Abstract: A hitch receiving assembly for connecting a trailer to towing vehicle is disclosed. The hitch receiving assembly includes a first fixed elongate member mountable to a trailer and a second floating hitch receiving member that is separated from the fixed member by a plurality of elongate resilient members.

Abstract: A trailer hitch alignment device facilitates the alignment of the trailer tongue with the drop hitch ball of the towing vehicle. The device includes a vertical back plate, curved in the middle to create an obtuse angle to partially surround a drop hitch ball in order to guide the tongue of a trailer toward the ball hitch. A horizontal base plate is attached at a 90 degree angle at a height above the bottom edge of the vertical back plate. An aperture in the horizontal base plate allows for the emerging ball of the hitch. The invention is held in proper orientation by a snug, tight fit between the hitch post and base plate and/or back plate to prevent displacement during use of the invention.

Abstract: A human-powered, ride-on vehicle, includes a main longitudinal frame member having a steering/drive mechanism mounted thereon for oscillating movement; a driven rear wheel having an axle, a rear sprocket operatively fixed to the rear wheel for coastable engagement therewith; a pair of spaced apart, steerable front wheel located adjacent the other end of the main longitudinal frame member and operatively connected to the steering/drive mechanism; wherein, the steering/drive mechanism include: a teeter arm mounted to the main longitudinal frame member intermediate the ends thereof for pivoting movement in a fore direction and an aft direction; a drive mechanism including first and second drive linkages, wherein the first drive linkage provides a motive force to the driven rear wheel during a first power stroke and the second drive linkage provides a motive force to the driven rear wheel during a second power stroke, and wherein, for equal movement of the teeter arm in the for and aft directions, the motive forc

Abstract: A hitch damping system for dampening forces transferred between a towed vehicle and a towing vehicle. The hitch damping system includes a first assembly being designed for being operationally coupled to the towed vehicle. A second assembly is designed for being operationally coupled to the towing vehicle. A plurality of dampening members are operationally coupled between the first assembly and the second assembly. The dampening members permit the first assembly to swing in an arc with respect to the second assembly whereby the dampening members are designed for reducing longitudinal forces exerted on the towing vehicle, such as a truck, by the towed vehicle, such as a fifth wheel trailer, when a momentum of the towed vehicle differs from a momentum of the towing vehicle.

Abstract: A tow hitch having a shell and a draw bar in which the draw bar fits into a channel formed on the shell such that the draw bar may be shifted along the entire length of the channel and either enter or exit on either end of the channel. The shell is adjusted for connection to a tow vehicle.

Abstract: Disclosed is a four-wheel-drive all terrain vehicle capable of smoothly braking wheels in braking operation of rear wheels and having simplified structures of a drive force disconnecting device and a 2WD/4WD switching device. The drive force disconnecting device is provided in a power transmission path for front-wheel-drive, for engagement/disengagement between a cam shaft and an outer race by means of a torque transmission member such as rollers, to allow a driven-side rotary member such as the outer race to become free when a drive-side rotary member such as the cam shaft is braked during 4WD. The rollers are provided between a plurality of cam faces formed on the cam shaft and a cylindrical friction face formed on the outer race, and they are placed in a torque transmission state (4WD) in which the rollers are pressed between the cam faces and the cylindrical friction face or a torque transmission release state in which the rollers are not pressed between them.

Abstract: A biped walking humanoid robot is disclosed having an arrangement whereby shocks acting on various parts of the robot when it falls can be relieved and its state of fall can then be detected.

Abstract: A human-powered vehicle comprising a structural frame, two front wheels mounted to a forward portion of the frame for rotation, a seat secured to the frame, the seat positioned between the front wheels and adapted to pivot about a seat pivot axis, and a steerable rear wheel mounted to the frame behind the seat and defining a rear wheel kingpin axis, the rear wheel operably linked to the seat such that pivoting of the seat about the seat pivot axis causes pivoting of the rear wheel about the kingpin axis to steer the vehicle.

Abstract: A protective firefighting vehicle comprising a chassis conceived for heavy loads, a driving gear for rough terrain and a tank mounted on the chassis for receiving liquids such as water or fire-extinguishing agents or the like. The tank is divided in at least two chambers via at least one bulkhead-like partition. Provision is made in this connection that at least one of the chambers of the tank can be sealed off in a liquid-tight manner against at least one other chamber of the tank in order to permit the transport of persons in the at least one sealable chamber.

Abstract: An aircraft tug hitch assembly includes deflectable guide plates providing a converging pocket for mechanically positioning a tow bar eyelet with the hitch lock pin. The hitch includes a lock assembly including a lock pin is mounted on a slidable piston for operator controlled movement between a detented raised unlocked position and a lower locked position capturing the tow bar eyelet. An indicator ball carried by the piston is observable by the tug operator when the lock assembly is in the unlocked position, but is not visible in the locked position thereby confirming hitch status without the need for verbal communication with ground personnel.

Abstract: A four-wheel drive control system is provided which comprises a driving force distribution mechanism for transmitting a driving force from a power source to main driving wheels of a vehicle and capable of distributing the driving force to auxiliary driving wheels of the vehicle, a rotational speed difference detector for detecting a rotational speed difference between the main and auxiliary driving wheels, and a driving force distribution controller for controlling a distribution of the driving force to the main and auxiliary driving wheels on the basis of the rotational speed difference, wherein the driving force distribution controller determines a driving force to be transmitted to the auxiliary driving wheels on the basis of an output of the power source, a longitudinal load distribution in the vehicle and the rotational speed difference. A four-wheel drive control method is also provided.

Abstract: A tow hook replacement hitch includes a mounting plate having a top side, a bottom side, a front end, a back end and a pair of lateral sides. The plate has a threaded aperture extending therethrough. The aperture extends through the top and bottom sides and is positioned generally adjacent to the back end. A mounting tube is attached to the top side of the plate such that the aperture is between the tube and the back end. The tube has an opening extending therethrough and through a pair of open ends of the tube. An axis of the opening is orientated perpendicular to the lateral sides. Threaded bolts may be extended through the opening and aperture and into a tow hook mount. A hitch receiving housing is attached to the bottom side of the plate such that the aperture is positioned between the housing and the back end.

Abstract: A tractor having right and left traveling crawlers (9) installed thereon, comprising a hydraulic transmission swing mechanism (45), a forced-diff (41) for driving a crawler driving sprocket (4), and an engine (10), a hydraulic transmission straight-ahead driving mechanism (25), and a transmission case (12) disposed from the front side to the rear side of a machine body in that order, wherein an allowance for heat radiation is provided to a space under a machine floor for storing the hydraulic transmission straight-ahead driving mechanism (25) to eliminate the problem of the machine floor becoming too high, and the forced-diff (41) is driven by the hydraulic transmission swing mechanism (45) with a simple structure.

Abstract: A series type hybrid electric vehicle that controls an internal combustion engine, generator, and electric motor for reducing the load applied to the internal combustion engine when the internal combustion engine is restarted, lowers the thermal stresses to the internal combustion engine when the engine is turned off and is able to remove excess fuel when turning off the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A bicycle frame part made via a process that includes the steps of placing a one-piece metallic tube blank in a die; hydraulically forming the tube blank by introducing a hydraulic pressure into the tube blank to deform and expand the tube blank so as to form at least one expanded wall part projecting from the tube blank along a direction different from the direction of extension of the tube blank; and machining the expanded wall part to form a connection tube. A bicycle frame includes a plurality of frame parts connected to each other. At least one of the frame parts is formed via the aforementioned process, and includes a tube body and at least one connection tube projecting from the tube body in a direction different from the direction of extension of the tube body.

Abstract: Hydrostatic power steering device comprising a source of pressurized fluid, a cylindrical barrel-type distributor the elements of which are connected elastically together, and of which the inner element, the so called spindle, is connected to the steering wheel; the distributor being arranged to assume a central position, the so-called neutral position, in which it directly short-circuits, to discharge, the fluid originating from the source of pressurized fluid, and two positions, symmetrical about the central position, in which the distributor, via a dispenser of orbital type the rotor of which is rigidly connected to the steering wheel shaft and to the spindle, feeds the fluid to one and respectively to the other of the chambers of a hydraulic actuator connected to the steering wheel; the device also comprises an auxiliary conduit for feeding the pressurized fluid to the cylindrical distributor; a slide valve operable by the driver to feed said auxiliary feed conduit when desired; a barrel locking system op

Abstract: An omni direction vehicle with a frame having a round surface about its perimeter with no apparatus mounted on the frame extending beyond the perimeter. Two independent drive wheels located on an axis through the center of the frame are mounted at the same distance from a central vertical axis through the frame. Each wheel is powered independently of the other and can rotate at variable speeds in either direction. The vehicle is capable of movement in any direction by rotating the axis of the drive wheels to a position which is perpendicular to the desired direction of travel. The vehicle can spin about its vertical axis such that the axis of the drive wheels can be oriented at any direction without changing the original footprint of the space that the frame occupies over the ground. Thus, the vehicle requires a zero turning radius and requires only the space it occupies to change its forward orientation.

Abstract: A torque sensor apparatus and method for use with an automotive steering system is disclosed. The torque sensor apparatus includes a shaft having a primary shaft coaxially connected to a secondary shaft and a first substrate operably connected to the primary shaft oriented substantially perpendicular to an axis defining the shaft. A second substrate is operably connected to the secondary shaft oriented substantially perpendicular to the axis. First and second substrates each have an aperture therethrough configured to receive an alignment pin therethrough. First and second substrates are substantially parallel to each other defining an electrical interface therebetween that is configured to generate a signal indicative of an amount of torque applied to the shaft.

Abstract: An assist assembly for actuating the release handle of a pivoting landing leg and a heavy trailer and providing an assist in raising and lowering the landing leg between a horizontal transport position and a vertical ground support position. The assist assembly includes a pivoting handle having camming surfaces to raising the release handle to an unlatched position maintaining weight bearing engagement with the handle during movement between the positions.

Abstract: An engine mounting structure for a motorcycle including a plurality of resilient members for connecting the engine to the vehicle body frame. The resilient member located at the position nearest to the rear wheel is given a resilient property being uniform in the vertical and fore-and-aft directions, and remaining resilient members are given a non-uniform resilient property being hard in the vertical direction and flexible in the fore-and-aft direction. With this configuration, even when the rear wheel moves horizontally in the lateral direction, the influence is attenuated while being transferred to the vehicle body frame. When a resilient member being hard in the vertical direction is used, the behavior of the rear wheel such as the vertical swinging motion or lateral turn can immediately be transferred to the vehicle body frame. Therefore, drivability of the motorcycle during high-speed driving is improved.