Patents Represented by Attorney Robert L. Zieg
  • Patent number: 4878282
    Abstract: By complete removal of the friction lining material, grooves or slots are formed in a friction lining made of organic material, the grooves being openings or gaps that are initially closed at the ends. The friction lining is applied as a continuous member onto a support and the ends of the grooves are opened by removal of the friction lining material closing them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1989
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Walter Bauer
  • Patent number: 4878511
    Abstract: A gravity responsive regulation valve assembly having a housing with at least two intake ports both of which may fluidically communicate with an outlet port. The valve assembly further includes a spherical valve actuator moveable along a predetermined path of travel in response to gravitational and/or centrifugal forces for automatically closing one of the valve assembly intake ports when the housing is tilted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1989
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Automotive, Inc.
    Inventor: Clarence D. Fox
  • Patent number: 4875499
    Abstract: A diaphragm operated valve assembly is controlled jby an electromagnetic valve assembly. A flat disc armature, which forms part of a flux path, is operable in an inner chamber to modulate the flow between the inner chamber and an exit port in response to an applied magnetic force. The level of the effective magnetic force is a function of the armature mass, and the pressure acting on the disc surface. A pole piece adjacent to the flat disc armature is slidably adjustable to establish a specified force to actuate the armature to the closed or sealing position. This specified force is proportional to the current flow through the winding of the electromagnetic valve assembly. Thus the armature operates to seal communication between the inner chamber and the exit port at a given pressure differential as a function of current flow. The travel distance between the armature and a nonmagnetic seal seat has been minimized by spring biasing the armature in proximity to the seal seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1989
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Corporation
    Inventor: Clarence D. Fox
  • Patent number: 4875564
    Abstract: A double cage structure for a freewheel sprag clutch in which the inner cage ring is formed of metal and the outer cage ring is formed of a plastic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1989
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Hermann Leitz, Erich Krayer, Rudolf Kohler
  • Patent number: 4875561
    Abstract: An adaptive clutch torque capacity control for an automotive vehicle clutch utilizing a dual area apply piston for engagement of the clutch plate for accurate control over a larger than normal torque range. The use of two piston areas allows one area to be controlled in a "coarse" fashion, while the other piston area, which is generally a small area, provides a "vernier" or fine adjustment control. The small area piston is controlled by an electronic closed loop for fine adjustment of any errors occurring in the "coarse" control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1989
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Automotive, Inc.
    Inventors: Karl F. Schneider, William J. Haley, Alan L. Miller
  • Patent number: 4873879
    Abstract: A continuously variable transmission including a driving shaft connected to an engine output member and a driven shaft. The shafts are interconnected by a stepless variable coupling. A bidirectional gear drive mechanism connects the driven shaft to a differential mechanism having two output shafts extending therefrom. The drive mechanism includes a two gear forward and a three gear reverse drive path, each of which is controlled by a fluid-actuated starting clutch mechanism. Each gear path is adapted to drive a transfer gear which continually intermeshes with a ring gear of the differential defining another gear mesh. By such construction, the output shafts and the engine output memeber may rotate in the same direction during a forward drive mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1989
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Automotive, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger P. Butterfield, Guenter J. Neumann, Curt A. Wykstra
  • Patent number: 4869708
    Abstract: A sprocket retention/chain guide member for use in the timing drive mechanism for an internal combustion engine where a timing chain acts to rotate the engine camshaft from the crankshaft and time the opening and closing of the inlet and exhaust valves for the engine cylinders based on reciprocation of the pistons. The retention/guide member is adapted to be mounted on the front of the engine block and has oppositely disposed arcuate grooves loosely receiving the crankshaft and camshaft sprockets and guide channels on each side of the member acting as snubbers for the chain. The member, chain and sprockets form a subassembly for shipping and ease of assembly on the block with the sprockets being received on the crankshaft and camshaft. Also, a chain tensioner may form a portion of one guide channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1989
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Transmission and Engine Components Corporation
    Inventors: Peter D. Hoffmann, Franklin R. Smith
  • Patent number: 4866831
    Abstract: A support is disclosed for a synchronizing ring for the synchronization of gears, in which the stops for coupling to the clutch are formed from lugs which are bonded integrally to the sprocket ring or ring-shaped core. The support is produced economically by a method of punching a flat ring and drawing it into a conical ring-shaped part with an outer radial edge, forming the part and punching an outer sprocket and lugs in the edge, bending the lugs alongside the part to form stops and stamping the tooth profile for the sprocket. The flat ring may also be punched with inwardly extending lugs which are then bent upwardly along the body to form the stops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1989
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Automotive, Inc.
    Inventors: Gunter Lanzerath, Helmut Patzer, Rudolf Muller
  • Patent number: 4862770
    Abstract: A two-speed gear box adapted to be mounted on the face of an automobile accessory, such as an automotive alternator to increase the speed of the alternator on demand. The gear box includes input and output shafts operatively connected by a planetary gear arrangement having first and second sun gears and a planet carrier for pairs of first and second planet gears, a band brake releasably applied to the planet carrier and a one-way clutch between the shafts to allow faster rotation of the output shaft relative to the input shaft. The planetary arrangement does not have a ring gear engaging the planet gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1989
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Automotive, Inc.
    Inventor: Franklin R. Smith
  • Patent number: 4862845
    Abstract: A phase shift device utilized for the camshaft sprockets in a chain control device for an engine having separate camshafts for intake and exhaust valves in an internal combustion engine. A device supporting one or a pair of idler sprockets is shiftable, either pivotally or longitudinally to vary the chain path between a driving and a driven camshaft sprocket in such a way as to vary the phase of the driven sprocket relative to the driving sprocket. This device comprises a bracket which carries at least one idler sprocket and is either pivotally or longitudinally shiftable to vary the phase thus facilitating proper chain control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1989
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Transmission and Engine Components Corporation
    Inventors: Roger P. Butterfield, Franklin R. Smith
  • Patent number: 4856635
    Abstract: A hydraulically-actuated starting clutch utilized in a continuously variable transmission which includes a rotating shaft havng a housing rotating therewith, a pressure chamber in the housing receiving a piston, a pressure plate and an end plate in the housing to rotate therewith, at least one clutch plate between the pressure and end plates and operatively connected to a sleeve shaft encompassing the rotating shaft, and a diaphragm spring between the piston and pressure plate. Where there are two clutch plates, a separator formed of a pair of generally parallel plates is interposed between the clutch plates, one separator plate having an annular fulcrum ridge, which may be slotted, contacting the other plate to equilize loading on the clutch plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1989
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Automotive, Inc.
    Inventor: Maria S. Vlamakis
  • Patent number: 4854192
    Abstract: A centrifugally controlled two-speed accessory drive for operation of one or more automotive vehicle accessories to provide a two-stage operation depending on the engine speed, the drive including a gear box secured to the face of the accessory and having an input shaft driven by a pulley and belt from the engine, an output shaft driving the accessory, and a planetary gear set connecting the shafts. The gear set includes a sun gear connected to the output shaft, a ring gear rotatably mounted in the gear box and a planet carrier rotatable with the input shaft and mounting a plurality of planetary gears between the sun gear and ring gear. A cone clutch engages the ring gear to ground it through a Belleville spring, piston and fulcrum, and centrifugal weights act to unground the ring gear; a one-way clutch between the shafts allows the output shaft to overrun the input shaft when the ring gear is grounded and rotate the output shaft with the input shaft as a unit when the ring gear is ungrounded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1989
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Automotive, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce A. Churchill, Jeffery D. Raugh
  • Patent number: 4832668
    Abstract: A chain and sprocket drive in which the chain is constructed of sets of connected links, the links in all sets being constructed to drivingly contact the sprocket teeth with inside flanks only, the links in some sets of links being of a shape which differs from the links in other sets of links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1989
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy J. Ledvina, Robert H. Mead
  • Patent number: 4821857
    Abstract: A one-piece metal cage for a roller clutch formed from a flat stamping to provide a flat annular side plate and a side ring having a wavy form spaced from the side plate by a plurality of crossbars extending parallel to the axis of the cage. The crests of the wavy side ring extend farther outward radially than the side plate to snap into an annular groove in the outer race to positively retain the cage between the races.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1989
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Transmission and Engine Components Corporation
    Inventor: David M. Groh
  • Patent number: 4819776
    Abstract: A cage for a clutch roller in an overrunning clutch having a side plate and crossbars extending therefrom parallel to the axis of the cage, complemented by a side ring spaced from the side plate which is bonded integrally to the ends of the crossbars. As a result of this, one obtains a cage with high stability that can be simply produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1989
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Automotive, Inc.
    Inventors: Hermann Leitz, Herbert Moser
  • Patent number: 4813914
    Abstract: A strap device for a pulley of a continuously variable transmission wherein a flexible strap has one end secured to the axially movable sheave of the pulley and the opposite strap end is secured to the cover encompassing the movable sheave, which cover is mounted on the rotary shaft for the pulley. To prevent buckling of the strap under reverse torques, a safety stop in the form of a pin is mounted in the cover to project into a slightly arcuate axial slot in the sheave hub and prevent undue relative rotation between the sheave and cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1989
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Automotive, Inc.
    Inventor: Philip J. Mott
  • Patent number: 4811615
    Abstract: A mechanism arranged in combination with a multiple ratio transmission for eliminating gear rattle in the various gear ratios and neutral position of the transmission. Such mechanism includes a gear network that is preloaded with a spring arrangement which imparts a spring torque to each gear mesh in the transmission. The spring torque provided by the spring arrangement has a magnitude greater than the inertia torque of the gear meshes arranged in the transmission and is capable of overcoming torsional acceleration imparted to those gear meshes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1989
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Automotive, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey E. Rea
  • Patent number: 4811225
    Abstract: A ratio control system for use in a continuously variable transmission is disclosed in conjunction with an improved technique for operation thereof. Individual gain schedules provide proportional gain in response to a selected one of a number of modes dependent upon clutch input speed, transmission belt ratio, or engine set point. Engine speed set point is determined as a function of a set point schedule in conjunction with a limiter and a filter to provide a gradual response to rapid changes in a throttle input or driver demand signal and vehicle speed. The error signal generated as an output of any of the proportional gain loops is integrated and combined with a null signal to provide a signal to generate a duty cycle for a pulse width modulation controlled electrohydraulic control valve to control the pressure to the primary sheave in a continuously variable transmission system for modifying the belt ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1989
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Automotive, Inc.
    Inventors: Werner P. Petzold, William P. Umlauf
  • Patent number: 4551539
    Abstract: N-substituted 2,5-dimethylpyrroles and a method for their preparation. The method requires the reaction of a 2,5-hexadione such as acetonylacetone with a urethane or a phosphoroamidate. The reaction is carried out at elevated temperatures, preferably in a water-immiscible solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1985
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Ingenuin Hechenbleikner, William P. Enlow
  • Patent number: 4551540
    Abstract: N-substituted 2,5-dimethylpyrroles and a method for their preparation. The method requires the reaction of a 2,5-hexadione such as acetonylacetone with a urethane or a phosphoroamidate. The reaction is carried out at elevated temperatures, preferably in a water-immiscible solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1985
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Ingenuin Hechenbleikner, William P. Enlow