Abstract: A safety arrangement in the leg room of a motor vehicle has a strut of a suspension for the tube of a safety steering column hanging down from a cross member into the leg room. A crash-caused bending of the strut is connected with a raising of the forward steering column tube end. A pedal assembly is arranged laterally next to the strut on a front wall of the vehicle body bounding the leg room in the front. In order to prevent an erection of the steering column tube caused by a shock impulse in the event of a crash of the motor vehicle with a rearward displacement of the pedal assembly, at least one laterally supporting deflecting device is arranged on the pedal assembly and/or on the strut, by way of which the pedal assembly is guided past the strut.

Abstract: A hand crank device and associated method for winding winches such as those used on flat bed tractor trailers. The hand crank device includes an elongated pin element that is sized to engage the drive shaft of a winch. The pin element is long enough to enter through one hole on the drive shaft, extend across the drive shaft and exit the drive shaft through a second hole on the opposite side. The pin element is affixed to the short arm section of an L-shaped bracket. A handle is affixed to the long arm section of the L-shaped bracket, thereby enabling a torque to be applied to the L-shaped bracket and the pin element affixed to the L-shaped bracket. The torque acting on the pin element is transferred to the drive shaft of the winch, thereby causing the drive shaft to turn and the winch to rewind.

Abstract: A clip for a shift indicator cable attaches the cable to the shift bowl of a vehicle. The clip is adjustable to align the indicator pointer to indicia. The clip comprises a bracket for attachment to the shift bowl and a lever which is attached to the cable end. The lever is pivoted at one end to the bracket and has a tang at the other end for engaging any of several slots in the bracket to latch the lever in any of several positions. Changing the lever position adjusts the cable.

Abstract: A position sensor is nested into a cup-shaped portion of a molded pedal. The pedal directly drives the position sensor rotor, but the sensor is fully self contained and environmentally sealed. By nesting the sensor within the pedal, assembly is simplified and alignment of components is easily ensured. Additionally, the pedal still retains sufficient width to be designed to have adequate strength. The pedal structure may then be assembled easily and with few pieces, while still ensuring the proper functioning and internal alignment of the sensor.

Abstract: A gear case for a vehicle which has three casing chambers in which a first wall (11) separates the first (2) and the second (3) casing chambers from one another. The first wall (11) determines an upper lubricant level (22) while a lower lubricant level (21) of the gear casing is set by the volume of lubricant in the first (2) and the third (4) casing chambers.

Abstract: An implement control system for use with an article of construction machinery includes an implement adapted for mounting to an article of construction equipment, the implement including first and second ranges of motion, a hand support adapted for mounting to the article of construction equipment in the vicinity of an operator, the hand support including a base, an end portion upstanding at a first angle from the base and a hand grip extending outwardly from the end portion, the hand grip defining a distal end thereof and an opening between the hand grip and the base adapted for permitting an operator's fingers to extend therebetween in order to grip the hand grip, a first control lever movably mounted to the distal end of the hand grip, the first control lever being operably connected to the implement for controlling the first range of motion and adapted for movement thereof by an operator's thumb, a second control lever movably mounted to the base, the second control level being operably connected to the im

Abstract: A cable preload system and device for providing an axial force to the control cable and sealing the control cable against contamination. The pre-load apparatus includes a braze-on, a cable connector, a resilient tubular member and a frame connector. The cable connector attaches one end of the tubular member to the control cable to form a static seal about the control cable. The frame connector attaches the other end of the tubular member to the frame. The tubular member is adapted to stretch between a first configuration and a second configuration to pre-load the control cable.

Abstract: A hand lever device which is capable of combining high safety with excellent operability. The hand lever device includes a housing and a main lever pivotally attached to the housing. A spring member is fixedly mounted on the main lever, and is bendable in the direction along pivotal movement of the main lever. The spring member has a free end formed into a holder holding a terminal piece of a cable connected to a driven member. A stopper stops the holder of the spring member with cable at a desired drawn position of cable when main lever is pivotally operated to draw cable via spring member.

Abstract: A mechanical cable system having a tubular housing, conventionally of metal, enclosing a polymeric tubular liner which in turn contains an axially movable length of cable, wherein the end of the polymeric tubular liner extends beyond the end of the housing. A bellows seal is provided to prevent ingress of contaminants between the cable and the end of the housing. The bellows seal has a first end which seals interferably around the outer surface of the cable; the opposite, second end seals interferably around the end of the polymeric tubular liner which extends beyond the end of the housing. Because there is no motion between the ends of the bellows seal and the surfaces to which they are interferably fitted, the seal has a long life and is effective at preventing ingress of contaminants.

Abstract: A pair of coiled springs are mounted in tandem in a housing with their adjacent ends extending radially for retention in a housing permitting slight radial movement of the adjacent ends. The outer ends of the springs extend radially and are axially and circumferentially spaced apart and retained in the housing for slight circumferential movement. The outer ends of the spring are moved by tensioning them in opposite directions to increase the inner diameter of the annulus formed by the springs to receive a shaft upon which the springs tighten when the spring ends are released from tension.

Abstract: A vehicle transmission which functions as a drive system for the vehicle accessories necessary for continuous operation of the vehicle's engine. The transmission includes a main shaft which is continuously rotated by an input shaft. Mounted on the main drive shaft is a main drive gear, which meshes with an accessory drive gear and a cluster gear assembly. The accessory drive gear in turn is coupled to an accessory shaft which functions to power a plurality of pumps mounted to the transmission. The cluster gear assembly in combination with a sliding gear assembly functions to start the vehicle moving in forward or reverse. The transmission being self contained within a casing such that the transmission can be mounted at any selected distance from the engine of the vehicle. Further, the input shaft may float back and forth within a hollow main shaft as it is not supported by bearings, which allows for misalignment between the engine crank shaft and the transmission.

Abstract: In a mounting frame of a vehicle control pedal unit in which a pedal lever is pivotally supported at one end in a pivot support structure arranged at the end of the mounting frame, the mounting frame has at least first and second mounting structures disposed at its back wall and the first mounting structure is disposed at the end of the mounting frame adjacent the pivot support structure and the second mounting structure is disposed at the opposite end of the mounting frame and includes two spaced recesses receiving two tongues projecting from the vehicle body structure and a bolt extending through aligned bores formed in the mounting frame and in the tongues for firmly connecting the mounting frame to the vehicle body structure.

Abstract: A connecting rod for an internal combustion engine including an elongated rod portion. Also, a first annular portion is integral with a first end of the rod portion. The first annular portion has a bore therethrough for engaging an engine piston pin. Additionally, a second annular portion is integral with a second end of the rod portion. The second annular portion is opposite the first annular portion. The second annular portion is divided into symmetrical halves that form a distal member and a proximal member. Lastly, an alignment portion is integral with each side of the distal member and the proximal member. Whereby, the proximal member and distal member are coupled by placing a rod bolt into each alignment portion.

Abstract: A foot-operated parking brake actuator applies a parking brake by moving an input pedal lever between a brake-released position and a plurality of brake-applied positions to operate a cable to apply and release a vehicle parking brake. A mounting bracket pivotally mounts the pedal for pivotal movement about a first pivot. A sector gear is secured to the bracket with its center on the first pivot, and mounts a cable take-up reel. The cable is attached to the reel which is pivotally mounted on the pedal lever about a second pivot. A pinion is secured to the reel for engagement with the sector gear upon pedal lever movement to brake-apply positions to wind the cable on the reel. Cable winding occurs at a sequence of variable input/output force ratios of input pedal lever force to output cable force or load to apply the parking brake, the ratio varying with pedal movement because of the complex movement of the reel.

Abstract: A steering mechanism for a vehicle having a steering shaft includes an elongated crank having a first end operably fixedly connected to an end of the steering shaft and a steering plate rotatably connected to a second end of the elongated crank and having a pair of laterally displaced handles connected thereto, such that the steering plate is rotatable about the steering shaft and may further include at least one idler crank having a first end rotatably connected to a portion of the vehicle and a second end rotatably connected to the steering plate.

Abstract: A retracting handle bar including a plurality of tubes that slide one inside another, a plurality of lock devices for locking the tubes in the extended position, and a press bar for unlocking the lock devices, wherein: each of the lock devices includes an axial member mounted in one end of an antecedent tube, a retainer strip pivoted to the axial member, and a socket mounted around the retainer strip and the axial member, the axial member having a body with a taper hole at one end, and an extension rod at an opposite end, the body of the axial member being inserted into a second tube, the axial extension rod of the axial member being inserted into the antecedent tube, the retainer strip having a fixed end pivoted to the axial extension rod of the axial member inside the antecedent tube, and a free end disposed inside the antecedent tube, the free end of the retainer rod having a raised portion forced into engagement with a locating hole in the antecedent tube, the socket being disposed inside the second tube,

Abstract: A removable steering wheel cover 10 is provided which can be securely attached surrounding a steering wheel 2 of a vehicle. The steering wheel cover 10 is formed from an inner layer 30 and an outer layer 20 both formed from flexible fabric and with a core 40 of foam material interposed there between. A first elastic loop 50 and second loop 60 are oriented within a forward casing 25 and a rearward casing 27, respectively, within the steering wheel cover 10. A plurality of stationary tabs 70 are secured to the inner layer 30. A plurality of pivoting tabs 80 are oriented adjacent the forward casing 25 in a location such that they can be folded back onto the stationary tab 70 with the pivoting tabs 80 attaching to the stationary tabs 70. The pivoting tabs 80 overlap the stationary tabs 70 in a manner causing the forward casing 25 and rearward casing 27 to abut each other and to cause the steering wheel cover 10 to completely surround the steering wheel 2.

Abstract: A built-up camshaft has cam discs which are secured to a tube under mechanical prestress, are of annular design, and are inductively hardened all the way around at a boundary layer on their outer periphery before they are secured to the tube. The hardening of the boundary layer is formed such that, due to the hardening, high residual compressive stresses (at least -450 N/mm.sup.2) are produced in an at least approximately 0.5 mm deep boundary zone near the surface such that, even after the cam discs are mounted on the tube, the superimposing residual tensile stresses in the boundary zone, induced by the joining, only partly compensate the original residual compressive stresses, i.e. there are still only residual compressive stresses (at least -150 N/mm.sup.2) in the boundary zone near the surface. Sufficiently high residual compressive stress in the boundary zone are produced by effecting the inductive heating of the cam disc in two stages.

Abstract: A bicycle upright tube fastening assembly comprises a handlebar upright tube, a bolt, a tightening head,. an arresting tube, a torsion spring, a nut, a head tube, a from fork tube column, and a bearing set which is composed of a mounting seat, a ball bowl, a rolling ball slot seat and a ball nest. The mounting seat is provided therein with an upper tapered portion and a lower tapered portion. An upper fitting ring is received in the upper tapered portion while a lower fitting ring is received in the lower tapered portion. The ball bowl is provided with a straight center hole having at one end thereof a tapered protuberance which is engaged with the lower tapered portion of the mounting seat such that one end of the tapered protuberance urges the lower fitting ring of the mounting seat. The rolling ball slot seat is urged by the head tube when a pressure exerting on the mounting seat is transmitted to the ball bowl and the ball nest which is located between the ball bowl and the rolling ball slot seat.

Abstract: A connecting rod and crankshaft assembly comprising a crankshaft having an axis and including axially spaced end bearing surfaces in concentric relation to the axis, an arcuate throw portion extending from one of the end bearing surfaces and along a curvilinear axis and including a maximum cross section which extends perpendicularly to the curvilinear axis and which includes a maximum rectilinear distance passing through the curvilinear axis, and a crank pin extending from the throw portion in eccentric relation to the axis, a connecting rod comprising an elongated main body, and a crank pin end portion extending from the main body and including a cylindrical surface extending along an axis extending perpendicularly to the elongation of the main body and defining a crank pin aperture receiving the crank pin, and axially spaced side surfaces each including a first side surface portion located adjacent the main body and extending for an arcuate distance around the axis of less than 180 degrees, which first side