Abstract: An interface for interfacing an accelerator control input, a service brake control input, and a parking brake control input with a hybrid electric vehicle's electric control system that controls propulsion of the vehicle by controlling the motor torque output of an electric traction drive motor that drives driven wheels of the vehicle. The application of either the service brakes or the parking brake concurrent with the accelerator pedal being at non-idle causes the interface to override the motor torque being requested by the accelerator control input in favor of a zero motor torque request to the control system.

Abstract: An altitude compensating turbocharger wastegate control system operates by bleeding air from an intake air line extending from an intake manifold of an engine to a wastegate actuator to raise the intake manifold pressure at which the wastegate is opened when the engine is operating at high altitudes. The control system operates in response to a comparison of barometric air pressure sensed by a pressure sensor and a number of predefined ranges of sensed pressure in a memory of an engine controller to determine whether no, full, or an intermediate amount of bleeding should take place in order to maintain the desired turbocharger output at high altitudes.

Abstract: A method is described for matching the lands in a spool valve (300) for a fuel injector. The spool valve (300) has a valve body (340) forming an inside surface (373) to receive the spool (310). The inside surface is measured to locate the position of contact points on the valve body (340). A starting contact point (514) is selected from the contact points on the valve body (340). The starting contact point (514) is transposed to the spool (310). The other contact points are transposed to the spool (300), preferably by using the distances between the other contact points and the starting contact point on the valve body. Grind areas are identified on the spool (310) based on the starting contact point, the other contact points, and specifications for the spool. The grind areas are ground to form lands on the spool (310) that match lands on the valve body (340).

Abstract: A powerplant includes an engine (22) that may be disposed on a vehicle chassis 12 including a cab (14) or may be a stationary engine such as a generator set, and has a fuel delivery system (54) through which combustible fuel is introduced into the engine for combustion to power the engine. A tank (42) is disposed on the chassis below the cab at one side of the chassis. A bulkhead (70) divides the tank into a fuel supply reservoir (50) for holding a supply of fuel for the engine and a second supply reservoir (52), the latter reservoir holding a supply of fluid other than engine fuel. A first supply conduit (56) supplies fuel from the fuel supply reservoir to the engine fuel delivery system, and a second supply conduit (66) supplies fluid from the second supply reservoir to a portion of the powertrain. A return conduit (68) returns fluid from the powertrain to the is second supply reservoir and includes a walled passage (72) passing through the fuel supply reservoir.

Abstract: A cable containment device for supportedly routing cables and air lines along a cross member of a truck frame to eliminate potential interference of the cables and air lines with operating structures beneath the cross member defines an elongate channel having at least a horizontal bottom wall which extends across a major portion of the length of the cross member for providing securely supported elevation of the cables above the operating structures.

Abstract: An electric heating grid extends from the middle of one side of the windshield, down that side to the bottom of the windshield, and from there across the bottom to the opposite side. The grid is operated by a control circuit having an on-off switch that is accessible to the vehicle operator. The control circuit includes a switch for sensing ambient outdoor temperature so as to allow the grid to be operated only when the outdoor temperature is below a threshold that distinguishes wintertime from non-wintertime conditions.

Abstract: An anchor for a seat belt for a seat for a mobile vehicle such as medium or heavy-duty truck, the vehicle with the seat belt anchor installed, and the process of back fitting an existing vehicle with a seat with a seat belt. The seat belt anchor may be installed in a vehicle cab either during manufacture of the vehicle or in the after market. The anchor provides the surface area required for providing the strength required by Federal Law and fits around existing components of the cab. The anchor has at minimum three sides to roughly form a `U` shape to fit around a vertical gusset and mounting surfaces or flaps or engagement to the cab structure. The critical geometry is that the anchor will fit around a vertical gusset or cab support. In the primary embodiment, the anchor has 5 sides. The three center sides generally form a `U` shape when viewed at a downward angle from the rear of the cab. The `U` will fit around a rectangular cross-sectioned vertical gusset or cab support.

Abstract: The apparatus for providing access steps to a vehicle and a method of installing same on a heavy or medium duty truck. In its most basic form, the apparatus is comprised of an access step and two step brackets. The brackets are installed to outer surfaces of the tank straps which hold a fuel tank to a frame rail of the vehicle. The access step and step brackets have tabs and flaps or slots which can be combined to attach the access step to the step brackets with a reduced number of fasteners.

Abstract: Two lamp sockets (40, 42) on a wiring board (32) behind a switch assembly (18) have identical geometries. Each comprises a through-hole with a polarizing feature. Plural discrete contact pads (44, 46, 48, 50) are disposed on the board surface spaced apart around the margin of each through-hole. Plural discrete conductor traces (52, 54, 56, 58) are printed on the board surface to run from the respective contact pads. Each socket can accept either a first model (66) or a second model (68) of lamp assembly to make either socket a status indicator for the switch assembly or a nighttime illumination socket. A common wiring board can thereby serve different requirements for the locations of status indicator and nighttime illumination lamps.

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 butterfly hood mount system for a truck vehicle with a cab air suspension system. More specifically, the butterfly hood mount system is comprised of a four paneled butterfly hood with a center hinge rod fixed against fore-and-aft movement to a chassis component of the vehicle in the front and in the rear fixed against lateral or side to side movement of the cab of the vehicle, but capable of fore-and-aft movement relative to the cab of the vehicle.

Abstract: Rather than using the viscosity of dampening oil to establish the speed at which the movement of an air core instrument gauge moves, the speed is defined by programming speed data into memory of a microprocessor that controls the movement. When the microprocessor receives an input signal commanding the movement to move, it develops an output signal for operating the movement that is based both on the input signal and on the stored speed signal. The stored speed signal is used by the microprocessor as weight for a software filter used in development of the output signal.

Abstract: The present invention describes a filter gasket (50) for removing debris from the hydraulic fluid in an internal combustion engine (10). An upper reservoir structure (30) is mounted on a front cover (14) of the engine (10) at interface (46). The front cover forms a lower reservoir (16). The upper reservoir structure (30) forms an upper reservoir (35). A gasket (42) is disposed along the interface (46) to seal the upper reservoir structure (30) to the front cover (14). A screen assembly (70) is positioned adjacent to the interface (46). The screen assembly (70) includes a filter screen (76) connected to a plate member (56). The plate member (56) operatively engages the gasket (42). The plate member (56) forces hydraulic fluid to pass through the filter screen (76), thus retaining debris that exceed the mesh size of the filter screen (76).

Abstract: The apparatus for providing access steps to a vehicle and a method of installing same on a heavy or medium duty truck. In its most basic form, the apparatus is comprised of an access step and two step brackets. The brackets are installed to outer surfaces of the tank straps which hold a fuel tank to a frame rail of the vehicle. The access step and step brackets have tabs and flaps or slots which can be combined to attach the access step to the step brackets with a reduced number of fasteners.

Abstract: A replaceable coolant filter assembly includes a housing, a filter element having and an end plate to define a fluid path through said filter and comprising a coolant additive sensor having a sacrificial sensing element disposed within said housing in contact with said fluid path. An electrical circuit connecting a microprocessor to the sensing element is grounded through the filter housing to an engine, the microprocessor being responsive to the opening of said sensing element circuit by corrosion an alarm device.

Abstract: A fuel line assembly for an engine fuel system contains a length of nominally circular walled metal tube and a connecting fitting disposed on the tube proximate a terminus of the tube for making connection of an end of the tube containing the terminus to an engine fuel system component. The tube has a formation in a segment spaced from the terminus where the nominally circular wall has been re-formed to a non-circular oval cross section to provide an interference with the connecting fitting that prevents the fitting from sliding past the re-formation.

Abstract: The invention relates to positioning and installing a windshield within a vehicle frame. An installer places a windshield within the vehicle frame and aligns the windshield using a dart to position and engage the windshield within the windshield opening. The dart nay engage a dart-receiving slot located in the windshield's trim piece. The installer aligns the dart-receiving slot with the dart, then adjusts the position of the windshield as needed.