Abstract: A collapsible visor is made of a flexible visor panel supported on a frame. In one embodiment, the flexible panel includes a plurality of interconnected panels which fold on one another in an accordion-like fashion for collapsing the visor into a housing mounted within a vehicle headliner. Guide and support means couple the flexible visor panel to the frame for supporting the flexible panel in its movement between a retracted stored position and an extended use position.

Abstract: A visor rod mounting bracket has a base with a collar having an opening therein for receiving a rod. The collar integrally includes a sidewall having an aperture extending therethrough and communicating with the opening and locking means mounted to either the base or collar and extending into the opening for lockably securing the visor rod therein. In one embodiment, the locking means comprises a leaf spring made of a conductive material which electrically engages the visor rod to provide an electrical contact thereto permitting the application of electrical operating power to the visor through the rod serving as one conductor.

Abstract: An extractor arm for a die cast machine providing improved linear movement of the claw supported by the arm. The arm includes a support portion, a knee portion, a claw portion, and two sub-arm assemblies--a first sub-arm assembly interconnecting the support portion and the knee portion and a second sub-arm assembly interconnecting the knee portion and the claw portion. The two sub-arm assemblies each define a flexing parallelogram, and structure is provided for maintaining the two flexing parallelograms in generally the same shape throughout movement of the arm. The claw portion is therefore geometrically transported along a linear path relative the support portion.

Abstract: The system of the present invention provides an electrical digital compass for use in a vehicle which includes a unique compensation and variation correction control which is readily set by the vehicle operator with the operation of push-button switches. The electrical display system and circuitry includes a microprocessor for comparing the information from a magnetic field sensor when the vehicle is aligned in a magnetically known direction and for providing a correction signal to assure the displayed output corresponds to the predetermined magnetic field alignment. In areas where magnetic variation is significant, the system generates, stores and processes a correction signal to assure the displayed output corresponds to the true heading of the vehicle. In one embodiment of the invention, a temperature sensor is provided to indicate the ambient temperature in which the vehicle is operating and which is digitally displayed to the operator.

Abstract: A visor mounting structure includes a visor rod having a locking member secured to the rod to provide a predetermined rotational torque between the rod and the locking member. The locking member includes tabs extending outwardly for engaging one side of the sheet metal roof of a vehicle when installed. The assembly also includes a cover plate extending over the visor rod and axially spaced from the locking member and including tabs engaging an opposite side of the roof. When the locking member is inserted in the sheet metal roof and rotated to an engaging position, the cover plate is secured thereto to compressibly clamp the assembly in position in the vehicle, thereby mounting the visor attached to the visor rod to the vehicle.

Abstract: A visor body with a relatively large central recess which opens toward one side of the visor body. A mirror panel with a mirror encloses a substantial portion of the recess and defines an opening on one edge of the recess to provide access to the storage compartment formed between the panel and the floor of the recess. In one embodiment of the invention the panel is pivotally and slidably mounted to a guide within the recess such that it can be reversed to selectively expose the mirror for use or conceal the mirror for safety.

Abstract: An auxiliary visor light includes a visor body coupled to a vehicle and including a light housing coupled to the visor body and movable between a stored position substantially flush with the visor body and a use position projecting from the visor body and which is laterally directable to provide selective illumination to the interior of a vehicle.

Abstract: A prime mover for hot chamber die casting machines and the like, comprises a cylindrical housing with a piston slidably mounted therein for translation between extended and retracted positions. A rod connects the piston with an injection plunger portion of the casting machine. A closed reservoir, retaining high pressure gas therein, communicates with the power side of the piston, and urges the same toward the extended position. The piston is translated to the retracted position, and selectively released, whereby the high pressure gas contained in the reservoir quickly accelerates the piston to a fast speed portion of the shot stroke, and also facilitates substantially instantaneous deceleration of the piston at the end of the shot stroke without substantial backlash.

Abstract: Mounting structure for a flux-gate sensor used in electrical digital compass for a vehicle includes a cradle assembly for pivotally mounting the sensor for adjustable movement in a vertical plane aligned with the longitudinal axis of a vehicle. A housing includes an arm engaging the cradle assembly for automatically pivoting the sensor to a horizontal position when installed in different vehicles.

Abstract: A visor control having an elongated elastically deformable clamp of U-shaped cross-section with sides contacting a cylindrical pivot rod to hold the visor in position. The pivot rod has noncontinuous flats broken by lobes which align with recesses formed in the sides of the clamp. The sides of the clamp engage the edges of the flats as the rod is rotated within the clamp to provide a torque on the pivot rod as the sides abut the edge of the flats to provide snap-up action to move and hold the visor in a stored position. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the rod includes a plurality of alternately staggered flats and lobes with the lobes positioned to selectively align with recesses in the sides of the clamp.

Abstract: A visor includes a snap-in frame which extends inside a visor mirror receiving recess and engages its sidewalls compressing upholstery fabric against the walls and securely holding it in place. In one embodiment, the visor core is of clamshell construction in which the upholstery material is wrapped around the free edges and held in place around the peripheral boundary of the visor by the clamping action of the visor core. A method of manufacturing a visor of such construction includes the steps of surrounding a visor core having two halves with upholstery material and temporarily affixing the edges of the upholstery material around the free edges of the core, joining the core halves together to clamp the upholstery material in place around the periphery of the visor so formed while bonding the visor core halves permanently together to provide a compressive clamping force to the upholstery material.

Abstract: A visor actuating mechanism includes a bias spring coupled to the visor's moveable control elements tending to urge the visor body into a lowered position and a releasable catch for holding the visor in a stored position against the force provided by the bias spring. In one embodiment of the invention, the releasable catch was an electrically actuated solenoid coupled to a locking arm which, when the solenoid is actuated by an electrical push-button switch, effects release of the latching mechanism to permit the bias spring to urge the visor downwardly from the stored position.

Abstract: A vehicle visor having a mirror and cover includes a body member with one of a socket or pivot axle for receiving, in a snap-in fashion, the cover which includes the other of a socket or axle and pivotally moves with respect to the body member between closed and open positions. A tension spring extends from the body member to the cover at a position remote from the pivot axis of the cover to provide an over-center spring for alternately urging the cover toward open or closed positions. In one embodiment of the invention, the cover is employed in connection with an illuminated mirror in which the cover also has a recess for holding an electrical contact which is press-fit into the recess and includes an extending portion which engages a fixed electrical contact for applying power to lamps associated with the illuminated mirror when the cover is moved toward an open position.

Abstract: A visor includes a mounting structure secured to the headliner of a vehicle above a window and a pair of parallel spaced arms, each pivotally coupled at one end to the mounting structure secured to the vehicle headliner and having opposite ends pivotally secured to a visor. A cross arm extends between the spaced arms and is pivotally connected at each end to one of the arms at a position not aligned with the pivot connections of the arms to the vehicle or visor. The visor can be translated by rotation of the parallel arms between a raised or stored position above the window downwardly to a lowered use position. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a module which can be snap-fitted to the vehicle roof is provided with the visor, and its control mechanism being recessed behind a decorative panel. In one embodiment of the invention, a motor is coupled to one of the pivot points to electrically lower and raise the visor to any selected position.

Abstract: A panel includes a mirror surrounded on three sides by a generally U-shaped light source for providing illumination of the mirror for use as a vanity mirror under low ambient light conditions. The panel, in one embodiment of the invention is an integral portion of a body of a visor or a panel which is slidably extended from a visor. The U-shaped light and mirror panel can be pivoted when in an extended position such that the light and mirror can be utilized while the visor is in a raised, stored position or in a lowered use position. The panel is, in one embodiment, coupled to an X-shaped bracket with the legs forming the bracket pivotally coupled to one another. One end of each leg is pivotally coupled to one of an anchoring member or the visor panel and the opposite end pivotally and slidably mounted to one of the anchoring member or the visor panel.

Abstract: A storage system includes a housing secured to the ceiling of an automobile behind the windshield and has one or more recesses having hinged covers defining one or more storage receptacles for receiving and storing sunglasses or other small personal items. The housing can be conveniently aligned to extend between the vehicle operator and passenger seats such that the storage compartments are readily accessible. In one embodiment, hinge means coupling the cover and housing are curvilinear to permit the cover to swing downwardly in an arcuate path of approximately 100 degrees to facilitate the insertion and removal of items from a receptacle formed in the cover.

Abstract: Visors embodying the present invention include a mounting structure secured to the headliner of a vehicle above a side window and a pair of parallel spaced arms, each pivotally coupled at one end to the mounting structure secured to the vehicle headliner and having opposite ends pivotally secured to a sun shield such that the shield can be pivoted by rotation of the parallel arms between a raised or stored position above the side window downwardly to a lowered use position.

Abstract: A strain gauge arrangement for die casing machines of the type having tie bars with threaded ends, comprises an unthreaded, uniform intermediate portion on at least one of the tie bars, which defines a measuring region with interior and exterior ends. An elongate aperture extends through the end of the one tie bar, and terminates at a base that defines the interior end of the measuring region. A detector rod is telescopingly received in the aperture, and has its inner end resiliently urged into continuous contact with the base of the aperture. A sleeve is slidingly received over the outer end of the detector rod, and has its inner end resiliently urged into continuous contact with a shoulder which defines the exterior end of the measuring region. A measuring device detects changes in the relative position of the outer ends of the detector rod and the sleeve to determine strain in the measuring region of the one tie bar.

Abstract: A shot cylinder controller for injection molding machines comprises a valve connected with one side of the shot cylinder and including a valve head which is movable with respect to a seat. The valve head is connected with at least two, lineally extensible actuators, interconnected in an end-to-end relationship. The actuators are independently extended and retracted, whereby selective manipulation of the actuators varies the position of the valve head, and thereby controls the extension of the shot cylinder and regulates the speed of die injection.

Abstract: A system for individually adjusting tie bars of a die casting machine during operation includes a threaded sleeve securing one end of each of the threadless tie bars to a backing plate with an adjustment nut positioned between the backing plate and threaded sleeve for adjusting the machine lockup tension on the tie bar. The adjustment nut associated with each of the four tie bars has gear teeth and can be adjusted by means of disengagable idler gears commonly engaging a centrally located bull gear for selectively adjusting one or more of the tie bars. In one embodiment of the invention, strain gauges are placed on the threaded sleeves for detecting the lockup force applied to the tie bars through the sleeves and an electrical control circuit is employed for automatically controlling the tie bar adjustment mechanism to maintain tie bar tension within prescribed limits during production operation of the die casting machine.