Abstract: A tool for removing insulation from an electrical cable, has a pair of levers pivotally joined at a fulcrum point to each other. Each lever has a handle and a jaw on opposite sides of the fulcrum point. The jaws have a plurality of notches of different curvatures which come together in a closed state for stripping insulation from electrical wires of different gauges. One of the jaws also contains a ripper for cutting away the sheathing from an electrical cable. The ripper is formed by a ripper notch with first and second sides that diverge at an acute angle from a vertex to an opening that faces away from the handles. The first side of the ripper notch has a beveled surface which forms a sharp knife edge that cuts the sheathing and the second side is formed by a cylindrical guide pin. When the tool is used, the guide pin is inserted into the end of the cable and directs the sheathing into the ripper notch while preventing the insulated wires within the cable from being damaged by the knife edge.

Abstract: A rotary indexing valve has an electromagnetic coil which shuttles a spoil axially. As the spool shuttles axially, it cams on axially opposed surfaces so as to rotatably index the spool. Such rotatable indexing of the spool angularly positions different sized orifices into or out of registration with one of the ports in the housing to change the cross sectional area of the flow passage between the inlet and outlet ports of the housing. One of the cam surfaces is defined by an alternating series of peaks and valleys, and the valleys are at different heights so as to change the spacing between the spool and a pole piece, which varies the inductance of the coil dependent on the angular position of the spool. The inductance of the coil can therefore be measured to provide an electrical signal indicative of the angular position of the spool.

Abstract: A tube bender handle having a larger diameter portion at a handle end which is long in comparison to a smaller diameter portion which is screwed into the bender body.

Abstract: An active vehicle suspension employs a multi-point support system between a vehicle's chassis and cab. Each support point has an isolator which includes a linear hydraulic actuator that is connected at its quiet end to the payload by a passive vibration isolator and is connected at its vibrating end to the chassis. Each isolator also has a support spring to off-load the majority of the weight of the cab from the hydraulic actuator. An accelerometer is mounted to sense movement at a point between the linear hydraulic actuator and the passive vibration isolator. An electrical signal produce by the accelerometer is processed to operate a hydraulic valve that controls movements of the hydraulic actuator so that transmission of vibrations from the chassis to the cab is attenuated.

Abstract: The platen of a press which is provided with multiple longitudinally running T-slots for clamping a tool such as a die or mold to the platen has a frame secured to it which supports and guides a travelling clamp so that the travelling clamp can be moved laterally to serve any one of several T-slots in the platen. In one embodiment, a face drive unit has its motor fixed relative to the frame so as to drive the travelling clamp laterally. In another embodiment, the frame supports multiple travelling clamps and each clamp is provided with its own lateral drive along a frame which extends along the face of the press slide and is common to the travelling clamps. Brake cylinders maybe provided for fixing the travelling clamp to the frame during press operation.

Abstract: An apparatus for absorbing vibrations in a structural member has a mass suspended between two mounting plates by a separate springs. The mass has two sections and a mechanism for adjusting the spacing between the sections to alter the spring stiffness. Two sensors produce first and second signals representing the vibration of the structural member and the mass. The mechanism is operated by a controller that includes separate filters for the first and second signals in which each filter has a center frequency that is tuned by a clock signal. The phase comparator produces a phase output signal indicating a phase relationship between signals from the two filters and the control signal for the mechanism is produce in response to the phase output signal. A phase locked loop produces the clock signal for tuning the filters in response to a comparison between one of the first and second signals and a signal from one of the filters.

Abstract: An apparatus for absorbing vibrations in a structural member, such as in an aircraft fuselage, has first and second plates for attaching to the structural member. A mass, which is suspended between the plates, includes a first block connected to the first plate by a first spring and a second block connected to the second plate by a second spring. The springs may be formed by metal straps which allow the mass to move along one axis or by rods which allow two axis movement of the mass. One sensor produces a signal indicating vibration of the structural member and another sensor produces a signal indicating vibration of the mass. A mechanism connected to the first and second block responds to a control signal by varying a distance between the first and second block to alter stiffness of the first and second springs.

Abstract: A travelling clamp unit of the type for extending and retracting a T-head clamping cylinder into and out of a T-slot of a press has a main frame which supports clamping cylinder drive means and the clamping cylinder when it is in a parked position in which it is retracted from the T-slot of the press. The main frame has rails which support the clamping cylinder T-head in the parked position and which are removable from the main frame so that the T-head can be dropped out of the bottom end of the main frame for removing the clamping cylinder from the travelling clamp unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a hydraulic circuit for the sequential control of two or more hydraulic cylinders and more particularly for opening and closing the folding roof a cabriolet type vehicle, in which the cylinder space under the piston of each piston cylinder device is selectively connectable to a hydraulic pressure source or to a reservoir for hydraulic fluid, and an additional valve device is provided by which the cylinder space above the piston is also connectable to the pressure source for at least some of the piston cylinder devices. The cylinder spaces above the pistons are hydraulically connected and the additional valve device is constituted by a common electrically operated valve for the piston cylinder devices, by which the cylinder spaces above the pistons are jointly connectable to either the pressure source or the reservoir.

Abstract: A tube bender angle indicator is attached to the handle of a manual tube bender and has a frame to which angle indicia are applied which define an apex through which a pointer is pivotally connected to the frame. A bubble level vial is secured to the pointer so as to indicate that the bend angle has been achieved which the pointer is pointing at when the bubble is in its horizontal reference position.

Abstract: A system for tightening a threaded fastener with a hydraulic wrench has a pumping unit which measures parameters representative of the torque applied to the fastener and the angle of advance of the fastener, remote from the wrench. The pump measures pressure as a parameter representative of torque and measures flow rate, pump speed (for a fixed displacement pump), or time (for a fixed displacement pump driven at constant speed) as a parameter representative of the angle of advance of the fastener. A ratchet-type hydraulic wrench is used, and the pressure versus angle data produced in tightening a fastener is manipulated to discard irrelevant portions and smooth relevant portions to provide data representative of torque and angle during the tightening process from which to determine a final stopping parameter for terminating tightening. The system also has a calibration fixture for determining the volumetric rate of angle advance for a given wrench.

Abstract: A hydraulic circuit for opening and closing of a folding roof has at least two (pairs of) cylinders, one of which is adapted to open and close the folding roof and the other of which is adapted to lock the roof upon closing. The hydraulic circuit also has electrically operated valves provided in the circuit in such a way that the closing pressure within the roof cylinder is released rapidly as soon as the front roof edge gets within the catching area of the lock member, after which the lock cylinder will immediately close. This prevents the roof from moving in the closing direction too far, which would involve the tendency of the roof to "spring back", and avoids the chance of "miscatching" by the lock member.

Abstract: An active vibration isolation system (10) includes a plurality of stiff actuators, such as piezoelectric motors (12a-c; 284, 350) which support a small mass (18) inside of a case (300). A passive isolator (20) is interposed between the small mass (18) and the payload mass (M.sub.p). In the instance where the stiff actuators are piezoelectric motors, the sidewalls of the case (300) are used to provide compressive force along the variable length of each of the horizontal piezoelectric motor elements (284, 350) to prevent damage to same. Compensation circuitry (24) is connected between velocity sensors (17) and the stiff actuators to control the variable length thereof in this move-out-of-the-way system (10) and to compensate for resonating modes. Optionally, a payload mass velocity sensor (26) and associated circuitry may be used to provide additional control.

Abstract: A radial piston pump with pistons which pump into a circumferential pressure passage has the passage sealed on its outer side by a plastic annular member of a trapezoid-shaped cross-section. The longer parallel side of the cross-section faces radially inwardly and includes a circumferential groove for receiving a resilient O-ring which biases closed pressure valves located between the pistons and the passage. The annular member is adapted to be inserted radially inwardly into the circumferential pressure passage by expanding it and allowing it to contract into the passage. A radially inner side of the circumferential passage is, at a location between two adjacent cylinders, connected to a passage that extends radially inwardly and that is connected to an axial passage that leads to a pressure connection.

Abstract: A bidirectional flow control valve has one port co-axial with a tubular spool and another port opening to the side of the spool, with openings formed in the sidewall of the spool to establish communication between the two ports. The end of the spool adjacent to the one port abuts the brim of a tubular hat-shaped insert which extends inside the lumen of the spool to a closed end on the distal side of the other port. Openings are formed in the sidewall of the insert which are in communication with openings in the sidewall of the spool via an annular groove in the exterior of the insert. The insert reacts against flow forces, helps equalize pressures from one end of the spool to the other, and does not increase the pressure drop across the valve.

Abstract: A piezo-electrically actuated hydraulic valve has a nozzle type seat and a piezo-electric actuator in a plane orthogonal to the axis of the nozzle. The actuator includes a piezo-ceramic layer laminated to an electrode sheet, so that the composite is in sheet form and parallel to the plane of the seat. The electrode sheet has opposite edges which extend beyond the piezo-ceramic layer and are clamped by the housing of the valve so that the center of the actuator is positioned over the seat, and in the preferred embodiment normally closes the seat. When an electric field is applied to the piezo-ceramic layer, the actuator bows or dishes so as to displace relative to the nozzle. The electric field may be applied proportionally, in which case the actuator displaces proportionally to the field applied, the field may be applied as a pulse width modulated signal, in which case the displacement of the actuator also modulates.

Abstract: A linear preload fluid power operated latch has two coaxial pistons, one slidable inside the other and the other slidable within a cylinder. The one piston slides inside the other to cam dogs which are slidable in slots of a nose which is secured to the other piston so as to engage an undercut in a cup in which the nose is received. After the dogs are engaged in the cup, which secures the latch, both pistons are retracted to apply a linear preload force between the two bodies being latched. In one embodiment, the pistons are moved in both directions under fluid pressure and in another embodiment, both pistons are returned by compression springs. In either case, the cup is drawn closer to the cylinder with a certain preload force, to latch a body to which the cup is attached to a second body to which the cylinder is attached with that preload force.

Abstract: An active vehicle suspension employs a multi-point support system between a vehicle's chassis and cab. Each support point has an isolator which includes a linear hydraulic actuator that is connected at its quiet end to the payload by a passive vibration isolator and is connected at its vibrating end to the chassis. Each isolator also has a support spring to off-load the majority of the weight of the cab from the hydraulic actuator. An accelerometer is mounted to sense movement at a point between the linear hydraulic actuator and the passive vibration isolator. An electrical signal produced by the accelerometer is processed to operate a hydraulic valve that controls movements of the hydraulic actuator so that transmission of vibrations from the chassis to the cab is attenuated.