Abstract: A friction pad includes a flat back plate, a friction member fixed to one surface of the back plate, a shim in the form of a thin plate attached to the other surface of the back plate, and a viscous fluid applied between the back plate and the shim. The shim is formed with semi-circular notches in the outer edge and inner edge thereof with respect to the radial direction of the disc, and the notch in the outer edge and the notch in the inner edge have the same curvature.

Abstract: A railway car yoke having a rear end portion, a body portion, a top forward portion and a bottom forward portion. Each of the top forward portion and the bottom forward portion include a thickened portion through which one aperture is formed to receive a connecting pin therein. A bottom strap portion of such body portion includes an aperture therein to enable adjustment of a blockout device contained within such yoke.

Abstract: A damping apparatus including a piston having an axis therethrough. The piston includes a coaxial body portion and a first and second end extending oppositely therefrom along the axis. A rigid housing is coaxial with and surrounds the body of the piston for forming a rigid fluid volume between the piston and the rigid housing. The rigid fluid volume includes a first fluid chamber at a first end of the piston and a second fluid chamber at the second end of the piston. The first and second fluid chambers are connected by a damping path. The damping apparatus further includes a flexible housing coupled to the first and second ends of the piston and surrounding the rigid housing to form a fluid return of lower resistance to flow than the damping path between the rigid housing and the flexible housing and to allow movement of the rigid housing with respect to the piston.

Abstract: A hydraulic shock absorber includes a hollow cylinder which defines therein a fluid chamber filled with a working fluid, and a piston which is reciprocally disposed within the fluid chamber and divides the fluid chamber into upper and lower chambers. The piston is formed with fluid passages for establishing fluid communication between the upper and lower chambers. Each of the fluid passages is controlled by a disk valve assembly comprising a plurality of elastic disk plates, so as to introduce the working fluid from one of the upper and lower chambers to the other chamber when fluid pressure in one of the chambers is greater than a predetermined value. The disk valve assembly has a bypassing fluid passage which has a plurality orifices configured so as to gradually decrease fluid pressure and flow velocity of the working fluid passing therethrough.

Abstract: In a railroad auto rack car having an array of side panels with horizontal air gaps between vertically adjacent panels, a strip of continuous flexible resilient plastic material, preferably vinyl having a white color, is fitted onto and adhesively secured to horizontal flanges of vertically adjacent upper and lower side panels to function both as a seal to close the horizontal air gap against swirling road dirt and also as a protective bumper to protect the automobiles from damage from being bumped during loading and unloading of the rack car. The bumper seal in preferred form has upper and lower legs each having a channel which faces the center axis of the bumper for receiving the vertical flanges found along the horizontal edges of the side panels of the rack car. The portion of the bumper seal along the center axis is designed to provide a spring action to accommodate for variations in the width of the air gaps.

Abstract: A control system for a damping force coefficient of a shock absorber for a vehicle suspension provides a controller for correcting the position of a step motor. The controller sets the step motor at a predetermined position in a manner to intermittently move the step motor to a stop position restricted by a stopper and to reversely rotate it by a predetermined number of steps. Therefore, the step motor is precisely set at a home position without using a position detector.

Abstract: A mechanical/hydraulic brake system has an operator input pedal to initiate braking and brake cooling. The brake return springs establish a reaction force to provide the operator with a "brake feel" or feed-back force. The hydraulic apply forces have a tendency to reduce the feed-back force. A plurality of balance pistons are pressurized simultaneously with the hydraulic apply forces to maintain the feed-back force felt by the operator undiminished.

Abstract: A hydraulic damper is disclosed which has a contraction phase one-way passage way which allows a flow of damping fluid in contraction phase, an extension phase one-way passage way which allows a flow of damping fluid in extension phase, and a valve element in the form of a hollow control rod. The valve element has a neutral position in which both of the contraction phase and extension phase one-way passage ways are open, a first displaced position in which the extension phase one-way passage way is restricted with the contraction phase one-way passage way left open, and a second displaced position in which the contraction phase one-way passage way is restricted with said extension phase one-way passage way left open.

Abstract: A spring assembly particularly adapted for use in vehicular automatic transmissions comprising a pair of annular plates having a multiplicity of circumferentially spaced, parallel-oriented compression springs mounted therebetween. The annular plates are interconnected at circumferentially spaced points around their periphery so that the compression springs are held in a precompressed state. The interconnection means are designed so as to permit the overall axial length of the spring assembly to constrict as the springs are compressed. Two alternative embodiments of the present invention are disclosed: a first embodiment wherein the annular plates are made from stamped sheet metal and a second embodiment wherein the annular plates are made from injected molded plastic.

Abstract: A hydraulically damped sleeve bearing having two supporting structures which are arranged essentially parallel to a common axis and are connected by a spring member made of a rubber-elastic material. The spring member has at least one liquid-filled chamber pair that is connected through a damping opening and whose chambers are configured at right angles to the axis so that they are opposite to each other. The spring member is furnished with recesses, which are molded during production and are open in the direction of an axial front end, and the recesses are sealed by a subsequently installed lid-locking device. The lid-locking device is connected to one of the supporting structures and is movable relative to the other supporting structure.

Abstract: A variable rate elastomeric torsion spring 30 includes a generally cylindrical elastomeric member 36 having an outer shell 34 bonded thereto on the outside and a plurality of adjacent, axially aligned inner sleeves 36, 38 bonded thereto on the inside. A variable spring rate is obtained by the spring by selectively engaging different combinations of the inner sleeves.

Abstract: According to an illustrative example of the present invention, an end cap for a container of a vibration damper has a carrier sleeve. This carrier sleeve has an internal surface provided with axially extending ribs. The axially extending ribs have in a section containing the axis of the cap member an apex profile.

Abstract: A caliper-type brake assembly for a bicycle, comprising at least one pair of opposed, generally complementarily configured elongate brake arm levers. Each brake arm lever supports adjacent a first end a bearing surface and adjacent a second, opposite end a braking pad to be urged against a sidewall of a wheel rim to be braked. Pivotal support means supports each brake arm lever on the bicycle adjacent the wheel rim and is disposed between the first and second ends of each brake arm lever, causing each brake arm lever to function as a first class lever. At least one pair of complementarily configured crank arm levers each has a first arm, a second arm, and a pivotal support adjacent an end of the first arm. Brake actuating devices secured adjacent the end of the second arm of each crank arm lever pivots the crank arm levers simultaneously about their pivotal support.

Abstract: A vibration eliminator or suppressor for an actuating element of a set of components or aggregate, such as the clutch arrangement of a motor vehicle. A transitional element between a wire cable or a linkage and a lever of the aggregate is constructed as a cage, wherein the lever is floatingly or swimmingly supported within the cage through a prestressed two-component rubber spring, with the lever being fixedly connected with the rubber spring, and a weight being fastened to the cage. Through the intermediary of this structure there is achieved a complete isolation of any vibrations between the clutch shift and the clutch drive train due to the rubber spring.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a guidance track for an electric vehicle. The guidance track preferably includes one or more grooves formed within a dielectric material. The wheels of the vehicle fit, at least in part, in the grooves which are configured to accept the wheels of both powered and unpowered cars in the vehicle. The grooves guide and direct the vehicle as the wheels travel through the grooves.

Abstract: An anti-skid control system for use in a motor vehicle which controls a braking pressure for a wheel of the motor vehicle to keep a slip of the wheel to an appropriate state by alternately performing a pressure-increasing operation and a pressure-maintaining operation in accordance with a slipping state of the wheel. The system first detects a slipping state of the wheel before performing the pressure-increasing operation on the basis of a vehicle speed and a wheel speed and then detects a slipping state of the wheel when a predetermined time period is elapsed from the pressure-increasing operation in a state that the braking pressure is maintained after the completion of the pressure-increasing operation so as to calculate a variation of the slipping state of the wheel on the basis of the detection results.

Abstract: A reversible frictional brake for use with rope or the like is disclosed comprising a brake section rotatably attached to a housing. Rope is threaded between rollers, end links, snap links and an axle in the brake section. The reversible frictional brake for use with rope or the like is suspended by means of a loop attached to the housing. The frictional relationship between the rope and the rollers, end links, snap links and axle brake the travel of the rope through the brake section, thereby allowing a single rope handler to lower heavy weights and individuals attached to the rope in a controlled fashion. After a lowering operation, the brake housing may be simply rotated relative to the housing, thereby readying the reversible frictional brake for use with rope or the like for the next lowering operation.

Abstract: Device for automatically taking up the play in a braking mechanism comprising a cylindrical piece (30) rotatably movable about its own axis (x--x'), of which the rotation over a fraction of a revolution is ensured by a control member (41) able to pivot alternatively in one direction and the other, its pivoting taking up the play. The control member acts on said cylindrical piece by the intermediary of a spring-wire (38) rolled around the latter, in such a fashion that when it presses the spring-wire in one direction it engenders its tightening on the cylindrical piece and correspondingly the driving of the latter by friction, while in the other direction it engenders the release of the spring-wire and correspondingly its disengagement with respect to the cylindrical piece, the latter not being driven.

Abstract: A steering coupling structure is disclosed which includes a cylindrical bushing mounted in a transmission line of a steering force in a steering system of a motor vehicle, such that an axis of the bushing extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the steering system. The cylindrical bushing includes an inner sleeve connected to one of the input and output shafts of the steering system, an outer sleeve disposed radially outwardly of the inner sleeve and connected to the other shaft; and an annular elastic body interposed between the input and output sleeves for elastic connection thereof.

Abstract: The present actuator includes an inner cylinder closed at one end by an end cap and concentrically mounted in a reservoir tube. A fluid reservoir is formed between the inner cylinder and the reservoir tube. A piston is slidably mounted in the Y inner cylinder, dividing an interior volume of the inner cylinder into first and second chambers. A hollow piston rod is secured at its lower end to the piston and extends beyond the inner cylinder. A separator tube is mounted on the end cap and extends through the piston and into the piston rod to provide a fluid conduit from the reservoir to an external source of controlled pressurized fluid.