Abstract: A hydraulic power rack and pinion steering assembly includes a modular control valve assembly. The modular control valve assembly can be assembled and tested at a location remote from a separate rack housing. The modular control valve assembly comprises a tubular steel member supporting a hydraulic fluid control valve that controls a hydraulic cylinder for moving the rack.

Abstract: A sheet carrier apparatus of the present invention includes a first and a second rotary roller member, at least one of them having a rotary driving force. The second rotary roller member is constructed so as to be able to rotate around the first rotary roller member while it is being driven by the first rotary roller member. In order to control these rollers, the sheet carrier apparatus includes a control device for selectively setting the direction in which a sheet is moved from among a plurality of directions by controlling the rotary driving of the rotary roller members while carrying a sheet and by controlling the degree of angular displacement causing the second rotary roller member to rotate around the first rotary roller member while a sheet is grasped between them.

Abstract: A sheet feed arrangement is provided in an image forming apparatus such as a printer or the like and is comprised of a sheet cassette for accommodating a plurality of sheet materials, a lifting mechanism disposed below the sheet cassette for lifting end portions of the sheet materials only when the sheet materials are fed from the sheet cassette, a level detector disposed above the sheet cassette for detecting that an upper end surface of a topmost sheet material has been lifted up to a predetermined level, and a control system for stopping an upward movement of the sheet materials when the level detector detects that the upper end surface of the topmost sheet material has reached the predetermined level and for subsequently lowering the end portions of the sheet materials by a predetermined vertical length.

Abstract: A paper cassette support and associated paper feed for reproduction apparatus are assembled as a module. The paper cassette support is made of a resinous material which includes carbon fibers to minimize the deposit of electrostatic charge and self-lubricating material for providing bearings which are molded unitarily with the side panels. The side panels, when assembled, define a cassette support section and a paper transport section, the cassette support section having shelves and cassette retaining springs molded therein. Paper transport slots are molded into step portions of the side panels, as are bearings and spring retainers for shafts and spindles supporting pairs of rollers. An associated feed drive includes output shafts for rotating D-rollers that frictionally advance paper one sheet at a time from paper stacks in cassettes received in the paper cassette support section.