Abstract: A variable angle connection between a spinal rod and a vertebral anchor with a clevis to attach to the vertebral anchor, permitting the vertebral anchor to be longitudinally offset from the connecting point on the rod. The connection assembly has a bolt with an aperture for receiving a portion of the spinal implant rod at one end. The assembly also has a clevis. The clevis defines a bore to hold a portion of the vertebral anchor and the ears of the clevis have holes through which the bolt is located with the rotably connected to the ears. The assembly also has a rod interface washer positioned over a portion of the bolt, between the aperture of the bolt and the inside ear of the clevis. The rod interface washer is partly movable between the aperture of the bolt and the clevis, but the washer is fixed against rotating in relation to the bolt.

Abstract: A valve actuator (1) is provided which comprises an actuator stem (4) extending from a housing (2) which contains a sleeve (17). The actuator stem (4) is driven so as to cause the sleeve to compress a stack of springs (22) within the housing until bolts (25) engage the sleeve, locking the springs in a compressed state. At the same time an armature (28) on the actuator stem is attracted to an electromagnet (29) within the housing. The actuator stem can then be driven to open or close a valve in a controlled manner without first compressing or releasing the springs. In an emergency, the electromagnet is switched off, releasing the armature thus unlocking the stack of springs. The released springs push the piston which partially retracts the actuator stem into the housing causing the valve to be closed.

Abstract: A resin intake manifold includes a chamber section having an intake port which leads to a throttle body 91, and a plurality of pipe sections 7 which connect interior of the chamber section to cylinders of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine. The chamber section is made up of a plurality of port members 1 coupled together, each port member 1 including the pipe section 7 and a cylindrical section 6 whose external wall is connected to an end of the pipe section 7.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for supplying air to a ported rotary kiln involves the use of butterfly valves and a mechanical valve actuation system for introducing air into the kiln at axially and circumferentially spaced locations along the kiln length. The valve actuation system selectively and sequentially opens and closes the butterfly valves such that port air is introduced into the interior of the rotary kiln. The valve actuation system of the present invention is incorporated with a butterfly valve having a valve housing with an air passageway and including an air inlet and an air outlet, a valve disc rotatable within the housing to open and close the passageway, and a valve stem defining an axis of rotation and connected to the valve member for rotation therewith. The valve actuation system includes an assembly mounted on the valve stem to rotate the valve member between its open and closed positions.

Abstract: In a device for restoring a throttle valve, which is for controlling combustion air of an internal combustion engine, into a definite limp-home air position, having a throttle valve shaft, which supports a drivable driver and is rotatably supported in a housing, and having a prestressed clamping spring, whose spring ends, by simultaneously embracing a housing catch and a driver catch on opposing catch surfaces, fix a limp-home air position of the throttle valve, from which the throttle valve can be moved through rotation of the driver , a compensation spring, which has a definite initial stress force directed counter to the spring force of the clamping spring, is disposed between one spring end of the clamping spring and a catch surface on one of the catches in order to produce a rotary play-free state of the driver in the limp-home air position.

Abstract: A choke for a brake control valve coming within the physical space limitation by forming a helical choke path. The choke includes a body having a passage and a plug in a passage. The helical path is created between and defined by the passage and the plug to form the choke. The length the passage is less an inch and the length of the plug is less than 0.25 inches. The body includes the first portion having an external thread and a stem portion. A filter is mounted on the stem portion. The first portion is mounted in a threaded opening in a first wall of the valve. The filter extends into an opening in a second wall of the valve and a cap mounted in the second opening contacts the filter and holds it secure on the stem.

Abstract: A control valve for a variable capacity compressor comprising a solenoid excitation unit positioned at the center thereof, a control valve body positioned at the upper side of said solenoid excitation unit, and a pressure sensitive unit positioned below said solenoid excitation unit, wherein said control valve body comprises a valve means for opening and closing the passage between a discharge pressure region and an intermediate pressure region of said compressor, said solenoid excitation unit is equipped with a plunger that moves according to excitation, a magnetic drawer, and a bellows for operating said valve means, and said pressure sensitive unit is equipped with a pressure sensitive portion spring for operating said valve means.

Abstract: An optical probe structure for illuminating and collecting returned light from a region of tissue. The optical probe is configured with illumination and collection windows to controllably collect light from the region of tissue in vivo. The probe is designed to have a defined spacing between the fiber or fibers connected to the light source, and the fiber or fibers connected to the optical detector, so that light reaching the detector has passed through a localized region of tissue of a small and well-defined size or dimension. The probe can assay or detect tissue cell distribution, a tissue constituent such as hydrogen ions (pH), lactate, or an endogenous tissue component such as hemoglobin, myoglobin, or lipids in plaque. Measurements may indicate conditions such as metabolic state, stress, shock or ischemia in different tissues.

Abstract: The gist of the present invention is to provide an electromagnetic valve 1 which can be produced at a lower cost. In this electromagnetic valve 1, a piston 3 and a plunger 7 are integrated with each other in such manner that an outer surface of the plunger 7 and an outer surface of the piston 3 are made coplanar in substance in the axial direction.

Abstract: An improved butterfly damper for air delivery systems, having multiple rotatable blades, and a centrally located blade rotating, or actuation means. Each blade comprises an offset, or displaced portion to allow concealment of the actuation mechanism upon closure. This offset portion allows the blades, upon closure, to meet and form a seal around the least complex portion of the actuation mechanism.

Abstract: A cylinder liner has reduced wall thickness in a piston pin plane of the liner. A conventional wall thickness of the cylinder liner is maintained in piston thrust plane regions of the liner, where side-to-side motions of a piston reciprocating within the liner tend to produce deflections of the liner, and of a head gasket which bears against the liner. The piston pin plane of the liner is normally orthogonal to the piston thrust plane. The reduced wall thickness affects only external dimensions of the liner; the interior bore of the liner remains fully cylindrical. The exterior of the liner is slightly elliptical, having its minor axis aligned with the plane of the piston pin. The reduced exterior dimension permits an engine designer to reduce engine length due to shortened bore spacing requirements along the piston pin plane, and or to enlarge the space for coolant flow between individual liners.

Abstract: A method and a system for the ignition of an internal combustion engine in which a high voltage is applied to the electrodes (8.1, 8.2) of a spark plug (8). The high voltage produces a voltage disruptive discharge on the electrodes (8.1, 8.2) of the spark plug (8) and the combustion phase is maintained over the voltage disruptive discharge. The electric power for triggering a disruptive discharge at the electrodes (8.1, 8.2) of a spark plug is supplied according to a self-induction method, while the combustion phase is maintained by the voltage resonant conversion.

Abstract: A valve that has at least one internal port on a valve core and at least one an internal slot in a valve body. The valve core is biased into a position wherein the port of the valve core is aligned with a sealing surface of the valve body thereby prohibiting fluid flow through the valve. The valve core is slidable such that the port of the valve core becomes aligned with the internal slot of the valve body thereby allowing fluid flow through the valve. Another valve includes a self-aligning valve seat carrier which is pivotably engaged with a valve core member. The self-aligning valve seat carrier engages a sealing surface in a valve body to prohibit fluid flow through the valve, but the valve core is slidable such that the self-aligning valve seat carrier disengages from the sealing surface in order to allow fluid flow through the valve.

Abstract: A linear motion leadthrough for a rod which has a first end, a second end and an outer surface and whose first end projects into a vacuum area of a vacuum installation while its second end is located outside of the vacuum area, comprises: a bushing which has an inner wall and through which the rod extends and which is displaceable linearly relative to the rod, at least one elastomer sealing ring for sealing the rod relative to the bushing which is secured to the inner wall of the bushing or to the outer surface of the rod, wherein the sealing ring is lubricated by a lubricant, and a bellows which is arranged inside the vacuum area, has a first end and a second end, encloses a portion of the rod located inside the vacuum area and delimits a space located between the rod and the bellows from a space lying outside the bellows, and whose first end is fastened to the rod and whose second end is fastened to the bushing or to a part enclosing the bushing, wherein at least one opening is provided which connects the s

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for metering fuel with a fuel injector (1), in particular an injector for fuel injection systems of internal combustion engines. The fuel injector has an actuator (14) and a valve closing body (6) which can be activated by the actuator (14) to produce a valve stroke, and the valve closing body cooperates with a valve seat face (5) to form a sealing seat. The valve closing body (6) and/or valve seat face (5) has at least one swirl element (27; 41) to produce a swirling flow. In order to vary the fuel distribution of fuel injected by the fuel injector (1), the valve stroke triggered by the actuator (14) has a variable opening speed, whereby a transition from an at least approximately swirl-free preliminary flow of the injected fuel to a swirling flow of the injected fuel is produced by varying the opening speed.

Abstract: An improved electrically operated pilot-type, “instant-on” solenoid assembly for near-instantaneous control over the flow of compressed gas. The assembly may be applied in fuel systems for propulsion in vehicles using gaseous fuel. It includes a housing with inlet and outlet passages connected to a primary chamber where a primary piston is slidably mounted, a secondary chamber having a secondary piston slidably mounted within the chamber, a solenoid to produce translational movement of the pilot piston, and passageways linking the various components. When the solenoid is energized, the pilot piston is moved to permit fluid to flow from the primary to the pilot chamber, producing an increase in the differential pressure in the regions of the primary chamber. The differential pressure then forces the primary piston to move, exposing the outlet to fluid flow from the gas inlet.

Abstract: A pinch valve includes a body containing an elastic tube, a cylinder body having a first cylinder portion at the upper interior part and a larger diameter second cylinder portion at the lower interior part, a first piston sliding on the inner periphery of the first cylinder portion, and a second piston sliding on the inner periphery of the second cylinder portion. The first piston is installed with a first interlocking rod having a first pressing piece at its lower end and the second piston is provided with second interlocking rods having a second pressing piece at their lower ends. The pressing pieces press the tube body from the upper and lower sides, a spring is disposed between the second piston and the first pressing piece, and an opening in the cylinder body communicates with a space enclosed by the pistons and the cylinder body.

Abstract: A simple and inexpensive self-closing spring-loaded ball valve assembly that can be latched in the valve open position and consequentially triggered to automatically close and shut off the flow of fluid therethrough.

Abstract: A retaining piece of a ball valve is provided with an engaging surface and a groove defined to provide resilience to the engaging surface which engages with an outer surface of a ball. With such an arrangement, the engagement between the outer surface of the ball and the engaging surface is fluid-tight. Furthermore the engaging surface is resilient and is able to deform slightly to suit the surface of the ball even after a long-term use, and therefore prolongs the operation life of the ball valve.

Abstract: A valve device including a main body formed with a passage for allowing a refrigerant to flow therethrough; and a valve member provided in the passage. The main body includes an aluminum alloy containing 0.2 to 1.5 weight % of Si; 0.2 to 1.5 weight % of Mg; 0.001 to 0.2 weight % Ti; at least 0.1 weight % of Mn, Zr or the both; and Al and inevitable impurities, and having a fiber structure.