Abstract: There is described a hydraulic friction brake for controlling deceleration of a mine hoist which brake includes a pump continually circulating hydraulic braking fluid through a valve. The valve regulates the flow of hydraulic fluid to control braking pressure applied by the brake to brake the mine hoist. The hydraulic friction brake includes a controller for controlling operation of the valve. The controller a comparator for comparing a differentiated signal indicative of hoist speed with the reference signal indicative of a predetermined hoist deceleration to provide a switching output signal having a first output value when the differentiated signal is greater than the reference signal and having a second value when the differentiated signal is less than or equal to the reference signal. The control means also includes an integrator responsive to the output signal to provide a first valve signal that controls the operation of the valve.

Abstract: A shock absorber comprises a cylinder assembly defining a working chamber filled with a hydraulic working fluid and disposed therein a piston, and a fluid reservoir chamber filled with the hydraulic working fluid and a pneumatic working fluid, a communication path for connecting the working chamber and the fluid reservoir chamber for fluid communication therebetween, and a check and flow restriction assembly disposed within the communication path for selectively establishing and blocking fluid communication between the working chamber and the fluid reservoir chamber, the check and seal assembly includes a fluid check valve and a fluid flow restriction arranged in series, the flow restriction permitting pneumatic and hydraulic fluid flow directed to the fluid reservoir chamber during piston bounding stroke and providing flow restriction for the hydraulic fluid flow, and the check valve blocking fluid communication between the fluid reservoir chamber and the working chamber during piston rebounding stroke and p

Abstract: A compression valve assembly includes a valve cage having a stem at a first end and an annular skirt at a second end. The skirt is provided with a slidable surface. A relief valve is adapted for selectively blocking fluid flow through the valve cage. A cup includes an annular rim and a base. The rim is provided with a slidable surface. A spring biased agaist the relief valve is selectively compressed as the cup rim is slidably received over the skirt by a measured axial load provided by a preloading means. The cup is secured to the valve cage and the axial load is removed.

Abstract: A variable rate leaf spring construction for a vehicle including a composite leaf spring composed of fiber reinforced resin. The ends of the spring are adapted to be connected to the frame of the vehicle and an axle is mounted to the central portion of the spring. A resilient bumper is mounted on the frame and is disposed to be engaged by the spring as a load is applied to the frame. The bumper is tapered downwardly and the lower end of the bumper terminates in a generally rounded tip. The rounded tip provides a low or soft spring rate on initial contact with the leaf spring, while further loading will compress the bumper to provide a higher spring rate.

Abstract: A safety brake for use on an invalid wheelchair, specifically for the purpose of making travel up an incline, such as a ramp, easier and safer. When ascending an incline, the user often has difficulty getting a new grip quickly enough to avoid rolling back downhill. The present invention can, at the user's option, be set to permit travel forward only, or backward only. Thus, it permits the user to safely move up an incline either forward or backward without risk of rolling down when changing the grip of the hands. It consists of a somewhat egg shaped (when viewed from the end) cam on a housing, which has longitudinal serrations on both sides to grip the tire, and which housing is rotatably mounted on a core. The core having two cam segments engageable by a spring loaded cam follower which serves to urge the serrations of the housing against the tire of the wheelchair to permit travel in only one direction, depending upon which of the two cam segments the follower is set to engage, at the user's option.

Abstract: In an hydraulic anti-lock braking system a modulator incorporates a valve responsive to anti-lock signals, a flow valve, and an expansion chamber to which fluid is relieved from a brake in an anti-lock mode. The flow valve is arranged so that the output from a pump is shared between the brake and the master cylinder, and a restrictor located in parallel with the flow valve is adapted to attenuate the pressure oscillations of the system.

Abstract: A bumper for a transportable object mitigates the shock on a corner of the object during a collision. The bumper has intersecting wall sections which are mounted on a corner of the transportable object, deflectable protrusions between adjacent wall sections and a deflectable protuberance at the apex of the wall sections. The protrusions extend outwardly of the adjacent wall sections and the protuberance extends outwardly of the protrusions. In a collision, the protuberance and the protrusions deflect to decelerate the object.

Abstract: A load sensing proportioning valve system for the hydraulic brake system of passenger cars and the like for varying the amount of brake fluid pressure and thus the braking torque at the rear brakes of a passenger car. The system includes a load sensor oriented between a suspension component, such as a supporting spring, and the vehicle frame or body and includes a cavity for incompressible fluid in which variation in load will vary the volume of the cavity for providing increased pressure and volumeric flow of an incompressible fluid from the cavity to a proportioning valve incorporated into the hydraulic brake lines extending from the master cylinder to the rear brakes of a passenger car for regulating the proprotioning valve to vary the braking pressure and thus braking torque to the rear wheels to reduce or eliminate premature rear wheel locking when applying brakes of a lightly loaded vehicle and to maintain adequate braking force for the same vehicle when heavily loaded.

Abstract: A tractor-(28) trailer (30) vehicle (24) brake system control for distributing the brake effort to obtain inter-tractor-trailer proportional braking (H.sub.1 /V.sub.1 =H.sub.2 /V.sub.2) by use of sensors (80, 170, 172) mounted to the trailer only is provided. The control system senses (80) acceleration (a) and the ratio of vertical to horizontal forces (H.sub.F /V.sub.F) at the fifth wheel/king pin connection (34/176) by means of sensors (170, 172) mounted to the trailer (30) only and modulates the trailer sub-vehicle brakes only to cause the ratio H.sub.F /V.sub.F to equal a function of acceleration.

Abstract: A hydraulic retarder has a control valve mechanism with a regulator valve for controlling the pressure of the fluid delivered to the retarder as a function of operator demand and an operating parameter of the retarder. The regulator valve has an opening pressure bias that is determined by a retarder signal valve which is responsive to an operator input and a closing pressure bias determined by the outlet pressure of the retarder.

Abstract: A safety brake system for a walk behind lawn mower in which provision is made for alternative orientations of the engine relative to the mower deck and operator's position while utilizing the same components for the safety brake system. Only the interconnection of the components is changed for the alternative engine orientations. In one configuration, a control lever connected intermediate an operator actuated bowden cable and the brake disengagement device is pivoted between the attachment points of the control lever to the bowden cable and the disengagement device such that a reverseal of direction of pull is effected. In the other configuration, the point of attachment of the control lever to the disengagement device is on the same side of the pivot point of attachment to the bowden cable such that no reversal of direction of pull occurs.

Abstract: A brake shoe or pad in which the back plate is zinc plated and a friction material preform is bonded directly to the zinc plated surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method of utilization thereof of a traction control system for automotive vehicles. The inventive traction control system provides selective hydraulically actuated braking to a drive wheel which is spinning to restrain rotation thereof so that torque to that respective wheel may be increased.

Abstract: The subject of the invention is a disc brake and support system for such a brake. The disc brake comprises a torque-supporting member (10), with which are associated actuation mechanism (26, 28) capable of urging at least one friction element (22, 24) against a rotating disc (18), the torque-supporting member being equipped with bores (32, 34) allowing it to slide respectively on a first column (12) located at the torque input and on a second column (14) located at the torque output in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the rotating disc, these columns being fixed to a stationary support (16). According to the invention, the guide lengths of the torque-supporting member (10) on the first column (12) and on the second column (14), L and l respectively, are different. Also according to the invention, the play left between the first column (12) and the first bore (32) on the one hand and between the second column (14) and the second bore (34) on the other hand, J.sub.E and J.sub.

Abstract: A fluid-filled elastic mounting structure including a first and a second support member, an elastic body for elastically connecting the first and second support members, a closure member which partially defines a fluid chamber, a partition assembly for dividing the fluid chamber into a pressure-receiving chamber and an equilibrium chamber, and at least one orifice for fluid communication between the pressure-receiving chamber and the equilibrium chamber. The first support member includes a hollow cylindrical member extending in a direction perpendicular to the load-receiving direction. The mounting structure of the invention further includes a stopper member which is formed from a plate-like member and secured to said second support member, so as to extend from the second support member toward the first support member, and surround the first support member such that the hollow cylindrical member is spaced apart from the stopper member by a suitable distance.

Abstract: An anti-vibration apparatus includes an expandable liquid-chamber, an electrorheologic fluid contained in the liquid chamber, a partition wall for sepatating the liquid chamber into a plurality of small liquid chambers, and an orifice communicating the small liquid chambers. The orifice comprises an elongated orifice, within which electrodes are disposed to pass a current through the electrorheologic fluid. Therefore, the viscosity of the electrorheologic fluid contained in the orifice can be changed, so as to adjust the resitance to the flow through the orifice of the fluid.

Abstract: A ball bearing brake has a spindle with a central axis. Each member of a pair of caliper members has a lever and a brake pad arm. The members are fitted on the spindle for rotation around the axis, and for limited axial movement during assembly and adjustment. Each brake pad arm carries a brake pad to be pressed against a bicycle wheel. An end member mountable to the bicycle structure includes means to engage the spindle and to compress a stack between itself and a head on the spindle. Four sets of bearing balls are formed around the spindle, respectively confined (1) by a race adjustment to the head of the spindle and one of the lever arms (2) by a race on the first lever arm and on an intermediate race member (3) by another race on the intermediate race member and on the other lever arm, and (4) between a race on the said other lever arm and a race adjacent to the end member.

Abstract: A dual pressure vehicle air brake system (60, 61, 100, 101) made according to the invention includes first and second sources (62, 64) of pressurized air at, for example, 175 psi and 100 psi, respectively. A combination brake actuator (6) includes a conventional service brake chamber (8) adapted to accommodate the lower, second air pressure while the spring brake chamber (10) is made to accommodate the higher, first pressure. The use of the higher first pressure allows a stiffer actuator spring to be used and be fully deflected by the first pressure without substantially changing actuator piston areas and other elements of conventional combination brake actuators. A conventional modulated spring brake control valve (78) is used to supply air at the first pressure to the spring brake chamber. The service brake chamber is supplied with air at the second pressure through the outlet of a conventional service brake application valve (68).

Abstract: A compression spring assembly which includes a compression spring and a pair of identical but oppositely disposed guide members. The guide members have cooperating transversely extending keyways which are aligned to receive a key to maintain the assembly in a retracted, inoperative, condition. When placed in its operative environment, the spring assembly is suitably oriented and the key is removed from the keyway, thereby permitting the spring to expand to the greatest length possible under the circumstances. The spring assembly is capable of a broad range of movement along the axis of the spring. Subsequently, the spring assembly can be removed and returned to its retracted, inoperative condition by reversing the procedure just described.

Abstract: A suppression control device comprises a relay valve together with respective temporary and permanent diaphragm operated circuit breakers for governing suppression of a cab signal penalty brake application that can be used with either of two principal types of locomotive braking systems as well as being adapted to automatically adjust to changes in brake pipe pressure settings of 90 psi and 110 psi.