of the assembly. This spacer and isolator dissipate some vibrational energy of the drive assembly and provides a cushioned and quiet downstop for the sector gear. The isolator presents a low friction bearing which contacts one side of the sector gear and cooperates with a low friction bearing on the bracket to provide a supporting guide for the sector gear therebetween during its pivotal operation in raising and lowering the window allowing the gear to be made with a large centralized cutout so that its mass is reduced. Furthermore, the isolator has locating pins to assist in the assembly of the regulator assembly insuring that it is properly put together for optimized operational efficiency.

Abstract: A plastic guide is provided for mounting a headrest to a vehicle seat back. The guide is an elongated plastic member having a through bore, locking tangs on one end, intermediate shoulders, which terminate in spaced fingers, a trim flange on the other end, and a spring finger entering the bore. The guide is inserted through a hole in the upholstery of a trimmed seat back and through aligned apertures in a seat frame tube so that the locking tangs cooperate with the shoulders to lock the guide to the tube and the fingers snap over the tube to prevent relative rotation. The spring finger engages detent notches in the headrest support post to position the headrest relative to the seat back. An axial slot in the guide permits insertion of an elongated tool to pry the spring finger out of a locking notch to enable removal of the post to separate the headrest from the seat back.

Abstract: A relay assembly is provided which is sealed against undesirable contaminants. The assembly includes a rigid housing having an opening, an electromagnetic relay positioned within the housing, and a cover membrane sealed to the housing and preventing contaminants from entering the housing through the opening. The relay includes contacts which project through the housing opening and through small contact openings, defined in the membrane. The relay assembly is assembled by pushing the contacts of the relay through the contact openings of the membrane, and then mounting the relay/membrane assembly to the housing.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor for fluid levels comprises a carrier having spaed-apart legs with registering openings adapted to receive a piezoelectric transmitter and a piezoelectric receiver in the openings. The piezoelectric members are separated by the spaced legs of a ground plane engaging plates of the piezoelectric members. Resilient members in the form of coiled conductors are entrained between a snap-on cover and the transducers so as to resiliently engage the piezoelectric members against the ground plane. The conductors are coupled by crimp connectors to the leads of a cable carried by an elongated channel portion of the carrier. The crimp conenctors are caried in recessed portions of the carrier, and the carrier is over-molded to encase the connectors and the cable. The cable is in turn coupled to an electronic control module positioned remotely from the fluid sump and connected to a warning device.

Abstract: An adjustable foot rest for an occupant of an automobile has a floor board, comprising an inflatable bladder mounted on the floor board, a foot pad mounted on the chamber for engagement by the occupant's foot, and mean for variably inflating the bladder to selectively position the foot pad. The inflating means comprises a source of compressed air, air distribution means including a valve for selectively connecting the chamber to the source and to atmosphere, and control means controlling operation of the valve to selectively position the foot pad. The inflatable bladder has a plurality of flexible chamber arranged in accordion fashion to enable substantially linear movement of the foot pad between extreme inflated and deflated positions. The foot pad and bladder are imbedded in a carpet cutout in the floor board for movement of the foot pad between a deflated position substantially flush with the carpet surface and a fully inflated position substantially displaced above the carpet surface.

Abstract: An inflator according to the present invention comprises a valve body having a replaceable pressure cartridge that is pierced by a piercing pin is operated by an actuating lever to inflate an attached object. The valve body is mounted in a protective housing, and a lanyard carried by the actuating lever extends through an opening in the housing. The lanyard carries an indicia member that emerges from the housing when the handle is pulled to actuate the valve to provide a visible reminder that the cartridge has been discharged and needs replacing. The piercing pin slides in a sleeve slidable in a piercing pin chamber. A spring biases the piercing pin into engagement with the actuating lever. The lever is pivotable from stored to actuated positions to force the pin to pierce the pressure cartridge. An interlock comprising interengageable locking surfaces of the actuator lever and on the pin prevent movement of the lever from actuated position unless the discharged cartridge has been removed.

Abstract: A method for connecting the wires of a high density, flat transmission cable to a connector is provided. A crimp connector for facilitating the practice of the method is also provided. The connector includes one or more rows of contacts mounted thereto. Each contact includes a crimp section extending from the connector housing. The crimp sections are plated with a relatively thick layer of solder. After stripping the end of the cable, selected cable conductors are inserted within the crimp sections. A batch crimping operation secures the conductors to the contacts, after which the crimp sections are heated to fuse the solder. Once the solder has cooled, a reliable connection will be established between the cable and connector. A solder-plated bus bar may also be secured to selected cable conductors by preliminarily mounting the conductors thereto and then heating the bus bar.

Abstract: A lumbar support for a motor vehicle seat or the like is provided. The support includes a pair of vertically mounted bands supported by an upper support band and a bracket, respectively. The vertical bands are bowed towards the front of the seat. An adjustment band is pivotably mounted to a rotatable plate on the bracket for controlling the bowing of the vertical bands. A spring is mounted between the upper support band and the bracket and pulls them towards each other.

Abstract: A mechanism for adjusting the fore and aft positions of motor vehicle pedal assemblies is provided. The assembly includes a pair of parallel, threaded shafts, each of which is connected to a gear assembly for simultaneous rotation. A cross rod is threadably mounted to each shaft and one or more pedal assemblies are pivotably mounted to the cross rod. The pedal assemblies and cross rod move in a direction which is parallel to the threaded shafts upon rotation of these shafts. A pulley assembly is also threadably mounted to one of the shafts and moves in the same directions as the cross rods during shaft rotation. The pulley cable is connected at one end to an accelerator pedal assembly and at the opposite end to the vehicle throttle. An elongate housing is connected to the booster input for the vehicle braking system while a threaded rod extending therefrom is connected to a brake pedal assembly.

Abstract: A parking brake assembly is provided including a sleeve or torque tube for locking or releasing a parking brake. The assembly includes a mounting bracket, an axle extending through the bracket, and a U-shaped handle assembly secured to the ends of the axle. A ratchet is secured to the mounting bracket. A pawl is pivotably mounted adjacent to the ratchet. The pawl is connected to the torque tube by a connecting rod. A spring urges the torque tube in a first direction, thereby causing the pawl to engage the ratchet. Rotation of the torque tube in the opposite direction causes the pawl to pivot away form the ratchet, thereby allowing the operator to release the brake.

Abstract: A self-contained and self-supporting wire suspension system is provided for use within a seat construction. The system includes either one bolster wire or a pair of parallel bolster wires, a set of parallel stringer wires wrapped around the bolster wire(s), and a pair of parallel border wires secured to the free ends of the stringer wires. The system further includes a top or seat supporting portion defined by the segments of the stringer wires which extend between the bolster wires or between one border wire and a bolster wire. The top portion is resiliently supported by at least one leg portion defined by stringer wire segments extending between bolster and border wires. The border wires are secured to a support surface or a wire frame. Lateral support members extend diagonally between the leg portions to provide stability. The stringer wires may be embedded within a plastic foam seat cushion.

Abstract: An improved coupling for connecting an arresting pendant and the woven tape utilized in an aircraft arresting system is provided. The coupling consists of an elongated hollow body having at least one open end and a longitudinal slot which extends into its hollow interior. A mounting bracket for connection of the coupling to the arresting system pendant is attached to the side of the coupling body which is opposite from the slot. The tape from the arresting system is wrapped between and around a plurality of clamping bars and is then inserted through an open end of the coupling body with the connected end of the tape extending through the longitudinal slot. The clamping bars are sized and shaped to substantially fill the interior of the coupling body and to grip to the tape which is wrapped then around.

Abstract: A vertical descent rate detector switch has a pair of contacts which are magnetically actuated when the rate of vertical descent of the switch exceeds a set amount.

Abstract: A proximity sensor includes a housing having one compartment which houses the components of an oscillator control circuit and another compartment which houses a sensing head including a ferrite core and oscillator coil assembly. An end cap closes the open end of the sensing head compartment. A fluid passage is provided in the end cap which permits fluid to flow around the oscillator coil assembly. A relatively thick seal assembly is interposed between the one compartment and the oscillator coil assembly to prevent the passage of fluid into the one compartment.