Abstract: A reservoir construction for use with a hydraulic clutch actuator for a motor vehicle. The reservoir includes a blow molded bellows portion including a plurality of pleats or convolutions and is arranged to be moved to a stressed expanded condition in response to filling of the system so that the reservoir serves not only as a source of hydraulic fluid for the system but also serves to pressurize the system by virtue of its stressed condition. The reservoir may comprise a two-part assembly including a main body member and a lid closing the upper end of the main body member, in which case the system is filled through the upper end of the main body member, the lid is secured to the upper end of the main body member, and the output member of the associated slave cylinder is retracted to pressurize the system.

Abstract: A restraining strap for use with a clutch actuator of the type including a master cylinder, a slave cylinder, a conduit interconnecting the master cylinder and slave cylinder, and a piston in the slave cylinder moved reciprocally in the bore of the slave cylinder housing in response to operation of the vehicle clutch pedal. The clutch actuator is delivered in prefilled form without out output member of the slave cylinder, which is assembled by the motor vehicle manufacturer as a part of the clutch release lever assembly, and a restraining strap is provided to maintain the piston of the slave cylinder in a retracted position to maintain the prefilled system in a pressurized state and preclude the entry of air into the system during shipment, storage and installation of the system.

Abstract: A control assembly for a motor vehicle including a bracket; a hydraulic cylinder assembly including a cylinder mounted on the bracket and a piston rod projecting out of the cylinder; and a pedal assembly including a pedal arm mounted for pivotal movement on the bracket about a pivot axis and pivotally connected to the free end of the piston rod at a location spaced from the pivot axis. A sleeve is mounted on the bracket and is journaled on a pivot shaft secured to a fixed structure of the vehicle so that the entire assembly, including the bracket, hydraulic cylinder, and pedal assembly, may be pivotally adjusted within the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle. A slot in the bracket spaced from the pivot axis coacts with a fastener carried by the vehicle fixed structure to secure the assembly in any position of pivotal adjustment within the passenger compartment.

Abstract: A master cylinder assembly especially adapted for mounting in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle in association with the clutch pedal assembly of the motor vehicle. The unit is permanently sealed and is non-serviceable so that no fluid leakage occurs in the passenger compartment as a result of attempts to service the unit. The master cylinder assembly includes a cylinder having an open rearward end and a closed forward end, an external mounting flange intermediate the ends, and an elongated reservoir mounted in piggyback fashion on the cylinder between the mounting flange and the forward end of the cylinder with the rear end of the reservoir pivotally secured to the mounting flange and with a discharge fitting on the forward end of the reservoir moving into telescopic sealing relation with a reservoir fitting on the forward end of the cylinder in response to pivotal movement of the rear end of the cylinder about the pivot axis defined between the rear end of the reservoir and the mounting flange.

Abstract: A hydraulic master cylinder formed by telescopically fastening together a pair of cylinder housings to form a cylinder. A piston in the cylinder is operative to transfer hydraulic fluid to a slave cylinder connected to the master cylinder. The pressure or power stroke of the piston is effected by exerting a pull on the piston by a pull cable attached to one side of the piston. A body, attached to one of the cylinder housing, provides a reservoir for hydraulic fluids. A cap on the reservoir closes a fluid filling opening. Expansion bellows in the reservoir accommodates changes in the fluid level in the reservoir as the piston is being reciprocated. The bellows is connected to the cap so as to be removed as a unit with the cap when the reservoir is being filled.

Abstract: A hydraulic master cylinder assembly of the type including a reservoir in which a diaphragm is disposed to divide the reservoir chamber into a hydraulic fluid chamber outside of the diaphragm and in communication with the pressure chamber of the master cylinder and a gas chamber within the diaphragm. The diaphragm is generally tubular with an open end and a closed end, and in a cross section transverse to the central axis of the diaphragm, includes a plurality of radially extending arms arranged about the central axis of the diaphragm and each including a pair of side walls defining therebetween a portion of the volume of the gas chamber. The diaphragm is movable between an expanded condition in which it assumes a substantially circular configuration in cross section and a collapsed condition in which each of the pairs of side walls of the arms are collapsed with respect to each other to reduce the volume of the chamber.

Abstract: A piston assembly including a plastic piston defining a socket at its rear face and a metallic annular insert member positioned within the socket and receiving the piston rod of the piston assembly in acting to increase the effective area over which the loading from the piston rod is applied to the plastic piston so as to allow the plastic piston to be used in environments where it might otherwise fail due to the high stress loading. The annular insert also includes prongs struck from the main body portion of the insert member and coacting with an annular shoulder on the piston rod to preclude axial withdrawal of the piston rod from the piston and further includes an annular flange portion which acts to facilitate positioning of the insert member in the socket in the piston and further acts to define the fully retracted or extended position of the piston in coaction with a snap ring on the inner periphery of the associated cylinder.

Abstract: A retainer assembly for use with an hydraulic clutch actuator of the type including a master cylinder and a slave cylinder in fluid communication with one another. The retainer assembly acts to maintain the output member of the slave cylinder in a retracted position during shipment, storage, and vehicular installation of the hydraulic actuator. The assembly includes a rupturable plastic strap having a control socket and connected as a harness over the end of the slave cylinder output rod. The assembly further includes a non-rupturable steel wire positioned over the socket portion of the plastic strap. The free ends of the wire are clipped around the mounting flange of the cylinder body.

Abstract: A retainer bushing for connecting a male member such as a shaft, rod or pin, for example the coupling pin of a motor vehicle clutch pedal, to a mechanical component having a bore accepting the shaft, rod or pin in the bore, for example the input member of an hydraulic master cylinder hydraulically connected to a slave cylinder actuating a clutch release mechanism. The retainer bushing has a flange at one end and one or more longitudinally projecting tangs at the other end. A closure wall is integrally formed at the other end of the retainer bushing. Each tang, which is elastically deflectable outwardly and inwardly, has a radially inwardly directed abutment surface for engagement with the other end of the bore when the flange is engaged at one end thereof, and an inwardly radially directed prong for engagement in a peripheral groove formed in the pin.

Abstract: A master cylinder assembly including a primary housing defining an elongated bore, a piston slidably mounted in the bore, a piston rod pivotally connected at its forward end to the piston, a switch housing slidably and rotatably mounted on the piston rod rearwardly of the primary housing, spring means biasing the switch housing for forward sliding movement on the piston rod into engagement with the rear end of the primary housing, and switching means within the switch housing actuated in response to sliding movement of the piston rod relative to the switch housing. A retainer clip is secured to the rear end of the primary housing in a fixed predetermined angular position and includes a finger portion extending rearwardly for coaction with a pin member rigidly projecting from the switch housing. The clip and pin member coact to maintain the switch in a predetermined fixed angular position relative to the remainder of the assembly to facilitate the installation of the assembly into a motor vehicle.

Abstract: Improvement in a hydraulic control apparatus for actuating a remotely located mechanism having a shipping and installation restraining strap for an actuator having a housing and a linearly moveable output member projecting from the front end of the housing, the strap being non-elastic and rupturable and having a part thereof engageable with the free end of the output member and another part projecting rearwardly toward the rear end of the housing, the improvement comprising an elastic anchor arrangement for the restraining strap to allow full extension thereof without rupture thereof, a stop and positioning arrangement for the elastic anchor arrangement which predetermines the retracted position in which the output member is yieldably held, and an override arrangement to selectively debar functioning of the elastic anchor arrangement whenever it is intended to rupture the restraining strap.