Abstract: A one-piece tubular walled spun sheet metal pulley having a V-shaped pulley groove formed by a single V-groove wall and a partial double fold V-groove wall. An integral tubular pulley mounting flange wall extends axially from the double flange wall located intermediate the crests and valley of the V-groove forming walls in cross section.

Abstract: A centrifugal clutch construction having an outer driven member and an inner driving rotor assembly. The rotor assembly has a pair of spaced, radially extending, side plates mounted in fixed positions on a driving shaft, and a core fixed to the shaft between the side plates. The core is provided with diametrically opposite surfaces engaging and supporting associated pairs of clutch shoes when the shoes are in retracted position. A release plate is slidably mounted between each pair of clutch shoes, and the release plates and clutch shoes are retained in retracted position on the core by pairs of clamping balls. The balls are located mainly within holes formed in each pair of clutch shoes and portions of the balls project partially into openings formed in the side plates. Each pair of balls frictionally clamps a release plate therebetween when the clutch is in disengaged position.

Abstract: A centrifugal clutch construction having an outer driven member with an axially extending coupling surface, and an inner driving rotor assembly. The rotor assembly has a pair of spaced radial side plates mounted in fixed positions on a driving shaft, and a pair of hubs fixed on the shaft between the side plates. The hubs have a plurality of radially extending projections which form slots between each pair of axially aligned projections. The projections have surfaces engaging and supporting associated pairs of clutch shoes when the shoes are in retracted position. A detent plate is fixed between each pair of clutch shoes for movement with the shoes, and has a projecting surface which extends below the clutch shoes and into a respective slot between the hub projections when the shoes are in retracted position. Spring biased detent cups are located within holes formed in the hub projections and project into axially aligned holes formed in the projecting surfaces of the detent plates.

Abstract: A mechanically actuated parking brake having a pair of brake shoes movably mounted and arranged in end-to-end relationship on a fixed backing plate. A pair of levers is pivotally mounted on the backing plate. The levers are interposed between a pair of opposed brake shoe ends and a hydraulic actuator for moving the brake shoe into engagement with the brake drum upon actuation of the vehicle service brake. The branch legs of a Y-shaped cable extend between the swinging ends of the levers with the main cable leg extending about a pulley and connected to a windup reel. The windup reel is rotatably mounted on one end of a brake actuating handle, with the other end of the handle being connected to a parking brake actuating pedal or lever. Application of the vehicle parking brake rotates the windup reel upon rotation of the handle which tensions the cable and draws the lever ends inwardly and expands the brake shoes outwardly into engagement with the brake drum.

Abstract: A self-adjusting brake having a pair of brake shoes movably mounted and arranged in end-to-end relationship on a fixed backing plate. A pair of levers is pivotally mounted on the backing plate. The levers are interposed between a pair of opposed brake shoes and a hydraulic actuator for moving the brake shoes into engagement with the brake drum. A brake gap adjuster extends between and separates the other opposed ends of the brake shoes. The adjuster includes a rod having a threaded end engaged within a threaded bore of a first hollow sleeve, and a smooth end rotatably mounted within a smooth bore of a second hollow sleeve. A driving washer having camming surfaces is spring biased into meshed engagement with complementary camming surfaces of a driven washer which is fixedly mounted on the adjuster rod. The driving washer is rotatably mounted on the adjuster rod and is operatively connected to one of the brake levers through a bellcrank lever and rigid connecting rod.

Abstract: A method of making a dynamically balanced V-grooved sheet metal pulley from a flat sheet metal disc by roller spinning and splitting tools. The disc is provided with a central hole for mounting the disc on rotating die means between first headstock and tailstock die form assemblies of a spinning machine. The spinning tool presses the disc against an end of a headstock die form and moves generally radially outwardly pressing a portion of the die against the end of the die to provide a circular hub wall. The spinning tool then moves in a series of passes along the headstock die form thereby rolling, forming and ironing the rotating outer metal portions of the disc against the die and forming an axially extending cylindrical side wall terminating in a radially outwardly extending annular flange of a cup-shaped stage blank. The flange then is trimmed to a predetermined length and to form a peripheral axially extending edge on the flange.

Abstract: A noise-dampened V-grooved sheet metal pulley having one or more adjacent annular V-grooves formed in a wall of a cup-shaped blank. The pulley has tensioned dampening means engaged against or laminated with at least one V-groove wall of the pulley. The dampening means may be a circular metal or plastic material washer trapped and locked during spinning of the pulley between fold layers of a double flange fold of a pulley V-groove wall. The dampening means also may be a thin-walled metal or plastic tubular member conforming to and tensioned during spinning against the inside surface of one or more pulley V-grooves, which provides a laminated groove wall structure. The dampening means also may be a ring-like member, generally L-shaped in cross section, fixed to one portion of the pulley and tensioned against the inside surface of at least one pulley V-groove wall.

Abstract: A method of making a dynamically balanced cup-shaped blank for use in the production of a V-grooved pulley, from a flat sheet metal disc by a roller spinning tool. The disc is provided with a central hole for mounting the disc on rotating die means between headstock and tailstock die form assemblies of a spinning machine. The spinning tool presses the disc against an end of a headstock die form and moves generally radially outwardly pressing a portion of the disc against the end of the die form to provide a bottom wall of the desired cup-shaped blank. The spinning tool then moves in a series of passes along the headstock die form thereby rolling, forming and ironing rotating outer metal portions of the disc against the die, and forming the disc with an annular reversely angled conical flange and an axially extending cylindrical side wall which terminates in an open end.

Abstract: A traction control system is disclosed for use with a vehicle braking system including a plurality of driven wheels connected by differential means, wheel brake means associated with each driven wheel, and spring brake-operating means for operating each of the wheel brakes, respectively, each of said spring brake means including a brake diaphragm operable between brake-engaged and brake-released positions, a locking spring operable to place the brake diaphragm in the brake-engaged position, and a spring diaphragm operable between a normal spring-disabling position and a spring-enabling position in which the locking spring is inoperative and operative, respectively; characterized by the provision of means for generating for each driven wheel a velocity sensing signal, comparison circuit means for comparing said sensing signals to produce a control voltage when the rotational velocity of one driven wheel exceeds another by a predetermined amount, and means operable by said control signal for placing in the spri

Abstract: A one-piece cup-shaped metal poly-V pulley has an annular flange formed with a series of relatively narrow, deep, V-shaped grooves which have thickened groove valley walls adjacent the open end of the flange, and the annular flange terminates in an outturned radial stiffening flange. The series of poly-V pulley grooves is adapted to engage a Poly-V Belt in a Serpentine drive or conventional Poly-V drive train.The poly-V pulley is made by forming a cup-shaped blank with a generally cylindrical annular flange which terminates at its open end in an outturned radial flange. A series of wide opening, shallow, corrugation-like V-shaped grooves then is cold rolled in the cylindrical flange by outwardly and inwardly displacing portions of the flange wall to form rounded groove valleys with intervening rounded crests, and slightly thinning the flange wall metal in the crests and valleys while presenting appreciable groove side wall thinning.

Abstract: A self-loading limited slip differential is disclosed including differential pinion and side gears having conical back surfaces, and torque-responsive wedge means operable by said pinion gears for applying frictional torque bias to the driven shafts via the side gears. The wedge means includes conical wedge elements that are displaced inwardly by the pinion gears upon the application of torque to the differential casing to force the side gears apart into frictional engagement with corresponding conical portions of the wall surfaces of the differential casing.

Abstract: An air pressure-controlled electrical switch responsive to a change of pressure either above or below a predetermined desired pressure in a vehicle tire, to actuate a magnetically activated system for signaling such tire pressure change. The switch has piston means subject to one end to air pressure in a tire. The piston means is movable from an intermediate position where it normally is maintained by spring pressure and an opposed force imparted by the predetermined desired internal tire pressure which act i opposition on the piston means. The switch is actuated by movement of the piston means in one direction or the other from the intermediate position. The switch is normally closed when the piston means is in the intermediate position. The switch opens when the piston moves in one direction or the other from the intermediate position upon increase or reduction of the tire pressure from the predetermined desired value.