Abstract: A hydraulic autotensioner having a close-bottomed body in which is sealed hydraulic oil. A plunger is slidably mounted in the body with a gap formed therebetween through which the hydraulic oil can leak. The plunger is formed with a hole in the top thereof, and a return passage extending through the plunger from the bottom of the hole to the bottom of the plunger. A rod, having its bottom end inserted in the hole, is provided with a rod spring for biasing the rod in such a direction so as to protrude out of the body. A plunger spring is provided for urging the plunger against the bottom end of the rod. Also, a valve seat is provided on the bottom of the hole so as to be brought into close contact with the bottom end of the rod. The return passage is opened and closed by axial displacement of the rod relative to the valve seat.

Abstract: A power transmission belt includes a belt body having a tooth portion and made of a rubber stock of hydrogenated nitrile having a Mooney viscosity at 100.degree. C. of at least 90, whereby the internally generated heat of the belt body during use in a high temperature environment is suppressed. A cashew-modified phenol resin layer is formed at the outermost layer of the cords for bonding with the belt body. The cords are embedded in the longitudinal direction of the belt body.

Abstract: A process for production of cut-off walls, characterized by the fact that a geotextile-smectite mat that contains a water-swellable smectite is introduced to a not yet hydraulically set cut-off wall composition.A further object of the invention is a geotextile-smectite mat in web form, characterized by the fact that it contains a sealing layer of water-swellable smectite between two geotextile layers and has a locking mechanism on each side edge for tight joining of the web to another web that has a complementary locking mechanism on each side edge.

Abstract: A low-polluting lawn mower includes a frame having ground-engaging wheels, a seat for a driver and a steering mechanism to permit the driver to control the direction of movement of the lawn mower on the frame, a four-cycle engine mounted on the frame and having a drive shaft operatively engaged with one of the wheels so that the engine propels the lawn mower, a propane gas supply on the frame including a tank containing liquified propane gas, a fuel connection from said propane gas supply to the engine including a carburetor having a venturi and equipped with a spud to feed propane to the venturi and a fuel control assembly including a regulator and a fuel lockoff, and a blade operatively engaged with the drive shaft so as to be driven for cutting grass when the engine is fueled by propane from the supply.

Abstract: The driven pulley is used in a variable-speed belt drive. It includes a clutch for transferring torque from the belt to the main shaft of the driven pulley. The clutch is alternatively movable between a disengaged position where the belt can still be in movement without transferring torque, and an engaged position where the torque is transferred to the main shaft. The clutch is controlled by the winding diameter of the belt. A plurality of rods is also provided for keeping the flanges from rotating relative to each other and for transferring torque from the flanges to a movable plate at the back of the clutch. This driven pulley reduces the wear of the belt, decreases the response time and increases the maximum torque that can be transferred compared with the conventional driven pulleys.

Abstract: A structure for preventing a tooth skip in a toothed endless power transmitting belt. On an inner side of a tooth skip preventing member covering an outer surface of a toothed rotor is formed a tooth skip preventing piece bent at a right angle. The tooth skip preventing member is arranged substantially in parallel with the outer circumferential surface of the toothed endless power transmitting belt wound around a toothed driving pulley with a narrower space than a tooth height of the pulley. The tooth skip preventing member is fixed to a casing by a bolt penetrating a hole of the member. On a outer side at a central portion of the tooth skip preventing member is formed a harness holding piece bent at a right angle in the same direction as the tooth skip preventing piece.

Abstract: An improved rotary cone rock bit that provides a cross flow through the drill bit dome to reduce bailing and improve the efficiency of the drilling operation. The rotary cone rock bit has a bit body with a pin at its upper end adapted to connect to a drill string. The lower end of the bit body has three leg segments extending from its periphery in a downward direction. Drilling cones rotatably mounted to each leg segment provide the cutting action of the rock bit. The conical drilling cones extend from the leg segments toward the center axis of the rotary cone rock bit with the smaller diameter end distal the leg segments. The rotary cutter cones and the lower end of the bit body define a dome therebetween. Nozzles extend downward from the base areas between the leg segments. The nozzles are in flow communication with an opening in the bit body that transmits fluid from the drill string therethrough. The nozzles direct fluid toward the dome to create a Cross flow therethrough.

Abstract: A rotary fluid converter having sloping exterior shoulders at one end, a hollow bore at the center, and a downwardly sloping fluid orifice extending from said sloping exterior shoulders at a tangent to said interior bore such that turbulence caused by said fluid flow is reduced thereby reducing the erosion and wear of said rotary fluid converter.

Abstract: A hydraulic tensioner having a plunger slidably fitted in a cavity in a housing and biased in a protruding direction by a spring and fluid. A check valve permits fluid to only flow into, and thereby protrude the plunger, but not out of the cavity. A pressure relief valve is mounted on the housing and is in communication with the cavity. The relief valve includes a flat spring member applying a preload against a reed valve to seal an exhaust passageway connecting to the cavity.

Abstract: A pulley spacer for use with internal combustion racing engines that is a circular disc of a predetermined thickness for spacing the racing pulley from the engine to retain alignment of the racing pulley-water pump pulley drive belt. The disc includes an obverse face and a reverse face. The disc includes a centrally located aperture through the disc and the obverse face includes a groove of a predetermined width concentric with the aperture. The reverse face includes a circular flange of a predetermined width concentric with the aperture. The groove and circular flange mate, with very tight fit, with a corresponding flange and groove on the racing pulley and a standard balancer, respectively, to allow transmission of engine torque without shearing the bolts used to assemble the racing pulley-pulley spacer-standard balancer assembly.

Abstract: A carcass for an elastomeric drive belt having at least one layer of wire reinforcement made up of two cables spirally wound on each side of a mid-circumferential plane, one in the S direction and the other in the Z direction.

Abstract: A belt tensioning system and a belt tensioner therefor are provided, the belt tensioning system comprising a tensioner arm pivotally mounted to a support, and a wound coiled spring having opposed ends one of which is operatively interconnected to an abutment of the support and the other of which is operatively interconnected to the arm, the arm having a shoulder for being engaged by the one of the opposed ends of the wound coiled spring so as to permit removal of the arm and the wound coiled spring as a self-contained unit from the support when the arm is pivoted to a certain position where the shoulder of the arm engages the one end of the spring and effectively moves the one end of the wound coiled spring out of contact with the abutment of the support.

Abstract: A bag-like mat having discrete slits sealed at their peripheral edges is placed flatly over the soil of a slope to be protected. Then, a concrete is placed in the bag-like mat to expand the latter whereupon the slits are spread so as to form openings which is subsequently used for planting seedings or saplings through the openings to vegetate the slope. A slope protection can, therefore, be constructed efficiently at a low cost. By properly selecting the shape, size and arrangement of the slits, the slope protection may have a desired design pattern.

Abstract: A belt tensioning system, a belt tensioner therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the belt tensioning system comprising a tensioner arm pivotally mounted to a support, and a wound coiled spring having opposed ends one of which is operatively interconnected to an abutment of the support and the other of which is operatively interconnected to the arm, the arm having a shoulder for being engaged by the one of the opposed ends of the wound coiled spring so as to permit removal of the arm and the wound coiled spring as a self-contained unit from the support when the arm is pivoted to a certain position where the shoulder of the arm engages the one end of the spring and effectively moves the one end of the wound coiled spring out of contact with the abutment of the support, the wound coiled spring comprising a helical spring having the opposed ends thereof comprising an inner end and an outer end, the one end of the wound coiled spring comprising the outer end thereof.

Abstract: A drive assembly for rotating a shaft of a pulley driven device. The drive assembly includes a hub in the form of an annular body of ferrous metal having a groove in an external periphery thereof. A belt driven pulley is provided in the form of ferrous sheet metal and has a web portion. A structural connection is defined between the hub and the pulley web portion such that the hub is in fixed, abutted relation with the pulley web portion. The hub and the pulley web portion have a bore therethrough defining a single, machined annular surface. The annular surface is constructed and arranged to engage a periphery of the shaft in an interference-fitted manner so as to maintain torque transfer to the shaft in the event of failure of the structural connection. The groove is constructed and arranged to be operatively engaged by a pulling tool for removing the annular surface from engagement with the shaft.

Abstract: The joining device according to the invention has generally the form of an H shaped profile, the central part (6) of which forming the central bar of the H is extended by two opposite pairs of arms (2', 2", 2'", 2"") forming the branches of the H, the said arms extending in a longitudinal direction along a length several times larger than the bigger dimension of the central part (6) forming the bar of the H of the joining device in a cross-section view, the said central part (6) as well as the arms (2', 2", 2'", 2"") being made up of a flexible and elastic material, the flexibility and elasticity of the said material being close to the flexibility and to the elasticity of the constituent material of the conveyor belt for which the joining device is provided. The material of the joining devices according to the invention can be provided with a reinforcement (4).

Abstract: Hydrocarbon fluid production wells and similar process flowstreams have a spiral baffle-type separator interposed in a surface flowline for separating fluids of different densities, such as gas from oil or gas from oil and from water, for example. Particulate solids may also be separated from the fluid flowstream. The separator includes a spiral baffle of single or multiple diameters interposed in an elongated cylindrical casing connected at its opposite ends to suitable fittings whereby the separator may be connected to conventional fluid flowlines on the surface just downstream of a wellhead or otherwise in a process flowstream. Multiple spiral baffle separators may be connected in series to provide multiple stages for separation of fluids of different densities. The separator is particularly compact, mechanically uncomplicated and may be easily adapted to be interposed in well production fluid flowlines or conduits for process flowstreams.

Abstract: A drill bit (10) for drilling geophysical exploratory holes using a non-rotating drill approach is disclosed. The bit (10) includes a tubular body (12) threaded at one end for engagement with a pipe stem. The elements (16a -b) of a divided conical tip (14) are hinged to a second end (20) of the bit body (12). The wall thickness of the bit body (12) gradually increases from the first end (18) to the second end (20) to create, when the divided elements (16a-b) of the tip are closed, a generally diamond-shaped cross section facilitating burrowing when forced into the soil. An O-ring (36) installed in a groove (34) about the outer circumference of the tip (14) biases divided elements (16a-b) closed until a selected tool is loaded through the interior of the bit body (12), whereupon the divided elements (16a-b) are forced to rotate radially outward. The bit (10) can then be raised and removed from the borehole as desired.

Abstract: A belt tensioner, an actuator therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the actuator of the tensioner having a rotatable shaft that is operatively interconnected to a spring and is provided with opposite ends one of which is operatively interconnected to a piston, the actuator having a casing provided with an internal recess therein that receives the other end of the shaft therein, the spring being adapted to rotate the shaft to extend the piston while the other end of the shaft rotates in the recess and bears against an end surface thereof, the other end of the shaft comprising a thrust washer assembled to the shaft to be carried thereby.

Abstract: The derailleur cable-collet system is an automatic pedal-rate to wheel-rate adjusting system. Pedal pressure is sensed at the crankshaft hub and electronically compared to pedal-pressure threshold values entered by the rider into an electronic circuit. Pedal velocity is sensed at the front sprocket and electronically compared to velocity threshold values. Shifting decision logic is relayed to feed battery current into solenoid-driven collets that move derailleur cables. An arc-jaw collet moves derailleur cable in one direction, and employs spring-forms for structure and bias. A distribution circuit senses travel limits of derailleur arms and redirects cable travel to another derailleur chain-guiding apparatus. A pedal-position sensor contributes to a pedal shifting time circuit that minimizes chain force during sprocket-shifting actions.