Abstract: A gear assembly with variable speed ratio for a scanner comprises a base fixed on the bottom of the scanner, a first motor and a second motor arranged on the base, a rotary disk, a first gear set and a second gear set. The first motor and the second motor are connected to a power output gear and a driving gear, respectively. The rotary disk is arranged on the base, and has a toothed portion engaged with the driving gear. The first gear set and the second gear set each have a different speed ratio, and are arranged on the rotary disk. The second motor drives the rotary disk to selectively engage the first gear set or the second gear set with the power output gear to select the desired speed ratio.

Abstract: A steering column assembly for a vehicle wherein the steering column may be adjustable in a tilt direction, telescoping direction or both. The steering column includes a first housing, a second housing pivotally coupled to one end of the first housing, and a locking assembly interconnecting the first and second housings. The locking assembly includes a clutch having one end attached to the first housing, and an opposite end in sliding engagement with the second housing. A caliper member is provided on the second housing, and extending through the clutch to selectively fix the clutch in place and thus fix the relative position of the first housing in relation to the second.

Abstract: The invention relates to an infiflely variable toroidal drive comprising a housing 1, an input shaft 3, a torque shaft 34, two input discs 5, 15 with toroidal inner surfaces and two output discs 6, 16 with toroidal inner surfaces. One input disc and one output disc each form a pair and the two output discs are arranged next to each other and in mirror symmetry. The toroidal drive also comprises several friction wheels for transmitting a torque from the input disc to the corresponding output disc, an output shaft 10 and a gear wheel system 8, 9 between the output discs and the output shaft. A holding frame 2 is removably fastened to the drive housing 1,which frame consists of an upper frame clamp 28, a lower frame clamp 29 and a cup-shaped bearing support member 7. The lowerframe clamp 29 has a recess 45 and one end of the output shaft 10 is mounted via a bearing 32 in a rotating manner.

Abstract: A linear actuator includes two axially opposed bearings with built-in one-way clutch assembled in a housing member with respective outer races secured to the housing member such that respective directions in which inner races of the bearings are locked against rotation are opposed to each other, a ball bearing shaft relatively and rotatably supported on the inner races of the bearings with bearing bushings disposed between the ball screw shaft and the respective bearings, and two load transmitting collars fixed on the ball screw shaft. When the ball screw shaft is subjected to a thrust load applied from a ball nut in a direction to retract the ball screw shaft, one of the inner race is locked against rotation to thereby exert a braking torque to the corresponding load transmitting collar via an associated friction collar.

Abstract: An electromechanical actuator comprising a screw that is driven in rotation, a nut that is driven in translation by rotation of the screw, and a guide rod which is driven in translation by the nut, the actuator having a plurality of rollers interposed between the guide rod and the nut, said rollers having a succession of annular grooves and ridges, while the outside surface of the nut and the inside surface of the guide rod have respective pluralities of complementary grooves and ridges, the grooves and ridges of the rollers co-operating with the grooves and ridges of the nut and of the guide rod to transmit axial force on the guide rod to the nut when said rollers are in an engaged position, the nut and/or the guide rod having release channels in angular positions that are designed to coincide with the positions of the rollers when they are declutched, said channels being such that they enable at least some of the grooves and ridges to be disengaged so as to release the guide rod to move in translation relat

Abstract: A ball screw and nut linear actuator has a screw and nut with helical grooves and threads providing a helical raceway between them. The raceway has a ball return portion and provides a track for a train of recirculating load bearing balls. A wiper member carried by the nut has a helical wiper thread which is preloaded to engage an outer side of the helical groove of the screw outboard of the nut. The helical wiper thread has a radially open helical groove for maintaining and distributing a helical ribbon of lubricant on the side of the screw groove upon which it is pressed.

Abstract: A modular gear system includes a plurality of gear modules and drive modules. The gear modules and drive modules each have a cylindrical output pinion which facilitates connecting the various modules to provide a desired transmission ratio. At least one of the gear modules is an angular gear module which incorporates a contrate gear which can mesh with an output pinion of a drive module or the output pinion of another gear module.

Abstract: A linear actuator including a mechanism for preventing accidental drop of an inner cylinder caused when a driven nut engaged with a drive screw shaft is broken. The drop prevention mechanism includes a drop prevention nut threaded with the drive screw shaft in close proximity to the driven nut, a shear pin secured at one end to one of the drop prevention nut and the inner cylinder or the driven nut, and a shear pin guide groove formed in the other of the drop prevention nut and the inner cylinder or the driven nut for slidably receiving a projecting free end portion of the shear. When the inner cylinder and the driven nut is displaced in a direction of a load acting on the inner cylinder, the shear pin is broken or sheared by engagement with an end wall of the shear pin guide groove. Upon shearing of the shear pin, the drop prevention nut supports thereon the inner cylinder or the driven nut to thereby keep the inner cylinder in position against drop.

Abstract: These apparatuses consist of devices and systems to conserve energy in action/reaction processes. Instead the excess current drawn when accelerating motors to move the earth will be omitted as a result of the starting operation. Generators, machinery, and vehicles will be more efficient and less polluting. This is done by means of a counter weight, spring means, or a brace and for stationary and moving systems. For cars, trains and other vehicles, a strong static spring further extended by a counter weight/gravity or external cable opposing the backward travel of the travel media will be effective. Braking may be complemented by deflecting a strong spring which allowed to expand to resume travel.

Abstract: The invention relates to a transmission gear with a steplessly adjustable translation for converting rotation speeds and torques between two shafts. Such converters are employed in all areas of the drive technology, as for example in machine tools and vehicle drives. The transmission gear according to the present invention allows a uniform motion transfer from the drive shaft to the driven shaft while simultaneously inducing substantially less wear appearances at its function determining transmission gear elements, in particular of the transmission gear part system at the side of the driven shaft. Means are furnished for reducing wear, which means superpose an additional motion influencing the speed of the driven shaft only unsubstantially to the translation motions of the translation device.

Abstract: A form of gearing having teeth with different face widths along the tooth height and a method thereof of designing and manufacturing. Different gear tooth face widths are introduced along the tooth height to alter the tooth stiffness characteristic to provide a pair of gears with reduced mesh stiffness variation. The use of variable face widths along the tooth height changes both the geometric properties of the tooth and the load distribution/concentration to reduce the self-excited component of dynamic load, in effect reducing gear noise and increasing power density.

Abstract: A shifter assembly (10) for automatic transmissions is disclosed having a base (12) and a detent member (14) supported by the base (12). The detent member (14) defines an automatic (18) and manual (20) shift path and a plurality of gear positions (22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34) within the shift paths (18, 20). A transmission control arm (60) is pivotally connected to the base (12) for movement about an axis (A) and is adapted for connection to a linkage for operating an automatic transmission. The shifter assembly (10) also has a shift lever (42) movable through the gear positions (22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34). The assembly (10) is characterized by including a pivotal connection (80) interconnecting the control arm (60) and the shift lever (42) for supporting the shift lever (42) on the control arm (60) and pivoting the shift lever (42) relative to the control arm (60) for changing between the shift paths (18, 20).

Abstract: A self centering, angularly displacable joystick allowing multiple compound torque profiles is provided. The self centering joystick includes a first mount and a base. The first mount located a fixed distance away from the base. The joystick extends from a restoring plate having an upper surface and a multi-faceted lower surface pivotally mounted to said first mount to partially rotate about a first axis. A linearly displaceable force plate having a substantially flat upper surface is disposed between said base and said multi-faceted surface, and a spring is provide between the base and the force plate, the spring biasing the force plate against the multi-faceted surface to provide a centering force there against. The multifaceted surface includes a center position facet oriented such that the centering force applied by the force plate is evenly distributed on each side of the first axis when said center position facet is aligned parallel with the upper surface of the force plate.

Abstract: A trunnion (3) of a toroidal continuously variable transmission comprises a pulley (38) having a pulley groove (30) and a notch (37) crossing the pulley groove (38). The trunnion (3) rotates in synchronism with another trunnion by looping an endless wire around the pulley groove of each trunnion (3) and by engaging a large diameter part of the endless wire with the notch (37). After the trunnion (3) is formed by die forging, a rotary tool (90) is first aligned with a boundary interface (31′A, 31′B) between the pulley groove (30) and notch (37). The tool (90) is then rotated while it is moved forward in the axial direction of the tool (90), and the boundary interface (31′A, 31′B) is cut to a predetermined position.

Abstract: A plurality of adjacent open-ended flat timing belts each has parallel spaced teeth, and opposite end portions of each belt are connected to a shuttle or carriage platform by corresponding relatively adjustable clamping blocks and plates having teeth engaging the teeth on the belts. The belts extend around a common drive sprocket having engaging teeth and formed as part of a drive shaft connected to a multiple speed drive having reversible electric motors and oil-shear clutch and brake discs. The belts also extend around a tail shaft having corresponding tail sprockets with teeth, and adjacent tail sprockets are free to rotate relative to each other. One of the clamping blocks for each belt is adjusted relative to the platform and the other clamping block for the belt to obtain the same tension in all belts so that each belt may be operated at its full rated capacity.

Abstract: When a leaf spring 22 is rotated integrally with the rotation of a knob dial 18, the leaf spring 22 is pushed and deflected by three corners of a cylindrical section 17a. After that, when three corners of the cylindrical section 17a get over the leaf spring 22 and new three surfaces are engaged with the leaf spring 22, rotation of the knob dial 18 is regulated. In this case, the pushing direction of the leaf spring 22 is the same as the direction of deflection. Therefore, the rotational resistance of the knob dial 18 can be reduced. Accordingly, a feeling of operation of the knob dial 18 becomes light.

Abstract: A weight operated mechanical drive consists of a cylindrical weight that is suspended by a helically threaded drive screw which passes through and engages with complementary threads within a bore defined along a rotational axis thereof. The weight turns the drive screw as it falls due to the force of gravity. The weight is prevented from rotating about the axis of the screw while it is failing by a wheel which is attached thereto and which rolls against a retaining bar that runs alongside the weight along the weight's path of travel. The retaining bar is also used to wind the weight. To do so, the retaining bar is rotated around the rotational axis of the drive screw. This action forces the weight along a path defined by the helical threads of the drive screw. The retaining bar is formed as a helix around a column through which the weight drops.

Abstract: A bicycle speed changing device comprises a base having a pivotal column mounted thereon such that the pivotal column is fitted over in sequence by a wire wheel, a ratchet gear, a check plate, a rotary plate, a reverse push rod, and a forward push rod. The wire wheel is retained step by step by the position-confining portion of the base and connected with a guide wire. The ratchet gear is provided with forward teeth and reverse teeth. The check plate is provided with a first retaining portion and a second retaining portion. The rotary plate is fastened pivotally with a reverse pawl and a stop portion. The reverse push rod is provided with a rotation stopping portion for retaining the stop portion of the rotary plate, and a push portion for urging the reverse pawl. The forward push rod is fastened pivotally with a forward pawl for catching the forward teeth of the ratchet gear.

Abstract: A steering column arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a steering wheel, a telescoping steering spindle, and a telescoping jacket tube made up of a lower tube part and an upper tube part. The steering wheel is connected by way of the spindle to a steering gear and the spindle is rotatably mounted in the jacket tube, the lower tube part being supported by a lower steering column bearing on a first support component which projects the passenger compartment in the event of a frontal collision and the upper tube part being supported by an upper steering column bearing on a second support component which substantially retains its position in event of a frontal collision. An unlocking device normally couples the second support component and the upper tube part and is activatable to uncouple them in the event of a frontal collision, and a wedge member is movable in the event of a frontal collision to prevent and/or diminish an upward movement of the steering wheel.

Abstract: Disclosed is a SCARA robot having a robot body, a mount movable vertically of the robot body, a first arm having one end operatively connected to the mount such that the first arm may turningly move in a horizontal plane, a second arm having one end operatively connected to the opposite end of the first arm such that the second arm may turningly move in a horizontal plane, and an R shaft rotatably mounted on the free end of the second arm, wherein stepping motors 12, 22, 32 and 42 are provided to move the first and second arms, the R-shaft and the mount respectively, and encoders are provided to count the stepping pulses of the stepping motors. The counted pulses are feedbacked to CPU1 so that the CPU1 may correct errors when the errors are detected between the counted number of pulses and a required number of pulses. When the errors are detected, the stepping motors may be stopped and the errors may be indicated.