Abstract: A liquid chamber is arranged with a first support member 1, a second support member 2 and an elastic member 3, an inside of the liquid chamber is divided to a main liquid chamber 11 and an auxiliary liquid chamber 12 by a partition member 10 and both chambers are communicated with a damping orifice passage 14 and an idle orifice passage 15. On an inner face of a conical portion 4 of the elastic member 3, thin wall portions 7 are provided by forming recess 6 at axially symmetrical position so as to yield a minimum value for a dynamic spring characteristic against a vibration input in a designated medium frequency by a membrane resonance. A non-circular medium to high frequency device 20 projecting into the main liquid chamber 11 is provided to the first support member 1 so as to resonate by liquid column against a vibration input in a designated high frequency.

Abstract: The brake actuator assembly of this invention significantly reduces accumulation of road debris, reduces the weight of the push rod and yoke assembly and friction between the mating parts. The brake actuator includes a housing defining a chamber having an opening through the end wall, a push rod and yoke assembly reciprocally mounted within the housing chamber and a shield located within the housing closely receiving the exterior surface of the push rod and yoke assembly which has a smooth substantially continuous external surface. In the preferred embodiment, the yoke is secured to the push rod within the housing chamber, surrounding the push rod having an elliptical exterior surface which sheds accumulation of road debris.

Abstract: A master cylinder (12) and pedal feel emulator (10) useful in a brake-by-wire system. A bore (18) of the master cylinder contains three pistons (22, 34, and 28), in tandem, that divide the bore into various zones (26, 24, 32, 30). The emulator contains a piston (74) that divides a bore (72) into two zones (76, 78), and a spring (80) disposed in one of those zones. The zones of the emulator are hydraulically communicated in certain ways with zones of the master cylinder to enable the emulator to be effective during brake-by-wire controlled braking to displace the emulator piston to compress the emulator spring, thereby emulating pedal feel that occurs during hydraulic braking.

Abstract: A damper unit in which a structural volume of the unit is reduced. The hydraulic unit includes a damper chamber formed by a stepped bore. A diameter-to-length ratio of the chamber is between 1:3 and 1:12. A closure element of the damper chamber is received with radial pressure in the bore and is retained on the discharge end by an embossed connection. The smaller-diameter portion of the damper chamber bore, when the hydraulic unit is in the position for use, is offset eccentrically upward from the larger-diameter bore portion with an at least approximately horizontally extending bore axis, so that the jackets of both bore portion merge at least approximately in alignment with one another at at least one point. The damper chamber is of slender design and intended to be disposed in a housing block of the hydraulic unit in a way that economizes on installation space and is intended to be simple to vent. The hydraulic unit is intended for use in slip-controlled motor vehicle brake systems.

Abstract: An apparatus for actuating a brake of vehicles, in particular a parking brake, has an electric motor and a coupling element which is movement-coupled with the motor drive shaft of the latter, is linearly movable, can be connected to a brake tensioning mechanism and is transferred by the energized electric motor out of a braking position into a release position. A blocking device provides the block on movement of the coupling element, at least in the release position. A spring energy store is movement-coupled with the coupling element such that, in the release position of the coupling element, the store assumes a position to store spring energy and, when the block on movement is overridden, the coupling element is transferred into the braking position by the released spring energy.

Abstract: In a wheel condition estimating apparatus for estimating a wheel condition in a wheel resonance system including a frictional characteristic between a tire and a road surface, a transfer characteristic of the wheel resonance system from the vibration input to the output response is expressed by a transfer function including, as an unknown component of a wheel condition, a physical quantity relating to ease of a slipping between the tire and the road surface, an output response with respect to the vibration input to the wheel resonance system is detected and the unknown component which substantially satisfies the detected output response is estimated on the basis of the transfer function.

Abstract: A spring assembly having a coil containing a core and methods and apparatus for manufacturing same are disclosed. The coil includes a core between reduced portions of the coil. One device for manufacturing the coil includes a coiling machine having an insert device operable with a coiler. The coiler is programmed to form coils of appropriate diameter along the length of the coil, including a diameter sufficiently large to contain the core and two diameters sufficiently small to retain the core in the coil. The insert device transfers the core to the coil after the first small diameter is formed and before the second small diameter is formed. The coil with the core contained between the two small diameters is thereby manufactured in a unified automated process.

Abstract: An improved seat suspension assembly with axially adjustable roller and guide assemblies. The suspension uses an adjustment member the actuation of which causes the axial movement of either the roller or guide so as to adjust the spatial relationship between the roller and guide.

Abstract: A continuously variable single-tube shock absorber operating according to the skyhook principle and having bidirectional control valves comprising a working cylinder, a piston with piston rod which is movable therein, openings cut out in the piston, spring-loaded shock absorber valves, fitted on either side of the piston, in order to shut off the openings until a certain fluid pressure has been reached, exciting chambers fitted on either side of the piston and each bounded by a stationary disc, a piston skirt which can be slid around such a disc, and a spring-loaded shock absorber valve. The exciting chambers are in communication with a bore in which the pressure is controlled by a control mechanism. Bores through which fluid can flow into the exciting chambers are provided in the stationary discs.

Abstract: A motion converting device includes a plurality of branched elements. Each branched element includes a base beam, an intermediate beam, and a coupling beam. The base beam is elastically deformable, and one end of the base beam is fixed such that the base beam is slanted with respect to a base. The intermediate beam is also elastically deformable, and one end of the intermediate beam is fixed to the base beam at a position which is offset from a central portion of the base beam towards another end of the base beam. The coupling beam is likewise elastically deformable, and one end of the coupling beam is fixed to the same position as the intermediate beam. At each of the branched elements, the other end of the base beam is fixed to another end of an intermediate beam of another branched element, such that the plurality of branched elements is disposed in a loop-like arrangement.

Abstract: An outer surface 1d of the brake drum 1 has seven thick portions (10B1 to 10B7) each having equal mass and separated at an equal distance in the circumferential direction from a reference line which is an arbitrary diameter, six thick portions (10C1 to 10C6) each having equal mass and separated at an equal distance in the circumferential direction from the same reference line, five thick portions (10D1 to 10D5) each having equal mass and separated at an equal distance in the circumferential direction from the same reference line, and four thick portions (10E1 to 10E4) each having equal mass and separated at an equal distance in the circumferential direction from the same reference line. Accordingly, the outer surface (1d) of the brake drum (1) has a plurality of thick portions which can be classified into four groups (10B1 to 10B7, 10C1 to 10C6, 10D1 to 10D5, and 10E1 to 10E4), each group having equal mass.

Abstract: Automatic locking systems for wheelchairs have a locking hub for attachment to a main wheel of the wheelchair, and a lock pin which is reciprocally rectilinearly moveable between locked and unlocked conditions with the lock hub. A rotary actuator is operatively coupled to the lock pin and is rotatable between normal and active positions which responsively causes the lock pin to move rectilinearly between its unlocked and locked positions, respectively. A pivotal actuator lever is provided having one end positionable in close proximity to a seat of the wheelchair. The actuator lever is thus mounted for pivotal movements between raised and lowered conditions relative to the wheelchair seat. A flexible actuator cable connects a proximal end of the actuator lever and the rotary actuator.

Abstract: A wheeled carriage for supporting a patient in a substantially horizontal position, which wheeled carriage has thereon a patient support having head and foot regions and a pair of lateral side regions and a wheeled base supported at least by three floor surface engaging and castered wheels spaced from one another at locations defining corners of a theoretical polygon. An auxiliary wheel and a support structure therefor are suspendedly mounting the auxiliary wheel to the wheeled base. The auxiliary wheel is oriented inside a boundary of the theoretical polygon and includes an axle about which the wheel rotates. A control structure includes a first manually manipulatable member at at least one of the pair of lateral side regions and a second manually manipulatable member at at least one of the head end and the foot end so that an attendant can operate a selected one of the manually manipulatable members to effect a movement of the auxiliary wheel and the support structure therefor.

Abstract: A hydraulic brake apparatus for a vehicle includes a first hydraulic passage for supplying pressurized brake fluid from a master cylinder to wheel brakes without passing through a hydraulic pump, a first opening and closing electromagnetic valve interposed in the first hydraulic passage for opening and closing the first hydraulic passage, a second hydraulic passage for supplying brake fluid from the master cylinder to the suction side of the hydraulic pump, and a second opening and closing electromagnetic valve interposed in the second hydraulic passage for opening and closing the second hydraulic passage. A passage cross sectional adjusting valve is interposed in the second hydraulic passage and decreases the passage cross sectional area of the second hydraulic passage to suppress the transmission of a hydraulic pulsation generated in a suction side of the hydraulic pump to the master cylinder when the brake pedal is depressed.

Abstract: A brake system for rail cars which contains an air powered fluid system, a device for providing a separate source of brake force, and a manifold connected to the air powered fluid system and the device for providing a separate source of brake force; the manifold simultaneously delivers pressurized fluid to two movable cylinders under certain conditions and in response to fluid flow from either the air powered fluid system or the device for providing a separate source of brake force; but when both the device for providing a separate source of brake force and the air powered fluid system are delivering fluid flow to the manifold, the brake system contains a device for terminating the pressure from the separate source of brake force.

Abstract: A multi-stage wet disc brake assembly has a first actuator is supported within a housing and moveable toward point of friction discs. A second actuator coacts with the first actuator and is moveable relative to the first actuator toward the friction discs. One of the actuators reduces the running clearance between the friction discs and the other of the actuators forces the friction discs together to slow rotation of a rotatable member relative to the housing when the rotatable member is being driven.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a disc brake with hydraulically operable brake pads and a mechanical actuating which includes an actuating shaft that is rotatably and sealedly mounted in a bore of a brake housing and acts upon at least one of the brake pads. The present invention focuses on that at least in the area of a shaft duct, a sealing element is provided which is fixed to the actuating shaft so as to rotate along with it and cooperates with at least one associated sealing element and/or mating sealing surfaces in a radial direction. The sealing element bridges a portion of the actuating shaft which is different from the shape of a circle.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method of making an automatic temperature compensating gas spring strut, the method comprising providing an outer cylinder having opposite ends with one end closed and the other end apertured to permit movement of the strut therethrough; nesting an inner cylinder within the outer cylinder with radial space therebetween, the inner cylinder being apertured at opposite ends; partitioning the space between said cylinders into a first chamber adjacent the closed end of the outer cylinder and a second chamber remote from such closed end; inserting a piston in sliding, sealing relation with the interior of the inner cylinder, the piston having a piston rod extending from said piston and sealingly out through the aperture of the outer cylinder; after injecting a high pressure, non-condensing gas in the first chamber, inserting a measured quantity of solid carbon dioxide (“dry ice”) in the second chamber at ambient conditions and closing said second chamber while sealingly allowing movem

Abstract: A parallel-push brake assembly for bicycles that provides substantially translational motion of the brake pad using a mechanism that is relatively free of tolerance build-up or slop.

Abstract: A friction material contains a fibrous reinforcement, a binder, and a fricton modifier. The binder content of the friction material on the back plate side is made to be larger than the binder content of the friction material on the friction surface side. The fibrous reinforcement content of the friction material on the back plate side is made to be smaller than the fibrous reinforcement content of the friction material on the friction surface side.