Abstract: An off-road vehicle includes an engine mounted on a rear portion of a vehicle frame and a recoil starter for starting the engine. The recoil starter has a pulley operatively coupled to the crankshaft of the engine, and a cord member wound around the pulley. The cord member has an outer end extending rearwardly from the recoil starter for allowing the cord member to be easily pulled from behind the vehicle frame.

Abstract: A floor device for a vehicle including a single front wheel, comprising a floor portion arranged to be substantially flat in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a foot rest portion formed to be continuous with a front portion of the floor portion, the foot rest portion extending obliquely upwardly forwardly from the front portion of the floor portion at least to the vicinity of a steering support member of the front wheel.Sufficient longitudinal floor length is obtainable, without extension of the wheel base, to assure a comfortable freedom of the driver at his feet.

Abstract: A single golf club carrying device for attachment to the golfer's belt-line or pocket. The device is preferably a single piece of flat, resilient material having a U-shaped slit defining a flap. Communicating with the slit are orifice and club-receiving hole cut-outs. When the background material is put into the golfer's pocket or belt-line, the resultant flap will hang outside the golfer's clothing, in order to removably receive and carry a golf club.

Abstract: A motorcycle includes a substantially longitudinal frame, front and rear wheels rotatably supported on the frame, an engine mounted on the frame between the front and rear wheels, a rear fork supporting the rear wheel and vertically swingably mounted on a rear end of the frame, a rear fender disposed in the vicinity of an upper portion of the rear wheel and covering the upper portion of the rear wheel, and a fairing device having a ram air inlet port defined in a front portion thereof and extending from a position in front of the frame in covering relation to the engine toward a position above the rear wheel where the fairing device covers the rear fender in surrounding relation thereto. The fairing device cooperates with the rear fender in providing a discharge duct defining a discharge air passage therein and having an air discharge port defined in an open end portion thereof.

Abstract: An automatic wheel attachment apparatus for attaching a wheel to a wheel attachment member of an automotive body. The automatic wheel attachment apparatus includes a reorienting device for reorienting a wheel attachment surface of the wheel attachment member, a phasing device for phasing wheel attachment bolts on the wheel attachment member, the phasing device being movable longitudinally and vertically of the automotive body to bring the wheel attachment member and the phasing device into central alignment with each other, a detecting device for detecting the amount and direction of movement of the phasing device, and a nut runner for fastening the wheel to the wheel attachment member while the center of the wheel attachment member as detected by the detecting device is being held in alignment with the center of the wheel. At least the reorienting device, the phasing device, and the detecting device are combined in a single robot.

Abstract: A system and semi-automated method for folding and fusing limp strips of fabric to form a semi-finished placket and for assembly of the placket together with an unfinished shirt. The system comprises a folder apparatus, a fuser apparatus, and a sewer apparatus capable of applying reversed "L"-shaped pattern, to the semi-finished placket-unfinished shirt combination.

Abstract: An automatic wheel alignment apparatus for attaching a wheel to a wheel attachment member of an automotive body. The automatic wheel attachment apparatus includes a reorienting device for reorienting a wheel attachment surface of the wheel attachment member, a phasing device for phasing wheel attachment bolts on the wheel attachment member, the phasing device being movable longitudinally and vertically of the automotive body to bring the wheel attachment member and the phasing device into central alignment with each other, a detecting device for detecting the amount and direction of movement of the phasing device, and a nut runner for fastening the wheel to the wheel attachment member while the center of the wheel attachment member as detected by the decting device is being held in alignment with the center of the wheel. At least the reorienting device, the phasing device, and the detecting device are combined in a single robot.

Abstract: A suspension device in a motor vehicle has at least one component separate from a damper and to which vertical movement of a road wheel can be transmitted. The component comprises a resilient member supported on a vehicle body at a portion spaced from another portion operatively coupled to the road wheel, for giving vertical resiliency to the road wheel. The suspension device also has a counteracting load mechanism for applying a counteracting load which is variable dependent on an amount of flexing of a section of the component caused by vertical movement of the road wheel. The suspension device further includes a vehicle height adjusting mechanism operatively coupled to the counteracting load means for varying a static counteracting load of the counteracting load mechanism when the motor vehicle is at rest, to thereby vertically displace the section of the component for adjusting the height of the motor vehicle.

Abstract: An apparatus for steering the front and rear wheels of a motor vehicle includes a front wheel steering mechanism for steering the front wheels in response to operation of a steering wheel, a rear wheel steering mechanism for steering the rear wheels at least in the same direction as the direction in which the front wheels are steered, and a connector shaft mechanically interconnecting the front and rear wheel steering mechanisms. A rotation control mechanism employing a viscous fluid is mounted on the connector shaft for applying a resistive force dependent on the speed of rotation of the steering wheel to the connector shaft.

Abstract: An auger in a self-propelled snow removing machine including a running mechanism drivable by an engine, and a snow blower for discharging snow collected by the auger, comprises an auger cover disposed on a front portion of the snow removing machine, an auger output shaft disposed transversely in the auger cover and drivable by the engine, and at least one blade mounted on the auger output shaft and having an outer peripheral edge forming a substantially continuous helix around the auger output shaft. The blade comprises a plurality of mutually separate fins having outer peripheral edges jointly forming the helix and made of a resilient steel material.

Abstract: An automatic wheel attachment apparatus for attaching a wheel to a wheel attachment member of an automotive body. The automatic wheel attachment apparatus includes a reorienting device for reorienting a wheel attachment surface of the wheel attachment member, a phasing device for phasing wheel attachment bolts on the wheel attachment member, the phasing device being movable longitudinally and vertically of the automotive body to bring the wheel attachment member and the phasing device into central alignment with each other, a detecting device for detecting the amount and direction of movement of the phasing device, and a nut runner for fastening the wheel to the wheel attachment member while the center of the wheel attachment member as detected by the detecting device is being held in alignment with the center of the wheel. At least the reorienting device, the phasing device, and the detecting device are combined in a single robot.

Abstract: A crash helmet storage device in a motorcycle having a front cowl having a portion covering at least an area in front of a handlebar of the motorcycle. The crash helmet storage device comprises a receptacle disposed in the front cowl and having an open front side, a front cover serving as a component of the front cowl and positioned in front of the receptacle, and a pair of side covers serving as other components of the front cowl and covering lateral sides of the receptacle. The front cover is separate from the side covers and act as a lid for selectively opening and covering the open front side of the receptacle.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for controlling rear road wheel camber of a four-wheel-steerable vehicle having front and rear road wheels steerable in the same or opposite directions. The camber with respect to ground of at least the rear road wheel on the outer side of a cornering curve followed by the vehicle is controlled. The apparatus includes detectors for detecting the direction in which the rear road wheels are steered with respect to the front road wheels, the self-aligning torque on the front road wheels, and the steering force acting on a steering wheel, camber varying devices associated with rear wheel suspensions, actuators for operating the camber varying devices, and a control unit responsive to detected signals from the detectors for applying a control signal to at least one of the actuators to control the camber of at least the rear road wheel on the outer side of the cornering curve when the rear wheels are steered.

Abstract: A silicone film is formed by drying a solution coated on a substrate at a temperature below 150.degree. C. to form a silicone film on the substrate, treating the silicone film in an oxygen plasma, and heating the silicone film treated in the plasma at a temperature of 150.degree. C. or higher.

Abstract: A support portion for a baseball glove, the support portion being attached to a back wall of the glove so as to extend a distance above and below the free lower edge of the front wall of the glove sufficient to cover a lower back portion of the user's hand, the back of the user's wrist, and a back portion of the user's forearm. The support portion includes a securing member adapted to wrap around a user's arm below the wrist. In use, the support portion serves the dual purposes of supporting the user's wrist against injurious bending and imparting a natural control and feel to the glove.

Abstract: An off-road vehicle comprises a frame assembly constructed of a plurality of pipes including at least one lateral pipe extending horizontally and transversely of the vehicle, two front wheel suspensions having respective knuckle arms, two front wheels rotatably supported respectively on the front wheel suspensions, two rear wheels rotatably supported on lateral sides of a rear portion of the frame assembly, an engine mounted on the rear portion of the frame assembly for driving the rear wheels, and a steering mechanism having a steering column supporting a central steering arm on a lower end thereof and a central steering handle on an upper end thereof, and tie rods having first ends coupled to the central steering arm and second ends coupled to the knuckle arms, respectively. Also, the central steering arm is located upwardly of the lateral pipe of the frame assembly.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a groundwater sampling kit which comprises a plurality of components capable of being assembled into several alternative groundwater sampling devices by hand without the use of tools, the components being securely packaged in an impact-resistant carrying case.

Abstract: A thin-film coating apparatus for forming a metal oxide film or diffusion source film on the surface of materials to be treated. The apparatus includes a solution-dropping nozzle device including an inner tube adapted to cause a solution to flow down therethrough and an outer tube enclosing the inner tube. The inner wall of the outer tube is spaced from the outer wall of the inner tube so as to define a flow path therebetween, the flow path being adapted to supply a cleaning solution to the tip portion of the inner tube. Because the tip portion of the inner tube can be cleaned efficiently, any concentration or deposition of the dropping solution is prevented from occurring at the tip portion of the inner tube.

Abstract: A composition including dried and ground edible natural corn silks and dried and ground edible natural parsley roots, the parsley roots having as an active ingredient d-alpha tocopherol, mixed together in predetermined porportions. The composition may be provided in tablet form or powdered form, and is adapted to be taken orally by persons suffering from urinary bladder dysfunction to thereby provide relief from such affliction.

Abstract: A portable engine-operated electric generator includes an engine having an output shaft and including heated and unheated components required for operation of the engine, a generator unit having an input shaft and drivable by the engine, the engine and the generator unit being vertically arranged, the output shaft of the engine and the input shaft of the generator unit being coupled to each other in axial alignment in a vertical direction, and a sound insulating case accommodating the engine and the generator unit and having a horizontal longitudinal axis. The heated and unheated components are separated from each other by, and located on opposite sides of, a plane lying in the vertical direction and in a direction normal to the horizontal longitudinal axis.