Abstract: An adjustable vehicle steering column is locked to a vehicle chassis by a remote-controlled electrically-operable locking arrangement that is carried by one end of a locking arm the other end of which is pivotally connected with the vehicle chassis. The locking arrangement has a locking axis that is parallel with and spaced a given distance from the pivot axis of the locking arm.

Abstract: An oil pump drive assembly for an automobile engine includes an oil pump and a drive shaft. The drive shaft is rotatably secured to the oil pump for actuating the oil pump in response to rotation of the drive shaft. The drive shaft extends between a pump end secured to the oil pump and a distal end. A sprocket is secured to the distal end of the drive shaft. A drive gear is secured to the drive shaft between the pump end and the distal end. A driven gear is engaged with the drive gear for rotation of the driven gear in response to rotation of the drive shaft. A balance shaft extends axially from the driven gear for rotation with the driven gear in response to rotation of the drive shaft for dampening vibrations associated with the operation of the automobile engine.

Abstract: A bicycle gear assembly has first and second sets of cog wheels, each having at least three cog wheels of various sizes including a largest cog wheel and a smallest cog wheel. These two sets are oriented so that the largest cog wheel of the first set is aligned with the smallest cog wheel of the second set and the smallest cog wheel of the first set is aligned with the largest cog wheel of the second set, the first and the second sets of cog wheels define at least a first, second and third pair of substantially aligned cog wheels. Additionally, a chain is mounted about a first pair of the aligned cog wheels and a gear shift assembly is adapted to move the chain from the first pair of cogwheels to the second pair of cogwheels and from the second pair of cogwheels to the third pair of cogwheels.

Abstract: To allow a robot performing a cyclic movement upon receipt of a driving force transmitted through a driving force transmission system from a driving source along with a backlash to perform the movement compensated for the backlash, during a first period within a cycle of the movement of the robot, a predetermined first movement control value is repeatedly cumulatively added with a correction value so as to be gradually biased to a predetermined second movement control value over the first period, and during a second period within that cycle, a correction value is repeatedly cumulatively subtracted from the second movement control value so as to gradually return to the first movement control value over the second period, thereby generating the movement control value for controlling the movement of the robot, and based on the movement control value thus generated, the movement of the robot is controlled.

Abstract: A shift lever includes: a knob having a opening, which is mounted on the distal end of the lever main body; a moving body, movably arranged in the interior of the lever main body with one end protruding from the opening thereof and is placed in the interior of the knob; an operating unit, which is movably accommodated in the opening portion of the knob; and a link member that is provided in the knob turnably around an axis that is the center of a predetermined region of the base end side; an engaging pin provided at one of the operating unit and the link member; and guide grooves provided such that the engaging pin can be placed in the other of any one of the operating unit and the link member, where from one end in the longitudinal direction to the other end is curved.

Abstract: A ball screw drive comprising a spindle nut (2) that can be disposed on a spindle (1), said spindle nut (2) comprising on an inner periphery, a ball groove (3) that is arranged along a helix and defines a load-bearing channel (8) for balls (5), an external deflector (6, 24) arranged outside of the spindle nut (2) connecting the two ends of the load-bearing channel (8) endlessly to each other for deflecting the balls (5) from one of the two ends of the load-bearing channel (8) to the other of the two ends of the load-bearing channel (8), a drive pinion for driving the spindle nut (2) being arranged on the spindle nut (2), wherein the external deflector (6, 24) is arranged at least substantially within an axial length of the drive pinion.

Abstract: In the lever apparatus, a cover part (19) including a spherical-shaped outer surface and two thickness-reducing recessed portions (18) formed on the inner surface side thereof is disposed on the base end portion of a lever upper (12) and fitting recessed portions (21), instead of the rotatably-supporting shaft portions which are used in the conventional lever apparatus, are formed in the mounting part (20) of the lever upper. When molding the lever upper, molds for molding the thickness-reducing recessed portions can be slided in the projecting direction of the mounting part, thereby being able to facilitate the manufacture of the lever upper and thus lever (11).

Abstract: A device for detecting the speed of an endless torque-transmitting member that passes around a pair of spaced conical pulley pairs of a continuously variable transmission. The device includes a sensor that is positioned adjacent the endless torque-transmitting member and that detects the speed of the endless torque-transmitting member at a point that is located relative to the movement course of the endless torque-transmitting member that is independent of the rotational speed relationship of the pulley pairs.

Abstract: The invention relates to an actuator for actuating a moving member, said actuator essentially comprising a screw and at least two nuts engaged on the screw, relative movement between the screw and the nuts generating said actuation, said actuator further comprising a pin through which an electrical link passes, a force-transmitting element placed in the path of the force between the screw and the moving member via one of the nuts, and a mechanical extension of said force-transmitting element that extends to the vicinity of the other nut, the pin passing both through the mechanical extension and through an element coupled to the other nut so that any abnormal shift in the force-transmitting element relative to the screw results in shear between its mechanical extension and the element coupled to the other nut, causing the pin to break and causing the electrical link to be broken.

Abstract: A handlebar (11,111,211) for cycles and motorcycles, in particular for cross-country use, which is light but at the same time resistant to high intensity shocks and stresses and having an optimized elasticity. The handlebar has a median section (13,113) which presents a central portion (23) having a diameter d23 and a thickness s23 for fixing the handlebar; two end sections (15,17), each of them presenting a central portion (27) having a diameter d27 and a thickness s27 for holding the handlebar; and two intermediate sections (19,21), each of them presenting a central portion (25) having a diameter d25 and a thickness s25 linking to the median section (13) in an inner bending zone (24) and to a corresponding one of the end sections (15,17) in an external bending zone (26) having a thickness s26.

Abstract: To provide a turning device that involves a small number of components, is inexpensive, and can be easily operated. A turning device (1) is composed of a base plate (2) and a rotating case (10) rotatably provided on the base plate (2). A sun gear (3) is secured to the base plate (2). The rotating case (10) is provided with a planetary gear (33) in mesh with the sun gear (3), a drive motor (20) for rotating the planetary gear (33), a power source portion (49) for supplying electricity to the drive motor (20), a switch (42) for controlling the driving/stopping of the drive motor (20), an operating means (44) for operating the switch (42), and suspending members (52, 53) for suspending a turning body (50), the suspending member (52) being connected to the operating means (44).

Abstract: A rotor having magnets composed of rare-earth magnets is rotatably disposed inside an exterior casing, a penetrating aperture is disposed through a first end of the exterior casing relative to a direction of a motor central axis, and a filter is disposed so as to cover the penetrating aperture from a second end of the exterior casing relative to the direction of the motor central axis. A shaft is mounted to a bush by screwing an external thread portion into an internal thread portion. An operating member is mounted integrally onto a second end portion of the shaft projecting outward from a penetrating aperture in a housing. A rotation-regulating projection portion of a guide member fixed to the shaft is fitted loosely into a guide groove disposed so as to extend along an inner wall surface of a central aperture of the housing in the direction of the motor central axis.

Abstract: A spindle gear for a motor vehicle seat adjusting device having a housing, a spindle nut, a spindle and a worm wheel. The spindle nut may have an external bearing surface and a bearing shell may include an internal bearing surface cooperating with the external bearing surface. The spindle nut may have a slide lacquer coat. The spindle nut may have an external bearing surface and a stop disk may be attached to the external bearing surface so as to surround it. A projection may engage a corresponding spindle nut recess. The housing may comprise at least two housing parts made of zinc diecasting. The external teeth of the spindle nut may form a globoidal gear. The external spindle nut teeth may have an outer diameter that is smallest in an axial center thereof and increases toward the axial end regions.

Abstract: To supply a pivot assembly for hard disk drive use that can reliably fix a seal member and solve the problem of out gas, thus reducing the expense and time incidental to the pre-load of a ball bearing. Ball bearings have been joined to both ends of a shaft, and on the outer circumference of these ball bearings, the spacer part is joined to a sleeve disposed between both ball bearings, and a seal member that covers the outer end of the ball bearing has been fixed to the outer circumference of the shaft by laser welding. Because the seal member is fixed by laser welding, the seal member can be reliably fixed and the problem of out gas from the seal member can be solved.

Abstract: A leadscrew assembly includes a leadscrew having an elongated shaft with an outer lateral surface and a rotational axis, and a leadscrew thread formed of a thread wire helically wrapped in spaced-apart turns upon the lateral surface and affixed to the elongated shaft. A hollow drive nut housing includes a nut bore having an unthreaded inner surface. The leadscrew is inserted through the nut bore. The nut bore is sized such that the leadscrew may rotate therein about the rotational axis. A spring pin is affixed to the drive nut housing and spans across the nut bore to engage the leadscrew thread.

Abstract: A ball screw mechanism including a screw shaft with a screw groove formed on an external surface, a nut with a screw groove formed on an internal surface, and plural balls held in the grooves. A ball circulation piece is fit in a window portion in the nut and has a circulation groove for circulating the balls. The screw groove of the nut and the circulation groove are machined by moving a tool of a diameter equal to or larger than the diameter of the balls, along the screw groove of the nut so that a step is eliminated at a joint therebetween. The infeed depth of the tool is gradually changed as the tool is moved toward the joint so that boundary lines between a machined surface and a non-machined surface on flanks of the screw groove of the nut extend at an acute angle to one another.

Abstract: A parallel kinematics mechanism is provided for uses such as robotics or machining. The mechanism has various limbs designed as elbow-linkages, at least some of which are actuatable, for moving an end component with multiple degrees of freedom. The mechanism advantageously facilitates an improved workspace-to-footprint ratio and a closed-form solution for the forward kinematics. The mechanism comprises a joint assembly having a plurality of revolute joints for connecting to at least three limbs. In various embodiments of the invention, the end component has three, four, five and six degrees of freedom.

Abstract: Apparatus for screw transmission on a spindle comprising a nut having at least a first and second part with internal threads, at least one bore in the first and second parts, and at least one spring located within the at least one bore of the first and second parts and arranged with a bending load acting crosswise to a longitudinal direction of the bore. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: This braking system (S) is adapted to be used with a mechanism having one or several turning members (34), and comprises a toothed wheel (6), connected in rotation with at least one turning member (34) to be braked, and an endless screw (8), driven in rotation by a motor (5) during rotation of the turning member (34), this screw (8) being in permanent engagement with the toothed wheel (6). The screw (8) is contained in a bore of a diameter slightly greater than that of the screw (8).

Abstract: A vehicular steering apparatus includes a column bracket secured to a steering column; and a fixing bracket secured to a vehicle body. The column bracket includes a top plate and a pair of side plates. The fixing bracket supports the column bracket via a support shaft. A support-shaft through hole formed in each of the side plates of the column bracket includes a slot extended along a longitudinal direction of the steering column. A resilient member is interposed between the top plate of the column bracket and a confronting portion of the support shaft. The resilient member biases the support shaft along a predetermined biasing direction to restrict play of the support shaft in the slot.