Abstract: An endless power transmission belt is provided which comprises a first portion defining the bottom surface of the belt and comprising a plurality of laterally spaced power transmitting ribs and a groove between each adjacent rib, a second portion bonded to the first portion and acting as a tie band therefor and for the third portion which defines the top surface of the belt and also comprises a plurality of laterally spaced power transmitting ribs and a groove between each adjacent rib. The third portion is symmetrical with the first portion and the grooves in each portion provide a relief area between the ribs to allow debris to work through the tie band and become discharged.

Abstract: A belt for transmitting power from a cogged driving member to a cogged driven member such as a pair of wheel sprockets. The belt has inflexible teeth spaced along the direction of its travel. Each of the teeth have a longitudinal axis transverse to the direction of belt travel. The belt also includes substantially inextensible fasts spaced transversely to the direction of belt travel. The fasts extend in the direction of belt travel adjacent to the teeth and are looped around preselected numbers of the teeth.

Abstract: A rack and pinion steering gear in which the rack is supported under normal or lightly loaded conditions by one or more rolling elements bearing on a face or faces of the rack, the support being spring loaded to urge the rack into slack-free engagement with the pinion. A second support means providing plain bearing faces is arranged so as to be normally out of contact with the face of the rack opposite the teeth by a predetermined and adjustable amount, the structure being such that when higher forces are applied tending to separate the rack and pinion the spring loading of the first support is resiliently deformed to allow the rack to come into contact with the second support.

Abstract: Vehicle gear shifting lever assembly comprises a lever having a knob on the end thereof. The knob is pivotally mounted on the lever for relative movement in the to and fro directions of movement of the gear shift lever. Signal generating means are provided on portions of the knob and on the lever which produce a signal when the knob is moved relative to the lever. The knob is releasably coupled to the lever by a coupling means which releases upon application of a force which is less than the force required to move the lever when changing gears. When gears are changed, the knob first moves relative to the lever and the lever is then moved. The signal generated by the signal generating means is used to deenergize the ignition system of the vehicle so that the clutch need not be depressed during gear changing.

Abstract: A pull strand of high tensile strength which may be composed of a number of parallel, longitudinal steel wires and a series of transverse, stiffener elements made of aluminum or other metal spaced along the pull strand and providing oppositely facing lateral edges for active engagement with coned sheaves are interconnected solely by a continuous molded body of rubber or rubberoid material in adherence with the pull strand and with the transverse elements. The molded body runs longitudinally through identical cavities of the said transverse elements, extending sidewardly at least onto their lateral edges and filling intermediately thereto at least a portion of each space between the sidewalls of the said transverse elements along the said cavities.

Abstract: An anti-backlash nut is disclosed of the type which undergoes translational movement along a screw in response to relative rotational movement between the nut and screw. This anti-backlash nut has oppositely-directed longitudinal flexure members radially biased towards the screw to provide equal drag torque and minimum relative deflection for travel of the nut in either direction.

Abstract: A synchromesh gear for a speed-change gear drive including a conically-shaped friction surface in the form of sharp-edged teeth each supporting a friction surface, which are separated from each other by oil evacuating grooves, and which is adapted for frictional mating engagement with a smooth opposite or counter cone. The teeth are arranged obliquely in the friction surface at an angle with the range of between 10.degree. and 70.degree., and preferably about 30.degree., with respect to the direction of the generatrix of the conically-shaped friction surface. The profiles of the teeth may consist of two regions having different profile slopes, in which the region of the tooth crown evidences the steeper profile slope. The oil removal or evacuation grooves and teeth can be located on the outer surface of the synchromesh gear, as well as on its interior surface. The teeth can also be distributed either uniformly over the entire interior surface of the gear ring or also arranged discontinuously.

Abstract: An adjustable pitch, zero backlash, rotary-to-linear-motion converter particularly adaptable for the precision positioning of linearly movable light weight mechanisms. The spherical bearing ends of three or more dumbbell-shaped rollers, in an interference fit between a rotatable shaft and the inner surface of a cylindrical sleeve, are partially enclosed in end cages which are clamped together but which may be adjusted so that the parallel roller axes are offset from the shaft axis whereby rotation of the shaft will provide rectilinear movement to the sleeve.

Abstract: A gear train enables rotational drive in either sense of a driven member le preventing transmission of rotation in either sense from the driven to the driving member. Each member of the train comprises a pair of discs attached on their faces with each disc having asymmetric teeth on its periphery and each disc of the pair being a reflection about a diametral line of the other. The asymmetrics in each member of the train are different.

Abstract: Apparatus for moving a transducer carriage intermittently along a tract relative to a recording medium employs belting arranged in a closed loop that is tensioned by engagement around at least one idler and connected to the carriage. Belt end segments comprising the loop are wrapped in opposite directions around the periphery of a stepping motor-driven capstan and their ends are secured thereto at axially spaced apart locations thereon. The belting and idlers are arranged so that all of the belt segments wrapped around the capstan remain parallel to the carriage track as the capstan rotates so as to advance the carriage a maximum number of increments along its track.

Abstract: A gear comprises a hub and a gear ring mounted thereon, each formed with peripherally spaced apertures and interlocking elements extending peripherally between adjacent apertures to hold the hub and gear ring against axial movement relative to each other. The apertures of the hub and gear ring register. Torque is transmitted between the hub and gear ring by a plurality of first abutments on the hub which have radially outwardly facing surfaces adjoining respective apertures therein, a plurality of second abutments on the gear ring which have radially inwardly facing surfaces adjoining respective apertures therein and radially aligned with respective outwardly facing surfaces, and a plurality of prestressed elastomeric spring elements disposed in the registering apertures. Each spring element engages the radially aligned surfaces and is retained in the apertures by a retaining disc secured to the hub and engaging the spring element on one side of the gear.

Abstract: A ski-pole or crutch is provided with a forearm yoke at its upper end and a pistol grip spaced below it. Both the yoke and pistol grip face rearward so that when the pistol grip is held in one hand the yoke can be swung into and out of locking engagement with the upper side of the forearm simply by bending the wrist, thereby providing greater maneuverability of the pole and support of the arm when needed for balance, support of the body and steering by planting the pole or dragging it.

Abstract: A crank assembly for coupling a plurality of connecting rods to a common crank pin of a crankshaft includes an articulation member journaled on the crank pin. The articulation member carries a plurality of knuckle pins arranged in a radial array about the crank pin. Auxiliary cranks interconnect the articulation member and the body of the machine to limit freedom of movement of the articulation member and to assure that it does not rotate in space as it moves with the crank pin in a circular path around the axis of the crankshaft. The described assembly is particularly useful with reciprocating piston machines of the type having a radial array of cylinders with pistons movable in the cylinders, and permits the use of identical connecting rods, each drivingly connecting a separate one of the knuckle pins and a separate one of the pistons. Moreover, each of the auxiliary cranks can be used either as an additional power transmission input or output for the system.

Abstract: A lever mechanism including a lever which is pivotally mounted between its ends on a pivot shaft forming two lever arms. One of the lever arms is arranged to receive a force applied thereto and the other of the lever arms has an end portion arranged to transmit movement and force to a working element. The end portion has part-cylindrical surfaces which cooperate with part-cylindrical surfaces on oppositely located slide blocks. Each slide block has a planar slide surface which is parallel to a shaft of the part-cylindrical surfaces of the end portion. The planar surface of each slide block is arranged to slidably abut a planar surface on the working element. The slide blocks are non-rotatably connected to each other via their planar slide surfaces in parallel planes by means of dogging elements which are pivotally mounted on the shaft of the part-cylindrical surfaces of the end portion.

Abstract: An engine timing chain snubber comprises a pair of guide shoes fixedly supported on the engine block and extending in line-to-line nondeflecting contact with the inner sides of unsupported chain portions between drive and driven sprockets. The guide shoes prevent movement of the chain runs inwardly of their tensioned positions and thus prevent chain oscillation or vibration.

Abstract: This invention relates to a two piece plastic idler pulley formed of identical portions including a hub, a web and a rim with identical fastening means on the two half portions which permit the two portions to be joined together as the idler pulley. The hub of the idler pulley has a through bore which is inversely tapered whereby the hub will flex when subjected to a workload and will capture the lubricant internally of the bore. The rim carries diverging means which extend radially and laterally outwardly from the rim to insure proper seating of power transmission means such as a belt. The diverging means also is capable of engaging the power transmission belt when it is inadvertently seated on the hub to move the belt into seated relationship on the rim for proper operation of the device.

Abstract: A drive belt adapted for use in a continuous speed variator has an elongated annular body member reinforced with inextensible cords which are embedded along the longitudinal axis of the body member. A series of teeth is disposed along one side of the body member and rigid wedge-shaped members connected to the teeth have a trapezoidal cross-section perpendicular to the plane of symmetry of the body member.

Abstract: An automatic drive chain tensioner having a pair of idler assemblies, with each idler assembly comprising an idler sprocket and an indexing sprocket on each side of, and concentrically connected to, the idler sprocket with each idler assembly being adapted to be positioned on the outside of a drive chain loop on a chain run between a drive and driven sprocket with the idler sprocket thereof adapted to be engaged in the drive chain and with the idler assemblies on different and opposite spaced-apart drive chain runs; and a pair of indexing chain loops, each one of which is adapted to engage an indexing sprocket on each of the spaced-apart idler assemblies on the same side of the drive chain. Desirably, the idler sprockets are the same size and, desirably, the indexing sprockets are the same size but not necessarily the same size as the idler sprockets.

Abstract: A wooden I-beam suitable for use as a joist or a rafter, comprising solid wooden flange members of rectangular cross section joined to opposite sides of a plywood web member by an adhesively fastened joint. Large joint contact surface area, and a small amount of wood removal from flange members to form the joint, cooperate to create a strong joint without unnecessary weakening of the flange members, thus producing wooden I-beam members of consistently high strength.

Abstract: In a bidirectional driving mechanism comprising a rack, two pinions meshing with the rack, and gear trains through which power is transmitted respectively to the pinions from a common driving source, at least one gear of the gear train is formed as a ring gear and a plurality of variable volume oil chambers containing pressurized oil are formed between the ring gear and the shaft thereof so that driving torque is transmitted from the ring gear to the gear shaft through the oil chambers.