Abstract: The present specification discloses a brake actuation system for a vehicle, which is applicable to both hydraulically or pneumatically operated/spring released brakes and spring operated/hydraulically or pneumatically released brakes. With such brakes it is often necessary to have secondary means for brake operation or release. Such braking systems thus have primary and secondary means for brake operation or release. The present invention provides a fail-safe system which can provide at least an indication of impending failure. The brake actuation system of the present invention comprises a cylinder within which two axially aligned pistons are axially slidable, the space between one end of the cylinder and one piston being connected to a primary power system and the space between said pistons being connected to a secondary power system.

Abstract: An impeller for frictionally heating liquid is arranged that upon rotation thereof in a liquid reservoir, liquid is forced from the exterior of the impeller through passages having restricted orifices therein to an inner outlet cavity closed on one side and having an axial opening on the other. The impeller not only heats the liquid due to the shear friction of the liquid with its outer surface, but the liquid flowing through these passages is further heated as it is forced through the orifices. The impeller serves both as a friction heater and a pump to circulate heated liquid through an outlet port in the housing to a heat utilization device and back to an inlet port.

Abstract: A vehicle braking system of the electronically compensated type in which driver demand signals to inner closed loop pressure systems for the front and rear brakes are adjusted in accordance with load signals obtained from load sensors associated with front and rear axles of the vehicle respectively, these load signals themselves being modified to take account of the weight transfer effect from the rear axle to the front axle during braking. Weight transfer is calculated from the expression: ##EQU1## the deceleration, gross vehicle weight, height of the center of gravity of the vehicle and the vehicle wheel base being calculated and stored and manipulated electronically to provide dynamic load apportioning between the various inner closed loop pressure systems controlling the front and rear brakes, respectively.

Abstract: A housing (10) contains two cylinder bores (12, 14). In one of the cylinder bores (12) two pistons (16, 18) are arranged one behind the other and are displaceable by an external force (P) to subject a first or second pressure chamber (20, 22) to pressure. Two additional pistons (26, 28) are arranged one behind the other in the other cylinder bore (14) and are each displaceable by the pressure in one of said pressure chambers (20, 22) to subject a third pressure chamber (24) to pressure. Three brake circuit connections (30, 32, 34) are each connected to one of the pressure chambers (20, 22, 24). Three reservoir connections (40, 42, 44) are controlled by piston movements and each connected to one of the pressure chambers (20, 22, 24) for as long as it is pressureless. The third pressure chamber (24) is bordered by only one of the two additional pistons (26). The connection between the third pressure chamber (24) and the associated reservoir connection (44 ) is controlled by the same additional piston (26).

Abstract: A conveyor system for transporting relatively planar articles such as biscuits, includes a pair of upwardly divergent conveyor walls formed by belts 1, 2 which extend on either side of a stationary element which can be a single member 3 or lips. An article such as a biscuit is normally transported by point contacts with the conveyor walls. If an obstruction is encountered the article pivots to assume a stationary, substantially upright position resting on the stationary element with very little pressure being imposed on it.

Abstract: A controller for controlling the increase in fluid brake pressure as a brake is applied irrespective of how rapidly the operator applies the brakes. The controller includes a valve between inlet and outlet ports in a valve body, the valve having opposing faces subjected respectively to pressure at the outlet and pressure in a volume chamber between the valve and a spring loaded piston and connected to the outlet through a restricted orifice. The valve seeks an equilibrium position wherein the rate of rise in pressure at the outlet is controlled and the deceleration of the vehicle is controlled even when the operator applies the brakes at an excessive rate.

Abstract: The pack is adapted to store separately and allow mixing of a plurality of components and subsequent dispensing of the mixture. It comprises an outer container (1) and a preferentially rupturable inner container (2) having its outer surface sealed to the inner surfaces of said outer container walls at a median point of the outer container and adjacent an end of said inner container. The wall of said inner container (2) between seals (3) defines a first compartment (9) within said inner container (2) to one side of said seal (3) and a second compartment (7) within said outer container (1) to the other side of said seal (3). A recloseable inlet and outlet means (4,5) communicates with said second compartment (7).

Abstract: Liquid friction heating apparatus includes a pump rotor and an impeller rotor in a liquid reservoir. As the pump and impeller are rotated they impart frictional heat to the liquid. Further, the pump at all times delivers liquid to the inlet of the impeller which impells the liquid through restricted orifices to further heat the liquid. The pump positively prevents cavitation and ensures a constant flow through the orifices.

Abstract: In a method for determining the coefficient of friction between a vehicle tire and a roadway one of the vehicle wheel is pressurized during normal brake operation at a higher pressure than another wheel. The rotational speed of the braked wheel is compared with the rotational speed of another non-braked wheel for determining the wheel slip. Furthermore, the axle load of the braked wheel is measured. On the basis of wheel slip, brake torque and axle load, the coefficient of friction is determined.

Abstract: A minefield breaching system comprises a projectile which is fired by trapping a round from a rifle or light mortar, and which carries behind it a length of explosive line. The end of the explosive line remote from the projectile is connected to a length of non-explosive line, the free end of which remains at the position of the user of the system. The projectile is in use fired to carry the explosive line over the minefield and the explosive line is then pulled back by means of the non-explosive line to permit an initiation set to be connected to the proximal end of the explosive line.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a disc brake having a lever-type caliper, suitable for use on railway vehicles. The lever caliper type disc brake comprises a pair of pivotally mounted lever arms with an actuator arranged to act between said lever arms to cause the lever arms to pivot and apply the brake. An adjustable pad positioning device is connected to one lever arm to limit the available pivotal movement for said one lever arm when said actuator is in a brakes released position. The adjustable pad positioning device thus restricts the available movement for said one lever arm when the actuator is in the brakes released position so that the pad carried by said one lever arm is always held at a defined distance from the rotating disc in the brakes released position.

Abstract: The friction pad assembly of the present invention has a generally rectangular back plate with two retaining tabs projecting from opposite side edge regions, at an angle to the general plane of the back plate. The support or shoe is also generally rectangular and has a recess formed in each of two opposing side edges, the retaining tabs on the back plate engaging snugly into these recesses. The support has a further H-shaped recess in its front face within which an elongate spring plate is secured so as to project beyond opposing ends of said support. Thus, in use, the friction pad assembly can be quickly and simply mounted on the support and when the brake is operated the end region of the spring plate through which pad drag is passed to pad guides, flexes to thus allow for unhindered axial movement of the friction pad assembly and support.

Abstract: The level of a stack of coins in a stack tube is monitored by an ultrasonic transducer disposed above the stack tube. The transducer directs a train of ultrasonic pulses down towards the top of the stack and measures the transit time between the emitted and reflected pulses. The monitoring apparatus is particularly suitable for use in a gaming, amusement, vending or change machine which has a number of stack tubes from which coins are payed out by a payout device under the control of a control unit.

Abstract: A floating caliper of a spot-type disc brake supported for displacement with respect to a carrier member which is fixed to a vehicle and includes two brake pads for pressurizing the brake disc from either side. A hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly in the floating caliper directly pressurizes one of the pads and indirectly pressurizes the other pad by way of the floating caliper, with a sliding guide being provided between the carrier member and the floating caliper wherein one of the pads is supported circumferentially exclusively on the floating caliper and the other pad is exclusively supported on the piston of the piston and cylinder assembly, another sliding guide being provided on the carrier member for engagement by the piston.

Abstract: In an electrical generator of the type wherein coils are driven through the magnetic fields of magnets, or vice versa depending on which are mounted on the rotor and which on the stator, the coils are attracted to the magnets and this attractive force requires a significant proportion of the torque which must be exerted on the rotor to drive it by an outside power source. The proportion of torque attributable to the attractive force of the magnets on the coils are reduced in accordance with the invention by the provision of sets of magnets one of each set being driven with the rotor and the other being fixed to the stator, the magnets being arranged with the same polarity so that they repel each other and exert a force on the rotor opposite to that exerted by the attractive forces of the first magnets on the coils, whereby the torque required to drive the rotor is reduced.

Abstract: A leaf spring (76) for holding down the pad backplate (72) and the pressure distributor plate, if any, in the pad opening of a disc brake at one side rests on a movable frame (12) of the brake and at the other side pressurizes the lining backplate and the pressure distributor plate, if any. The leaf spring (76) is designed such that, in relaxed condition, it has an arched center portion (106) which is followed at either end by an at least approximately straight side portion (108,108') the end portions (84,84') of which are fixed at the lining backplate and pressure distributor plate, respectively, in the direction of extension of the leaf spring. This is to assure reliable hold-down even at great accelerations in spite of the fact that the brake linings remain easy to be applied and released. Such a leaf spring provides a favorable hold-down characteristic for the lining backplate and the pressure distributor plate without impeding the venting of the brake.

Abstract: A safety-pin (1,22,38) of a conventional kind is provided with a sheath (2,23,39) made as a unitary moulding of plastics or like material. The sheath is slidable between a release state, in which it does not prevent the pin being opened and closed at will, and a locking state in which it does prevent the pin being opened from a closed state. To this end the sheath has barring means, comprising one or more abutments (15,30,41), which obstruct a movable limb (4) of the pin. Each abutment has an inclined face (16,31,42) which engages the end (21) of the cap (6) of the pin, while the sheath is being pushed onto the cap during a first stage of assembly, and causes the barring means to move resiliently aside from its normal position. During a later stage of assembly the barring means returns resiliently to substantially its normal position. Any attempt to pull the sheath off the cap is positively resisted by engagement between the abutment or abutments and the cap.

Abstract: The present specification discloses a brake actuator incorporating a mechanically operated adjuster, the adjuster compensating for friction pad wear. The brake actuator comprises two adjuster members interconnected by a self-sustaining thread and located between a friction pad and an actuation member, the actuation member being biassed by a main spring to a brakes-on position with at least one hollow piston being displaceable under hydraulic pressure to compress the main spring and move the actuation member to a brakes-off positon, a second piston being carried within the hollow piston and being carried within the hollow piston and being axially displaceable therein under the hydraulic pressure and against a further spring, to cause interengaging clutch elements to rotate one adjuster member relative to the other adjuster member, a stop being arranged to limit the available movement of the clutch elements.

Abstract: A drum brake comprises two brake shoes (4,5) which are operable hydraulically and/or mechanically. A first brake shoe (4) is supported trailingly in forward travelling direction and leadingly in backward travelling direction. In the forward travelling direction both brake shoes (4,5) are supported trailingly so as to obtain soft response behavior. And a lever (7) is supported at the second brake shoe (5), having one arm pressurized by the piston (2) of the wheel brake cylinder (1), while the other arm (7b) acts directly or indirectly on the first brake shoe (4).

Abstract: In order to obtain a desired metal structure in a metal or alloy part having discontinuous portions, the metal or alloy part to be treated is inserted into a mold having a simple outer surface configuration. Thereafter the metal or alloy part to be treated is heated together with the mold.