Abstract: A dual sensitive retractor prevents protraction of webbing when either a predetermined vehicle acceleration or webbing acceleration occurs. The reel includes a shaft which is rotatably mounted on a frame. Locking means, in the form of a lock cup, on the frame moves locking pawls into and out of the path of ratchet teeth on the reel. An inertia mass is mounted on the shaft for rotation with respect to the shaft, and an inertia weight is provided which is responsive to changes in the inertia of the vehicle. The invention includes the improvement of providing a latch and means for mounting the latch for engaging the locking means to prevent webbing protraction. Drive means, which in one embodiment is a cam fixed to the shaft contacting the latch generally is driven by the shaft and is connected to the latch to impart rotation from the shaft to the inertia mass and to move the latch into engagement with the locking means when the webbing acceleration rotates the shaft faster than the inertia mass.

Abstract: A safety belt retractor has a belt storage spool and a spool rewind spring for biasing the spool in a belt rewind direction, means for reducing the tension applied to the belt when in use due to the bias of the rewind spring, means for activating such means for reducing in response to spool rotation in a predetermined manner and means for deactivating such means for reducing in response to spool rotation in a belt rewind direction of more than one full revolution of the spool under the influence of said reduced tension. The means for reducing the resultant effect of the rewind bias of the spring in an exemplary embodiment includes means for selectively applying a portion of the rewind torque of the spool rewind spring back on to the spool through a gearing arrangement in one version, and through a pulley means in another arrangement, in a belt unwinding direction to produce a reduced torque or "comfort zone" effect upon the spool.

Abstract: An inertia-responsive vehicle seat back latch mechanism for a vehicle seat assembly having a seat back pivotally supported for forwardly tilting movement, wherein said latch mechanism includes a seat back stop for cooperating with an inertia-responsive member to prevent forward tilting of said seat back when said inertia-responsive member is in its seat back locking position. The inertia-responsive member is adapted for moving into the seat back locking position during a vehicle deceleration. The latch mechanism further includes a device for maintaining said inertia-responsive member in its seat back locking position subsequent to said vehicle deceleration. The seat back latch mechanism may also include a device for releasing said seat back from its locking position subsequent to said vehicle deceleration.

Abstract: A safety belt retractor has an extended low tension range dual tensioning and rewind means including a reel rewind spring means for biasing the reel in a belt rewind direction under the urging of a first bias, tension reducing means for providing a second rewind bias of a lower value on said reel than the first bias to provide a reduced tension on a safety belt, activating means for activating the tension reducing means in response to reel rotation in a predetermined manner and means for deactivating such tension reducing means in response to reel rotation under the urging of the second bias including the provison of a spiral cam surface mounted to the retractor frame and presenting a spiral surface having an extent of more than one whole revolution about a spiral center, a cam follower provided to be moved along the spiral surface, means for driving the cam follower along such cam surface in response to rotation of the reel and means operated by radial displacement of the cam follower relative to the spiral

Abstract: A safety belt retractor has a belt storage reel biased toward belt wound condition by conjugate return spring means comprising a first biasing spring connected to the reel for biasing said reel at a relatively low level for comfort zone torque rewind mode, a second biasing means for biasing the reel toward a belt wound condition independently of the first biasing means and means for releasably connecting the second biasing means to the reel whereby the reel is normally biased toward belt wound condition under the urging of both the first and second biasing means, but on releasing said second biasing means from said reel, the reel is biased to belt wound condition under the relatively low rewind torque of the first biasing means.

Abstract: A tubular wall is axially telescoped over an end closure and a wall outer end portion is secured to the end closure so that complete separation between the wall and end closure will not take place up to internal reservoir pressures spaced above a predetermined pressure, but at the same time, such securement permitting fluid flow outwardly between the wall and end closure at reservoir pressures at least as low as the predetermined pressure. A wall inner end portion is formed in an annular zone arcuately inwardly against a resilient sealing ring positioned in an end closure arcuate recess compressing the sealing ring against the end closure.

Abstract: A safety belt retractor having a belt storage spool biased toward a belt storage position is provided with means for selectively applying a portion of the rewind torque of the spool rewind spring back on to the spool in a belt unwinding direction to produce a reduced torque effect upon the spool.

Abstract: One end of an oscillating saw blade has a notch, and spaced from the notch is a hole through the blade. The head of the tool has a slot having a shaft extending through the rear end of the slot for receiving the notch. A pin extends partially into the slot for receiving the hole. A closer in the form of a cam is cammed into and out of the slot for moving the hole on the blade onto the pin and moving the end of the blade having the hole and the notch against the bottom of the slot. The cam closer is locked in place to lock the blade in the slot. A handle is attached to the cam closer for manually rotating the cam, and the cam has an overcenter orientation where the resilient forces from the blade pushing on the cam tend to rotate the cam to a closed position. A stop is provided to intersect the handle and stop it in its locked position. A jaw of resilient material may be provided between the blade and the bottom of the slot to spread forces from the cam on the blade.

Abstract: A safety belt retractor, having a webbing storage means biased toward a webbing stored condition and associated safety belt webbing, is provided with latching means for preventing movement of the storage means toward a webbing stored condition upon protraction of the webbing to relieve tension in the webbing due to the bias of the storage means and additional means for providing a limited low tension travel of the webbing while the storage means is prevented from moving by the latching means. Means are supplied for deactivating the latching means upon protraction or retraction of the webbing beyond the limits of said limited low tension travel to provide for an automatic resetting of the latching means in different positions of use of the webbing and to allow for retraction of the webbing by the webbing storage means to said stored condition when the safety belt is released.

Abstract: An inertia-responsive vehicle seat back latch mechanism for a vehicle seat assembly having a seat back pivotally supported for forwardly tilting movement, wherein said latch mechanism includes an unattached, inertia-responsive mass which moves in response to changes in vehicle velocity such that it is disposed in a position to engage a latch and thereby prevent forward tilting of the seat back. In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the unattached, inertia-responsive mass is a roller contained within a roller guide.

Abstract: A wheelchair comprises a pair of frame members of one piece of solid material. A well indented into each frame member accommodates an axle for mounting a wheel therein. A pair of braces supports the frame members in a spaced-apart position and allows the frame members to be brought together. A vertical pivot pivotally mounts the brace members with respect to each other at a central portion of each brace member. Each brace member pivots with respect to a frame member about a vertical axis on an anchor. The other end of each brace member is releasably anchored to the frame member opposite the one to which the one end of the brace member is anchored. A brake on the frame moves against the wheels to lock them, and a hill holder connected to the brake prevents movement of the wheels in one direction. A brake handle is movable between at least two positions, a locking one and a hill holder one. The handle is mounted in an indentation on each frame member adjacent the well.

Abstract: An emergency locking safety belt retractor having a safety belt wound upon a reel has a dual tension single spring retraction means including reduction gear means interposed between the reel and retractor spring which is selectively operated to reduce the force of the spring means upon the reel when the safety belt is protracted to a position of use and then slightly retracted for a limited amount of retraction movement during which the safety belt is in a "low tension zone" condition until the limited retraction movement allowed is exceeded and the full force of the spring is reapplied through the gear means to the reel.

Abstract: An inertia-responsive vehicle seat back latch mechanism for a vehicle seat assembly having a seat back pivotally supported for forwardly tilting movement, wherein said latch mechanism includes a seat back stud for moving with the seat back, a locking pawl pivotally attached to the seat cushion support which is adapted to engage the seat back stud, and a latching pawl pivotally attached to the seat cushion support for preventing the rotation of the locking pawl. The locking pawl is disposed to engage the seat back stud but is cammable free of the seat back stud thereby allowing forward tilting of the seat back; however, during a vehicle deceleration greater than a predetermined value, the latching pawl will prevent rotation of the locking pawl and thereby the locking pawl will lockingly engage the seat back stud thereby preventing forward tilting of the seat back.

Abstract: A safety belt tensioning and rewinding retractor has a safety belt storage reel rotatably mounted to a retractor frame, emergency locking means for locking the reel against belt protraction, a member rotatably mounted in the retractor frame and means for limiting rotation of such member in a first rotative direction, a first biasing means connected between such member and reel for biasing the member toward the limiting means and the reel in an opposite belt rewinding direction, means for releaseably connecting the member to the reel to block the bias of the first biasing means when the belt is placed in a position of use and second biasing means for biasing the member in a belt rewind direction such that when the bias of the first biasing means is blocked through the connection of the member and reel, a reduced lower tension is applied to the seat belt in use due to the bias of the second biasing means applied to the reel in a rewind direction.

Abstract: Tension relieving means for safety belt retractors having biasing means for normally biasing an associated safety belt storage means toward a belt retracted condition when the associated safety belt is protracted are provided for restricting the retractive movement of the storage means when the belt is in use to provide a limited low tension travel for the belt which is automatically established on a slight retractive movement of the protracted belt and is maintained within the limits of a predetermined extent of low tension travel for the belt.

Abstract: In a double-tubed life vest with the inside marginal edges of the tubes fastened to each other temporary connecting members on the tubes releasably hold the outside marginal edges of the tubes together. The temporary connecting members are released when the gas pressure in the vest is greater than a given pressure. The gas occupies a first volume when the temporary connecting members are holding the corresponding sections of the tubes together such that the first volume of gas at the first pressure provides sufficient buoyancy to the life vest to support a body. The gas can occupy a second volume when the temporary connecting members are released to allow the gas to occupy a greater volume such that the addition of more gas in the tubes provides greater buoyancy to the body.

Abstract: Improvements in a safety belt retractor having a locking pawl and a first ratchet engageable by the locking pawl for locking a belt storage reel against unwinding movement and an actuating pawl associated with means responsive to an emergency condition. The improvements include an intermediate actuating member movably mounted between the locking pawl and the actuating pawl resiliently engaging the locking pawl and adapted to cause the locking pawl to engage the first ratchet to lock the reel when the actuating member is actuated upon an emergency condition.

Abstract: A child safety seat is generally formed of one piece molded material having slots through the back wall of the seat. The harness for securing the child in the seat passes through slots in the seat and is anchored to the rear of the seat at selected vertical locations. The harness is connected to a hook plate having a hook thereon and the anchoring means on the rear of the seat includes a plurality of vertically spaced openings for receiving the hook at selected vertical positions. Means are provided in the receiving opening in the rear of the seat to prevent insertion or removal of the hook except when the hook is in a particular orientation with respect to the receiving opening.

Abstract: A safety belt retractor has a belt storage reel biased toward a belt wound condition, an emergency locking means for preventing a further unwinding movement of the belt when it is unwound to a position of use and an emergency condition exists and an improvement in belt tension reducing means for reducing the tension of the belt when in use due to the rewinding bias of the reel. The improved belt tension reducing means includes counterbiasing spring means for biasing the reel in a belt unwinding direction when connected thereto and means for releasably connecting the counterbiasing means and the reel in response to belt movement during protraction and retraction. Ratchet means connected to the reel are adapted to be engaged by pawl means pivotally mounted on a pawl carrier means which is in turn rotatably mounted to the retractor and biased counter to the reel bias by the counterbiasing spring.

Abstract: The harness for securing a child into a child safety seat includes at least two webbing sections anchored to the seat and attached to an abdominal pad for restraining the upper torso of the child and locating the pad. The harness includes at least a third webbing section attached at one end to the abdominal pad. A tongue plate is attached to the other end of the third webbing section. Adjustment means are provided for adjusting the vertical position of the pad. The third harness has a fixed length, and the adjustment means comprises positioning means on or in the pad for positioning the first end of the third webbing section for vertically positioning the pad relative to the child. Securing means are also provided in the base of the seat for securing a buckle therein, and a slot in the seat allows for passage of the tongue plate through the slot. The buckle is secured in such a way that it is aligned with the slot so that the tongue plate mates with the buckle when the tongue plate passes through the slot.