Abstract: An aircraft propeller drive system has a gear to be driven by an engine and having a first plurality of teeth. A torsion bar has a first end driven by the gear and a second end rotatable relative to the first end about a torsion axis by a torsion angle. An output shaft is driven by the second end and is adapted for connection to a propeller. A clutch has a driven member rotationally fixed to the output shaft and a driving member having a second plurality of teeth. The first and second pluralities of teeth engage each other when a variation in the torsion angle from a mean torsion angle is greater than a predetermined angle. Torque is transferred between the gear and the output shaft via the clutch when the first and second pluralities of teeth engage each other.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine has a crankcase having a first crankcase portion fastened to a second crankcase portion along a first plane, a crankshaft, a cylinder block defining two cylinders, two pistons, and a cylinder head. A crankshaft support defines a crankshaft support aperture. A central portion of the crankshaft is received in the crankshaft support aperture. At least one fastener fastens the crankshaft support to the cylinder block. The at least one fastener is perpendicular to a crankshaft axis and is disposed in a second plane. The crankshaft axis is normal to the first plane. The second plane is one of coplanar with and parallel to the first plane.

Abstract: A drivetrain for a hybrid vehicle has at least one ground engaging element, a torque transmission shaft operatively connected thereto, an electric motor, a transmission having an input shaft and an output shaft, and an internal combustion engine operatively connected to the input shaft of the transmission. The electric motor and the output shaft are operatively connected to the torque transmission shaft. The transmission has a neutral shift position, a first shift position, and at least one higher shift position including a highest shift position. The transmission is capable of shifting directly from the neutral shift position to the first shift position and directly from the neutral shift position to the highest shift position. A vehicle having the drivetrain is also disclosed. A method of starting an internal combustion engine in a hybrid vehicle is also disclosed.

Abstract: A CVT pulley includes a shaft having disposed thereon, a first and second sheave, and a spider. A spring biases the sheaves away from one another. The axially moveable second sheave is disposed axially between the axially fixed spider and the first sheave. A plurality of centrifugal weights, connected to either the spider or the second sheave, have a portion that moves radially outward with rotation of the shaft. The axial distance between the spider and the second sheave depends at least in part on the radial position of the portion which depends on the rotational speed. At least one cylinder is adapted to receive fluid. At least one piston, rotatable with the shaft, is adapted to move in the at least one cylinder in response to fluid being received therein, thereby selectively exerting force on one of the sheaves towards the other. CVTs and vehicles are also disclosed.

Abstract: A continuously variable transmission assembly includes a driving pulley rotatable about a driving pulley axis and a driven pulley rotatable about a driven pulley axis. An endless belt operatively connecting the pulleys defines a belt reference plane, the driving and driven pulley axes passing therethrough. A housing encloses a space, the driving pulley, the driven pulley, and the belt being disposed at least in part therein. A driven pulley inlet and outlet defined in the housing are disposed closer to the driven pulley than the driving pulley. The driven pulley inlet, disposed on a first side of the belt reference plane, is configured to direct air from outside the housing into the space toward the driven pulley. The driven pulley outlet is disposed on a second side of the belt reference plane. Air flows from the space to the outside of the housing via the driven pulley outlet.

Abstract: A vehicle transmission has at least three transmission gears. The at least three transmission gears are selectively engaged by at least three shifting sleeves. The shifting sleeves are actuated by two shift forks. Each shift fork is moved by a corresponding shift drum. The shift drums are disposed on a shift drum shaft. By rotating the shift drum shaft, each of the at least three transmission gears can be engaged in sequence. The two shift drums are spring biased.

Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine has a crown, a skirt extending from the crown, a pair of pin bosses, and a plurality of struts connecting the pin bosses to inner sides of the crown and skirt. An internal combustion engine having the piston is also disclosed.

Abstract: A drivetrain for a hybrid vehicle has at least one ground engaging element, a torque transmission shaft operatively connected thereto, an electric motor, a transmission having an input shaft and an output shaft, and an internal combustion engine operatively connected to the input shaft of the transmission. The electric motor and the output shaft are operatively connected to the torque transmission shaft. The transmission has a neutral shift position, a first shift position, and at least one higher shift position including a highest shift position. The transmission is capable of shifting directly from the neutral shift position to the first shift position and directly from the neutral shift position to the highest shift position. A vehicle having the drivetrain is also disclosed. A method of starting an internal combustion engine in a hybrid vehicle is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of supplying air to an air spring biasing one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine to a closed position is disclosed. The method includes: driving an air compressor with a motor prior to starting of the internal combustion engine, the air compressor fluidly communicating with the air spring to supply air to the air spring; determining that a predetermined condition has been reached; starting the engine once the predetermined condition has been reached; and driving the air compressor with a rotating shaft of the engine once the engine has started.

Abstract: A method of detecting misfire in an internal combustion engine comprises: sensing a temporal signature of a lateral displacement of the engine, performing a spectral analysis of the temporal signature of the lateral displacement to extract a magnitude of a predetermined frequency, and determining that misfiring in at least one of the plurality of cylinders has occurred based on the magnitude of the predetermined frequency. The predetermined frequency is associated with one of a plurality of orders of the engine. The one of the plurality of orders is representative of engine displacement due to in-cylinder pressures. Other methods of detecting misfire and a vehicle are also presented.

Abstract: A multiple-disk clutch has inner and outer clutch members, and a plurality of driving and driven friction disks. The driven and driving friction disks are arranged alternately. A first axially movable pressure member is biased to urge the driving and driven friction disks together in a compression direction. A first actuation system is connected to the first pressure member. The first actuation system is adapted release the compression force exerted by the first pressure member on the driving and driven friction disks. A second actuation system includes a second pressure member and is axially movable to compress the driving and driven friction disks together. The driving and driven friction disks are disposed between the first and second pressure members. The second actuation system is a centrifugal actuation system. The first actuation system is connected to and is axially movable with the second pressure member.

Abstract: A supercharged internal combustion engine is disclosed which includes a supercharger operatively connected to the crankshaft via a clutch supported by an intermediate shaft such that torque variations are partially absorbed by the clutch.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine has at least one intake valve and at least one exhaust valve. A first spring biases the at least one intake valve to a closed position. A second spring biases the at least one exhaust valve to a closed position. At least one of the first and second springs is an air spring. An air compressor fluidly communicates with the air spring to supply air to the air spring. The air compressor is operatively connected to a rotating shaft of the engine to be selectively driven thereby. A motor is operatively connected to the air compressor to selectively drive the air compressor. A method of supplying air to the air spring of the above engine is also disclosed. A method of supplying air to an air spring of an engine having both a mechanical and an electrical air compressor is also disclosed.

Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine has a crown, a skirt extending from the crown, a pair of pin bosses, and a plurality of struts connecting the pin bosses to inner sides of the crown and skirt. An internal combustion engine having the piston is also disclosed.

Abstract: A shifting sleeve for selectively engaging a transmission gear in a vehicle transmission is provided. The transmission gear has at least one opening defined therein. The shifting sleeve comprises at least one tooth for selectively engaging the at least one opening defined in the transmission gear. The at least one tooth extends from the shifting sleeve body and has a first portion, a second portion and a third portion. The first portion has a top surface disposed at a first height and the second portion has a top surface disposed at a second height, the first height being greater than the second height. The third portion is disposed between the first and second portions, and has a top surface disposed at an angle and extending between the top surfaces of the first and second portions.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine (10) dry sump lubrication system including multiple oil paths through the engine, the engine being constructed and arranged such that when the engine is mounted on a vehicle and the vehicle is level and upright and the engine is not in operation, oil in each of the multiple oil paths collects at oil collection portions (3,26,514,516) within the engine, each oil collection portion being at a low portion with respect to gravity in one of the oil paths; a plurality of oil drainage openings (510,512,508) fluidly connected to the oil collection portions; and a single drain plug (500) simultaneously removeably sealing each of the oil drainage openings, whereby substantially all of the oil in the system is drained from the system when the single drain plug is removed.

Abstract: A method of detecting misfire in an internal combustion engine comprises: sensing a temporal signature of a lateral displacement of the engine, performing a spectral analysis of the temporal signature of the lateral displacement to extract a magnitude of a predetermined frequency, and determining that misfiring in at least one of the plurality of cylinders has occurred based on the magnitude of the predetermined frequency. The predetermined frequency is associated with one of a plurality of orders of the engine. The one of the plurality of orders is representative of engine displacement due to in-cylinder pressures. Other methods of detecting misfire and a vehicle are also presented.

Abstract: A vehicle transmission comprises a locking mechanism selectively preventing an at least one shift drum disposed on a shift drum shaft from rotating. The locking mechanism is movable between a first position and a second position. When in the first position, the locking mechanism prevents the at least one shift drum from rotating in the first direction to engage a first locked position. When in the second position, the locking mechanism prevents the at least one shift drum from rotating in the second direction to engage a second locked position. The second locked position is sequentially before the first locked position in the first direction.

Abstract: A vehicle transmission has at least three transmission gears. The at least three transmission gears are selectively engaged by at least three shifting sleeves. The shifting sleeves are actuated by two shift forks. Each shift fork is moved by a corresponding shift drum. The shift drums are disposed on a shift drum shaft. By rotating the shift drum shaft, each of the at least three transmission gears can be engaged in sequence. The two shift drums are spring biased.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine has a crankcase, a crankshaft, a cylinder block, and cylinder head assembly. The cylinder block has at least one cylinder. At least one piston is disposed in the at least one cylinder. The at least one piston is operatively connected to the crankshaft. An oil tank enclosure is connected to at least one of the crankcase outer wall and the cylinder block outer wall. The oil tank enclosure and the at least one of the crankcase outer wall and the cylinder block outer wall together form an oil tank. The arrangement of the oil inlet, oil outlet, and blow-by gas outlet in an oil tank; an oil tank having an angled portion for separating blow-by gases from oil; and an arrangement of a blow-by gas passage connected to an oil tank are also described.