Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for measuring the likelihood that detected stationary objects are not normally present at a sensed location. Such systems and methods may be used by other systems to which information from the present invention are communicated, for minimizing nuisance alerts in onboard object detection systems such as collision warning, collision avoidance, and/or adaptive cruise control systems. The system includes at least one vehicle mounted sensor capable of sensing at least a target object and providing data related to the target object. The system also comprises a locating device which is capable of determining and providing data related to the location of the machine or vehicle and a processing unit which receives the data from the sensor and the data from the locating device.

Abstract: An optical compensation film for a liquid crystal display is provided wherein the film is a polymer that is capable of producing light induced anisotropy. The film is irradiated with light to form an optical axis or axes.

Abstract: A coil car has a pair of deep side sills and a trough structure mounted to, and suspended between, the deep side sills for carrying coils. The side sills extend between the rail car trucks and act as a pair of deep side beams for carrying vertical loads. The deep side sills are arranged to extend above and below the center sill of the coil car to give vertical stiffness to the coil car. The top chord members of the side sills are outwardly splayed relative to the bottom chord members of the side sills. Cross-bearers extend outwardly and away from the center sill to attach to the side sills. The trough structure has three parallel, longitudinally extending troughs—a central trough lying between two laterally outboard outer troughs. Each trough is shaped to cradle steel coils, or other similar loads, between its inwardly and downwardly sloping shoulder plates. The shoulder plates are lined with cushioning to buffer coils during loading or travel.

Abstract: A method and a device are provided for stabilizing vertebrae in a human spine for the purpose of fixing one vertebra with respect to other vertebrae and with respect to other parts of the spinal column. This device comprises a plate and bone screws fabricated from metals. The bone screw maintains the plate in contact with the vertebrae. A tapered screw head is pulled into a machined tapered hole, locking the screw to the plate. The taper is configured to be self-locking preventing the screw from backing out. The taper may be within the fixed structure of the plate, or within an insert placed into the plate.

Abstract: A rise assist apparatus comprising a handrail in the form of a convoluted section attached to a vertical pole, and stabilized by a bed frame attachment member and a floor contacting base frame. Alternatively, the rise assist apparatus may be wall mounted, being stabilized by a system of mounted wall brackets. The rise assist apparatus further includes an upper curved, horizontal leveraging handle, which extends from the pole-like support structure. Specifically, the rise assist apparatus allows the user to build momentum by pushing off the upper hand grip, and allows the user to control the momentum by regaining balance, and readjusting posture, by gripping the lower handrail member. Additionally, the user can use the curved grip with one hand, while simultaneously reaching for the handrail during the rising movement thereby allowing the user to support himself or herself as they rise out of bed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an adjustable, locking cargo control system for a vehicle such as a flat bed trailer, van type trailer, train, airplane or the like. The tie down system comprises at least one groove within the floor of the truck trailer. Each groove has a flange extending inward on either side of the groove. One of the flanges has a plurality of notches formed in it. The system includes at least one tie down member comprising an anchor hook insertable into the groove wherein the hook registers against an anchor flange opposite the flange having the plurality of notches. Each tie down member further comprises at least one boss extending therefrom which is positioned and sized to engage at least one of the notches in the notched flange in a manner preventing the tie down member from sliding along the groove. A tie down chain or cable is attached to the tie down member in a manner to secure a load to the floor of the or other portion of the vehicle.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a retractable door assembly in a panel van type of vehicle comprising a cargo area having at least one door opening for access thereto. The retractable door assembly is positioned in at least one door opening, with the retractable door assembly comprising a flexible door member slideable between open and closed positions within opposing track assemblies. Access to the cargo area is provided by selectively sliding the flexible door to the open position. The vehicle conversion system comprises a retractable door assembly of predetermined dimensions, and a frame assembly selectively secured in a door opening of a vehicle. The retractable door assembly is mounted to the frame assembly to substantially close the door opening. A method of vehicle conversion is also set forth, comprising the steps of providing a door opening in a vehicle, and securing a frame assembly in association with the door opening.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of trace analysis of organic compounds which calls for the steps of setting a test piece in a flow cell, and thereafter removing organic compounds from the test piece by heating it at high temperature in an oven. The compounds are concentrated in a trap tube and then removed from the trap tube and carried into a concentrating/inlet unit, such as a thermal desorption cold trap injector. In this unit, cryofocusing of the compounds is performed, and then the organic compounds are introduced into a gas chromatograph to be analyzed therein, wherein a part of the purified inert gas is caused, except during the process of trapping the organic compounds, to flow into the flow cell from the direction opposite the direction from which the gas flows along the trapping line.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a solution feeding apparatus and a solution feeding method that are capable of feeding solution from a container until the container is completely empty while maintaining a precise feeding rate to the end of the feeding process. The solution feeding apparatus may include a solution-feeding pump connected via a tube to a container which hermetically contains a solution and is capable of changing its shape in accordance with the amount of its content is provided with a gas-liquid separation tank and a gas detection sensor. The gas-liquid separation tank serves to separate gas from solution and may be disposed in the portion of the apparatus between the container and the pump. The gas detection sensor may be disposed in the gas-liquid separation tank and serves to detect gas that has entered the solution channel.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for measuring the likelihood that detected stationary objects are not normally present at a sensed location. Such systems and methods may be used by other systems to which information from the present invention are communicated, for minimizing nuisance alerts in onboard object detection systems such as collision warning, collision avoidance, and/or adaptive cruise control systems. The system includes at least one vehicle mounted sensor capable of sensing at least a target object and providing data related to the target object. The system also comprises a locating device which is capable of determining and providing data related to the location of the machine or vehicle and a processing unit which receives the data from the sensor and the data from the locating device.

Abstract: A motor vehicle interaxle differential including a bevel gear design and utilizing an interaxle differential housing having a one-piece construction. A splined input shaft extending from the motor vehicle transmission mates with the inside diameter of a splined trunnion on the interaxle differential housing to provide input torque. The interior of the interaxle differential housing includes four (4) substantially flat thrust surfaces for support of left and right side gears and first and second pinion mate gears. The first pinion mate gear and the second pinion mate gear are retained in the interaxle differential housing by stub shafts which are threaded into the interaxle differential housing wall. The stub shaft design includes a shoulder to provide controlled perpendicularity and torque retention and a recessed socket head to facilitate installation. A housing endcap is utilized for sealing and supporting the interaxle differential housing bearing and the input shaft.

Abstract: A brake wear indicator to provide visual and tactile indication of unacceptable brake wear. The brake wear indicator has a hub drive attached to a cam shaft, a brake wear disk attached to the hub drive and a body attached to a slack adjuster lever. The brake wear disk has a wear detector lug. The body has two the travel limit lugs which extend towards the centerline of the brake wear disk and are on the end of flexible fingers. When the brake linings are approaching unacceptable wear, the wear detector lug contacts one of the travel limit lugs and pushes the travel limit lug and the end of the corresponding finger away from the adjacent outer surface of the body. The rising of the end of the finger above the adjacent surface provides visual and tactile indication of unacceptable brake wear.

Abstract: Apparel, such as a jacket or rain gear, which is collapsible into its sleeve to form a fanny pack, shoulder pack, hand pack or back pack configuration which includes a releasable fastener which retains two (2) outwardly extending ends of an adjustable belt member attached to the apparel, such as a jacket or rain gear. The length of the adjustable belt member is readily adjustable by the user to permit the apparel, such as a jacket or rain gear, to be carried as a fanny pack, shoulder pack, hand pack or back pack, as desired by the user, when the apparel, such as a jacket or rain gear, is not in use. When it is desired to use the apparel, such as a jacket or rain gear, it is quickly and readily converted from its fanny pack, shoulder pack, hand pack or back pack configuration into apparel, such as a jacket or rain gear, ready for use.

Abstract: There is provided an improvement for a railroad freight car for transporting containers. The car is of the type having spaced apart side structures, opposed end structures and a floor structure, all of which together define a well for receiving a plurality of containers. The well has a longitudinal direction substantially aligned with the direction of travel of the car and a transverse direction substantially normal thereto. The floor structure of the car has a container support within the well which provides a container support surface. The improvement comprises a container stop provided with the container support, the container stop having an extended position and a retracted position. The container stop is biased to the extended position by a biasing component. The extended position is defined by the container stop extending upwardly from the container support surface to present two stop surfaces within the well.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an LED lamp and method of using one or more lamps, and portable lighting products such as flashlights using such LED lamp(s). The LED lamp according to the invention provides uniformly distributed light that radiates spherically approximately 270° in all directions, both radially and axially. This newly designed lamp is ideally suited as a source of illumination for beam lights of the type employing reflective surfaces to produce a beam of light. The at least one chip is encased in at least one envelope surrounding the chip, with the envelope extending from a first position below the position of the at least one chip to a second position above the chip position. The second position of the envelope forms a lens in from of the at least one chip with the surface of the lens being configured and positioned relative to the ship such that a substantially uniform portion of light emitted from the chip is reflected off of the surface.

Abstract: A motor vehicle differential bearing pre-load mechanism which provides for the simultaneous use of a collapsible spacer which plastically deforms and has a close to linear load to deflection band on one side of a motor vehicle differential assembly and a threaded adjuster on the other side of the motor vehicle differential assembly to axially pre-load the differential bearings in motor vehicle differential axles or on any shaft with bearings which requires an axial pre-load. Typically, the axial pre-load of the differential bearings decreases as wear of the differential bearings occurs when mechanical shims or a threaded adjuster without a collapsible spacer have been used.

Abstract: A motor vehicle torque transfer case with integral constant velocity (CV) joint including a constant velocity (CV) bell, a chain sprocket, a speed sensor tone wheel, a chain sprocket splined to the chain sprocket spindle, two (2) support bearings, a single seal, a constant velocity (CV) inner race and cage assembly, a front output shaft, and a constant velocity (CV) boot. The constant velocity (CV) bell, the chain sprocket spindle and the speed tone wheel are preferably of one-piece construction. The constant velocity (CV) joint is preferably of a double offset plunging design, although other designs for the constant velocity (CV) joint could be utilized if desired. The spline connecting the chain sprocket to the chain sprocket spindle is preferably a slip fit and a drawn cup needle roller bearing is pressed into the torque transfer case housing.

Abstract: An improved wheel end assembly integrates into the steering knuckle a feature for providing driving engagement/disengagement of a wheel to convert between driven and non-driven modes of wheel movement. Such a wheel end assembly receives drive torque from a half shaft through a constant velocity (“CV”) joint. The wheel end assembly has the steering knuckle, which is coupled to the vehicle and which integrally houses a hub lock actuator assembly. A bearing assembly mounted to the knuckle allows for free rotation of a cylindrical wheel hub mounted thereon about a central axis of the hub. The wheel hub has a flange for mounting the wheel at an outboard end thereof and a drive flange at an inboard end thereof, an outer circumference of the flange having a plurality of external teeth spaced evenly therearound.

Abstract: Bevel gears having a carbon content of at least about 0.4% by weight, preferably 0.5% by weight are manufactured by a process which includes forging a steel blank having a carbon content of at least 0.4% by weight until a bevel gear precursor having essentially the tooth configuration and dimensions of the desired product gear is obtained, and hardening the teeth of the gear precursor by induction heating without machining of the teeth. The initial forging is precise enough so that no further machining of the teeth is required. This requires forging to a tolerance specified in AGMA class 6. The gear is then induction hardened, first by preheating at a lower frequency, say 10 KHz, then induction heating at a higher frequency, say 50 KHz, in order to obtain a desired hardness profile. The desired hardness profile includes the surface hardness of at least 50, preferably 60, on the Rockwell C scale and a core hardness not over Rockwell C 45, preferably from Rockwell 25 to Rockwell 40.