Abstract: A marine propulsion system for a marine vessel includes one steerable rear marine drive positioned along the center line of the marine vessel and a lateral marine drive positioned at a bow region of the marine vessel. The rear marine drive is steerable about a vertical steering axis to a range of steering angles. The lateral marine drive is positioned at a fixed angle with respect to the marine vessel and configured to generate lateral thrust on the marine vessel. A user input device is operable by a user to provide a propulsion demand input commanding surge movement, sway movement, and yaw movement of the marine vessel, and the control system is configured to control steering and thrust of the rear marine drive and thrust of the lateral marine drive based on the propulsion demand input to generate the surge movement, sway movement, and/or the yaw movement commanded by the user.

Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator includes a stator assembly mounted to a center pole formed of material having high magnetic permeability and functions as a return path for the magnetic field generated when current is passed through coils in the stator assembly. When current is applied to one or more coils within the stator assembly, a magnetic field is generated that interacts with a magnetic field generated by one or more magnets disposed within the armature assembly and causes the armature to move relative to the center pole thus, for example, opening or closing a valve.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine may be provided with independently controllable valves, fuel injectors and ignition elements that may be used to start the engine without a separate auxiliary device such as an electric starter motor. The engine may fire the cylinders under a startup mode of control at the same time it fires the cylinders under a normal mode of control in order to smooth the transition from start up to normal operating mode. Additionally, an internal combustion engine may use independently controllable valves to stop the engine and ensure that one or more of the pistons come to rest at a position which allows them to be used to restart the engine.

Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator includes a stator assembly mounted to a center pole formed of material having high magnetic permeability and functions as a return path for the magnetic field generated when current is passed through coils in the stator assembly. When current is applied to one or more coils within the stator assembly, a magnetic field is generated that interacts with a magnetic field generated by one or more magnets disposed within the armature assembly and causes the armature to move relative to the center pole thus, for example, opening or closing a valve.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine may be provided with independently controllable valves, fuel injectors and ignition elements that may be used to start the engine without a separate auxiliary device such as an electric starter motor. The engine may fire the cylinders under a startup mode of control at the same time it fires the cylinders under a normal mode of control in order to smooth the transition from start up to normal operating mode. Additionally, an internal combustion engine may use independently controllable valves to stop the engine and ensure that one or more of the pistons come to rest at a position which allows them to be used to restart the engine.

Abstract: A vehicle suspension system includes a vehicle body subframe, a wheel with a tire mounted upon a wheel hub assembly having a wheel spindle inside the wheel bearing. A wheel damping mass of ogival shape surrounds the outer race of the wheel bearing and is formed with a vertical slot whose length is perpendicular to the major diameter of the ogival cross section. The damping mass is formed with a pair of openings on each side of the vertical slot that accommodates a support assembly including a vertical shaft held by a shaft retainer intermediate the shaft ends, upper and lower bearings and centering springs located between the shaft retainer and each of the latter bearings. Damping fluid dissipates vibrational energy and may comprise a major component of the damping mass.

Abstract: A unique gerotor-type pump is disclosed for pumping gases. The pump has an inner gear-type rotor mounted within and rotating off-center with respect to an outer gear-type rotor ring, about a parallel axis. Surfaces of the teeth of the inner rotor are in continuous contact with the outer rotor to define at least one pumping chamber which alternately expands and contracts as the inner and outer rotors turn. An elongated inlet port is positioned to communicate with the pumping chamber during a substantial portion of the cycle when the pumping chamber is expanding, (the intake cycle) and an outlet port is positioned to communicate with the pumping chamber only just prior to and at the end of the contraction or exhaust cycle. Oil for sealing and lubricating between moving parts of the pump is provided by employing differential pressure created by the pump's own operation to draw oil through passageways which communicate between an oil reservoir and the pumping chamber.

Abstract: A back-flow prevention valve assembly is disclosed for use with a vacuum pump or the like and employs a valve element movable between positions opening or closing a passageway through the assembly. In the event of pump failure, a control valve, which is operated by fluid from the pressure side of the pump, vents ambient air behind the valve element to assist it in moving rapidly to the closed position to prevent backflow. After resumption of pumping, a controlled withdrawal of ambient air behind the valve element delays opening of the valve until the pump has created a sufficient vacuum to minimize influx of air upstream when the valve opens.