Abstract: A system balancing an internal combustion engine, particularly a four-stroke engine with five cylinders in line, in which two of the counterweights for balancing the crankshaft have asymmetric geometry defined by an additional mass in each case. The respective centers of gravity of the two additional masses are situated in the plane containing the resultant moment of the rotary components of the first-order alternating forces and the centrifugal forces of the rotating masses.

Abstract: A windscreen wiper assembly with translational motion is adapted to wipe the rear window of a motor car. All the parts of the windscreen wiper, including its driving motor and mechanical parts for imparting a reciprocal translational motion to the wiper blade, can be mounted internally within a spoiler. The spoiler is externally mounted to the car in parallel with and above the upper horizontal edge of the rear window.

Abstract: Structural elements of thermosetting plastics material, particularly component parts for motor vehicle bodies, are produced by injecting into a mould, in accordance with known "sandwich" injection moulding technology, a first flow of thermosetting plastics material which, after its polymerization in the mould, has aesthetic characteristics and characteristics of flexibility and impact strength, and subsequently a second flow of thermosetting plastics material which, after polymerization has characteristics of rigidy and structural strength, so as to obtain structural elements which have a rigid core of the second material and a shell of the first material adhering to the core.

Abstract: A high-performance motor car includes a body which surrounds the rear wheels and has a tapered front part from which the front steerable wheels project. The front wheels are inserted in respective aerodynamic fairings which can be steered with the wheels. A vertical fin is pivoted to the rear of each fairing.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises three rigid elements joined articulatedly together by constraint means such as to allow a first articulated element to oscillate with respect to a second element about a first substantially fixed axis of virtual oscillation, and to allow a second articulated element to oscillate with respect to the third element about a second substantially fixed axis of virtual oscillation perpendicular to the first axis; the first articulated element is arranged to be fixed rigidly to the vehicle body and the third element is arranged to be fixed to a support structure interposed between the apparatus and the apparatus base.

Abstract: A method for the injection moulding of unsaturated polyester resin masses includes the steps of compacting the moulding mass in an accumulation cylinder, generating a subatmospheric pressure in the cylinder and heating the compacted mass at subatmospheric pressure by the application of a high-frequency load as it passes between the inner wall of a hollow metal cylinder and a coaxial spaced cylindrical electrode and injecting the material into the die. The apparatus for carrying out the method includes an accumulation cylinder of metal having a coaxial cylindrical electrode mounted therein to define a substantially hollow cylindrical passage for the flow of the resin mass. A generator is connected to the electrode to generate high frequency waves to heat the resin mass passing over the electrode.

Abstract: Upon starting or in the event of a malfunction of the sensor for detecting the stage of the engine, the ignition in the various cylinders is controlled according to a sequence different from that used during normal operation. In the case of engines with odd numbers of cylinders, the sequence is completed in a rotation of the driving shaft through 360.degree. and acts on only one cylinder at a time; in the case of engines with even numbers of cylinders, the sequence is completed in a rotation of the driving shaft through 720.degree. and involves a pair of cylinders at a time.

Abstract: A device is described for fixing to the floor of a motor-vehicle body, by screwing from above, a mechanical part which has previously been brought up to the floor from below. The mechanical part to be fixed carries at least one locating element which engages a corresponding hole formed in the body. The locating element has a threaded hole which is engaged by a screw on which the smaller-diameter portion of a sleeve can slide. The sleeve has a larger-diameter portion which is adapted to fit over the outer surface of that part of the locating element which projects through the corresponding locating hole in order to facilitate the centering and insertion of the screw in the threaded hole in the locating element.

Abstract: The device consists of a moderately pretensioned wire cable which connects the opposing vehicle body sides together. The cable is fixed by means of a pair of opposing reinforcement plates of relatively large surface area that are welded and/or screwed to the vehicle body. The cable passes about the steering column in such a manner as to limit its rearward movement in case of a frontal impact between the vehicle and an obstacle and/or another vehicle and to simultaneously limit the movement of the body sides away from each other.

Abstract: A laser welding, monitoring system comprising a laser welding beam energy source and means for directing laser beam energy from said source and on to a concentrated laser weld spot on the workpiece to be welded shaped or cut by laser energy. A laser probe source is arranged to direct light from said probe source on to the workpiece. Laser beam detector means is arranged to pick up and monitor reflected light originating from said laser probe source and reflected back from the workpiece, wherein the light from said probe source is directed in a peripheral path encircling said concentrated laser weld spot.

Abstract: A device for connecting multiway connectors to each other or to electrical equipment enables elastic energy to be stored during the first part of its connecting travel and to be returned during the second part as a force pulling the device to its travel-limit position thus enabling the automatic complete connection of the connectors and reliable electrical contact to be achieved automatically.

Abstract: A backrest for vehicle seats includes an inverted U-shaped support frame having an upper cross bar, two side arms and a cross bar interconnecting the lower ends of the side arms. A shaft is rotatably mounted on said support frame parallel to and adjacent the cross bar and a plurality of flexible elements extending generally vertically in side-by-side relation are connected at their upper ends to a first transverse element secured to the support frame and a lower transverse element which is connected to a pair of tensioning elements. The tensioning elements extend beneath the cross bar and upwardly over the guide bar extending between the side arms in the vicinity of the upper curved portion of the flexible elements which have an S-shaped configuration. A spacer cross member is disposed in engagement with the flexible elements in the vicinity of the upper curve and the upper ends of the tensioning elements extend over the guide bar and are connected to the spacer cross member.

Abstract: A vehicle is described, the body of which comprises at least one cross-member delimiting a vehicle engine or luggage compartment and defined by a box structure which is made fluid-tight to retain a liquid in its interior, and is provided upperly with a filler closed in a fluid-tight manner by a removable stopper, and lowerly with means for withdrawing from the interior of said box structure a liquid contained in it, so that the box structure acts as a storage reservoir for a wash liquid for the vehicle windows.

Abstract: The method and apparatus allows the detection and indication of anomalies in the operation of the ignition system of an internal combustion engine including a plurality of spark plugs, each of which receives a periodic high-voltage pulse output by a high-voltage generator in operation. The method includes the steps of:detecting the pulses generated by the high-voltage generator,comparing the peak values of each pulse detected with first and second threshold values, andproducing a perceptible signal when the peak values of the high-voltage pulses fall outside the acceptable range defined between the threshold values.

Abstract: The axes of the three inlet valves associated with each cylinder of an internal combustion engine are parallel to each other. The valves are all operated by the same camshaft which acts on the three valves from above through three interposed rocker arms. The rocker arm of the valve which is in the intermediate position is in a reverse orientation relative to the other two rocker arms.

Abstract: The device is particularly suitable for cleaning die plates. It consists of a compressible sheet of sponge plastics material, a layer of adhesive which is flexible and viscous at ambient temperature deposited on each face of the sheet and an outer covering sheet of non-woven fabric superposed on each layer of adhesive. In order to clean the die plates the sheet is inserted between the open plates of the die and compressed between the plates so as to exert an abrasive absorbent action on the die plates.

Abstract: A throttle-controlled hydraulic power brake employing a pressurized fluid produced via a pump and preferably stored in an accumulator for enabling servo-assisted displacement of a push rod acting on the master cylinder of a brake pump (of the same type employed on vacuum-operated power brakes) subsequent to axial displacement of a second push rod controlled directly by the brake pedal. Displacement of the second push rod towards the first provides, against the action of elastic means, for opening a first face seal valve, which feeds the pressurized fluid into a variable-volume accumulating chamber, so as to displace a piston connected axially to the first push rod and defining a movable wall of the accumulating chamber, and so close the valve. Opposite displacement of the second push rod, on the other hand, provides for opening a second face seal valve connecting the accumulating chamber to a drain.

Abstract: Pressure sensors situated on opposite sides of a land motor vehicle relative to the direction of travel enable a signal to be generated which is indicative of the presence and the direction of a gust of cross-wind striking the vehicle. Flaps, which are connected to the sensors and are normally closed flush with the body, are movable to project selectively from the outer surface of the motor vehicle, in the event of a gust, to induce in the vehicle a slewing moment in the direction opposite the direction of the gust.

Abstract: The device essentially comprises an auxiliary coil for storing the ignition energy, and a transformer for each spark plug. It is thus possible to prepolarize each transformer in the proper sequence with a current opposite that applied during discharge, whereby a transformer of smaller dimensions can be associated with each spark plug while the performance remains unchanged from that of conventional systems.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle door equipped with an integrated control device that can be mounted and tested off the assembly line; the door presents a slot for an outer handle, an inner supporting plate and a lateral clearance hole machined close to the clearance slot; the aforesaid integrated device comprises an L-shaped bracket supporting, on one wing, the outer handle and, on the other, a fork of a lock housed inside the bracket and connected to the outer handle and an inner handle fitted with its own supporting bracket and connected to the lock by means of a flexible cable; during use, the L-shaped bracket is fixed to the door with the fork facing the lateral slot and the outer handle housed inside the clearance slot and the bracket of the inner handle fixed to the inner plate of the door.