Abstract: The bag has at least one rip which is normally sealed by sewing, adhesion or welding with a calculated strength so that the rip may open and relieve the bag pressure when the bag pressure exceeds a predetermined pressure due to collision of the passenger against the inflated bag. The open rip may be exposed to the atmosphere, but alternatively an inflatable auxiliary bag may be attached to the former bag in such an arrangement that the discharged gas is received in the auxiliary bag.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for providing a controlled movable environment in accordance with the present invention, for protection of a work area in the environment from adverse external conditions, may take the form of a collapsible and movable building structure that may be moved about in its fully erected condition. The building may include at least one and preferably a plurality of platform devices which may take the form of trailers, self-powered vehicles, sleds or any other suitable motive device having means for engagement with the site on which the building structure is to rest. A lightweight building structure, which may take the form of a flexible inflatable or air supported building structure may be secured to the platform means and may cooperate with the platform means to provide a chamber for protection of the work area and any occupants or equipment for which protection might be desired.

Abstract: An anti-jack-knifing safety device for use on tractors and trailers operating on the highways and streets. It includes a gear rack mounted on the front end of the trailer, and secured against rotation thereon, and a second gear rack mounted on the rear end of the tractor, and also secured against rotation on the tractor. Electromagnetic solenoid means are provided on the tractor portion of the device, for moving the gear rack from retracted position to extended position and thus into intermeshment with the gear teeth on the front end of the trailer, thus blocking relative rotational movement of the trailer and tractor and thus blocking jacknifing. The solenoid is actuated from the tractor battery and through a foot switch controlled by the driver when jacknifing is imminent.

Abstract: A self-aligning bearing comprising an outer member and an inner member disposed in and supported by the outer member, the outer member having a concave inner surface in bearing contact with the convex outer surface of the inner member, an annular groove provided on one of the surfaces, a resilient member filling said annular groove, the resilient member being in a substantially compressed state to exert a preloading braking force on the inner and outer members.

Abstract: A mounting plate enables the stand to be mounted to any standard hitch bar. A front leg is pivoted by the upper end thereof to the front of the plate and extends downwardly and rearwardly thereof, terminating in a curved ground engaging skid. Over-center linkage is pivoted between the skid and the mounting plate extending upwardly and rearwardly towards said mounting plate when in the extended position. A lever action makes or breaks the over-center linkage thereby extending or retracting the jack stand.

Abstract: A variable offset hitch is especially adapted for selectively positioning a semi-mounted implement in a trailing, laterally offset relationship to a towing tractor having a three-point hitch. A pair of laterally spaced mounts, each having a plurality of horizontally spaced, upright lugs, are secured to the forward end of the implement and receive corresponding lift arms of the three-point hitch through the use of respective removable connecting pins having a length sufficient to span the distance between preselected pairs of lugs on each mount. Lateral displacement, in either direction, of the implement relative to its normal operating disposition behind the tractor is determined by the location of the tractor lift arms with regard to selected pairs of the horizontally spaced lugs.

Abstract: The invention provides a compact control valve for double acting steering system servomotors utilizing a housing and control valve therein with coacting lands and passage means effecting a transfer of fluid from one pressure chamber to the other of a single piston rod servomotor. Such transfer is in response to automatic straightening of the wheels of a vehicle by road contact after they have been turned to effect steering. In particular, since the servomotor pressure chambers are unequal in volume due to the bulk of the piston rod passing through only one chamber, some volume compensation for shunting of the fluid between chambers is required due to excess of fluid in going to the smaller volume chamber from the larger volume chamber, and deficit of fluid when transferring in the opposite direction.

Abstract: An automatic brake for a ski comprises a resiliently deformable wire of generally U shape and having a pair of pivot portions which extend parallel to the upper face of the ski and at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the ski. These portions are pivoted in a support plate and actuation portions extending back from the pivot portions allow the wire to be deformed and flattened out in a planar manner on top of the ski. Brake elements are carried on this wire so that when it is stepped on and flattened out these brake elements lie on top of the ski out of the way, but when a skiboot is taken off the wire they spring down and project beyond the lower face of the ski so as to prevent it from sliding.

Abstract: A hydrostatic suspension system for supporting a cylindrical mass, such as an inertial mass, within a housing filled with viscous fluid while eliminating contact between the mass and housing. With the arrangement described tolerances and concentricities of the mass and housing are relaxed to practical values.

Abstract: A battery support for use in a vehicle permitting the battery to be selectively disposed in an installed position and a service position. The support includes a carrier having wheels engaging a track carried by a base portion of the support for facilitating movement of the carrier and battery between the installed and service positions. Stops are provided for limitin the movement of the carrier to the preselected desired positions and structure is provided for stabilizing the carrier and battery in the installed position to prevent rattling and moving of the battery therein. The structure is arranged to accommodate extension of the battery cables about the rear of the battery so as to permit facilitated selective movement of the battery to and from the service position.

Abstract: A battery-powered cart operatable by a man walking ahead through the medium of a rope attached thereto which is in a forwardly extended state. The rope is connected at the rear end via a sliding member to a spring attached to the cart at a predetermined position in a manner such that the spring urges the rope backwards as it is pulled forwards. The cart incorporates an electric motor, an electromagnetic brake, a battery, and speed-control system electrically connecting with said motor and brake so that the cart moves behind the operator at a speed similar to a man's average walking speed even on a slope, and reduces the speed or comes to a stop as the man slows down or stops because of the slack of the rope.

Abstract: A chassis-to-container locking arrangement includes a housing defined by the lateral end extensions of the chassis bolster member thereby providing coupling assemblies at the four corners thereof. Each housing includes a twist lock arrangement which is operated by a horizontally swingable locking arm selectively operated whereby the twist locks are held in a raised open position or in a lowered closed position. The operating arm is rotatable in a slot provided in the housing. An operating member or locking rod is selectively movable and includes camming projections which lock the twist locks in locked position the same camming assemblies including stop members accommodating corner castings having a base of variable thickness.

Abstract: A bearing assembly has a load supporting segment that is made of a good bearing material supportive of the load thereon. The load supporting segment is positioned transversely of a shaft in a location to support the shaft. A shaft retaining segment that is made of a different material is positioned transversely of the shaft on a shaft side opposite from the load supporting segment for holding the shaft rotatably therebetween to bear upon the load supporting segment. A plurality of such bearing assemblies are manufactured by machine finishing the interior surfaces of an annular metal shape, separating the shape into a plurality of load supporting segments, molding a plastic material into a plurality of shaft retaining segments, and assembling each shaft retaining segment with a complementary load supporting segment.

Abstract: A vertical stack of generally horizontal panels is contained within a bin structure and rests on several rollers. At the upstream end of the system an injector is operative to push a predetermined number of panels linearly from the bottom of the stack toward the downstream direction. Once the injector shoes push the predetermined number of panels from the bottom of the stack, a powered roller acts to move the stacked panels toward an aligning station. After the stacked panels clear the bin structure, a crowding chain operates to align the long edges of the panels such that they will be properly aligned when they enter the downstream work station.

Abstract: A tension adjustment device for a safety ski binding. A device is provided by which the tension on a safety ski binding may be selected and determined without the necessity of a ski boot being present in the binding. There is provided a two-part carriage movable longitudinally of the ski and capable of being fixed at a selected point on the ski. The two parts of said carriage are movable together in one direction due to a manually applied force and are movable relative to each other in the opposite direction against a spring force by a manually operable adjustment device such as an eccentric or through the application of a force to the ski binding carrying part. One of the parts is mounted onto a ski supported base plate and the other of said parts carries the ski binding. With the ski binding free of engagement with the ski boot the adjustment device is operated to select the desired tension for the binding.

Abstract: A drill bit having a roller cutter supported by ball bearings and a ball retainer retained in position both axially and rotationally within the ball loading hole by a plug which is mechanically wedged into secured and sealed position within the outer end of the ball loading hole.

Abstract: A motor cycle having brake means mounted on one leg of a steerable front wheel fork for cooperation with a disc or like brake element rotatable with a wheel element mounted by bearings on a torsionally stiff brake torque reaction transmitting spindle that has its ends positively non-rotatably clamped in the fork legs.

Abstract: A boat trailer with a telescoping tongue for facilitating the launching of a boat is described. The trailer is towed in a retracted position and, for launching and mooring, the tongue is telescoped by a positive drive to an extended position, wherein detachment and further mooring of the boat with respect to the trailer can be effected remotely.

Abstract: Basic mechanisms avoiding sliding friction and comprised of two races surrounding two series of rotating elements which are alternately interposed between each other in rolling contact; each series additionally being in rolling contact with one of the races. The races and rotating elements may be lineally arranged; or, if circularly disposed, may be oriented either axially or radially with respect to the rotational axis of the mechanism.To obtain useful bearings from these mechanisms a third race is added, loads being transferred from the third race through one of the series of rotating elements to one of the other races; or, all rotating elements and races may share the load. Radial-load and axial-load bearings are described; several means being used to assure that no sliding friction is present.

Abstract: This invention relates to ground-reaction machines, such as hovercraft, and is particularly concerned with flexible enclosure arrangements, often referred to as skirts, for enclosing a fluid cushion beneath the loading platform of the machine. According to the invention, air fed into the arrangement to form the cushion, is channelled or directed by cells having walls which are linked in series along the periphery of the platform. This ensures the feed and enclosure of a single undivided central cushion at a pressure which is substantially uniform and of which the boundaries represent an auxiliary structure. In a preferred construction, each of the cells is bounded by two flexible walls, all the horizontal sections of which are of bi-convex, lenticular shape.