Abstract: A pivoted rocker attached to a conventional hand-brake lever enables either of two wheels of a motor vehicle to be braked via the respective brake cable and braking mechanism to aid in freeing the vehicle when that wheel is spinning for lack of traction.

Abstract: A gate valve is threadedly attached to an influent port of a motorized pump of a vehicular fire engine at all times. Thus it is not necessary to stop the pump, remove a cap and connect a water supply hose to the influent port. Instead the supply hose is connected to the gate valve, the valve is purged of air, and then opened to connect the new source without air hammer, or flow interruption. A pressure relief valve on the suction side of the gate, relieves pump pressure whether the gate is open or closed.

Abstract: The output from the pump chamber of a higher volume piston pump is divided between a return bypass and the pump chamber of a smaller volume piston pump; the piston of the high volume piston pump is periodically raised by a cam to draw fluid into the pump chamber; when this piston is released, a spring forces fluid from the high volume pump chamber; the pump chamber of the small volume pump is connected with the cam such that the volume of the low volume pump chamber decreases, thereby pumping out the fluid in that chamber, when the large volume pump chamber is taking in fluid, and vice versa; appropriate valves ensure that flow is only in the desired direction; adjustment and calibration means are provided for the low volume pump.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a power-steering pump which may reduce in a very stable manner the flow rate of the hydraulic liquid under pressure to be delivered to a power steering system with increase of the rotational speed of an engine beyond an idling speed and which may easily change the above rate reduction or attenuation characteristic depending upon the types of the automotive vehicles and power steering systems thereof. A flow-control valve which is disposed in parallel with the axis of a pump mechanism is provided with a variable-area orifice which determines the flow rate attenuation characteristic and which is defined by an orifice groove cut through a flange of a partition wall member and an enlarged-diameter portion at the free end of a control rod extended through the partition wall member from the front end of a control spool of the flow-control valve.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for protecting a dynamic compressor from surge. The method includes a first step for providing a simultaneous control of a smaller relief means and a main control member of a dynamic compressor or the driver thereof for changing the performance of the compressor. This combined action provides for the protection from surge and at the same time insures the invariability of the main control parameters of pressure, mass flow rate to the user, or the speed of rotation. The second step provides for controlling a larger relief means and provides for antisurge protection in those cases when the first step is not sufficient to protect the compressor from surge. Apparatus is also provided for automatically implementing the method.

Abstract: An axial piston machine has a cylinder barrel mounted on a shaft and rotatable with respect to a portion of the casing. Between the cylinder block and the casing portion is a disc. The side of the disc adjacent the casing portion is concave and abutting casing portion is correspondingly convex. The disc is restrained against rotation and forms part of the valving means for the cylinder barrel. In one embodiment the casing and shaft are in two articulated sections. The shaft sections lie in a common plane and are pivotable with respect to each other about a point and the casing sections are pivotable about an axis normal to that plane and offset with respect to the shaft pivot point. In another embodiment the casing and shaft are each a single unit.

Abstract: A piston pump having a housing and an angularly adjustable swash plate for controlling piston displacement and the flow of fluid discharged from the pump has control means for controllably positioning the swash plate in response to a load pressure.

Abstract: An axially shiftable slide valve member in a rotary, helical screw compressor carries a port which senses the pressure of the working fluid in the trapped volume just before uncovering of the closed thread to the discharge port and compares that pressure with the line pressure at the discharge port and shifts the slide valve member to balance the pressures and prevent overcompression or undercompression of the compressor. The screw compressor may be provided with two identical but oppositely oriented slide valve members on opposite sides of the intermeshed helical screws with one slide valve member controlling the capacity of the compressor and the other balancing the closed thread pressure at discharge with discharge line pressure. Compressor rotation may be reversed to eliminate the need for a reversing valve where the compressor operates in heat pump or reverse flow defrost refrigeration applications, with the two slide valves trading functions.