Abstract: An automotive vehicle equipped with an air bag system includes an interior gas discharge device for communicating a vehicle interior to the outside upon detection of a vehicular collision and a forced ventilation device provided for operation upon detection of the vehicular collision.

Abstract: A dual cushion air bag unit for cushioning contact between an occupant and interior side members of a vehicle during a side impact collision includes a lower bag portion and an upper bag portion which are joined by a relatively short and narrow neck portion in communication with both of said upper and lower bag portions and in which is located, in sealed relation, at least the outlet ports of a gas generator or inflator. Both of the lower and the upper bag protions are filled simultaneously by one inflator.

Abstract: The head rest is detachably mounted to the seat back of the front seat and the air bag unit with an air bag mounted therein is mounted to the head rest. The air bag is expanded toward the passenger seated on the rear seat in response to an explosion signal from the control unit into which signals are entered from impact sensors. The air bag is so disposed as to expand only when the passenger is seated on the rear seat. The posture and position of the air bag unit is adjusted in association with the movement or displacement of the front seat to which the air bag is mounted, thereby improving the ability of the expanded air bag to confine the passenger seated on the rear seat and protecting the passenger in a safer fashion. Further, the air bag unit is mounted to the head rest of the front seat, so that the air bag can be exchanged with ease and at a cheap cost without needing to exchange the front seat itself.

Abstract: A tractor having a steerable axle that pivotally moves laterally in response to a corresponding steering action of the steerable wheels mounted on the steerable axle and is also pivotally supported for oscillatory pitching movement about a longitudinal axis is disclosed wherein an oscillation stop is provided in the form of an arcuate track mounted to the steerable axle and a pair of transversely spaced rollers engageable with the arcuate track through the entire range of lateral movement of the axle to limit the amount of permissible oscillatory pitching movement. The arcuate track has a center of curvature that coincides with the vertical pivot axis for the lateral movement of the axle. The rollers are spaced on opposing sides of the longitudinal axis and have rotational axes that are generally aligned with the center of curvature of the arcuate track.

Abstract: A frame for an agricultural trailer vehicle has a single centrally extending longitudinal support having a hollow box-shaped construction. The longitudinal support has a width and a height which is greater than the width. The longitudinal support has a cross-section with a profile which changes over its length so that a maximum profile of its cross-section is provided in the region of a wheel axle.

Abstract: A tractor having a steerable axle that pivotally moves laterally in response to a corresponding steering action of the steerable wheels mounted on the steerable axle and is also pivotally supported for oscillatory pitching movement about a longitudinal axis is disclosed wherein an oscillation stop is provided in the form of an arcuate track mounted to the steerable axle and a pair of transversely spaced rollers engageable with the arcuate track through the entire range of lateral movement of the axle to limit the amount of permissible oscillatory pitching movement. The arcuate track has a center of curvature that coincides with the vertical pivot axis for the lateral movement of the axle. The rollers are spaced on opposing sides of the longitudinal axis and have rotational axes that are generally aligned with the center of curvature of the arcuate track.

Abstract: The steering wheel column and/or the bearing for the steering wheel column in a motor vehicle is pushed or pulled away from a position in front of the driver in the event of a head-on collision whose intensity exceeds a preselected minimum value. The displacing unit which is activated in the event of head-on collision of preselected minimum intensity (e.g., a collision which causes the engine block and/or the transmission case to move rearwardly with reference to the frame of the motor vehicle) can entrain the steering wheel column and/or the bearing for the steering wheel column by way of a carrier which is pivotably mounted adjacent the steering wheel column or its bearing and has one or more projections with cutting edges penetrating into the steering wheel column and/or bearing in response to activation of the displacing unit.

Abstract: A chassis is provided having two longitudinal sides, one or more cross-bars between the sides, and two torsion forwardly and downwardly extending arms terminating in sleeves for holding snap-in casters. When attached to the other wheelchair components, the arms create a space therebetween and under the wheelchair seat for storage of optional items. The molded chassis may be tailored to performance specifications and is constructed from composite material, preferably by compression molding using sheet molding compound or by resin transfer molding. Shock and vibration attenuating characteristics are selectable and the chassis sides may be of one or multiple piece construction. Each longitudinal side includes two vertically extending posts for attaching a seat, the posts providing a height, seat pan angle and center of gravity adjustment mechanism for the seating system relative to the chassis. The drive wheels are attached to camber plugs which are secured within recesses in the sides.

Abstract: A vehicle kingpin assembly having a kingbolt journalled in a knuckle with laterally offset projections on the ends of the kingbolt, endcaps journalled in a yoke with offset openings therein holding the projections in spherical bearings, and compliant thrust bearings between the knuckle and the yoke so that the angular relationship between the knuckle and the yoke may be varied to adjust camber and/or caster by rotating the kingbolt in the knuckle and/or the endcaps in the yoke.

Abstract: A belt gripping mechanism distanced from a belt payout reel including a support housing, a clamping assembly and a locking assembly, which functions in response to a predetermined load to grip a restraint belt in an effectively permanent manner so as to not be immediately releasable upon the cessation of forces which initially triggered the gripping. During emergency crash situations, the locking of the belt payout reel causes the clamping assembly to move from a locked "non-gripping" position to a locked "gripping" position significantly reducing the forward movement of the vehicle passenger.

Abstract: A locking system mounted on a semitrailer sliding undercarriage and used for securing and releasing the sliding undercarriage from an underside of a semitrailer. The sliding undercarriage is also known commonly in the trucking industry as a sliding tandem and further referred to as a longitudinally shiftable running gear. The system includes two or more air cylinders mounted on the sliding undercarriage. Each air cylinder is attached to a locking pin which is inserted into locking pin holes disposed along a length of a pair of parallel rails. The rails are mounted on the underside of the semitrailer. The system prevents retraction of the locking pins if the semitrailer brakes have not been set. Further, the system is fail-safe and automatically reinserts the locking pins in the locking pin holes if the power to a control panel is interrupted or air pressure is applied to release the semitrailer's air brakes. The air cylinders have electronic position sensors wired to the control panel.

Abstract: A passive anti-theft device (10) for use with a land-borne vehicle (14) which alerts the observing public that vehicle (14) has been stolen. The device consists of a broad, flat, brightly colored, message lettered strap (16) that normally stows between the trailing edge of the cowl (32) and the lower edge of the outer surface of the automobile windshield (12). When the vehicle (14) is left unattended, the strap (16) articulates pivotally from the windshield (12) lower edge to rotate upward at a removed end. The strap (16) is lockingly secured (28) to the windshield (12) along a diagonal. Thus, a thief must either remove the strap (16)--which would require breaking the windshield--or drive the car with the strap (16) in plain sight, its lettered message (30) alerting the public of the unauthorized use of the auto (14).

Abstract: A connection structure is provided for an air bag cover and a housing. The air bag cover is fitted on a peripheral wall of said housing. The connection structure includes a protective strip arranged on an outer wall of the air bag cover, a plurality of rivets or the like arranged along an edge portion of an opening of the air bag cover and connecting the housing, the air bag cover and the protective strip, and a plurality of connectors. Each of the connectors comprises a projection and its matching receiving portion. The projection is disposed on or adjacent an imaginary line extending between the longitudinal central axes of each two adjacent ones of the rivets or the like and extends from one of the air bag cover, the housing and the protective strip toward the adjacent one of the remaining two of the air bag cover, the housing and the protective strip. The receiving portion is provided in the adjacent one of the remaining two of the air bag cover, the housing and the protective strip.

Abstract: An inflatable air cushion for use as a safety device in an automobile is made of two blanks cut from strips of fabric interwoven with one another along a seam extending along the peripheries of the blanks. The strips are initially flat, but include at least two side regions spaced from and on opposite sides of the central axis of the resulting cushion and running parallel to either the weft or warp threads of the fabric. These side regions are shrinkable under the influence of heat to a greater degree than a region lying between them to give each blank a convex shape and giving the cushion a more desirable rounded shape when inflated than if made with flat blanks. The ability to form the blanks into convex shapes by heat shrinking avoids the need for employing other more complicated and time consuming shaping procedures.

Abstract: A compound steering lock-out apparatus to be selectively used with a vehicle equipped with a compound steering mechanism in which the front steerable axle is pivotally connected to the vehicle chassis and a pair of tie rods extend between the pivotable wheels and the chassis to effect a pivotal movement of the axle upon the actuation of a pivotal movement of the wheels relative to the steerable axle. The lock-out apparatus includes a fastener engageable with pivotable components of the compound steering mechanism to restrict the pivotal movement of the carrier linkage interconnecting the axle and the chassis and a single conventional tie rod to replace the dual tie rod concept of the compound steering mechanism. The installation of the lock-out mechanism makes the compound steering apparatus operate as a conventional automotive-type steering mechanism.

Abstract: A tractor having a steerable axle that pivotally moves laterally in response to a corresponding steering action of the steerable wheels mounted on the steerable axle is disclosed wherein the front of the axle is pivotally supported by a four-bar linkage to control vertical movement of the chassis relative to the steerable axle during lateral relative movement between the chassis and the axle. The mechanism is composed of a spherical ball joint connecting the steerable axle to the chassis, a front carrier member pivotally connected to the chassis, and a pair of link members pivotally interconnecting the carrier member and the steerable axle. All pivot axes associated with the carrier member and the link members coincide at the spherical ball joint.

Abstract: An air bag module cover assembly incorporates a horn blowing switch. The air bag module comprises a container holding an inflator and a folded air bag. The cover assembly comprises a closure which closes the container, and a horn blowing switch subassembly which is attached to the container. Access to the horn blowing switch subassembly is possible without disturbing the container or removing the module from the vehicle. Moreover, the horn blowing switch subassembly is located for convenient operation by a vehicle operator. It is also adapted to remain integrally connected with a structural portion of the container during deployment of the air bag.

Abstract: An air bag device for a passenger comprises a box-shaped container having a front surface defined as an opening for an air bag expansion, an air bag folded and contained in the container in which the edge of a gas inlet is secured to the container, and a gas generator secured to the rear face of a retaining box opposing to the opening. The container comprises a forward half having the opening and a backward half having the gas generator. A rear edge of the forward half and the front edge of the backward half are faced each other and secured by bolts. An edge of the air bag is put between the rear edge of the forward half and the front edge of the backward half and secured to the container. The bag has a stitch portion protruding near the end thereof.

Abstract: A steerable dual rear axle system for large vehicles in which the vehicle has a frame, and the axle system includes a forward axle housing, a draft arm having one arm affixed to the forward axle housing and the other pivotally affixed to the vehicle frame, a rearward axle housing spaced from the forward axle housing, an axle extending through both axle housings having wheels and tires thereon, an upper linkage having one end pivotally attached to the upper portion of the forward axle housing and the other end pivotally attached to the upper portion of the rearward axle housing, a lower linkage having one end pivotally attached to the lower portion of the forward axle housing and the other end pivotally attached to the lower portion of the rearward axle housing so that the axle housings are supported in spaced apart relationship with the axle housings being independently free to move in vertical planes, compressible strut members extending between the axle housings and the frame for spring supporting the frame

Abstract: A vehicle airbag (12) includes an inflatable bag (20) and an inflation-controlling member (40) which is coupled to the bag (20). The inflation-controlling member (40) includes a releasable connection (42) and a stretchable section (44). The releasable connection (42) remains intact during initial stages of the inflation process so that the inflation-controlling member (40) extends to an initial length L.sub.initial and the bag (20) assumes an initial shape. The releasable connection (42) releases during intermediate stages of the inflation process so that the inflation-controlling member (40) extends to an intermediate length L.sub.intermediate and the bag (20) assumes an initial shape. The stretchable section (44) stretches during the final stages of the inflation process so that the inflation-controlling member (40) extends to a final length L.sub.final and the bag (20) assumes a final shape.