Abstract: A brake lining temperature and wear sensor having a plurality of serially connected wire loops and a resistive temperature sensor having a lower range of resistance than any one resistor mounted in a cavity formed in the brake lining where a plurality of resistors are connected one to each wire loop to be sequentially connected to a sensor circuit as the brake lining wears and breaks each wire loop. A control unit provides an electrical current to the sensor circuit and monitors the electrical potential across the plurality of wire loops and the resistive temperature sensor and then generating an output signal representing the temperature and wear of the brake lining. In an alternate embodiment, a capacitor is connected across the plurality of wire loops and a resistive temperature sensor with a large range of resistance is used to monitor the brake lining temperature.

Abstract: A valve control system for an internal combustion engine which does not require synchronization with the engine rotation is disclosed. The system includes an actuator having a coil electrically energized by a control unit causing a stator to magnetically attract an armature where the armature is coupled to a plunger by an actuator spring. The plunger pushes against a pivoted actuator arm having an inner and outer housing which are biased into extension by an arm spring. The actuator arm contacts and forces a slidable latch member into an inactive position and a latch spring returns the latch member into an active position. The system includes an outer rocker arm which is engageable with an engine poppet valve, and an inner rocker arm which is engageable with a cam lobe and the latch member which rotatably links and unlinks the inner and outer rocker arms.

Abstract: A valve control system for an internal combustion engine. The system includes an outer rocker arm which is engageable with an engine poppet valve, and an inner rocker arm which is engageable with a cam lobe formed in an engine camshaft and a slidable latch member which mechanically links and unlinks the inner and outer rocker arms. The latch member is axially moveable relative to the inner and outer rocker arms between an active position wherein the inner rocker arm engages the outer rocker arm to transmit a valve opening force from the camshaft to the poppet valve, and an inactive position wherein the inner and outer rocker arms are out of engagement and free to rotate relative to one another.

Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator having a coil, stator and an armature where dual parallel channels are formed in the stator for receiving the coil and where the armature is hinged to the stator for movement toward the stator upon application of an electrical current to the coil. The stator has a length, a width and a height where its length is at least 1.6 times its width and its width is at least 2.0 times its height.

Abstract: An electrical power switch assembly has a disconnect switch electrically connected to a circuit breaker mounted within an enclosure having a hinge cover where the disconnect switch has a movable element that opens and closes electrical contacts. The movable element is pivotably connected to the cover using a switch link such that the opening of the cover causing the switch link to pull the movable element causing the electrical contacts to open. A breaker link that extends outside the enclosure is used to activate and deactivate the circuit breaker.

Abstract: An engine valve hydraulic actuator having an upper actuator housing slidably attached to a lower actuator housing is disposed between an oil supply header and an engine cylinder head where the supply header and the cylinder head are fixed relative to one another. The upper actuator housing is allowed to position and seal itself relative to the oil supply header and the lower actuator housing is allowed to position itself relative to the engine cylinder head to minimize friction and wear and thereby improve overall performance.

Abstract: A sensor which responds to both changes in working length and temperature is embedded in a friction lining to provide a signal indicative of both wear and temperature to an electronic control unit which interprets long term averaged change in the sensor resistance measured when the vehicle is stationary as lining wear and short term changes in sensor resistance as representative of lining temperature.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel for supporting a tire and attached to a brake drum having a multiplicity of pin-fins extending from a surface of the wheel to increase the surface area available for convective heat transfer into the surrounding airflow thereby increasing the rate of conductive heat transfer from the brake drum for a resultant decrease in the operating temperature of the tire, wheel and brake drum with an attendant increase in performance and service life.

Abstract: A brake drum assembly with a cylindrical brake drum having an open end and a flanged end and an axis of rotation where an annular squealer band is formed on the brake drum approximately adjacent to the flanged end. A plurality of fracture apertures are formed in the squealer band and axially extend through the squealer band parallel to the axis of rotation of the brake drum. The fracture apertures are randomly circumferentially spaced along the squealer band and/or randomly angled relative to the axis of rotation. The squealer band is then cracked from the fracture apertures radially outward to the outer surface of the squealer band thereby providing friction dampening as vibration in the brake drum and squealer band cause relative motion within each crack. In an alternative embodiment, fracture apertures are formed in the brake drum adjacent to the open end and oriented radially inward where the brake drum is cracked from each fracture aperture toward the open end.

Abstract: A brake drum and wheel assembly having a reduced heat transfer coefficient having an insulating ring formed in a flange section of the wheel disposed to be clamped against a drum extension attached to a cylindrical main drum. In an alternate embodiment, the drum extension is coated with a thermal insulating material such that a layer of the insulating material is disposed between the wheel flange section and the drum extension.

Abstract: A cylindrical brake drum including a flanged end and an open end having a squealer band in the shape of an annular ring and a multiplicity of chill fins irregularly spaced one to another and/or relative to a plurality of equally spaced airflow channels where the chill fins are cast into the squealer band and the outside surface of the brake drum where the chill fins are generally of a constant height with respect to the outside surface and then moving axially outward decrease in height to meet the outside surface and cause any casting porosities to move to a central region of the squealer band thereby reducing drum cracking due to localized hot spots thereby greatly improving the brake drum fatigue strength while minimizing the increase in overall weight and facilitating ease of manufacture.

Abstract: An inertia brake is coupled to a rotating shaft of a vehicle transmission where a ball ramp actuator energized by an electrical coil is used to load a clutch pack which frictionally creates a braking torque on the rotating shaft to facilitate synchronous gear engagement. A control system includes an electronic control unit and an inertia brake controller where a variety of sensors provide signals to the electronic control unit uses the sensor signals to generate a deceleration signal to the inertia brake controller which in turn generates and supplies the appropriate level of electrical current to the electrical coil which is used to energize the ball ramp actuator thereby accurately controlling the rate of shaft rotational deceleration.

Abstract: A transmission shifting system for a gear change transmission where an actuator responding to a control signal is used to axially displace a secondary shift rail thereby preloading a spring acting upon a primary shift rail where a coupling element permits relative motion between the secondary shift rail and the primary shift rail until gear synchronization or a torque break occurs allowing the desired gear shift to occur. The relative motion which results in a spring preload force to be generated on the primary shift rail continues until the secondary shift rail contacts the portion of the coupler adjacent to a primary flange formed as part of the primary shift rail whereupon the actuator is solidly linked to the shift rail and a shift fork.

Abstract: A control solenoid for an engine valve hydraulic actuator having an electrical coil wound around a coil ring extending from a solenoid housing to magnetically interact with a spool ring attached to a spool valve thereby causing the spool valve to be axially displaced against a restoring force generated by a return spring.

Abstract: A wheel speed sensor input circuit with sensor status detection having a comparator with a first input and a second input where both the first and second inputs are connected to a wheel speed sensor having electrical resistance where, when the status of the wheel speed sensor is to be ascertained, the second input is connected to ground through a diode using a switching transistor and the output of the comparator is driven high or low depending on the speed sensor electrical resistance where the output is high if the speed sensor is operational.

Abstract: A lightweight spool valve for an engine hydraulic valve actuator having a lightweight main body with a center bore therethrough with one end plugged to balance hydraulic forces and a soft iron magnetic ring attached to the main body where the magnetic sleeve is castellated to minimize oil film stiction forces and magnetically interacts with an electrical coil which induces axial motion to control the flow of hydraulic oil within the valve actuator.

Abstract: A heat sink having an annular conductive section disposed between a brake drum and a wheel assembly with a plurality of convective sections extending from the conductive section through a like number of hand-hold apertures formed in the wheel assembly. In an alternative embodiment, the heat sink has a hollow section formed in each convective section extending into the conductive section where the hollow section is at least partially filled with a heat conductive material that undergoes a phase change to further enhance the heat transfer from the conductive section to the convective section.

Abstract: A ball ramp actuator for applying a driveline clutch clamping force to a clutch disc using an axial movement created when a control ring is rotated relative to an adjacent activation ring where rolling elements are disposed in opposed variable depth grooves formed in the control ring and likewise in the activation ring and where the rolling elements establish a variable axial separation distance, the ball ramp actuator also having a primary control clutch and a secondary control clutch where upon energizing an electromagnetic coil the primary control clutch energizes the ball ramp actuator and where the secondary control clutch frictionally couples a transmission input shaft to a pressure plate and also frictionally couples the control ring to the activation ring thereby establishing a relatively constant clutch clamping force.

Abstract: A first ball ramp actuator having a control ring acting with an activation ring to supply an axial clutch clamping force in a vehicle driving mode and a second ball ramp actuator using the control ring acting with a clutch pressure plate to supply an axial clutch clamping force in a vehicle coast mode where one side of a one-way clutch is attached to the control ring and another side is attached to a support bracket that is frictionally coupled to a transmission input shaft to maintain an energized rotational relationship with the activation ring when in the coast mode.

Abstract: A ball ramp actuator having a control ring acting with an activation ring to supply an axial driveline clutch clamping force in a vehicle driving mode and a one-way clutch acting on the activation ring to maintain the clamping force when in a vehicle coast mode where one side of a one-way clutch is attached to the control ring and another side is attached to a support bracket that is frictionally coupled to a transmission input shaft to maintain an energized rotational relationship with the activation ring when in the coast mode.