Abstract: The present invention relates to a control valve for controlling flow of hydraulic fluid. The control valve comprises: a valve housing (10); a sleeve (11) slidable in a valve chamber in the valve housing (10); a first fluid conduit (12) for connecting the valve chamber to a source of pressurised hydraulic fluid; a second fluid conduit (14) for connecting the valve chamber to a fluid return for returning hydraulic fluid to a reservoir; and a third fluid conduit (16) for connecting the valve chamber to deliver hydraulic fluid to and receive hydraulic fluid from apparatus which uses the hydraulic fluid flow controlled by the control valve. The sleeve (11) is a tubular sleeve having, a tubular passage therethrough. The valve housing has a pair of spaced apart valve seat surfaces (22, 23), a first valve seat surface (22) which is engageable by a first end of the tubular sleeve (11) and a second valve seat surface (23) which is engageable by a second end of the tubular sleeve (11).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrically operated valve (10), which has a valve housing (11); a spool (12); a first fluid conduit (14) connecting the valve (10) with a source of pressurized fluid; a second fluid conduit (15) connecting the valve (10) with a reservoir of fluid; and a third fluid conduit (16) in communication with valve (10) which delivers fluid to or receives fluid from apparatus which uses the hydraulic fluid flow controlled by the valve (10). The spool (12) is biased to a rest position by a pair of opposed springs (17,18) and in the rest position closes off the first (14) and second (15) fluid conduits. A first electric coil (19) associated with a first end of the spool (12) when activated displaces the spool (12) to open the first fluid conduit (14). A second electric coil (20) associated with a second end of the spool (12) when activated displaces the spool (12) to open the second fluid conduit (15).

Abstract: The present invention (with reference to FIG.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of operating a four-stroke internal combustion engine comprising the steps of: closing an exhaust valve prior to the end of the exhaust stroke to trap combusted gases in a combustion chamber; opening an inlet valve during the intake stroke to admit charge into the combustion chamber to be mixed with previously trapped combustion gases; and using an injector to inject fuel into the mixture of the trapped combusted gases and the charge air. In the combustion chamber conditions are generated which enable the mixture of fuel, air and combusted gases to combust by auto-ignition. The injector is additionally used to inject fuel into the trapped combusted gases after closing of the exhaust valve during the exhaust stroke and prior to opening of the inlet valve in the induction stroke.

Abstract: The present invention relates in a first aspect to (with reference to FIG. 1) a method of bonding together first (10) and second (12) components with an adhesive (13) in which Xylan (11) is applied to a surface of at least one (10) of the components (10, 12) and then the adhesive (13) is applied over the Xylan coated surface and then the adhesive (13) is used to bond the first (10) and second (12) components together with the adhesive (13) adhering to the Xylan coated surface. In a second aspect the present invention relates to a bonded structure which has at least first (10) and second (12) components bonded together with an adhesive (13) and wherein Xylan (11) is used as a surface coating on at least one (10) of the bonded components to improve the strength of the bond.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a valve system for controlling flow of gas into or out of a variable volume chamber (8) of an internal combustion engine or a compressor. The valve system comprises a gas flow control valve (5) which opens to permit flow of gas into or out of the variable volume chamber (8); a hydraulic actuator (4) connected to the gas flow control valve (5); a pump (1) for pressurizing hydraulic fluid; a reservoir of hydraulic fluid (6); and a control system (2, 3, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29) which controls opening and closing of the gas control valve (5) by controlling flow of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator (4) from the pump (1) and flow of hydraulic fluid from hydraulic actuator (4) to the reservoir (6).

Abstract: A displacement machine (10) comprises a housing (11), a reciprocating member (12) reciprocable linearly along an axis of reciprocation (13) in the housing (11) and defining with the housing (11) first (14) and second (15) variable volume chambers. A fluid inlet (17) is connected to the first variable volume chamber (14). A fluid outlet (78) is connected to the second variable volume chamber. An inlet value (16) allows flow of fluid through the fluid inlet (17) into the first variable volume chamber (14) and prevents flow of fluid from the first variable volume chamber (14) out of the fluid inlet (17).

Abstract: The present invention provides a crash rail for a vehicle. The crash rail has a root portion which can be anchored to a part of the vehicle, a tip portion which is spaced apart from the root portion and which is located nearer a potential impact point of the vehicle when the root portion is anchored to the said part of the vehicle and a middle portion which extends from the root portion to the tip portion. The crash rail comprises a wall which defines a groove or a cavity in the crash rail. The groove or the cavity in the crash rail has a cross-sectional area which increases gradually from the tip portion to the root portion. The wall has a thickness which increases gradually from the tip portion to the root portion. The wall is composed of a composite material having fibers set in a resin material. The crash rail can be crushed when the vehicle impacts with another object to thereby absorb energy of the impact.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of manufacture of a structure which comprises a plurality of structural members bonded together, the method comprising the steps of extruding a first structural member with a chosen cross section, and joining the first structural member to a second structural member by bonding with an adhesive, wherein the depth of the adhesive between the structural members is chosen so as to enhance the performance of the adhesive bond. The present invention also provides a method of manufacture of a structure wherein the first structural member is provided on a first surface with a plurality of spaced-apart exterior ribs which abut an adjacent surface on the second structural member and which define between them a gap for receiving adhesive, whereby the ribs define a chosen depth of adhesive in order to optimize the bond between the first and second structural members.

Abstract: In a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of monitoring efficiency of a catalytic converter (14) present in an exhaust system (12) of an internal combustion engine (10) which has a closed loop control system (15, 23, 24) which in normal use of the engine controls richness of fuel/air charge supplied to a combustion chamber of the engine (10). The closed loop control system uses a feedback signal an output signal of an exhaust gas oxygen sensor (15) located in the exhaust system (12) downstream of at least a part of the volume of the catalytic converter (14).

Abstract: The valve control mechanism is suitable for use in a valve train which transmits lifts from a cam (11) located on a camshaft (10) of an internal combustion engine to a cylinder head valve (217) of the internal combustion engine and which has a first abutment member (212) in abutment with the cam (11) and a second abutment member (215) in abutment with the top of the stem of the cylinder head valve (217). The valve control mechanism comprises a first tappet member (212) slidable in a bore in the engine, a second tappet member (213) moveable relative to the first tappet member (212) and locking means (220, 221, 222, 223) capable of locking the first (212) and the second (213) tappet members to move together. When the locking means (220, 221, 222, 223) locks the first (212) and second (213) tappet members to move together, the valve control mechanism transmits all of the lift of the cam (11) to the cylinder head valve (217).

Abstract: An adaptive control system for reducing undesired signals comprises a processor (36) to generate secondary signals which are provided to secondary sources (37). Sensors (42) provide at least one residual signal to said processor (36) which is indicative of the interference between the undesired and secondary signals. The processor (36) is operative to adjust the secondary signals using the residual signals to reduce the residual signals. If the adaptive control system operates erroneously or there is a fault this is indicated. Such faults can be detected by increasing and decreasing the secondary signals and detecting whether there is a corresponding increase and decrease in the residual signals. Also, the rate of change of the amplitude of the secondary signals and the rate of change of the frequency of the reference signal can be monitored to determine whether a fault condition exists. Also the impulse response or transfer function of the system can be monitored to determine a fault condition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a steering system for the rear wheels (13,14) of a vehicle comprising an actuator (18) for steering the rear wheels (13,14), sensor unit for measuring vehicular parameters (e.g. a vehicle speed sensor (20), an accelerometer (21) and a steer angle sensor (23)) and generating signals indicative thereof, and a control system for controlling the actuator (18) comprising a processor (17) which processes the signals generated by the sensor unit (20,21,23) and controls the rear wheels (13,14) accordingly. The control system of the invention has detection unit to detect when the signals generated by the sensor unit (20,21,23) indicate that the vehicle is sliding and override unit which modifies the operation of the control system when sliding is detected.

Abstract: The valve control means for use in an internal combustion engine has a valve member 180, a cam assembly comprising a rotatable camshaft (185) having a first portion (181) and a second portion (182) having a different cross section from the first portion (181). The valve control assembly comprises first follower member (100) engageable with the valve member (180) and engageable with the first portion (181), a hydraulic lash adjuster assembly provided in the first follower member (100). A second follower assembly (150) moveable relative to the first follower member (100) and engageable with the second portion (182) and a linking assembly (160, 163, 167) to enable the first (100) and second (150) followers to be linked together.

Abstract: An adaptive control system for reducing undesired signals comprises a processor (36) which provides secondary signals for sources (37) for interference with the undesired signals. Sensors (42) measure the residual Vibration which is indicative of the interference between the undesired and secondary signals. The processor (36) uses the residual signal to adjust the secondary signals to reduce the residual signals. Noise generation means (48) is provided to add a low level noise signal to the secondary signal and to provide a low level noise signal to the processor (36). The processor (36) is adapted to transform the low level noise signal and the residual signal from sensors (42) to provide the amplitude and phase of spectral components of the signals. The processor (36) modifies the secondary signals using these spectral components to obtain better reduction of the undesired signals.

Abstract: An adaptive control system for reducing undesired signals comprises sensors (31) to provide signals indicative of the undesired signals, and a processor (36) which processes the first signal to provide a secondary signal for output to sources (37) to interfere with the undesired signals. Sensors (42) are provided to detect the residual signals which are indicative of the interference between the undesired and secondary signals. Within the processor the signals indicative of the undesired signals and the residual signals are transformed into the frequency domain and collated. The outcome of the collation is inverse transformed and the processor adjusts the secondary signal using this inverse transform to reduce the residual signal from the sensors (42).