Abstract: A rotary valve and a method of forming a sleeve for such a valve. The valve for controlling fluid pressure to a power assisted steering gear has a rotor 3 mounted in the bore 2 of a sleeve 1 so that relative rotation between the rotor and sleeve controls fluid flow through ports 5, 6a, 6b and 7 to actuate the power assistance means. The port 7 is in the form of an axially extending slot in the bore 2, one end 18 of the slot 7 terminating within the bore and the other end opening into an end face 19 of the sleeve to alleviate the requirement for an annular recess (such as 8, 9 or 10) on the sleeve for supply of fluid to the slot 7 and thereby permitting a reduction in length of the sleeve. The slot 7 may be flat bottomed and inclined relative to the sleeve axis and the method comprises rectilinearly machining such a slot--preferably as a single pass with a broaching tool inclined relative to the sleeve axis.

Abstract: A sewing machine with a workpiece holding-down device comprises an arm movable between an upper position and a lower position and normally biased to the upper position. An auxiliary workpiece holding-down member is movable between an upper position and a lower position in synchronization with the rotation of a main shaft and is normally biased to the upper position. A disengageable interconnecting means is interposed between the main shaft and auxiliary holding-down member. Electromagnetic means is energized upon starting of a sewing operation and is deenergized upon the completion of formation of a seam. An operation means is operable in response to energization of the electromagnetic means to impart an operative force to the auxiliary holding-down member and a holding-down arm and releases the operative force in response to the deenergization of the electromagnetic means.

Abstract: The subject of the invention is an actuating device for a disc brake for motor vehicles or trailers having opposed brake jaws 5, 8 on both sides of a brake disc, which cooperates with a traction and a pressure rod, while between the traction rod 6 and the pressure rod 7 are arranged pairs of wedges consisting of outer wedges 10 and inner wedges 11. To provide this actuating device with a simply constructed and automatically acting resetting device for compensating for wear of the brake linings, there is provided an automatic resetting device between the inner wedges 11, consisting of a threaded bolt 17 with wedge pieces 18 lying between the inner wedges 11 and a reset lever, which is arranged with a movable collar 20 on the threaded bolt 17, cooperating with a stationary slide 21.

Abstract: An improved core material is used in an improved method of forming cores for investment casting of articles. The core material comprises fused silica, synthetic amorphous silica, a refractory material, and a binder. The synthetic amorphous silica has a surface area of at least 200 square meters per gram. Even though the synthetic amorphous silica has a relatively large surface area, it has a particle size of less than 10 microns and is 5% or less by weight of the total weight of the solid constituents of the core material slurry. After a green core has been formed in a core mold it is fired to set the core material. During firing, the green core shrinks in size. To compensate for deviations in the size of a finished core from a desired size, the percentage of synthetic amorphous silica in the core material slurry is varied.

Abstract: An automatic adjusting device for motor vehicle brakes includes a brake lever comprising a housing portion in which an adjusting gear comprising a worm and a worm wheel is located. The housing portion is connected through a clutch having frontal teeth and a drive member, with a lever having one end portion projecting into the housing portion and connected with a stationary part of the vehicle. The end portion of the lever projecting into the housing is provided with a stop that engages a recess provided in the housing portion. The cooperation between the recess and the stop limits the stroke of the brake lever.

Abstract: An improved method of making an airfoil includes stacking plies in two groups. A separator ply is positioned between the two groups of plies. The groups of plies and the separator ply are interconnected to form an airfoil blank. The airfoil blank is shaped, by forging or other methods, to have a desired configuration. The material of the separator ply is then dissolved or otherwise removed from between the two sections of the airfoil blank to provide access to the interior of the airfoil blank. Material is removed from inner sides of the two separated sections to form core receiving cavities. After cores have been placed in the cavities, the two sections of the airfoil blank are interconnected and the shaping of the airfoil is completed. The cores are subsequently removed from the completed airfoil.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for detecting wheel slip of a driven wheel with respect to a surface. A magnet is fastened to the wheel and a sensor coil is fixedly mounted adjacent the path of rotation of the magnet. The sensor generates one electrical pulse each time the associated magnet rotates past it. Thus, the time of rotation of the wheel corresponds to the time interval between the pulses provided by the coil. The rotation time of the driven wheel is compared against the rotation time of a similarly equipped free rolling wheel to detect wheel slip. A wheel slip indication is given if the difference in wheel rotation times is greater than a selected limit. Acceleration of the wheels may interfere with the wheel slip detection, because the rotation times of the driven and free rolling wheels are not measured at precisely the same time.

Abstract: A turning fitting for a safety belt includes a pair of leg sections which extend downward from a mounting section and are connected with opposite end portions of a turning section. The turning section includes a plastic casing. The plastic casing has a surface covered with a coating of low friction material. In one specific instance, the low friction material coating was a metal coating which was deposited by vapor deposition.

Abstract: A monitor is disclosed for monitoring the operation of an electrically powered load, such as a solenoid or a resistance heater. The load is connected across a power source and normally draws current therefrom. An integrated circuit includes means for energizing a load on indicator so long as the load is drawing current. A power on indicator is energized so long as the monitor receives power from the power source. When the monitor senses that current is no longer being drawn by the load it energizes a flashing on-off fault indicator.

Abstract: A power assistance steering system for a vehicle, including a fluid pump which directs fluid pressure selectively to a movement assistance device to assist steering and a prime mover for driving the pump through a microprocessor in accordance with signals generated by a sensor responsive to steering torque.

Abstract: In fastening a sealing bellows to the housing of a ball joint, the sealing bellows has a doughnut-form rim which seats in a circumferential ring groove, open in the axial direction and designed U-shaped in cross section, on the outer rim of the housing. The ring groove is formed in part by a circumferential recess, L-shaped in cross section, on the housing rim, and by an L-shaped holding ring, opposite in cross section to the recess and fastened into this latter. To simplify this fastening and to protect the fixing of the sealing bellows, the flat bottom of the opening has a circumferential ring step lying radially inward, and the fastening of the holding ring by its ring flange to the ring step against the radially extending surface of the recess, is made by means of a circumferential projection or several segment-like projections staked from the ring step.

Abstract: A locker whose basic enclosure, and also its frame, are essentially formed from five sheet metal members. The sheet metal members form the sides, back, top and bottom of the locker. Certain of the sheet metal members (particularly the side and top members) also have respective portions of the frame integrally formed therewith. The frame portions, when interconnected, form the support frame for the locker and also join the sides, back, top and bottom members together to complete the locker's enclosure. The frame portions also define part of the front side of the locker, and form a door opening in the locker. A locker door is pivotally movable relative to the door opening to control access to the locker's interior. The top and bottom sheet metal members are structurally identical to each other, so that only a single type of forming operation is required to form both sheet metal members.

Abstract: An amplitude modulator (10) is disclosed which generates an amplitude modulated carrier signal by selectively combining varying numbers of other carrier signals. A circuit (20) is included which provides plural carrier signals of like frequency and phase where the number of carrier signals being provided is dependent upon the level of an input signal. A combiner circuit (22) combines the plural carrier signals to thereby provide a combined signal which is the desired amplitude modulated carrier signal. In one embodiment (FIG. 3) the carrier signals which are combined are all equal in amplitude. In another embodiment (FIG. 4) the amplitudes of some of the carrier signals are weighted in a binary progression. In yet another embodiment (FIG. 9) the carrier signals are all frequency modulated whereby the output signal has both a varying frequency and amplitude.

Abstract: A spring expander for oil control piston rings incorporates two spring mechanisms. One spring mechanism produces circumferentially directed hoop stress in the expander body when the expander body itself is contracted. A second radially acting spring mechanism is provided by circumferentially spaced spring fingers which radially deflect. Because the two spring mechanisms act together, the expander has a combined spring rate which is lower than the spring rate of either the circumferential spring mechanism or the spring rate of the radial spring mechanism. The expander also has expansion stops which limit the radial expansion of the spring fingers, and thereby limit the expansion of the associated rail ring to reduce pop-out during assembly. Contraction stops limit radial contraction of the rail ring with respect to the expander and maintain a clearance between the expander and the cylinder wall.

Abstract: Apparatus for stacking sheetlike articles of flexible material includes a stack follower engaging the trailing end of a stack to prevent separation of articles from the stack adjacent its trailing end as the edges of the articles drag across a guide surface during lowering movement of the stack.

Abstract: The subject of the invention is a ball joint for motor vehicles, with two substantially hemispherical bearing shells (4, 5), set between a joint housing (1) and a ball head (3), of which the inner has on its outer side several ridges (8) for support in the joint housing (1). To simplify the mounting of the ball joint and to produce flat lubricant pockets (9) on the inner side of the inner bearing shell (4), it is proposed that the wall thickness (S1) of the inner bearing shell (4), designed in one piece, be greater, in the zone of the ridges (8) than the gap width between the joint housing (1) and the ball head (3), and that the wall thickness (S2), in the zone between the ridges (8), be equal to or less than half the wall thickness (S1) in the zone of the ridges (8), the inner bearing shell (4) being made of a soft-elastic plastic and the outer bearing shell (5 ) being made of a hard-elastic plastic.

Abstract: In a hydrostatic load sense vehicle steering system, fluid flow from a source is used by a hydrostatic steering controller to effect steering of the vehicle. The controller has a metering unit and a control valve which, in response to a steering effort, moves away from a neutral position to an operating condition in which it (i) establishes a main flow control orifice which directs fluid from the source to the metering unit and (ii) directs metered fluid to a steering motor. A fluid actuator controls the flow of fluid from the source to the hydrostatic steering controller. A pilot fluid circuit directs a pilot flow of fluid to the controller which is used to control the operation of the fluid actuator. In the controller, the control valve directs the pilot fluid to a reservoir when there is no steering. The system is designed to come to a standby condition in which the amount of pilot fluid being directed to the controller is high enough that it can be used to satisfy a range of low demand steering maneuvers.

Abstract: Fuel injection apparatus including a power converter for generating a stable, high voltage DC signal for powering the fuel injectors. The power converter is connected to a voltage source such as a vehicle battery. The power converter includes a DC-DC converter and a feedback-stabilized converter control circuit. The converter control circuit adjusts the operation of the DC-DC converter in a direction to counteract changes in output voltage caused by battery voltage variations. The high voltage DC signal is applied to each injector through one or more solid state switches. Since the signal used to power the fuel injectors is substantially constant regardless of normal battery voltage variations, the injector pull-in time is substantially constant. Moreover, the use of a high voltage power signal enables low current injectors to be used. The low injector current results in low power dissipation by the solid state switches which operate the injectors.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for automatically tipping closely incidental mail to magazines or the like. A plurality of magazines are sequentially fed from a source location to a town sort stacking location. A labelling station and an envelope tipping station are disposed intermediate the source and town sort location. Presorted closely incidental mail pieces are provided and scanned for zip code information. Labels are provided having subscriber information including name, address, zip code and mail piece attachment indicia indicating whether that subscriber is to receive a mail piece. Each label is scanned. If a label scanned does not include mail piece attachment indicia indicating that subscriber is to receive a mail piece, that label is fixed to the corresponding, next magazine being fed from the source location to the town sort stack location.

Abstract: A console for keyboard editing and correcting of text, such as newspaper copy, displayed on the screen of a cathode ray tube. The encoded text copy is recirculated in a refresh memory having a large capacity dynamic shift register and a small capacity random access memory where various editing and correcting changes may be made. The text displayed on the cathode ray screen may be "rolled up" or "rolled down" one line at a time as the editing proceeds. Any selected block of the text may be transmitted from the output of the recirculating memory to an output device, such as a punch, and deleted from the refresh memory at the same time.