Abstract: A fuel injection nozzle has a valve member engageable with a seating to prevent fuel flow through an outlet orifice. The valve member is engaged by the narrower end of a stepped piston member the surface of which remote from the valve member is subjected to fuel under pressure to bias the valve member into engagement with the seating. A tubular valve element the interior of which is connected to a drain, is engageable with the surface but can be moved away from the surface to lower the pressure applied to the surface. The valve member lifts away from the seating when the pressure applied to the surface is reduced by fuel pressure acting on a further surface defined on the valve member. The valve element is connected to the armature of a solenoid.

Abstract: An ABS skid detection protection system for a wheeled vehicle detects a predetermined level of deceleration at a wheel; detects, memorizers and holds for a prescribed period the wheel speed value at that predetermined deceleration level; detects whether the angular acceleration of the monitored wheel first falls below and then re-establishes the predetermined deceleration level within the prescribed level; and corrects the memorizsed value of wheel speed by subtracting from it an amount equal to the vehicle deceleration multiplied by either the elapsed time since the wheel speed value was memorized or the elapsed time since the initiation of a short-duration pulse by which the actuating pressure applied to a brake can be temporarily dumped upon detection of the predetermined level of deceleration of the wheel.

Abstract: Volumetric metering equipment, especially but not exclusively for use in metering the volume of fluid pumped through one or more injectors by a diesel-engine fuel injection pump, having means which serve to cause the inertia of a moveable member, and/or a return force applied to a moveable member to reduce the time taken for a desired back pressure to be built up following a draining operation.

Abstract: A mounting for an advance piston comprises a sleeve having flanges arranged to extend outwardly and arranged to engage a pump housing in order to secure the sleeve thereto, the sleeve extending within a passage provided in the pump housing. One or more of the flanges may be securable to the sleeve for example, by screw threaded engagement, or by means of bolts.

Abstract: A lock is provided for locking a first door and a second door of an engine thrust reverser. The lock comprises a first and a second locking element for the first and second doors, respectively. The first and second locking elements are movable between a first and a second position for respectively preventing and permitting deployment of the first and second doors. A third locking member is provided and is movable between a first and a second position for preventing and permitting, respectively, movement of the first and second locking elements from the first positions and second positions thereof. An electromechanical actuator is arranged to move the third locking element from a first position to a second position thereof.

Abstract: A fuel injection nozzle has a valve member engageable with a seating to prevent fuel flow through an outlet orifice. The valve member is engaged by the narrower end of a stepped piston member the surface of which remote from the valve member is subjected to fuel under pressure to bias the valve member into engagement with the seating. A tubular valve element the interior of which is connected to a drain, is engageable with the surface but can be moved away from the surface to lower the pressure applied to the surface. The valve member lifts away from the seating when the pressure applied to the surface is reduced by fuel pressure acting on a further surface defined on the valve member. The valve element is connected to the armature of a solenoid.

Abstract: A brake shoe (12) is guided on an anchor plate (10) of a drum brake and held down by a pin (32) which extends through a hole (34, 36) each in the anchor plate and in a web (18) of the brake shoe (12). The pin (32) has a foot (38) which is supported on the anchor plate (10) and a head (42) which has a bottom of rotationally symmetrical configuration with respect to the pin (32) and rises radially outwardly. Between the head (42) and the web (18) a spring (46) is arranged which has a receiving portion (50) formed with a recessed seat (52) for the head (42) and with a slot (60) which serves for radially slipping the receiving portion (50) on to the pin (32). The seat (52) is shaped like a funnel having a circular upper edge (54). The slot (60) is defined by a pair of outer edges (62) and a pair of adjoining inner edges (64). The outer edges (62) of the slot (60) converge in the direction of the upper edge (54) of the seat (52).

Abstract: An anti-skid braking system for wheeled vehicles having fluid actuated brakes associated with the vehicle wheels, speed sensors associated with the vehicle wheels and a cyclically operating control device which is responsive to speed signals from the speed sensors to actuate a pressure dump device to periodically release the fluid pressure applied to the brake of any wheel which is determined to be about to lock and to later re-apply the actuating pressure to that brake when the tendency of that wheel to lock has reduced, and wherein the pressure dump phase is arranged to be cancelled during wheel-lock when the aggregate dump time for the current cycle exceeds a limit value based upon a weighted-average dump time of previous cycles.

Abstract: An angular rate sensor comprises a wafer of silicon etched to form tines with teeth which are interdigitated. The tines are excited into oscillation in the plane of the wafer, by applying suitable drive signals to create electrostatic forces between the tines. Rotation of the tines out of the plane of the wafer is detected by a suitable detector, such as a piezo-resistor on a support of the tines.

Abstract: A fuel injection nozzle has a valve member engageable with a seating to prevent fuel flow through an outlet orifice. The valve member is engaged by the narrower end of a stepped piston member the surface of which remote from the valve member is subjected to fuel under pressure to bias the valve member into engagement with the seating. A tubular valve element the interior of which is connected to a drain, is engageable with the surface but can be moved away from the surface to lower the pressure applied to the surface. The valve member lifts away from the seating when the pressure applied to the surface is reduced by fuel pressure acting on a further surface defined on the valve member. The valve element is connected to the armature of a solenoid.

Abstract: An improved torque sensor, or relative angular movement sensor, comprises an input member, an output member, LED light sources, a pair of photodetector units adapted to receive light from the LED light sources, and a signal processor, in which said signal processor is adapted to receive output signals from the photodetector units, the output signals of the photodetector units being dependent upon the light signals which they receive, and the signal processor being adapted to process the output signals from the photodetector units so as to produce a modified output signal indicative of the relative angular displacement between, or torque applied between, the input and output member, wherein the improvement lies in the arrangement of photodetectors which comprise the photodetector units.

Abstract: A floating caliper brake comprises two bolts (16, 18) which are axially displaceable in bores (20, 22) to guide the floating caliper (10). One bolt/bore pair matches accurately, while the other bolt/bore pair fits together with relatively more clearance. It is provided that the bolt (18) which moves with relatively greater clearance in the bore (22) passes through a guide bushing (30) which is disposed in the bore (22) and the axial dimension of which is much smaller than the effective length of the bolt (18) in order thus to avoid rattling noise of the brake and yet be in a position to manufacture the brake inexpensively, for easy assembly and operational safety.

Abstract: A torque sensor, or relative angular movement sensor, capable of measuring the angular displacement of a component in a power-assisted steering system, comprises an input member coupled to one end of a torsion bar, an output member coupled to another end of the torsion bar, LED light sources, a pair of photodetector units adapted to receive light from the LED light sources, and signal processing means adapted to receive output signals from the photodetector units, the output signals of the photodetector units being dependent upon the light signals which they receive, and wherein the signal processing means is adapted to produce a modified output signal which closely matches and is representative of the angular position of a chosen portion of the torsion bar.

Abstract: A first threaded member is supported for rotation about a screw axis (C; C'; C") parallel to the axis (A) of a brake disc in a casing which is disposed axially next to the brake disc when in built-in position. A second threaded member is fixed against rotation and connected to the first threaded member by a readjustment thread pair so that the two threaded members together form a longitudinally adjustable tappet for exerting an actuating force on a brake pad. A rotary member is rotatable about an axis of rotation (B) of its own which extends at least approximately parallel to the brake disc, for axially displacing the tappet by means of an actuator member. A gear connection is provided between the rotary member and the first threaded member, comprising an angle drive and a coupling arrangement to transmit a limited torque for readjustment of the brake pad mentioned.

Abstract: A vibrating element transducer is provided in which a vibrating element and a substantially non-vibrating reference element are positioned side by side and illuminated via an optical fibre. The surfaces of the vibrating element and the reference element are formed at slightly different distances from the end of the optical fibre. The differing distances are arranged such that interference between the light reflected from the vibrating element and from the reference reflector can be used to determine the frequency of vibration of the vibrating element.

Abstract: An anti-lock (ABS) hydraulic braking system for vehicles comprises a first normally open solenoid-controlled valve (4) disposed in a line between a master cylinder (3) and a brake (1), a second normally closed solenoid-controlled valve (8) disposed between the brake and expander chamber (7), and a normally-open solenoid-controlled by-pass valve (5) located between the master cylinder and the brake and by-passing the first solenoid-controlled valve (4).

Abstract: A fuel injection pump includes a pump barrel (12) against (12) against which is located in sealing relationship a valve block (22). A plunger (15) is reciprocably mounted in a bore (14) in the barrel (12) and the valve block (22) contains a spill valve (26) which can spill fuel from the bore (14) during the inward movement of the plunger. An inlet port (21) is formed in the wall of the bore (14) and is uncovered by the plunger (15) during its outward movement. The inlet port communicates with a first annular space (13) defined between the pump barrel and a surrounding pump body (10). The spilled fuel flows through the spill valve into a second annular space (55) defined between the valve block and the body. The first and second annular spaces have a respective inlet and outlet and are substantially isolated from each other.

Abstract: A brake lining wear indicator assembly includes a cable (9) having a wear sensor (8) adjacent one end thereof for attachment to a friction lining (7) of a vehicle brake, and a connector (11) at its other end for connecting the sensor, in use, to a wear sensing and indicating circuit. A cable support device (10) extends between the sensor and connector and carries at least a part of the cable, being adapted for cooperation with part of the brake body to support the assembly in an operative position relative to the brake. The support device serves to protect the cable carried thereby from deleterious conditions arising during braking, the assembly forming a self-contained unit for attachment to the brake.

Abstract: An hydraulic master cylinder has a cylinder body containing a valve of which a valve element cooperates with a valve seat carried by a piston, the piston performing a working movement, in use, to compress fluid in a pressure chamber of the body. The valve element and valve seat are relatively movable to permit opening and closing of the valve. A first abutment is arranged to set the retracted position of the piston and a second abutment, spaced from the first one in a direction opposite to the working piston movement, serves to hold the valve element in a desired open position when the piston is in its retracted position. The first and second abutments are both formed on a sleeve surrounding the piston.

Abstract: A circuit has circuit amplifiers (T1, T2) and inductive loads (MV1, MV2) with the circuit amplifiers being controlled by control signals provided by a microcomputer (MC). The circuit accomplishes this control while monitoring a load circuit, comprised of the circuit amplifiers and the loads, and terminates control of the circuit amplifiers, without assistance of the controlling microcomputer, upon occurrence of incorrect voltages in the load circuit. Thus, the circuit of this invention allows particularly fast termination of control of the load circuit upon the appearances of critical voltages and also allows the monitoring of the load circuits by the microcomputer in a particularly uncomplicated manner.