Abstract: A lamp assembly suitable for use on a vehicle roof includes an elongate support member (11) of hollow cross section and a plurality of individual lamp units (12-17) secured to the support member at points spaced along the length of the support member. Electrical connecting leads (37) of the lamp units are disposed in the hollow interior section of the support member (11) and the lamp units (12-17) each comprise a body (31, 31a) housing the lighting assembly of the unit and having opposite ends closed by closure members (32) at least one of which is transparent. The closure members (32) of all of the lamp units (12-17) of the assembly are of similar shape, and the lamp unit bodies are of the same cross-section.

Abstract: A vehicle brake servo booster has a housing divided into pressure chambers by a movable partition carried by a reciprocable hub member. A switch device is mounted on the housing and operable by an abutment member carried by a reciprocable piston to control an electrical circuit supplying a vehicle rear brake warning light.

Abstract: An apparatus for supplying belt-linked ammunition to a gun. Belt-linked ammunition is supplied to a gun by an apparatus comprising a plurality of standard rectilinear ammunition boxes in which the ammunition belts are arranged so that both of their ends are accessible. The boxes are secured beneath an arcuate supporting guide which traverses with the gun and which has openings through which both ends of each belt can pass, for leading in respective directions towards an adjacent box or towards the gun. The boxes are arranged to extend tangentially of the guide so that the axes of rounds of ammunition within the guide are directed radially of the axis of curvature thereof.

Abstract: An hydraulic braking system includes a primary pressure source connected to a brake actuator and operable by a force input device, a fluid displacer actuated by an electrical stepper motor operated by a controller in response to action of the force input device, as sensed by a sensor, whereby fluid displaced from the displacer is added to that displaced from the primary pressure source for application to the brake actuator. By suitable programming of the controller, servo-assistance and/or quick-fill modes can be produced by the displacer and wheel-slip correction and anti-skid facility can be provided.

Abstract: A brake servo booster has a housing (1) divided into two chambers (A, B) by a movable partition (5) which includes a diaphragm (6). A protective boot (14) for a support member (11) extending through the housing is connected to the diaphragm by a carrier member (16) engaged by adjacent portions (14A, 6A) of the boot and diaphragm in a manner which avoids direct contact between these portions and facilitates assembly of the booster.

Abstract: In a booster casing (12) a movable wall (14) separates two compartments (16,18) from each other. In inoperative position, a control valve (20) connects the two compartments (16,18) with each other, and separates them when in an operative position, connecting one (16) of them to a source of pressure which differs from the pressure in the other compartment (18). A cylinder casing (52) is attached to the booster casing (12), projects into the same, and contains at least one pressure piston (54) which defines a pressure chamber (56) for pressurizing a brake circuit. An input piston (40) having a greater effective surface than the pressure piston (54) and defining an input chamber (42) is movable together with the movable wall (14). The input chamber (42) is adapted to be relieved of pressure by a relief valve (80) if the booster (10) fails. The input piston (40) and chamber (42) are arranged inside the booster casing (12), and the input piston (40) forms part of the movable wall (14).

Abstract: Fluid is adapted to be released from a brake to an expansion chamber from which a pump is adapted to withdraw fluid to achieve automatic re-application to the brake. The system includes an inlet valve between a master cylinder and the brake, a re-application valve between the pump and the brake, and a dump valve between the brake and the expansion chamber. The three valves are solenoid-operated and are operable in a predetermined sequence by a control module responsive to signals from means responsive to the behaviour of a wheel braked by the brake. Brake re-application pressure may be held in a "hold" mode by closing the re-application valve to prevent the pump from increasing the pressure within the brake. In a modification a separate, additional, hold valve may be provided to isolate the expansion chamber from the brake.

Abstract: A braking system for a vehicle has a stepper motor which controls the application of friction elements to a rotating part such as a brake drum. A control circuit controls the motor so that an output member is positioned by the motor in accordance with a variable demand signal. In one application, the control circuit receives a brake pressure signal from a transducer and controls the motor so as to compensate automatically for brake wear. In another application, the motor controls a debooster of an antilock brake system. The system also may include means for operating a parking brake.

Abstract: A fuel injection nozzle of the inwardly opening type has an axially movable valve member engageable under the action of a spring, with a seating to prevent fuel flow through an outlet. The valve member engaged by a spring abutment and is slidable within a sleeve and when fuel under pressure is supplied to the nozzle forces are developed on the valve member and the sleeve which is urged into contact with a part located between the sleeve and the spring abutment. A leakage path is provided to prevent a build up of fuel pressure within an annular zone defined between the part and the valve member.

Abstract: A flexible ammunition chuting (14) for a machine gun (10) includes a flexible spine (26) made up of spring steel strips (27, 29) which are anchored at two spaced and fixed positions, typically at the chuting ends, so as precisely to define the length of the chuting. The chuting includes relatively articulated links (20), which are able to follow convex and concave bends and to twist torsionally, but the spine (26) prevents the overall stretching or collapse of the links, which might result in ammunition belt misfeed or jamming.

Abstract: An anti-lock braking system of the dump to expansion chamber and pump to re-apply type incorporates first and second upstream and downstream valves which are interconneted and are located in a line in series. A first one-way valve is located between the pump and the brake on the downstream side of the second valve, and a second one-way valve is located in parallel with the first one-way valve in a line between the pump and the second valve. Each valve is operable independently of, or simultaneously with, the other valve in accordance with the sensed behavior of the braked wheel to achieve four modes of normal brake application, dump, automatic brake re-application, and "hold".

Abstract: In an anti-lock vehicle braking system the brake pressure acting at the controlled wheel is controlled in such a manner that the threshold value with respect to the rotational retardation of the wheel at the beginning of a lowering or raising of pressure is increased briefly, during a control cycle, by a constant amount (S.sub.H -S.sub.G) with respect to a threshold base value (S.sub.G) in order to avoid any undesired control operations caused especially by axle vibrations, pot holes, and the like. The threshold value is then decreased in response to the period of time of the pressure reduction in the preceding control cycle. The decreasing of the threshold value is carried on to values S.sub.T below the threshold base value and maintained for a given time interval (t.sub.x -t.sub.y).

Abstract: A rotary distributor fuel pumping apparatus for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine has a pair of pumping plungers housed in a diametrical bore formed in the distributor member. The plungers at a predetermined position during their inward movement open a spill path to terminate delivery of fuel through an outlet. The one plunger defines a plunger bore and the other plunger has an integral piston slidable therein. The piston has a relieved portion adjacent the other plunger which with the wall of the plunger bore forms a flow path from the pumping chamber the flow path communicating with a port at a predetermined position during the inward movement. The pumping chamber is of annular form and is defined between the plungers and the wall of the bore in the distributor member and the piston.

Abstract: A fluid control valve includes a plate like valve member movable between a pair of spaced seatings. The seating is formed about a drilling which extends through a valve plate. The valve plate has a further drilling extending therethrough and the two drillings are placed in communication when the valve member is lifted from the seating. The valve plate is located in a recess in a valve body and is urged towards the base wall by an insert. The face of the valve plate presented to the base wall defines two annular recesses, in which are located sealing rings which project into engagement with the base wall. The inner sealing ring forms a coupling space between the drilling and a first passage in the body and the annular space between the sealing rings forms a coupling space between the further drilling and a second passage in the body.

Abstract: A geared rotary actuator comprises at least two axially aligned compound epicyclic gear trains driven by an input shaft so that output ring gears in each train rotate relatively. Sun gears in adjacent gear trains are drivingly coupled to the input shaft through a differential device which permits limited rotational displacement between the sun gears. An element, for example an aircraft lift control surface, may be mounted on one set of the ring gears by means of spindles which extend normally of a plane which includes the axes of the ring gears, so that as a result of stresses therein the element may tilt locally about the spindles.

Abstract: A fuel injector for supplying liquid fuel to an air inlet manifold of a spark ignition engine has a fuel-inlet, an outlet defined in a tubular component mounted in a tubular part of the injector body, and at least one orifice formed in a valve seat member downstream of a valve member. The tubular component is spaced downstream from the valve seat member. An air circulation duct is defined between the tubular component and tubular part, so that spray of fuel flowing through the outlet draws air through the duct to minimize dribble of fuel from the injector.

Abstract: A rotary distributor type fuel injection pump has a pair of angularly adjustable stop rings having shaped internal surfaces which can engage with the cam followers of the pump to limit the outward movement of the pump plungers. The stop rings are interconnected by a saddle member and a spring biases the saddle member into engagement with a stop. The stop which may be adjustable determines the normal maximum amount of fuel which can be supplied by the pump. For starting purposes the stop rings are moved to an excess fuel position which is achieved by a pin engaged in a slot in one of the rings. The pin is spring biased to move the one end and hence the other ring to an excess fuel position and is coupled to a fluid pressure operable piston which when the associated engine is started is moved by fluid pressure to move the pin to allow the spring to move the saddle member and stop into engagement with the stop.

Abstract: An internal shoe drum brake has a body (1) carrying a plurality of circumferentially spaced friction elements (2) movable into engagement with a rotatable drum (3) by a hydraulic system including an actuator (5) having a pressure-applying cylinder (2) in which a pressure-generating piston (21) is driven by an electrical stepper motor (28), slave cylinders (4) which actuate the friction elements, and internal ducts (7, 8) for transmitting pressure from piston (21) to slave cylinders (4).

Abstract: In a hydraulic anti-lock braking system a modulator incorporates a solenoid-operated valve responsive to anti-lock signals, a re-application valve and an expansion chamber to which fluid relieved from the brake in an anti-lock mode. The solenoid-operated valve determines the pressure in a control chamber, a poppet valve controls communication between the master cylinder and the brake, and a restricted connection is provided between the master cylinder and the output from a re-application pump.

Abstract: The present invention provides a disc for a disc brake, the disc comprising two annular members arranged coaxially with respect to each other and joined together by generally radially extending vanes and pillars, which project from a central web located between the annular members. The vanes extend for part of the radial extent of the annular members, and the pillars are located in a region not occupied by the vanes and preferably radially beyond the vanes. Power absorption and noise generation is reduced considerably as a result of the reduced vane overall diameter, as compared to a disc of like diameter with the conventional long radial vanes. However, the desired cooling is maintained due to the surface area presented by the combination of shorter vanes and pillars.