Abstract: A far-infrared radiation multi-stage type heating furnace for steel sheets for hot stamping, the furnace including far-infrared radiation heaters having flexibility that are prevented from deflecting even during heating at temperatures ranging from the Ac3 transformation temperature to 950° C. The furnace includes: multiple-staged heating units that accommodate steel sheets, each heating unit formed by thermal insulation materials disposed around the periphery; and far-infrared radiation heaters positioned above and below the heating units. A far-infrared radiation heater is received by first metal strips. The first metal strips are disposed so that their strong axis direction approximately corresponds to the direction of gravity and supported by support pieces so as to be expandable and contractible in a longitudinal direction by thermal expansion or thermal contraction. The support pieces are disposed outside the thermal insulation materials in the heating units and a ceiling unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a far-infrared radiation heating furnace for steel sheets for hot stamping configured to inhibit thermal deformation of the furnace body and furnace body parts. A far-infrared radiation heating furnace (10) includes heating units (13-1) to (13-6), a ceiling unit (19), and a furnace body frame (12) made of steel, the heating units including: blocks made of a thermal insulation material, the blocks being disposed around horizontal planes of spaces for accommodating the steel sheets for hot stamping; and far-infrared radiation heaters positioned above and below the steel sheets for hot stamping to heat the steel sheets for hot stamping, the furnace body frame being disposed around the heating units and the ceiling unit. The furnace body frame includes spacers (17-1) to (17-7) that space the heating units and the ceiling unit apart from the furnace body frame and support them.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to stably support steel sheets for hot stamping accommodated in a far-infrared radiation multi-stage type heating furnace over a long period of time using steel sheet support members having a small projected area and inhibited from thermally deforming. The far-infrared radiation multi-stage type heating furnace of the present invention includes: heating units and a ceiling unit arranged in a vertical direction with multiple stages to accommodate steel sheets for hot stamping that are aluminum-coated steel sheets or zinc-coated steel sheets; and far-infrared radiation heaters disposed within the heating units and the ceiling unit to heat the steel sheets for hot stamping to a temperature ranging from the Ac3 transformation temperature to 950° C. Steel sheet support members are mounted to the heating units to support the steel sheets for hot stamping by point contact or line contact with the steel sheets for hot stamping.

Abstract: Provided is a far-infrared radiation multi-stage type heating furnace for steel sheets for hot stamping, the furnace including far-infrared radiation heaters having flexibility that are prevented from deflecting even during heating at temperatures ranging from the Ac3 transformation temperature to 950° C. The far-infrared radiation multi-stage type heating furnace includes: multiple-staged heating units that accommodate steel sheets for hot stamping, each heating unit formed by thermal insulation materials disposed around the periphery; and far-infrared radiation heaters positioned above and below the heating units. A far-infrared radiation heater (14-1) is received by a plurality of first metal strips (26) so as to be disposed approximately horizontally.

Abstract: Soaking apparatus to treat materials which require higher accuracy in soaking and improved cleanliness. The soaking apparatus includes a heat treatment apparatus having walls, a ceiling and a floor, each divided into a plurality of sections, a heater block mounted on each section, a thermal sensor mounted to each heater block, and a thermal controller to control heating of the heater blocks based on a temperature measured by the thermal sensor.

Abstract: Provided is a soaking apparatus to treat materials which require higher accuracy in soaking and improved cleanliness. The soaking apparatus to soak a material 12 to be treated is provided with a heat treatment apparatus 14 having walls, a ceiling and a floor, each of the walls, the ceiling and the floor of the heat treatment apparatus 14 being divided into a plurality of sections, a heater block mounted on each of the sections, a thermal sensor 11 mounted to the heater block, and a thermal controller 13 to control heating of the heater block based on a temperature measured by the thermal sensor 11.

Abstract: A wheel suspension system for a bicycle is provided with a telescopically coupled sliding tube and a fork leg forming a suspension assembly with a shock absorber assembly. The fork leg is provided satisfactorily high rigidity for withstanding torsional torque which is potentially exerted through a brake lever during application of a brake. The fork leg with sufficient rigidity can be formed from a tubular material.

Abstract: A hydraulic shock absorber comprising a cylinder containing a working oil; a piston received in a slidable manner in the cylinder and formed with a communication passage for generating a damping force, a piston rod protruding from one end of the cylinder; a valve chamber formed at the other end of the cylinder in fluid communication with the inside of the cylinder; an oil tank having an oil port for communication with the valve chamber; a disc-shaped valve arranged in the valve chamber and formed with a plurality of oil holes which have different effective areas and which can selectively be brought to face the oil port which communicates with the valve chamber and oil tank when the disc-shaped valve is turned. The disc-shaped valve is preferably mounted slidably but non-rotatably upon a valve stem. A coil spring is preferably provided to urge the disc-shaped valve against the valve chamber.

Abstract: A front wheel suspension system for a motorcycle including a telescopic hydraulic shock absorber mechanism which provides an anti-dive function upon braking of a front wheel of the motorcycle. In addition to a main oil passage which is intercepted upon braking of the front wheel, a bypass oil passage is provided between inner and outer tubular members comprising a fork pipe and a bottom case, respectively, disposed in a telescopically fitted relationship with each other. An adjustable orifice mechanism is provided in an intermediate position in the bypass oil passage. The suspension system provides an appropriate adjustment of the damping effect of the shock absorber mechanism in a direction of contraction of a front fork upon an anti-dive operation.

Abstract: A front fork including an outer cylinder 2 and a slidable inner cylinder 3 with working oil between them has a dust seal 5 and an oil seal 6 in sliding contact with the outer circumference of the inner cylinder. Between these seals there is a guide 7 which is also in sliding contact with the outer circumference of the inner cylinder and which is made of sponge or felt and is impregnated with grease or oil. The provision of this guide increases the lives of the other seals.

Abstract: A hydraulic shock absorber of the type having a piston fitted in a cylinder filled with a working oil to thereby construct a shock absorbing force generating mechanism, including a cylindrical shock absorbing rubber seat for preventing shock fitted onto the end portion of the piston rod; a protecting cylinder with at least its leading end having a larger diameter than that of the rubber seat fitted on the base portion of the rubber seat; a spring receiving collar fitted on the outer side of the protecting cylinder; a mounting fixture screwed onto the end portion of the piston rod, and a coil spring interposed under compression between the spring receiving collar and the cylinder so that the spring receiving collar is forced into contact with the mounting fixture. The replacement of the spring can be easily performed without damaging the rubber seat. Further, the outer circumferential side of the rubber seat is protected from being damaged by the spring when the shock absorber is compressed to its limit.

Abstract: Herein disclosed in a front fork for a two-wheeled vehicle, in which a fork tube carrying a piston at its lower end is slidably fitted in a bottom casing filled with working oil, in which a seat tube fixed to the bottom portion of the bottom casing has its upper portion inserted into the fork tube, in which a check valve operating so as to be closed upon contraction of the fork and opened upon extension of the fork is carried by the lower end of the fork tube, in which a check valve operating so as to be opened upon the contraction of the fork and closed upon the extension of the fork is slidably fitted on the fork tube above the piston, in which as orifice is formed in the fork pipe thereby to provide communication between the inside and outside thereof, and in which a plurality of orifices are formed in the seat tube and are arranged in the axial direction of the same.

Abstract: A front fork assembly for use in a motorcycle or the like, in which an inner cylinder is slidably fitted in an outer cylinder is described. Either the inner cylinder or an auxiliary cylinder having a predetermined length and fitted to the inner wall of the lower portion of the inner cylinder is slidably fitted in a sheet pipe which is anchored at the bottom portion of the outer cylinder and which is equipped with an auxiliary piston at the leading end thereof. The sheet pipe has its lower portion formed with an oil port at the side thereof, whereas the sheet pipe has its upper portion formed with an orifice at the side thereof. The inner cylinder also has its lower portion formed with an oil port at the side thereof and its upper portion formed in the axial direction with one or plural orifices. In an alternative, the aforementioned cylinder is formed with a plurality of orifices at a predetermined spacing from each other and with an oil port below those orifices.

Abstract: A height adjusting system for a motorcycle body 1 comprises front and rear telescopic suspensions 2, 6 and 3, 7 respectively connected to the axles of the two wheels 4, 5 and a high pressure air tank 18 connected to the two suspensions and pressurized by an air pump 19 driven by a motor 20 supplied by a battery 23. A movable contact 25 driven by the speedometer of the motorcycle engages a fixed contact 26 when the motorcycle is either stopped or running at a low speed and completes a circuit to leak valves 10 and 11 to exhaust the suspensions 2 and 3. Electro-magnetic valves 16 and 17 also exhaust the tank 18 through check valves 14 and 15. When the motorcycle runs at a higher speed the movable contact 25 engages a second fixed contact 27 to energize the motor 20 to drive the pump 19 to pressurize the tank 18.

Abstract: A system for automatically adjusting the height of a vehicle wherein a polarity-determination pattern detector and an allowable-displacement pattern detector are disposed in confronting relation to and movable relative to a pattern plate in parallel directions in response to variations in the height of a vehicle. The pattern plate has a polarity-determination pattern having one end positioned in confronting relation to the polarity-determination pattern detector and extending in a direction of movement of the pattern plate, and an allowable-displacement pattern having a center thereof positioned in confronting relation to the allowable-displacement pattern detector and extending in the direction of movement of the pattern plate. The pattern plate may be provided with a plurality of such polarity-determination and allowable-displacement patterns.

Abstract: A front fork assembly for use on a motorcycle, including a fork pipe, a bottom casing slidably fitting the lower portion of the fork pipe and including means for connection to the axle of a front motorcycle wheel. The bottom casing, filled with oil, has a pipe seat anchored at the bottom portion of the bottom casing with its upper end slidably fitted to the fork pipe. An oil passage is provided for communication between the inside and outside of the pipe seat. A plunger which is equipped with a valve for opening and closing the oil passage is disposed to face a valve seat slidably fitted in the oil passage and supported by a spring adapted to slide in coaction with a braking mechanism. The front fork assembly will partly prevent nose-diving upon a braking operation of a motorcycle which includes the front fork assembly, and further will partly absorb the shocks from the road upon the braking operation of a motorcycle which includes the front fork assembly.

Abstract: A device for mounting a gas spring for opening the hatch door or the like of an automobile which is produced by helically winding one elastic wire is described. The gas spring mounting device includes a mounting end, which is helically wound with the same pitch as the diameter of the wire for rotatable fitting onto a bolt anchored at either the door mounting base of the car or the door itself; a flexible portion, which is helically wound with a slightly larger pitch than the diameter of the wire and having an axis at a right angle with respect to the axis of said mounting end; and a gas spring connecting portion which is wound with the same pitch as the diameter of the wire for connection to a thread formed in the end portion of the gas spring. Since the described gas spring mounting device is made of the single wire, it can be produced at lower cost.

Abstract: A trim-tilt device for marine propulsion devices wherein a cylinder and a piston rod slidably fitted in the cylinder are provided to be connected respectively with a propulsion device which in turn is connected to a hull so as to be rotatable in a vertical plane, and with the hull. A tilt piston is fitted to the tip of the piston rod and a free piston is arranged on the bottom side of the cylinder as opposed to the tilt piston and a trim piston is fitted to the tip of a pipe slidably fitted to the above mentioned piston rod. The trim piston is arranged on the opposite side of the tilt piston as opposed to the free piston and is slidably fitted in the above mentioned cylinder. Oil inlet and outlet ports are provided at both ends of the cylinder Stoppers and check valves are provided for controlling the oil pressure within the piston and cylinder arrangement. The trim-tilt device permits a trimming and tilting operation with a single cylinder.

Abstract: A buffer for a bumper comprising an outer cylinder having its bottom closed and an inner cylinder fitted slidably into the outer cylinder and defined to be attached to the bumper at the tip thereof, a stopper being provided on the inner surface of the outer cylinder at the tip thereof for preventing the inner cylinder from being disconnected therefrom, an orifice and a check valve being provided at the heel of the inner cylinder for permitting exclusively to flow a fluid sealed in the outer cylinder to the inner cylinder therefrom, a free piston being provided in the inner cylinder for partitioning a gas sealed in the inner cylinder from the fluid sealed in the outer cylinder, and the fluid in the outer cylinder maintaining the gas under a compressed condition through the free piston at the heel of the inner cylinder, thereby allowing the free piston to displace in a damped speed to absorb the vibrations of an automobile attached with the bumper and to improve the stability of the automobile.

Abstract: An oil pressure shock absorber which can be disassembled wherein an inner cylinder having a free piston fitted in it and a high pressure gas enclosed on the base end side is slidably fitted at the tip inside an outer cylinder, an oil seal is provided on their sliding contact surfaces, a plurality of orifices arranged in the axial direction are formed on the side wall of the inner cylinder inserted in the outer cylinder, an annular concave groove is formed on the inside surface of the outer cylinder so as to be opposed to the above mentioned orifices, axial concave grooves are made on the outside surface of the inner cylinder from its tip and the tip part of the inner cylinder and the interior of the outer cylinder are filled with oil, thereby a collision energy may be uniformly absorbed over the entire range of the stroke.