Abstract: A flexible seal with a tree insert on the lower portion of the seal that is pushed without tools into a continuous slot or a series of slots that are spaced along the flat mounting surface. When the seal is mounted adjacent to an edge of a panel or surface, a retaining clip feature can be added along with the tree insert to aid in retaining the seal during the open and close cycle or compression and un-compressed state. There is an upper seal portion engaged to a lower portion. This upper portion is made of a material of a different flexibility than the lower portion. In one embodiment, the lower portion with the tree and the retaining clip, if used, is made of a dense rubber and the upper portion is a cellular sponge. The seal may be used to seal the space between the top of a vehicle radiator module and the hood of the vehicle to thereby prevent recirculation flow around the radiator.

Abstract: This invention provides a pump with a close-mounted valve for a hydraulic fuel system in an internal combustion engine. The hydraulic fuel system may have a high pressure pump connected to a low pressure side and high pressure reservoirs. The pump has a drive shaft, a shaft cylinder, one or more cylinders, and a close-mounted valve. The close-mounted valve has a valve body, a valve spool, a valve spring, and a valve coil. The valve body is positioned inside a shaft cavity formed by the shaft cylinder. The close-mounted valve may control the volume and pressure to reduce or eliminate the dumping of high-pressure hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic fuel system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cartridge thermostat system that permits removal and replacement of the thermostat without removing the housing or coolant manifold. In the cartridge thermostat system, a coolant manifold is mounted on a cylinder head of an engine. The cylinder head has an engine by-pass and a coolant port for receiving a pilot on the coolant manifold. The coolant manifold further comprises at least one thermostat port with an associated cartridge thermostat and at least one passage for appropriate coolant flow. The cartridge thermostat fastens to the thermostat port and operatively positions a plug to an engine by-pass and a sleeve to a coolant passage. A wax plug in the cartridge thermostat expands when the coolant is hot and thereby appropriately and simultaneously positions the plug relative to the engine by-pass and the sleeve relative to the coolant passage.

Abstract: A control strategy for a throttled inlet oil pump that supplies high-pressure oil to a rail that serves fuel injectors of a diesel engine. A processor processes certain data to develop data for selectively restricting the throttle at the pump inlet. The processor develops error data defining error between a desired injector control pressure in the rail and actual injector control pressure in the rail. For a prevailing value of the error data, the processor adds a correlated offset data value to introduce an offset into the prevailing error data value, thereby creating an offset error data value. The processor further processes the offset error data value to create a value for the data that establishes the throttle restriction.

Abstract: A turbocharger (32) creates intake manifold boost for a diesel engine (10). At times, exhaust valve opening is increasingly retarded in relation to the engine operating cycle to cause the turbocharger to increase boost, engine fueling is also increased in relation to the increased boost, and in response to any incipient surging of the compressor resulting from such increasingly retarded exhaust valve opening and such increased engine fueling, compressed charge air is bled from the intake manifold to counter the incipient surging and thereby avoid any significant turbocharger surge.

Abstract: A method of fastening core elements together without the use of foreign agencies, such as adhesives, screws or other such fasteners, uses the same core sand and resin that form the core elements themselves. Core sand elements are retained in an assembly by bodies of cured core sand and resin in holes or cavities that span the interface between the core elements and fasten the core sand elements together. Core sand elements are provided with alignable holes, or cavities, into which a mixture of core sand and a curable resin, preferably the same resin used in forming the core sand elements, is added and the curable resin is cured to provide a body of cured core sand and resin, preferably adhering to the core sand elements, fastening the core sand elements together.

Abstract: The invention provides a blasting apparatus with a dual structure deflector. The blasting apparatus includes a blasting cabinet for housing a work piece, a nozzle, a propelling device, and a blasting medium holding unit. In use, the propelling device directs air and blasting medium via a blasting path against a work piece. In one aspect, the dual structure deflector is positioned inside the blasting path and includes an interior structure, an exterior structure, and a tubular support. The interior structure may be made from a rigid material such as steel, aluminum, or another metal. The exterior structure may be made from a resilient material such as polyurethane. The dual structure deflector provides a rigid and impact-resistant configuration.

Abstract: The present invention provides a compact injector hold down clamp assembly that allows for disassembly of the fuel injector from a cylinder head without prying the fuel injector from the cylinder head. The injector hold down clamp assembly comprises a clamp having a fastener channel and a retainer ring bore, a fastener with a retainer ring section that is operatively inserted in the fastener channel, and a retaining ring that is operatively attached to the fastener retainer ring section. The retaining ring acts on the retainer ring bore during disassembly and thereby allows the fuel injector and injector hold down clamp assembly to be removed simultaneously. The retaining ring is a partial ring that extends about 230 degrees. The injector clamp further comprises a rear clamp seat, and a first and second a clamp arm that engage the fuel injector.

Abstract: A control pedal assembly for a vehicle. Two or more control pedals are engaged to a pedal mounting system base component through a number of components that are slideably engaged to one another. The construction and arrangement of the components that are slideably engaged to one another and the engagement of those components to the control pedals and the pedal mounting system base component is such that the position of at least two control pedals is adjustable relative to one another. One or more positioning actuators are engaged to the components that are slideably engaged to one another. The positioning actuators, when activated, slide the slideably engaged components relative to one another and thus change the position of one or more control pedals. One or more position control apparatus are connected to the positioning actuators so that an operator of the vehicle can activate the positioning actuators to adjust the position of the control pedals.

Abstract: An exhaust system for an internal combustion engine has special accommodations for preventing the pooling of water in the passageways of the exhaust system. One or more of the components of the exhaust system such as mufflers and or sections of exhaust tubing etc. have absorbent liners disposed at points within said exhaust system where water is likely to pool. The absorbent liners wick moisture away from the inner surfaces of the exhaust components in which they are disposed. Moisture is held within the absorbent liners until the temperature of the exhaust system rises enough to evaporate the moisture at which time the water vapor exits the exhaust system with the combustion products of the internal combustion engine. The absorbent liners are of a size and shape and are positioned within the exhaust system components such that they present minimal restriction to flow of combustion products through the exhaust system.

Abstract: A communication system architecture (SA) for a vehicle which may be integrated into the vehicle's multiplexed electronic component communication system, and a process for communicating with the vehicle to provide information for and about the vehicle's operational status and coordinating the vehicle's activities. The communication system will include a multi-functional antenna system for the vehicle that will have the capability to receive AM/FM radio and television signals, and transmit and receive citizens band (CB) radio signals, satellite and microwave and cellular phone communications. The antenna may be installed as original equipment or as a back-fit part in the after-market. In either case the multi-functional antenna will be integrated with the vehicle's multiplexed electronic component communication system.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method of evaluating vehicle electrical control systems implements a base evaluation and programming station by an appropriately programmed portable computer. A wireless network communication interface is connected to the base evaluation and programming station. Vehicles may then be brought into the general vicinity of the base station. The electrical control system for each vehicle brought into range for testing may be temporarily attached to a transferable wireless node including a wireless communication interface and two way data staging element. Thereupon an ad hoc network is established with individual communication links between the wireless communication interface connected to the base evaluation and programming station and each transferable wireless communication interface.

Abstract: A variable nozzle turbocharger (12) creates engine boost. Boost is controlled by controlling the position of vanes within turbocharger. A processor develops a control signal (29) for controlling vane position. The processor develops a value for desired boost and processes that value with a value. corresponding to the amount of boost being created by the turbocharger to generate error data (48A) defining error between the amount of boost being created by the turbocharger and the desired boost, and the processor develops a component of the control signal by P-LI-D processing (62) of the error data. Other components of the control signal are a feed-forward value from a look-up table (34) and a value from an overspeed protection function (60).

Abstract: A system and a method for generating a calibrated speedometer signal is provided utilizing a global positioning unit and wheel speed monitoring units. Side to side comparison of wheel rotational speeds allows detection of vehicle turns. Speed estimation is made from the global positioning unit during straight line operation of the vehicle. The speed estimate is used to calibrate the raw speed signal provided by averaging the wheel rotational speeds as measured by the wheel speed monitoring units.

Abstract: A communication system architecture (SA) for a vehicle which may be integrated into the vehicle's multiplexed electronic component communication system, and a process for communicating with the vehicle to provide information for and about the vehicle's operational status and coordinating the vehicle's activities. The communication system will include a multi-functional antenna system for the vehicle that will have the capability to receive AM/FM radio and television signals, and transmit and receive citizens band (CB) radio signals, satellite and microwave and cellular phone communications. The antenna may be installed as original equipment or as a back-fit part in the after-market. In either case the multi-functional antenna will be integrated with the vehicle's multiplexed electronic component communication system.

Abstract: A data transmission system for external use with a controller area network is installed on a motor vehicle undergoing high intensity electromagnetic interference susceptibility testing. The data transmission system includes a fiber optic cable extending from the immediate vicinity of the truck to a site relatively remote to the truck and out of the effective area of the artificially generated electromagnetic interference. An optical/electrical coupler in close proximity to the motor vehicle is connected to the vehicle controller area network to convert messages occurring on the network to optical signals. The connection is provided by an electrical cable constructed of a twisted pair of wires. The optical/electrical coupler is also connected to an end of the fiber optic cable in the vicinity of the truck. A remote data processing device is attached to the remote end of the fiber optic cable by an interface card installed in the remote data processing device.

Abstract: An underhood air cleaner (20) for a vehicle (22) has an inlet shroud seal (72) self-mounted to the filter housing (60) at the filter inlet (68) and engaging the hood (28) at the exit opening (36) of the hood air channel (30). The self-mounting is accomplished without extra parts or fasteners such as bolts and clamps. Both axial (198) and radial (200) retention is provided for the shroud seal (72) on the filter housing (60), as well as reduced inflow restriction.

Abstract: An expandable wardrobe for location along an interior wall of a truck cab passengers pace is provided by incorporating into the cab an anchor wall having two vertical edges, the anchor wall being positionally fixed against the vehicle interior wall and providing a back wall to the wardrobe. A pair of opposed sidewalls are provided with each sidewall having two vertical edges, and each of the pair of opposed sidewalls being hingedly mounted along one vertical edge to a different vertical edge of the anchor wall, leaving one vertical edge of each of the opposed sidewalls free. A freewall is hingedly mounted between the free vertical edges of each of the pair of opposed sidewalls to enclose a variably sized space. A doorway through the free wall into the variably sized space provides access to the space.

Abstract: A fuel injector has a body containing a mechanism that is operable to cause fuel to be injected out of the body and into an engine combustion chamber. An electric actuator operates the mechanism to initiate fuel injection and to terminate fuel injection. The injector has an identity circuit that possesses an identity characteristic identifying a calibration category into which the fuel injector has been previously categorized based on data obtained from actual operation of the fuel injector. In some embodiments the identity circuit is electrically connected in shunt with the electric actuator and imposes no significant effect on the response of the fuel injector to the initiating and terminating electric signals. In others, it is connected between engine ground and one actuator terminal.