Abstract: A single air spring positioned under one side of a vehicle provides side to side leveling of the vehicle. Main springs support the vehicle above a pair of coaxial wheels or coaxial wheel sets. An auxiliary, inflatable air spring is positioned to provide additional support to the vehicle above one of the wheels. Deflection of the main springs from a norm or index is indicated by movement of tie rods mounted from the wheels, axle, or base of the main springs relative to the suspended portion of the vehicle. One tie rod is directly linked to a free end of an equalizer lever whereby the equalizer lever moves in the same direction as the tie rod. The second tie rod is coupled to the remaining free end of the equalizer lever by a rotatable rod, whereby the appropriate end of the equalizer lever moves in the direction opposite to the tie rod. The equalizer lever is suspended at its center from an actuation lever for a valve used to control inflation and deflation of the auxiliary air spring.

Abstract: The present invention describes a filter screen for removing debris from the hydraulic actuating fluid in an internal combustion engine having a hydraulic pump for supplying hydraulic actuating fluid to hydraulically-actuated unit fuel injectors. An upper portion of a priming reservoir is mounted on a front cover of the engine. The front cover forms a lower reservoir portion. A screen assembly is positioned adjacent to an interface defining an entrance from the upper reservoir portion to the lower reservoir portion. The screen assembly includes a filter screen enclosing the entrance to force the actuating fluid to pass through the filter screen, thus retaining debris that exceed the mesh size of the filter screen.

Abstract: A dual draw and return fuel manifold with an integral mounting bracket for use on a mobile vehicle containing at least two fuel tanks such as a heavy duty truck. The invention overcomes problems associated with assembling several fittings to a bracket and reduces the opportunities for leaks to develop in a vehicle fuel system by incorporating the fittings and mounting apparatus into a one piece design. There is a manifold which contains two three way tees integrated onto a mounting bracket or body. The mounting bracket has two engagement legs for engagement to a chassis mounted component over and to a vehicle drive train component. In a preferred embodiment these engagement legs will be engaged on either side of a transmission of the vehicle. The return and supply manifolds are located one on top of another on the manifold such that they may be easily connected to the high pressure tubing of the fuel system.

Abstract: A one-piece mounting bracket (30) for mounting an automatic transmission shift control in the cab of a truck has a top wall (34) and laterally spaced apart side walls (36, 38) depending from the top wall and extending rearward into covering relation to laterally opposite sides of the shift control. A face plate (70) spans the side walls of the bracket in covering relation to the shift control, and a shift lever (62) for operating the shift control to shift the transmission extends from the shift control through an opening (72) at the face plate to provide a grip by which a driver of the vehicle can operate the shift control. The side walls are symmetric about an imaginary medial plane that perpendicularly bisects an imaginary plane occupied by the top wall. The side walls also have symmetric hole patterns (50, 52) providing shift cable attachment features that are symmetric about the imaginary medial plane. The bracket may be used in either a right- or left-hand drive vehicle.

Abstract: A control system for vehicle accessories differentiated from one another in terms of required voltage, current drawn, load duration and variability of energization levels utilizes generic interface modules to effect control. One or more generic remote interface modules, in addition to controllers such as engine and chassis controllers, are mounted on the vehicle for controlling actuation and energization of the non-standard devices, such as motors driving pumps for hydraulic lits. An electronic system controller (ESC) manages the remote interface modules over a serial communication link to provide the specialized functionality. Each remote interface module (RIM) is constructed as a standard component capable of providing digital and analog outputs to devices attached to one or more output ports on the module. The remote interface assumes a number of controller states under the control of the electronic system controller for regulating actuation and energization of the differentiated loads.

Abstract: An electronic engine control for reducing, and ideally eliminating, accumulation of products of incomplete combustion that result from cold ambient conditions acting on the engine and that otherwise might ultimately affect engine operation before the useful life of an engine has elapsed. An idle speed control has a first source providing a signal corresponding to ambient air temperature, a second source providing a signal corresponding to engine coolant temperature, a third source providing a signal indicating that an engine is running substantially in an idle condition, and a processor that processes the signals from the first source, the second source, and the third source to develop an idle speed control signal for controlling engine idle speed by regulating the engine coolant temperature to a defined coolant temperature when the engine is running in an idle condition and the ambient air temperature does not concurrently exceed a defined air temperature.

Abstract: A linkage between an engine control (114) and vehicle controls, such as a transmission gear selector (100) and/or axle speed selector when the vehicle has a two-speed axle, providing input to the engine control that is additional to engine variable inputs (110) for tailoring engine performance characteristics to selected drive ratios of a drivetrain through which the engine drives the vehicle. The tailored characteristics include particular engine torque curves (FIGS. 1, 4, and 5) and particular engine speed regulation curves (FIGS. 1, 2, and 3). As the vehicle quickly accelerates through rated engine speed while the transmission in the lower gears, the driver's notices no feeling of abrupt shut-off. As the vehicle accelerates through the highest gears toward highway speed, the driver can feel sustained pulling effort by the engine.

Abstract: A circuit for the electrical system of an automotive vehicle, such as a truck, interfaces a two-speed axle selector switch (20) and a two-speed axle solenoid (18) with the vehicle ignition, or key, switch (12), the vehicle brake actuation switch (16), and the vehicle transmission neutral switch (14) to allow the axle to be shifted between its two speed ranges under certain conditions and to disallow such shifting under other conditions. The circuit includes a high range relay (22), a high range enable relay (24), a high range disable relay (26), and a low range relay (28).

Abstract: A parking brake lock-in key switch system for a truck or bus brake system. The system has two parking brake lock-in valves. One parking brake lock-in valve is installed in the air line piping between the primary air tank and the push pull double check valve and the second parking brake lock-in valve is in the air line piping between the secondary air tank and the push pull double check valve. The parking brake lock-in valves are air operated valves which when closed will look in actuated parking brakes. The parking brake lock-in valves are operated by a solenoid operated pilot valve which provides air from an air supply to close the lock-in valves when the ignition key is moved to the ‘off’ position. An actuated parking brake will be locked in because new air from the respective tanks will be prevented from flowing to the push pull double check valve and hence the brake chambers. The parking brake lock-in valve does not vent off downstream piping when it closes.

Abstract: A school bus crossing or a mounting system that more fully integrates the crossing arm and the bumper. To achieve this, the primary mounting brackets for the crossing arm drive system may be mounted to the bus chassis and an opening is formed in the bumper itself. The crossing arm is mounted to the drive system such that the arm projects through the opening in the bumper. Alternatively, the primary mounting brackets may be mounted to an inner surface of the bumper. A recess may be formed into an outer surface of the bumper such that the crossing arm is at least partially tucked into the recess when retracted. In one embodiment, there is no recess in the bumper. The crossing arm is contoured to follow the outer surface of the bumper.

Abstract: A dual draw and return fuel manifold with an integral mounting bracket for use on a mobile vehicle containing at least two fuel tanks such as a heavy duty truck. The invention overcomes problems associated with assembling several fittings to a bracket and reduces the opportunities for leaks to develop in a vehicle fuel system by incorporating the fittings and mounting apparatus into a one piece design. There is a manifold which contains two three way tees integrated onto a mounting bracket or body. The mounting bracket has two engagement legs for engagement to a chassis mounted component or to a vehicle drive train component. In a preferred embodiment these engagement legs will be engaged on either side of a transmission of the vehicle. The return and supply manifolds are located one on top of another on the manifold such that they may be easily connected to the high pressure tubing of the fuel system.

Abstract: The vehicle seat suspension system of the present invention provides an active seat suspension system responsive to conditions indicative of a collision or rollover for moving the seat downwardly to the limit of its vertical travel. The seat assembly comprises the seat, an active suspension system for maintaining an equilibrium position of the seat, sensors responsive to accident conditions for generating accident indication signals, and a seat positioning signal generator responsive to the accident indication signals for providing a seat relocation signal, where the active suspension system being responsive to the seat relocation signal for moving the seat to a retracted location.

Abstract: A battery box with a lid and a tray assembly for batteries for a hybrid electric vehicle. The lid and tray assembly are made of steel with an internal and external spray coating of an elastomer with high electrical resistance properties. Batteries are mounted in the tray assembly and enclosed by the lid. The elastomer coating on the tray assembly and the lid provides a non-electrically conductive interior and exterior surface for increased service safety. The steel base material of the tray assembly and the lid provides shielding from electromagnetic interference and radio frequency interference associated with the high voltages required to operate electric motors in hybrid electric vehicles. Additionally, the tray assembly has vents designed to optimize cooling of the batteries.

Abstract: A process for testing and the testing assembly for performing the process for testing an anti-lock brake system (ABS) for a vehicle after installation or work on the ABS without the need to test the vehicle for an ABS design braking event. The process involves engaging a testing unit computer to the electrical communication network of the vehicle and communicating with the Electronic Control Module (ECM) of the ABS. The vehicle is driven onto motorized rollers that can roll the wheels at low speeds without requiring vehicle movement. The testing unit computer makes a series of queries to the ECM to determine status of various parameters. Additionally, the portable computer is used to make directives to the ECM as far as cycling the ABS modulating valves such as the ABS hold solenoids and the ABS decay solenoids and the driver as far as braking or releasing the brake.