Abstract: A steering bearing between a bracket on a steering column tube and a support on a body of a motor vehicle. The bracket has a slot therein and the steering bearing includes a metal bearing bottom having a rest surface bearing flush against a first side of the bracket and a raised rest in the slot with a second side of the bracket and a collar raised above the raised rest, an elongated slot through the metal bearing bottom, a fastening bolt on the support passing through the elongated slot and clamping the metal bearing bottom against the support, a plastic insert rigidly attached to the bearing bottom seated flush on the raised rest having a tear-off surface which cooperates with the rest surface on the metal bearing bottom in defining a slot for the bracket on the steering column tube, an aperture in the bracket on the steering column tube, and a tear-off body integral with the tear-off surface received in the aperture in the bracket to retain the bracket relative to the plastic insert.

Abstract: A fuel vapor storage canister having a screen assembly between a mass of carbon granules in the storage canister and a purge port of the storage canister. The fuel vapor storage canister includes a cup-shaped plastic body defining a carbon bed chamber and a plenum in the canister body covered by the screen assembly. The screen assembly includes a pair of concentric cylindrical bosses around the plenum, a plastic foam screen over the plenum seated on a circular edge of each of the concentric cylindrical bosses, and a retainer having a plurality of flexible barbs and flexible reinforcements resiliently biased against opposite sides of the outermost one of the cylindrical bosses. Concentric circular segments of the plastic foam screen are compressed tightly between an annular planar side of the retainer and each of the circular edges of the concentric cylindrical bosses to positively prevent migration of carbon granules around the foam screen.

Abstract: A fuel vapor storage canister having a screen module between carbon granules in the canister and a purge port of the canister. The screen module includes a module body defining a plenum, a flat plastic foam screen seated on an uninterrupted edge of a raised boss on the module body around the plenum, and a retainer clamped to the module body over the flat foam screen. A tubular stem on the module body plugs into a socket in the storage canister. An interference fit between the tubular stem and the socket prevents migration of carbon granules between the socket and the tubular stem. The foam screen is exposed to the carbon bed chamber through a window in a planar side of the retainer which planar side, in a seated position of the retainer on the module body, cooperates with the uninterrupted edge of the raised boss in compressing a segment of the foam screen to define a seal around the window.

Abstract: A fuel supply apparatus for a motor vehicle including a plastic canister, three evenly-spaced tubular struts on the canister, a plastic cover, a regulator pod on the plastic cover, and a pair of sockets on the cover and a socket on the regulator pod defining three evenly-spaced sockets on the cover adapted for plug-in reception of the tubular struts. The canister is inserted into a fuel tank of the motor vehicle through an access port. The cover closes the access port. A fuel pump in the canister delivers fuel to a high pressure conduit outside of the fuel tank through a high pressure fluid connector on the cover. A branch from the high pressure conduit is connected to a return fluid connector on the cover. The regulator pod has a return passage from the return fluid connector to the aforesaid socket on the regulator pod.

Abstract: A shaft assist electric power steering apparatus including an electric motor and a speed reducer having an input planetary gear set and an output planetary gear set each concentric with a steering shaft. The input planetary gear set includes an input ring gear, an input sun gear, a stationary input planet carrier, and a plurality of input planet pinions one of which is driven by the electric motor. The output planetary gear set includes an output sun gear rigidly connected to the input sun gear, an output ring gear rigidly connected to the input ring gear, an output planet carrier rigidly connected to the steering shaft, and a plurality of output planet pinions. The driven input planet pinion rotates the input sun gear and the input ring gear in opposite directions and, likewise, the output sun gear and the output ring gear.

Abstract: A clamping device for a steering column comprising a pair of brackets, one of which is positioned inside the other, each bracket having a pair of spaced-apart, substantially parallel walls. The walls of the inner bracket lie alongside the walls of the outer bracket.

Abstract: A pressure regulating valve including a valve seat on valve body, a valve element having a flow directing surface, and a spring biasing the valve element toward a closed position in which the flow directing surface bears against and defines a fluid seal at the valve seat. The valve element has a range of open positions in which the flow directing surface and the valve seat are progressively further separated and in which they cooperate in defining an annular flow orifice the area of which varies with the span between the valve seat and the flow directing surface. The flow directing surface redirects fluid flow upstream of the annular flow orifice through about 150.degree. to 180.degree. to induce on the valve element a force reaction which cooperates with a fluid pressure force reaction on the valve element to improve the sensitivity of the valve element to changes in fluid pressure upstream of the annular flow orifice.

Abstract: A shaft coupling including a socket in an end of a first shaft element and a plunger on an end of a second shaft element. The plunger is divided by a longitudinal slot in the second shaft element into a pair of laterally flexible cantilever springs each having a pair of converging planar sides. Each of the converging planar sides of the cantilever springs has a transverse convex lobe at a distal end thereof and a concave recess inboard of the transverse convex lobe. The socket has a plurality of planar sides which define wedge-shaped corners facing the cantilever springs when the plunger is in the socket. The cantilever springs bias the transverse convex lobes thereon toward the wedge-shaped corners of the socket to rotatably couple the first and second shaft elements with zero dimensional tolerance therebetween. A flat shim in the longitudinal slot in the second shaft element limits additional flexure of the cantilever springs during torque transfer.

Abstract: A length adjustable motor vehicle steering column including a tubular first mast jacket element, a tubular second mast jacket element telescopically overlapping the first mast jacket element, a plurality of elastic rolling elements squeezed between linear tracks on the first and second mast jacket elements, a separator having a plurality of cells loosely receiving the elastic rolling elements and maintaining relative spacing therebetween, and a plurality of smaller inelastic rolling elements suspended by the separator between the linear tracks on the first and second mast jacket elements. The elastic rolling elements eliminate lash between the first and second mast jacket elements and support the first mast jacket element on the second mast jacket element for low friction relative linear translation. The inelastic rolling elements define positive stops which limit deformation of the elastic rolling elements and flexure of the steering column perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline thereof.

Abstract: An exhaust collector for a pneumatic tool having a cylindrical body with a rotary driver at one end, an inlet port and an exhaust port for motive fluid at the other end, and a switch on the side of the cylindrical body which actuates a valve to turn the pneumatic tool on and off. The exhaust collector includes a tubular adapter on the cylindrical body defining an extension of the inlet port, a cup-shaped shroud clamped to the cylindrical body and cooperating therewith in defining a closed exhaust plenum around the tubular adapter, a first quick-connect fluid coupling on the shroud in flow communication with the tubular adapter for coupling to the inlet port a hose connected to a source of motive fluid, and a second quick-connect fluid coupling on the shroud in flow communication with the exhaust plenum for coupling to the exhaust plenum a hose connected to a remote exhaust diffuser.

Abstract: A shaft coupling including a first gear on an end of a first shaft, a second gear on an end of a second shaft meshing with the first gear, a tubular sleeve around the meshing first and second gears, a universal thrust bearing between the tubular sleeve and the first shaft, and a self-locking linear retainer between the tubular sleeve and the second shaft. The self-locking linear retainer includes a cylindrical bushing attached to the second shaft, a plurality of windows in the tubular sleeve, and a plurality of resilient barbs on the cylindrical bushing which are flexed inward when the end of the second shaft having the second gear thereon is plugged into the tubular sleeve and which resiliently expand into the windows to prevent dislodgment of the second shaft from the tubular sleeve.

Abstract: A motor vehicle steering column including a first mast jacket element mounted on a body of the vehicle, a second mast jacket element telescoped into a cylindrical passage in the first element, and a split bushing between the first and second elements. The bushing has a lip on an outside surface thereof which seats against the passage in the first mast jacket element to define a closed circumferential chamber around the bushing interrupted by the split in the latter. A plastic shim is molded in place in the closed circumferential chamber by injecting liquid plastic under pressure through a port in the first mast jacket element. Liquid plastic fills the closed circumferential chamber and clamps an inside surface of the bushing against an outer surface of the second mast jacket element to eliminate lash. Shrinkage of the plastic in the closed circumferential chamber reduces the contact pressure between the bushing and the second mast jacket element to minimize frictional drag.

Abstract: An energy absorber for a motor vehicle steering column including a yoke pivotable about a lateral centerline of a body of the motor vehicle and an energy absorbing mechanism responsive to linear translation of a mast jacket of the steering column relative to the yoke. The mast jacket extends through a bore in the yoke and a plastic bushing in the bore prevents the mast jacket from tipping relative to the yoke. The energy absorbing mechanism includes flat metal strap wound into a spiral coil and cradled or otherwise captured in a flat recess in the yoke tangent to the mast jacket. A distal end of the flat metal strap parallel to the mast jacket is rigidly attached to the latter so that during linear translation of the mast jacket under impact, the distal end is pulled out of the flat recess and unrolls the spiral coil. As the spiral coil unrolls, the flat metal strap is plastically deformed to convert into work a fraction of the kinetic energy of the impact on the steering column.

Abstract: An anti-theft steering shaft lock for an energy-absorbing motor vehicle steering column having a linearly collapsible mast jacket includes a unitized construction consisting of a cylinder lock attached to an instrument panel of the motor vehicle remote from the mast jacket, a lateral housing between the cylinder lock and the mast jacket, a lock bolt in the lateral housing, rack and pinion gears which convert rotation of an element of the cylinder lock into linear translation of the lock bolt, and a frangible connection means at which an inboard part of the unitized construction adjacent the mast jacket separates from an outboard part in the direction of linear collapse of the mast jacket. The frangible connection means includes a pair of laterally aligned frangible joints between inboard and outboard segments of the lateral housing and between inboard and outboard segments of the lock bolt.

Abstract: A fuel vapor storage canister having a leak-proof screen assembly between a mass of carbon granules in the storage canister and a purge port of the storage canister. The fuel vapor storage canister includes a cup-shaped plastic body, an integral partition which divides the canister body into a pair of relatively deep carbon bed chambers, and a plenum in the canister body at an end of one of the carbon bed chambers which is connected to the purge port and which is covered by the leak-proof screen assembly. The leak-proof screen assembly includes a plastic frame ultrasonically welded to the canister body and a flat fabric screen having a peripheral edge insert molded to the plastic frame.

Abstract: A tilt adjustable motor vehicle steering column having a mast jacket on a motor vehicle body structure, a tilt housing supported on the mast jacket for pivotal movement about a lateral centerline of the steering column, a steering wheel rotatably supported on the tilt housing, a tilt latch for immobilizing the tilt housing, and an inertia-actuated secondary restraint operative independent of the tilt latch to prevent upward pivotal movement of the tilt housing. The secondary restraint includes a spool rotatably supported on the mast jacket, a tether on the spool having an end attached to the tilt housing, and an inertia-actuated latch operative to block rotation of the spool in response to high negative acceleration of the motor vehicle. The inertia-actuated latch includes a plurality of radial abutments on the spool, a pawl engageable on the radial abutments, and a pendulum operative to pivot the pawl into engagement on the radial abutments.

Abstract: A shaft coupling between telescopically overlapped ends of a first shaft and a second shaft including a plurality of inside linear grooves in the first shaft, a plurality of outside linear grooves in the second shaft cooperating with the inside linear grooves in defining a plurality of linear cylindrical passages between the first and the second shafts, and an elastomeric bearing in each of the linear cylindrical passages consisting of a pair of barrel-shaped lugs at opposite ends of an integral beam spring. The barrel-shaped lugs couple together the first and the second shafts for unitary rotation about and for relative linear translation in the direction of a longitudinal centerline of the shaft coupling. The inside and outside grooves bear tangentially against the barrel-shaped lugs. The beam springs maintain substantially zero angular lash between the first and the second shafts by resiliently tipping the barrel-shaped lugs endwise in the linear cylindrical passages.

Abstract: An energy absorber for a motor vehicle steering column including a yoke pivotable about a lateral centerline of a motor vehicle body and an energy absorbing means between the yoke and the mast jacket responsive to linear translation of the mast jacket relative to the yoke. The mast jacket extends through a bore in the yoke and a plastic bushing in the bore prevents the mast jacket from tilting relative to the yoke before and during linear translation of the mast jacket. The energy absorbing means includes a flat metal strap attached at one end to the mast jacket and bent over a convex anvil on the yoke. The metal strap is pulled over the anvil parallel to a longitudinal centerline of the mast jacket and plastically deformed to convert into work a fraction of the kinetic energy of an impact on the steering column.

Abstract: A power steering gear including a spool shaft, a pinion head, a torsion bar between the spool shaft and the pinion head, and a rotary detent which resists twisting of the torsion bar including an annular first ball seat rotatable as a unit with a pinion head end of the torsion bar, an annular second ball seat facing the first ball seat, a plurality of detent notches in the first and second ball seats facing each other in pairs, a plurality of detent balls between the facing pairs of detent notches, a plain cylindrical sleeve around the torsion bar rigidly connected at a first end thereof to the second ball seat, a pair of radial abutments on the torsion bar near a spool shaft end thereof, and a pair of cantilever springs at a second end of the cylindrical sleeve having lateral deflection strokes perpendicular to a longitudinal centerline of the torsion bar and ramps which resiliently capture therebetween the radial abutments.

Abstract: A fluid coupling including a tube and a socket defined by a cylindrical counterbore in a housing. The cylindrical counterbore terminates at an annular seat and is interrupted by an annular first groove defining a first shoulder facing the annular seat and by an annular second groove defining a second shoulder facing the annular seat. The tube has an annular bead at one end which bears flush against the annular seat when the tube is plugged into the socket. A flexible retaining ring is mounted on the tube behind the bead. A plastic sleeve on the tube behind the flexible retaining ring has a cam at one end which radially expands the retaining ring to wedge the latter between the bead and the first shoulder. The retaining ring prevents dislodgment of the tube from the socket by reacting forces urging dislodgment substantially directly from the bead on the tube to the shoulder on the housing.