Abstract: There is disclosed a shock absorber which is contained within the head tube of a bicycle. The shock absorber has an outer cylinder that is rotationally received within the head tube and secured at its upper end to a handlebar support member, such as a gooseneck. An inner cylinder is slidably received within the outer cylinder and secured at its lower end to the fork that supports the front wheel. Each of the cylinders has longitudinal grooves, the inner cylinder having longitudinal grooves on its outer surface which align with longitudinal grooves on the inside wall of the outer cylinder. A plurality of bearing balls are received in the tracks which are formed by the longitudinal grooves of the cylinders and a thin-wall bearing retainer is concentrically received between the inner and outer cylinders having a plurality of apertures at predetermined spacing which are aligned along the bearing tracks, each of the apertures capturing one of the bearing balls.

Abstract: A slip control apparatus for use in a motor vehicle having an engine for generating a motive power to drive the motor vehicle. The apparatus comprises a first detector for detecting a speed of a driven wheel of the motor vehicle which is driven by the motive power generated from the engine, a second detector for detecting a running speed of the motor vehicle and a third detector for detecting an acceleration of the driven wheel. Also included in the apparatus are a decision unit for determining the occurrence of slipping of the driven wheel on the basis of the detection results of the first and second detectors, a driving force adjusting device for adjusting a driving force of the motor vehicle, and a control unit for controlling the slip of the driven wheel on the basis of information from the first to third detectors.

Abstract: A self-propelled trailer maneuvering dolly for transporting a fifth wheel trailer or a travel trailer. The dolly has a frame, a front handlebar and castor for steering, a pair of rear drive wheels for driving the dolly, a pneumatic motor, and sprocket wheels and chains for transmitting power to the drive wheels. There is a pneumatically extensible and retractable vertical lift, which has a top for engaging with the coupling member of a fifth wheel trailer and it also has a hitch ball for hitching up to a convention travel trailer. A spring biased lift bracket below the frame keeps the drive wheels off the ground when the trailer is empty so that the operator can easily maneuver the dolly into position below the coupling member of a fifth wheel to be moved. A lever supplies pressurized air to the lift, which in turn raises the front end of the fifth wheel trailer. The weight of the trailer is centered on the dolly and also keeps the drive wheels on the ground.

Abstract: A flying hovercraft and ground effect vehicle design. The flat double-wing design for small, medium, and large cargo or military transport vehicles allows travel from very slow to medium to high speeds over water or land. The highly elongated, flat wing of very low aspect ratio provides a vehicle that is capable of traveling in ground effect flight at a safe distance above the water. Primarily a high-speed (150-200 kts), over-water, ground-effect, vehicle that is augmented with hovercraft capabilities for acceleration to flight speed, deceleration, and slow to moderate speed (0-75 kts.) operations. The vehicle design is adaptable from one-man units to large, ocean-going high-speed cargo ships of 400 feet and over, with carrying capacities over five million pounds. A vehicle of this design is 250% more efficient than modern aircraft, 15 times faster than cargo ships, and capable of going into true flight to overfly land masses for ocean-to-ocean and inland lake or river access.

Abstract: A power steering apparatus wherein a heated state of the electric motor is detected without employing any temperature sensor. There are previously stored plural temperature characteristics each representing the relationship between the temperature variation caused per unit time in the electric motor and the load current, which are prepared, for plural motor temperatures or plural differences between the motor temperature and the ambient temperature. A temperature characteristic is selected on the basis of the present predicted motor temperature or the difference between the motor temperature and the ambient temperature. The present load current is detected, and the temperature variation caused per unit time correspondingly to such load current is calculated from the selected temperature characteristic. The unit-time temperature variations thus obtained are integrated with the lapse of time to predict the present motor temperature.

Abstract: A simple and inexpensive, mechanically coupled automatic guidance system for tractors comprising a ground line sensor which is directly coupled to a steering system comprising limited, partial, spatial disengagement or play about a narrow steering angle within which the automatic guidance system provides steering control, unencumbered by the forces of the primary steering system, especially the steering forces of a power-steered-tractor. The play in the steering system provides spatial relief of steering forces which could not otherwise be overridden by a purely mechanical system. The ground line sensor comprises three degrees of freedom permitting adjustable variation to the shape, breadth, and attitude of the sensor to conformably match a previously prepared ground line. At least two movement degrees of freedom allow the sensor to horizontally and vertically follow ground line and tractor path anomalies while providing feedback to the automatic guidance system.

Abstract: Steering angle for rear wheels of a vehicle is controlled by determining a rear wheel steering angle in a preselected relation to a steered angle of a steering wheel. A correction factor for the rear wheel steering angle is based on a difference in rotational speed between front and rear wheels induced during turning. The correction factor for rear wheel steering angle is maintained at the value it had prior to braking to cancel the effect of braking slips on the determination of the rear wheel steering angle to improve steering stability.

Abstract: A system for controlling a steering angle for the rear wheels of a vehicle is provided. This system includes generally a rotational speed sensor for detecting rotational speeds of front and rear wheels to provide a difference in rotational speeds between the front and the rear wheels, an angle sensor for sensing a steered angle of a steering wheel, a steering controller for determining a rear wheel target steering angle, and an actuator for steering the rear wheels by the rear wheel target steering angle. The steering controller calculates a component of a difference in rotational speeds between the front and rear wheels caused by a difference in turning tracks therebetween and compensates for this component by the difference derived by the rotational speed sensor to provide a correction value for the rotational speeds between the front and rear wheels caused by acceleration during turning as a correction for a rear wheel steering angle.

Abstract: A traction control device comprising a cylinder number determining device for determining the number of cylinders to which the supply of fuel is to be stopped, in accordance with the speed difference between a rotating speed of a free running wheel and a rotating speed of a driven wheel. A change of an actual number of cylinders to which the supply of fuel is actually stopped by a fuel stop controlling device is prohibited until a predetermined time has elapsed from a time at which the actual number of cylinders was changed.

Abstract: Fork ends attachable to opposite sides of a bicycle frame end each include at least an engagement groove to which an end of a rod member for supporting a wheel is engaged. Each fork end is detachably fastened by bolts to the frame of the bicycle within a recess provided therefor. Interposition elements of thicknesses selected to accommodate wheels of different width are provided between each fork and the frame end to which it is attached. In another aspect of this invention, there is provided a bicycle frame with such fork ends attached thereto.

Abstract: A traction control system for a vehicle in which the rate of reduction of the torque input to the driven wheels of the vehicle in response to an excessive spin condition is varied as a function of the road surface coefficient of friction. The rate of increase of wheel spin is measured as an indicator of the road surface coefficient of friction and the area of the air intake of the engine is reduced at a rate that is in inverse proportion to the measured rate of increase of wheel spin. The rate of torque reduction is also made a function of the magnitude of wheel spin. The area of the air intake following recovery from an excessive spin condition is increased at a rate that is in inverse proportion to the road surface coefficient of friction.

Abstract: A container transporting trailer comprising a forward, main and rear portion. The forward portion extends from the front of the trailer rearwardly and is adapted to hitch to, and thus clear, the fifth wheel of a tractor. At the end of the front portion opposite the front of the trailer, the forward portion turns downward and joins with the front of a main portion. The main portion extends rearwardly from the forward portion and has an upper surface plane for receiving and supporting a standardize container above the plane. The main portion is lower to the ground than the forward portion. Extending rearwardly from the end of the main portion. Extending rearwardly from the end of the main portion is a rear portion which ends at the end of the trailer. The rear portion has fixture for receiving a trailer bogie. The rear portion has an upper surface which lies parallel to and above the plane of the main surface.

Abstract: A rear suspension system for a four-wheel-steered vehicle has a wheel support which supports a rear wheel for rotation and is connected to a rear wheel turning rod of the rear wheel turning mechanism. A pair of suspension arms are connected to the wheel support and guide the wheel support so that the rear wheel on the wheel support is turned about a kingpin axis in response to displacement of the rear wheel turning rod member. One of the suspension arms includes a so-called I-shaped arm which is connected for rotation to the wheel support at one end and to the vehicle body at the other end, and the kingpin axis intersects the tread of the rear wheel at a point which is offset in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body from the point at which a side force acts on the rear wheel during cornering. A damping system is connected between the I-shaped arm and the vehicle body.

Abstract: A driving power transmission system for transmitting a driving power to front tires and rear tires, wherein a torque transmission device is disposed within a drive line for controlling transmissive torque transmitted to the tires. The torque transmission device is provided with a rotational housing to which a driving power from an engine is applied, a cylindrical shaft which is drivingly connected to the tires. The housing receives a clutch mechanism for transmitting a rotational torque from the housing to the cylindrical shaft, a piston located adjacent to the clutch mechanism and a pressure generating mechanism having an input rotational shaft for generating a pressure so as to actuate the clutch mechanism through the piston.

Abstract: A steering damper device includes a cylinder assembly having a plurality of fluid chambers providing a fluid circuit that is controlled by a control valve assembly which is operatively associated with a steering shaft to detect a steering force applied to the steering shaft. A flow rate control unit having a restriction for restricting a fluid flow in one direction is disposed in fluid passages which provide fluid communication between the fluid chambers through the control valve assembly. The steering damper device comprises an actuator in a hydraulically operated power steering apparatus including an oil pump and a reservoir tank. The cylinder assembly comprises a cylinder for generating an assistive steering force. The flow rate control unit restricts the flow flowing only from the control valve assembly to the oil pump.

Abstract: A belt support system is provided to assist in securing and supporting a passenger on a vehicle seat, immediately in front of a rider sitting on the main vehicle seat. A first belt to be worn by the rider incorporates a pair of coupling members attached to shoulder straps at such locations as to be positioned on the front side of the rider's torso. A second belt to be worn by the passenger incorporates a second pair of coupling members located so as to be accessible on the back side of the passenger's body. With the passenger seated immediately in front of the rider, either on the same seat, or on an auxiliary seat, the two pairs of coupling members are releasably secured together. The passenger, who in most applications will be a child, is thus secured to and held by an adult rider.For bicycle use, an auxiliary seat in the form of an elongated cushion having a slot along its length is removably placed over the horizontal bar in front of the main bicycle seat, with the slot being pushed down over the bar.

Abstract: A convertible combined stroller and trailer which can be changed from a stroller mode to a trailer mode and vice versa. When the vehicle is in either the stroller mode or trailer mode it includes a flexible seat for one or more passenger. When used in a stroller mode, rear wheels are attached to the opposite sides of the rear of the frame at a position called "Position S" and front wheels are attached to the opposite sides of the front of the frame. At this position the load on the frame is distributed evenly on the rear wheels and on the front wheel. When the vehicle is in a trailer mode the front wheels are removed, the rear wheels are moved from the "Position S" to a position forward and upward on the sides of the frame called "Position T", and one end of a tow bar is attached to the front of the vehicle frame. Another end of the tow bar is attached to the rear of a towing vehicle, such as a bicycle frame.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a vehicle steering system of the type having front steerable wheels and rear steerable wheels. The present invention permits the vehicle operator to select front wheel only steering, crab steering, or curl steering. If the vehicle speed is above a predetermined value, steering control is automatically switched to front wheel only steering, and the rear steerable wheels are locked in the straight-ahead direction. The lock mechanism is not actuatable until the rear steerable wheels are sensed to be within a predetermined angle of a straight-ahead direction. If the vehicle operator switches from one steering mode to another steering mode, the rear steerable wheels must return to a near straight-ahead direction before the mode will be switched.

Abstract: A ruggedly constructed work cart particularly suitable for use by mechanics includes a center work platform which is selectively heightwise adjustable. A series of platforms positionable at different heights allow the cart to function as a ladder, while a removable handle is provided so that the cart can be positioned beneath a vehicle for the purpose of supporting heavy parts. A removable tool tray can be alternatively attached to a vehicle`s bumper or tire to provide a mechanic with a "step" to gain better access to a vehicle's engine compartment.

Abstract: A combined trailer home and boat assembly adapted to be towed behind a motor vehicle comprising a trailer having a frame structure supported on a plurality of wheels and including a support cradle for supporting a boat in a stowed position. A super structure is mounted in at least partially surrounding relation to the support cradle on the trailer wherein the super structure is dimensioned and configured to conform with the outer configuration of the boat in such a manner as to present the appearance of a unitary, aero-dynamically designed structure whereby the combined assembly is intended to be used as a recreational vehicle, such as a trailer home or like vehicle.