Abstract: A retractable driven track system for wheeled vehicles includes a frame on which is mounted an endless flexible track, a pivotable linkage coupled at a lower end thereof to the frame, and adapted for coupling at an upper end thereof to the underside of a vehicle, a selectively actuable actuator operatively coupled to the frame or linkage to selectively raise and lower the track relative to the vehicle when the track is mounted to the vehicle, a drive selectively driving rotation of the track relative to the frame so as to assist in at least forward traction of the vehicle when the track is driven by the drive and the track is lowered into contact with soft ground under the vehicle.

Abstract: A combination gas spring and shock absorber apparatus includes a vented gas spring housing and a vented shock absorber housing slidably mounted within the gas spring housing. A shock absorber piston is concentrically mounted within a gas spring piston. A base housing is slidably mounted in the gas spring housing. A shaft extends through the base housing and into the shock absorber housing. The shock absorber piston is mounted in the shock absorber housing on the free end of the shaft. The gas spring piston is mounted in the gas spring housing on the distal end of the base housing. The shock absorber piston is fluidically sealed and slides within the shock absorber housing. The gas spring piston is fluidically sealed and slides along the gas spring housing and the shock absorber housing. The base housing telescopically translates relative to the gas spring housing.

Abstract: An in-line valve includes an in-line plunger having angled tooth cam surfaces mounted for non-rotational sliding along a conduit, and an in-line ported piston having angled tooth cam surfaces mounted to slide and rotate along the conduit. The angled tooth cam surfaces on the piston and plunger are resiliently biased in opposed facing relation so as to engage in rotationally sliding engagement over one another. This selectively indexes the piston into valve open and valve closed positions. The plunger is driven against the resilient return biasing of the piston by a modulated fluid pressure pulse from the fluid line attached to the valve. In the valve open position, a port in the piston passes the fluid through the piston and the plunger and along the fluid line. In the valve closed position, the port is closed off and the piston seals off the fluid flow through the piston and plunger.

Abstract: A retractable driven track system for wheeled vehicles includes a frame on which is mounted an endless flexible track a pivotable linkage coupled at a lower end thereof to the frame, and adapted for coupling at an upper end thereof to the underside of a vehicle, a selectively actuable actuator operatively coupled to the frame or linkage to selectively raise and lower the track relative to the vehicle when the track is mounted to the vehicle, a drive selectively driving rotation of the track relative to the frame so as to assist in at least forward traction of the vehicle when the track is driven by the drive and the track is lowered into contact with soft ground under the vehicle.

Abstract: An in-line valve includes an in-line plunger having angled tooth cam surfaces mounted for non-rotational sliding along a conduit, and an in-line ported piston having angled tooth cam surfaces mounted to slide and rotate along the conduit. The angled tooth cam surfaces on the piston and plunger are resiliently biased in opposed facing relation so as to engage in rotationally sliding engagement over one another. This selectively indexes the piston into valve open and valve closed positions. The plunger is driven against the resilient return biasing of the piston by a modulated fluid pressure pulse from the fluid line attached to the valve. In the valve open position, a port in the piston passes the fluid through the piston and the plunger and along the fluid line. In the valve closed position, the port is closed off and the piston seals off the fluid flow through the piston and plunger.

Abstract: An active suspension control system and method for individually controlling a suspension assembly of each wheel of a vehicle in response to driving conditions, each suspension assembly including an adjustable suspension spring having a hollow, fluidically sealed cylinder and a piston having a shaft and a head, the cylinder having an upper chamber divided from a lower chamber by the piston head, the lower chamber being adjacent to the piston shaft coupled to the corresponding wheel assembly, each chamber of the upper and lower chambers of the suspension spring having a port fluidly coupled to a fluid line and a valve of a valve assembly, wherein the extension or retraction of each adjustable suspension spring is controlled by an electronic controller by selectively introducing and/or removing a volume of a fluid from the upper and/or lower chambers of said adjustable suspension spring through the fluid line.

Abstract: A two-way, two position, in-line valve, for controlling fluid flow through a line in both directions. The valve includes a tubular conduit defining a bore there-through to communicate fluid flow from the line and through the bore of the tubular conduit, a piston sized to slide along the bore, a stop in the bore having an annular seal supported on the stop in opposed facing relation to a first face of the piston, a resilient spring mounted in the bore so as to bear against a second face of the piston, opposite the first face, and to thereby resiliently urge the first face of the piston against the seal, and a selectively retracting latching mechanism adapted to index the piston between open and closed positions as in-line modulated pressure is applied to the piston.

Abstract: A wheel clutch includes a clutch pack mounted in a housing wherein either the friction plates or clutch plates of the clutch pack are fixed for rotation with a corresponding drive wheel, and the other of the friction plates or clutch plates is fixed for rotation with a drive shaft of the vehicle, a resilient member within the clutch housing normally biasing the clutch pack into a fully locked mode, a selectively actuable actuator within the clutch housing engaging the resilient member to selectively and progressively reduce a resilient force or to selectively and progressively allow the increase of the resilient force applied by the resilient member to the clutch pack, whereby the clutch pack is completely or progressively unlocked or locked respectively to provide an optimized amount of rotational traction versus rotational slippage.

Abstract: A wheel clutch includes a clutch pack mounted in a housing wherein either the friction plates or clutch plates of the clutch pack are fixed for rotation with a corresponding drive wheel, and the other of the friction plates or clutch plates is fixed for rotation with a drive shaft of the vehicle, a resilient member within the clutch housing normally biasing the clutch pack into a fully locked mode, a selectively actuable actuator within the clutch housing engaging the resilient member to selectively and progressively reduce a resilient force or to selectively and progressively allow the increase of the resilient force applied by the resilient member to the clutch pack, whereby the clutch pack is completely or progressively unlocked or locked respectively to provide an optimized amount of rotational traction versus rotational slippage.