Abstract: A packing material is constructed with an inner core and an outer circular sheath having compressible and extendible filler yarns which help reduce keystoning of the packing material when bent around corners or curved surfaces. More specifically, the sheath is formed from a plurality of base yarns and a plurality of filler yarns, wherein the yarns are either knit by a circular warp-knitting method or braided. The filler yarns are positioned at predetermined locations within the sheath structure and configured in their construction so as to give the sheath a predetermined geometric configuration when knitted. In the preferred construction, four filler yarns are arranged in a square configuration to give the packing material a generally square configuration. The key feature of the present invention is that the filler yarns comprise yarns which are extendible and compressible in a longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A shaped (multi-sided), circular warp-knit cord construction is provided with localized distributions of yarns on selected sides of the cord by selectively positioning and rotating yarns on a yarn guide. The yarns are positioned and rotated in such a manner that yarns of the same type of material are repeatedly located in the same knitting position or a closely spaced or adjacent position for each knitted course. Shaping of the cord is provided by selectively locating interlace yarns around the circumference of the cord construction. For example, four equally circumferentially spaced interlace yarns will form a square knit configuration having four distinct sides when viewed in cross-section. By selectively grouping and rotating yarns of the same type of material, yarns can be localized on a selected side or side of the cord construction.

Abstract: An electrical motor includes a ground brush connected to ground, first and second supply brushes connected to first and second supply lines and adapted to cause the motor to rotate at first and second speeds, and an interference suppression device comprising a common core, a first coil connected in series between the first supply brush and the first supply line and a second coil connected in series between the second supply brush and the second supply line. The space required by the device in the motor casing is less than with the conventional arrangement of two individual chokes and can provide improved noise suppression due to magnetic coupling between the two coils.

Abstract: A resilient metal contact brush for use in controlling an electric motor, comprises a strip-like metal member having at one end thereof a contact head protruding at an angle to the plane of the strip-like member and at the other end thereof a fixing means. The contact head is an integral portion of the strip-like member and is formed by the juxtaposition of two flat ear-like protrusions formed on the strip-like member adjacent the one end thereof. Each ear-like protrusion is initially located at a respective edge of, and in the plane of, the strip-like member adjacent the one end thereof. The contact head is formed by first bending each ear-like protrusion through an angle of 180.degree.

Abstract: A pleated paper filter element is disclosed which is formed from a mechanically-treated filter paper (10') which has the side thereof opposite to the wire-side (12) mechanically teased so as to form thereon an open, textured layer (18) of raised fibers. The starting material used is a standard, commercially-available filter paper which is resin-impregnated with an uncured phenolic resin. The pleated paper filter element formed from the treated filter paper (10') displays, after the element has been heated to cure the resin, a substantial increase of up to 73.5% in the dust-holding capacity over a like element formed from the standard, commercially-available filter paper.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for destaticizing and cleaning partially assembled items being transported on a continuously movable line, the apparatus comprises a housing which substantially surrounds the continuously movable line, static reduction apparatus which provides a static reduction zone within the housing, air input apparatus which provides air input into the housing, an air curtain through which the continuously movable line passes, and air exhaust apparatus which exhausts air from within the housing. The volumetric input of air provided by the air input apparatus is substantially equal to the volumetric output of air exhausted by the air exhaust apparatus so that substantially no movement of air occurs at the entrance to and exit from the housing. The air input apparatus removes substantially all dust and/or other foreign particles from the partially assembled items and holds them in suspension in the circulating air before being exhausted.

Abstract: Improved drive means is provided for imparting clockwise and counterclockwise reciprocal movements to the yarn guides of a circular warp knitting machine including a plurality of vertically reciprocated needles. The improved drive means includes an endless timing belt drivingly connected to the yarn guides and a crank arm drivingly connected at one end to the endless timing belt. A rotary drive wheel is connected to the opposite end of the crank arm for imparting continuous longitudinal reciprocation to the crank arm and to thereby impart reciprocating movement to the endless timing belt and the yarn guide drivingly connected thereto. The yarn guide may include a first yarn guide for directing a base or ground yarn to the needles and a second yarn guide for directing an inlay yarn to the needles. Endless timing belts are utilized in driving each of the base yarn guide and the inlay yarn guide and the timing belt drive permits the circular warp knitting machine to be operated at an increased operating speed.

Abstract: An odometer having a reset mechanism with a single spring that has a torsion section acting on the reset mechanism to bias pinions into engagement with the odometer wheels and a compression section for biasing the pinions into a predetermined axial position relative tot he odometer wheels.

Abstract: A retractable truck bed cover comprising a plurality of relatively narrow slats (12--12) which are rotatably interfitted together along their longitudinal edges by means of mating elements (26,28) so that the cover is flexible in its longitudinal direction. The slats include wheels (64) which extend from the opposite end edges thereof and which are mounted for rotation. The wheels are received into opposing side rails (36,38) which are mounted along the top edges of the truck bed. A cover retracting mechanism (18) is positioned adjacent the cab of the truck, and includes two vertical end pieces (100,102), on facing surfaces of which is located a shallow spiral track (108), which receives the wheels (64) of the succession of slats comprising the cover, permitting the cover to be conveniently rolled up upon itself.

Abstract: The circular warp knit composite cord includes a circular warp knit tube with a plurality of wales of base yarn needle loops circumferentially spaced around the tube. The base yarns forming the wales of needle loops also form laps extending between and the interconnecting the circumferentially spaced wales of base yarn needle loops. Inlaid yarns are interlaced in selected ones of the wales of the base yarn needle loops and extend therealong to control longitudinal stretchability of the circular warp knit tube. If desired, a core element can be provided to extend longitudinally along the center of the circular warp knit tube. The knitting of the composite card is carried out on a circular warp knitting machine including circularly arranged and circumferentially spaced-apart needles supported for simultaneous longitudinal movement between an upper clearing level and a lower stitch loop forming level.

Abstract: A centralized door-locking system in a motor vehicle in which all of the doors of the vehicle and a tailgate of the vehicle have lockable latches which can be locked/unlocked electrically using key-operable switches asociated with the lockable latches in the driver's door, front passenger's door and the tailgate of the vehicle. In the system, it is possible to selectively lock/unlock the driver's door and/or the tailgate independently of the remaining doors of the vehicle, thus improving the overall security against unauthorized entry to the vehicle by third persons during usage of the vehicle. This selective locking/unlocking of the driver's door and tailgate may be achieved by using, for example, a key-operable switch in the driver's door having a rotatable key barrel 32 with key slot 160 which is rotatable clockwise or anticlockwise from a central position N to sequential switching positions A and B, or C and D, against an increasing spring bias 162, 164.

Abstract: An electrically-operable actuator 10, for use in locking and unlocking a latch mechanism in a motor vehicle by the selective operation of a switchable direct current electrical supply to said actuator, comprises a housing 12, 14 enclosing a reversible direct current electric motor 16 adapted to be coupled to said electrical supply, a reduction gear train, a reciprocable member 96 movable between two predefined limits and adapted at one end to be coupled with a locking lever of said latch mechanism, and a rotary, load-sensitive releasable coupling 64 provided between said reversible electric motor 16 and said reciprocable member 96, the actuator including a releasably-engagable locking lever 132 which is operable to lock said reciprocable member 96 against any movement relative to said housing 12, 14, said locking lever 132 being applied, when the actuator 10 is coupled to said switchable electrical supply and after one of said predetermined limits has been reached, by the operation of a switch means in said s

Abstract: An electrically-operable actuator 10 which includes a reversible direct current electric motor 16, a reduction gear train and a reciprocable member 96 adapted at one end to be coupled, for example with a locking lever of a motor vehicle door latch has, in the reversible direct current electric motor 16, a permanent magnet stator 18 in the form of a cylindrical ring, the internal diameter of which is at least twice the actual length thereof; a coil-wound armature 24 in the form of a salient pole rotor having a diameter of at least twice the actual thickness thereof; and a flat disc-shaped segmented commutator secured to said rotor concentric with, and adjacent, a pinion output gear 40 on said rotor.

Abstract: A resilient metal contact brush for use in an electric motor, which contact brush comprises a strip-like metal member having a contact head protruding substantially normally to the plane of the strip-like member, contact head being an integral portion of the strip-like member and being formed by the juxtaposition of two flat ear-like protrusions formed on the strip-like member adjacent one end thereof.