Abstract: A method for manufacturing a poly-V pulley includes a process for slitting and compressing the peripheral edge portion of an essentially flat blank for forming a widened and thickened flange wall. A series of relatively narrow, deep, V-shaped grooves are cold rolled. The poly-V pulley thus produced has the flange wall with poly-V grooves, from the intermediate portion of which a web extends radially inward. This structure provides good dynamic balance of rotation for the pulley and thus prolongs the life not only of the pulleys per se but also the belt to be put around the pulley. Further, the manufacturing method allows the manufacture of relatively small diameter poly-V pulleys.

Abstract: A swivel seat for a vehicle is provided with latch means which prevents the front and rear edges of the seat from being raised so as to prevent distortion of the pivot axle, the locking means and/or roller or rollers. The latch means can be actuated to its effective position, in which it prevents lift of the front or rear edge of the seat when the seat is in its normal position. Preferably, the seat also has means cooperating with rollers and a pivot axle for supporting components rotatable relative to the stationary component. The supporting means serves to hold the movable component essentially parallel to the stationary component so as to reduce the load on the rollers and the pivot axle while allowing smooth pivotal movement of the movable component relative to the stationary component.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a poly-V pulley includes a process for slitting and compressing the peripheral edge portion of an essentially flat blank for forming a widened and thickened flange wall. A series of relatively narrow, deep, V-shaped grooves are cold rolled. The poly-V pulley thus produced has the flange wall with poly-V grooves, from the intermediate portion of which a web extends radially inward. This structure provides good dynamic balance of rotation for the pulley and thus prolongs the life not only of the pulleys per se but also the belt to be put around the pulley. Further, the manufacturing method allows the manufacture of relatively small diameter poly-V pulleys.

Abstract: A powered tilt steering arrangement for a vehicle using a motor which rotates unidirectionally. The powered tilt steering arrangement basically comprises: a steering column having an upper shaft and a steering wheel assembly; a tilt bracket pivotally mounted on a mounting bracket fixed to a vehicle body and on which the steering wheel assembly is mounted; a drive source such as the motor; an actuator in response to a rotational force of the motor for actuating the tilt bracket to pivot through a predetermined angular width with respect to the mounting bracket in a reciprocatory motion; and a lock mechanism for locking the steering assembly when the actuator is stopped so that the steering wheel assembly is placed and held at a desired optimum driving position within the predetermined angular width.

Abstract: A universal joint yoke is obtained from a flat blank of sheet metal whose general shape is that of a cruciate form having a circular base and two diametrically opposing small semielliptical extensions. The blank of sheet metal is pressed in a forming apparatus so that the two extensions are bent perpendicularly to the circular base in the same direction with a given angle with respect to the circular base and two ribs or contiguous rib are formed along axes of bending to prevent a springback action of the two extensions which constitute two ear portions of the finished yoke. In addition, recesses are extended along a rear surface(s) of the rib(s) so that fasteners such as bolts and nuts for fastening a rubber coupling constituting a lower joint to a lower shaft of a steering system is nestled into the respective recesses. Both ends of the circular base have holes through which the fasteners for fastening the universal joint yoke to the rubber coupling is inserted.

Abstract: A seat slider device for an automotive seat is specially configured to minimize its height. An upper rail fixed to the bottom of the seat slidably engages a lower rail fixed to the floor. The rails have flanges along one edge which engage via a bearing. A plurality of regularly spaced holes are formed in the other edge of the lower rail. A lock lever mounted on the upper rail is manually actuable into and out of engagement with the holes in the lower rail, in which former case, the upper rail and the seat are held securely in place relative to the lower rail and the floor. Since the bearing and the locking holes are on opposite sides of the lower rail, they are free to lie in the same horizontal plane.

Abstract: A pivotable steering column is adjustable to any of a number of angular positions defined by the teeth of two elements of a first locking device. A manual lever can be raised to disable the first lock and allow selection of a different steering wheel inclination. The steering wheel can be moved to its uppermost position by lowering the manual lever once. In this case, the first lock maintains engagement of the teeth of the aforementioned two element, and a powerful spring pulls the steering column upward to the uppermost position irrespective of the first lock. A second lock then becomes wedged between the pivotable and stationary parts of the steering column, thus holding the former in the uppermost position. Lowering the manual lever a second time disengages the second lock, allowing the steering column tilt cown from the uppermost position. Thus, the steering column returns to an originally set driving position defined by locking engagement of the first lock.

Abstract: A steering column tilt adjusting device allows the tilt of the upper steering column to be adjusted with finer resolution than is normally possible with the same latching hardware. In this case, sets of interengageable teeth of constant pitch are employed. One set of teeth is on a latch plate biased toward latching engagement but releasable by a manually operated lever. The other set of teeth is on a plate linked to the tiltable portion of the steering column. The linkage is such that the plate moves through a smaller angle of displacement than does the movable portion of the steering column. Thus, the teeth on the plate can be relatively coarse while allowing fine adjustment of the steering column position.

Abstract: An emergency lock safety belt retractor is designed to facilitate release from an inadvertent lock-up which may occur after full-speed retraction of the seat belt. This undesired lock-up is due to a latch mechanism which locks a belt spool in response to either excessively abrupt onset of extraction, such as may occur in front-end automotive accidents, or excessively abrupt cessation of retraction. This latch mechanism has two separate latches: a simple latch pawl biased away from its latched position and a more complicated lock wheel. The latch pawl is mounted on a rotary drum and in its latched position engages teeth on a stationary drum. The lock wheel is coupled for rotation with the belt spool but is free to move axially through three regimes. The lock wheel is biased toward a first axial regime in which it couples the rotary drum to the belt spool.

Abstract: A universal joint is composed of first and second yokes each having two through holes, a hollow rectangular parallelepiped support member positioned to cooperate with the first and second yokes, the support member having five rectangular plate sections leaving a rectangular opening, and formed with four through holes, the adjacent rectangular plate sections being completely integral with each other at connecting edges thereof, and pins insertable into the through holes of the yokes and of the support member so as to connect the yokes with the support member, thereby producing a universal joint light in weight and high in torsional strength.

Abstract: A passive seat belt arrangement has an improved belt carrying mechanism which comprises a track member diagonally mounted on a vehicular hinged door, and a wheeled belt carrying device which runs in the track member to carry an intermediate portion of the seat belt for preparing easy-enter and occupant restraining positions of the belt in response to opening and closing movements of the door.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor with a tension eliminating mechanism comprises a reel on which a webbing is wound up when the reel rotates in one direction, first biasing means biasing the reel to rotate in the one direction, a ratchet wheel journaled on a concentric bearing portion formed on the reel, a toothed stopper arm for stopping rotation of the ratchet wheel when engaged with the same, second biasing means to bias the stopper arm to move in a direction to be disengaged from the ratchet wheel, an external gear journaled on an eccentric bearing portion formed on the reel, third biasing means to bias the ratchet wheel to rotate in the same direction as the one direction relative to the external gear, an internal gear stationarily mounted to the retractor and operatively engaged with the external gear, at least one stud fixed to the external gear, at least one arcuate slot formed in the ratchet wheel to be concentric with the same for spacedly receiving therein the stud, the stud and the slot being so arranged and

Abstract: A seat belt retractor with a tension eliminator is provided with a ratchet wheel arrangement which acts as a position memory upon closing of a buckle switch and which is responsive to the belt webbing being drawn off the reel of the retractor by a seat occupant leaning forward beyond a predetermined distance, the wheel being rotated via an internal/planetary gear arrangement, proportionally to the excess distance whereupon the webbing can be retracted only said predetermined distance inducing a degree of tension eliminating slack in the webbing upon return of the occupant to the position in which he or she buckles the seat belt.

Abstract: A flat clamp plate is fastened to an instrument panel of a vehicle body. A clamp attachment with a top panel is fixed to a telescopically movable part of the steering column and is in slidable engagement with the clamp plate through a hook connection at the front and rear ends thereof. The clamp plate and the clamp attachment are fastened together by means of shear pins which are breakable under a predetermined shearing stress.

Abstract: A seat back tilts forward when an actuating lever is pulled, and remains forward after the lever is released. The seat back is restored to a desired operating position by pushing it backward until it stops moving. The desired position is set by pulling a release lever, pushing the seat back to the desired position, and releasing the release lever.