Abstract: A drive system having a belt with a length and a plurality of teeth spaced regularly along the length of the belt and a first pulley having a plurality of grooves for receiving the belt teeth with the belt and first pulley in operative relationship. The single pitch difference between the belt teeth and the grooves in the first pulley is between -0.04 mm and 0 mm.

Abstract: A kit for converting a base transmission having a mid PTO shaft and a detachable original equipment rear cover into an optional configuration transmission having a rotatable mid PTO shaft and a rotatable rear PTO shaft that are both selectively drivable such that they can be commanded by the operator to rotate simultaneously or individually. The kit includes a conversion rear cover for replacing the original equipment rear cover, a rear PTO cover with an aperture therein mounted to the conversion rear cover, a rear PTO shaft rotatably supported in the aperture and extending into the conversion rear cover, and a three position selector assembly mounted on the conversion rear cover and the PTO rear cover. When installed on the base transmission, the selector assembly of the kit allows the operator to cause the rotation of the mid PTO shaft only, both the mid and rear PTO shafts simultaneously, or the rear PTO shaft only.

Abstract: A belt drive differential with an output shaft, two planet sprockets rotatably mounted to a carrier to orbit in a circular path about a carrier axis coaxial with the output shaft, a first output sprocket attached to the output shaft, a second output sprocket coaxial with the output shaft, and a toothed power transmission belt connecting the sprockets.

Abstract: A steering gear for a motor vehicle includes a housing, a rack bar, a pinion, a support yoke, a spring, a split roller, and a plurality of bearings. The rack bar is slidably supported within the housing for transverse displacement therein along an axis. The rack bar has teeth on a first side. The pinion has teeth drivingly engaging the teeth of the rack bar. The pinion is rotatably supported within the housing. Rotation of the pinion transversely displaces the rack bar along the axis. The support yoke is slidably disposed in the housing for movement toward a side of the rack bar substantially opposite the teeth of the rack bar. The support yoke has an opening which is open toward the rack bar, with the opening defining two opposed bearing surfaces. The spring is disposed between the housing and the support yoke, and biases the support yoke toward the rack bar. The split roller includes a first split roller section and a second split roller section.

Abstract: A tensioner for a chain drive (10) having a shoe (12) made of wear-resistant thermoplastic material and one or more flat spring blades (15) with the ends contained in pockets (13a, 14a) provided in the enlarged ends of the shoe. The ends of the flat spring blade or blades (15) are slightly curved with the convexity turned toward the same side on which the spring presents a concavity, to prevent these ends, as they wear, from creating a groove in the surface of the plastic material of the shoe pocket and blocking the free flow of the ends of the spring in the pockets.

Abstract: A dual position foot pedal includes a base and pedal arrangement which enables access by one of the user's toe and a user's sole for manipulation of the pedal. Switching between the two pedal positions is achieved by rotating the pedal. In this manner, the foot pedal combines the functionality of two common surgical foot pedal types in one pedal.

Abstract: An auxiliary handlebar is mounted at one end of a bicycle handlebar and is composed of a main body, a sleeve fitted over the main body, and a cap fastened with the top end of the main body. The main body is fastened at the bottom end thereof with a fastening mount which is engaged with the one end of the bicycle handlebar. The main body is provided at the top end thereof with an outer threaded portion and a recessed portion. The sleeve is provided at the top end thereof with a protrusion and is rotatably fitted over the main body such that the protrusion is movably received in the recessed portion of the main body. The cap is provided with an inner threaded portion and fastened with the top end of the main body such that the inner threaded portion of the cap is engaged with the outer threaded of the top end of the main body.

Abstract: A toroidal continuously variable transmission comprises a main shaft having a step section. An input disc is drivably supported on the main shaft and axially movable along the axis of the main shaft. An output disc is rotatably supported on the main shaft and located facing the input disc. A power roller is disposed between and in frictional engagement with the input disc and the output disc so as to make transmission of power from the input disc to the output disc. Belleville springs (each having a center opening) are disposed around the main shaft and located at an opposite side of the input disc with respect to the output disc so as to press the input disc toward the output disc. A loading nut is screwed on the main shaft to restrict an expansion amount of the Belleville springs. The loading nut axially faces the step section of the main shaft. A sleeve is disposed between the loading nut and the step section of the main shaft. The sleeve is separable from the loading nut.

Abstract: A chain drive transmission has a variable diameter sprocket. The sprocket has a number of sectors which can be moved radially relative to a hub of the sprocket. The sectors are biased outwardly but can be pulled inwardly by flexible members which wind around a spool. The spool is, in turn connected to an axially movable shifting member. The gear ratio of the transmission can be changed by either allowing the shifting member to move axially outwardly, in which case the effective diameter of the variable diameter sprocket increases, or by momentarily braking rotation of the shifting member, in which case the flexible members are wound onto the spool thereby reducing the effective diameter of the variable sprocket. Shifting between gear ratios may be done with a simple rugged mechanism. Shifting between gear ratios requires little force and can be controlled with an electromechanical actuator. Both driving and driven sprockets in a power transmission may be variable diameter sprockets.

Abstract: In a gearshift device for a motor vehicle manual transmission, comprising a shift finger (6), located on an axially slidable and radially twistable shift shaft (1), which can be brought into engagement with grooves in shift arms of shift forks and which carries a cylindrical guide member (4), movable together with the shift finger, which co-operates with at least one spring-loaded ball catch (8), the cylindrical guide member (4) is formed of sheet material and exhibits a shift gate (9), in the form of a stamped slit, for a stationary shift pin (7), to guide the shifting movement and is provided at the outer circumference with troughs (10) extending parallel to the cylinder axis to latch with a stationary, spring loaded ball catch (8), and a part-cylindrical spring segment (11) is disposed within the cylindrical guide member (4) and is provided with a ramp-like depression (15) which co-operates with the stationary, rotatably mounted shift pin (7) to form a reverse gear shift block.

Abstract: A motorized reduction gear unit having a crank and connecting rod mechanism incorporated in it, but especially for use as a vehicle screen wiper drive unit, comprises a hollow casing having a cover plate, with, within the hollow interior of the casing, a toothed wheel which is rotatable about an axis. The toothed wheel carries a gudgeon pin parallel to the axis of rotation of the toothed wheel but eccentric with respect to the latter. The pin drives a crank and connecting rod system in which the crank and connecting rod are articulated together about a pivot pin, so that continuous rotary motion of the toothed wheel is converted into alternating rotary motion of an output shaft. It further includes a peripheral gasket disposed between the upper edge of the casing and the cover plate, together with a friction plate element in the form of a thickened friction portion disposed fixedly on the inner surface of the cover plate facing towards the casing.

Abstract: An engine includes a gear train to provide engine timing. There is a technique for minimizing the backlash and noise caused by the gear train. There is also an anti-backlash gear assembly useful to reduce backlash in the gear train. One gear assembly has at least two gear wheels with the circular thickness of the teeth of one gear wheel being less than the circular thickness of the other gear wheel. There is also a gear assembly having a bias torque of at least about 100 foot-pounds. There is also a device carried on an anti-lash gear assembly to generally align teeth of the assembly for installation.

Abstract: A one-way clutch designed to achieve a reduction in the number of parts and a simplification of assembly. The one-way clutch includes a retainer having a holding hole formed in a portion interposed between an outer race and an inner race to hold a sprag biting between the outer race. The retainer is provided with an elliptical flange urged against the inner periphery of a counterbore formed in the side of the outer race. Since the retainer holds the sprag with the holding hole, the structure of the one-way clutch is simplified. When the flange is pushed into the counterbore of the outer race, the portion of the major diameter of the flange presses the inner periphery of the counterbore, whereby the retainer is made integral with the outer race.

Abstract: A positioning device for an output component for automatically shifting gears of a motor vehicle transmission that undergoes two types of movements comprises a plurality of drives. The movement of each drive can be transmitted via a transmission mechanism to the output component. A first drive causes the output component to undergo movement of a first type, and a second drive causes the output component to undergo movement of a second type. The first drive is connected to a sliding element. The sliding element is axially fixed, but movable in the circumferential direction relative to the output component. The second drive is rotatably fixed, but axially movable output component.

Abstract: A chain wheel for a chain drive with a chain wheel comprising a damping rim of elastically deformable material at at least one axial side of said chain wheel, said damping rim including circumferentially alternating elevations, each with a peak portion and indentations, of which said elevations are intended for a radial overlap contact with straps or side bars of a chain engaging into teeth and tooth spaces of a toothing comprising in each tooth space inlet and exit profiles and an intermediate roll bed, the peak portion of each elevation being arranged within a circumferentially limited portion of said chain wheel that is defined by a reference plane containing the chain wheel axis and the center of curvature of said roll bed and by the extension of said entry profile in the tooth space.

Abstract: A seismic shock absorbing pier including a cylindrical column having an upper end and a lower end; a slide stop having a load bearing surface, the slide stop being fixedly attached to the cylindrical column so that its load bearing surface is upwardly oriented; a shock absorbing spring having an upper end and a lower end, the shock absorbing spring being mounted upon the pier so that its lower end is in contact with the load bearing surface of the slide stop; and a foundation supporting I-beam having an upper load bearing surface, a lower end, a forward end, and a rearward end, the rearward end of the foundation supporting I-beam being adapted for slidable mounting over the cylindrical column, the foundation supporting I-beam being slidably mounted over the cylindrical column so that its upper load bearing surface is upwardly oriented and so that its lower end is in contact with the upper end of the shock absorbing spring.

Abstract: The invention relates to a novel geosynthetic which in a first embodiment comprises a composite geosynthetic comprising reinforcement material embedded in a drainage material; and in the second embodiment of the invention there is provided an electrically conducting geosynthetic which may be used in isolation or which may, alternatively, form a part of the composite geosynthetic.

Abstract: A controlled relative motion system comprising a base support, a pivot holder and a plurality of pivoting links with the pivoting links rotatably coupled to both the base support and to members of the pivot holder to rotate about axes which extend in different directions for each of these rotatable couplings in a link, typically in accord with specific geometrical arrangements, and in different directions from similar axes in another of such links. Such systems can incorporate a variety of force imparting members to control movements of various ones of the pivoting links or pivot holder members. The pivoting links can be bent, and the pivot holder members can be hinged.

Abstract: A shift-lever device includes a key lever operating with key-lock mechanism, a sub lever independently rotatably arranged to the key lever and including a pin, a spring arranged to enable the key lever and the sub lever to rotate together, and a lock lever contacting the pin of the sub lever and operating with the key lever. The lock lever operates with the shift-lock mechanism to prevent and allow shifting of a shift lever from a predetermined position. The device also includes a release rod arranged to be operable from outside of the device and serving to rotate the lock lever to rotate the sub lever against the spring independently of the key lever.

Abstract: A method of draining oil and a kit adapted to be connected to the oil pan of a vehicle for draining oil therefrom. The kit comprises an adapter that is attachable to the oil pan such that the adapter is generally axially aligned with a drain opening formed in the oil pan. A main body is provided and such is attachable to the adapter. The main body forms a reservoir that includes an outlet port. Contained within the reservoir is a socket and shaft that is operative to unscrew a drain bolt normally secured within the drain opening of the oil pan. In addition, the same socket and shaft is operative to secure the drain plug within the drain opening once oil has been removed from the oil pan.