Abstract: A cleaner head including suction chamber having a suction opening; an agitator including a hollow body and supported the suction chamber by a support member, the support member having a first end that is fixed to a side wall of the suction chamber,and second end that free and over which the hollow body of the agitator can be slideably received; and a drive assembly forming part of the support member, and arranged to rotate the agitator about an axis. The fixed end of the support member is pivotal fixed to the side all of the suctionchamber such that the free end of the support member, together with the agitator supported thereon, can be pivoted to protrude out frome suction opening, to allow the agitator o be removed and replaced.

Abstract: An emissions abatement system for an engine system having an engine and an after-treatment system is provided. The emissions abatement system is configured for operation in an off-highway vehicle and comprises a controller arranged to: receive an input indicative of an intent to start the vehicle; upon receipt of said input, activate a heating component to raise an operating temperature of at least a portion of the after-treatment system; determine when the after-treatment system has reached a first heated condition; once the first heated condition has been reached, direct the engine to be started and direct the vehicle to operate in a first mode; determine when the after-treatment system has reached a second heated condition; and once the second heated condition has been reached, direct the vehicle to operate in a second mode.

Abstract: An emissions abatement system for an engine system having an engine and an after-treatment system is provided. The emissions abatement system is configured for operation in an off-highway vehicle and comprises a controller arranged to: receive an input indicative of an intent to start the vehicle; upon receipt of said input, activate a heating component to raise an operating temperature of at least a portion of the after-treatment system; determine when the after-treatment system has reached a first heated condition; once the first heated condition has been reached, direct the engine to be started and direct the vehicle to operate in a first mode; determine when the after-treatment system has reached a second heated condition; and once the second heated condition has been reached, direct the vehicle to operate in a second mode.

Abstract: A regenerative filter having a length of filter material, first and second perforated filter supports, a filter regenerator, and an intermediate duct, a first end of the filter material being wound around the first perforated filter support to form a first scroll type filter through which air to be filtered can pass, a second end of the filter material being wound around the second perforated filter support to form a second scroll type filter through which air to be filtered can pass, the filter material is movable in both directions between the first and second perforated filter supports by passing a single layer of filter material through the filter regenerator as it moves between them, the intermediate duct being arranged to take airflow which has passed through the first scroll type filter to the second scroll type filter for filtration during use of the regenerative filter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a regenerative filter comprising, a length of material having a first support tail and a filter portion, a first end of the material being wound around a first perforated support to form a first scroll type filter through which air to be filtered can pass, and a second end of the material being fixed to a filter support, the regenerative filter being arranged such that the material is movable in both directions between the first perforated support and the filter support, passing through a filter regenerator generator as it moves between them, the first end of the material forms the first support tail which extends from the first perforated support to at least the filter regenerator when the material is unwound from the first perforated support, the first support tail having a more open structure than the structure of the filter portion.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a cast cylinder head includes two cooling jackets for use with an internal combustion engine, a method of fabricating a cylinder head, and a casting core assembly for fabricating a cylinder head. The cast cylinder head includes at least one cast-in orifice, which fluidly connects the two cooling jackets and is formed during a casting process of the cylinder head. The method of fabricating a cylinder head includes utilizing an assembly including an upper cooling jacket core and a lower cooling jacket core for forming respective upper and lower cooling jackets and at least one cast-in orifice fluidly connecting the cooling jackets.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a cylinder head having a structure allowing for more uniform lateral coolant flow, and an internal combustion engine including such a cylinder head. The cylinder head includes a lower water jacket cavity, an upper water jacket cavity in fluid communication with the lower water jacket cavity through plural orifices formed in cylinder head material between the lower and upper jacket cavities, and a coolant outlet passage extending from the upper water jacket cavity to a lateral side of the cylinder head. A rail cavity is provided in the cylinder head, extends in a longitudinal direction of the cylinder head, and is in fluid communication with the coolant outlet passage. A lateral passage is provided in the cylinder head upstream from the coolant outlet passage with a portion of the rail cavity therebetween.

Abstract: The present invention provides a ratchet block with a block body 10 having a pair of side cheeks 11,12 and a sheave assembly 15 therebetween, which comprises a hub 16 supporting an annular sheave 17 for rotation about a principal axis. The ratchet block also includes a ratchet mechanism comprising ratchet teeth 19 on the sheave and a pawl 20 mounted on the hub 16 or a side cheek 11,12 for movement between an engaged setting, where the ratchet mechanism is active, and a free setting where the ratchet mechanism allows free rotation of the sheave. An actuator 25 is also mounted on the hub 16 or said side cheek 11,12 and linked to the pawl 20 to effect movement thereof between its engaged and free settings. Means are provided for pivoting the hub between loaded and unloaded limiting positions about an axis parallel to but spaced from the hub's principal axis. Spring means 33 are provided for biasing the hub 16 to said unloaded limiting position.

Abstract: The present invention provides a ratchet block with a block body 10 having a pair of side cheeks 11,12 and a sheave assembly 15 therebetween, which comprises a hub 16 supporting an annular sheave 17 for rotation about a principal axis. The ratchet block also includes a ratchet mechanism comprising ratchet teeth 19 on the sheave and a pawl 20 mounted on the hub 16 or a side cheek 11,12 for movement between an engaged setting, where the ratchet mechanism is active, and a free setting where the ratchet mechanism allows free rotation of the sheave. An actuator 25 is also mounted on the hub 16 or said side cheek 11,12 and linked to the pawl 20 to effect movement thereof between its engaged and free settings. Means are provided for pivoting the hub between loaded and unloaded limiting positions about an axis parallel to but spaced from the hub's principal axis. Spring means 33 are provided for biasing the hub 16 to said unloaded limiting position.

Abstract: A method of forming a U-shaped strap for a pulley block starts with providing a strip-like blank of a metal which may be work-hardened and having an elongate central region and two end portions extending one from each end of the two opposed ends of the central region. Such a blank may be formed by a stamping operation typically from a suitable grade of stainless steel. The central region of the blank is bent round into a U-shape with the two end portions substantially parallel. Either concurrently with the bending operation or subsequent thereto, the central region is subjected to a cold-forming operation in the transverse direction of the central region, to reduce the width thereof and to provide a radius to the long edges of that central region.

Abstract: An audio crossover system and method is disclosed. An audio system includes two driver circuits, one for each of two audio frequency ranges, e.g., high and low frequency ranges. The driver circuits are designed to provide a combined frequency response curve that has a pronounced midrange attenuation dip, in contrast to prior art designs that attempt to provide a flat response over all frequency ranges.

Abstract: A pulley block has a body which rotatably supports a sheave, the block having a mounting pin which extends through a bore in the block. The pin has an enlarged head disposed internally of the body to retain the pin in the bore. Rotation of the pin may be prevented by a releasable locking arrangement comprising a groove formed transversely across the enlarged head of the pin and a lock member rotatably mounted in a hole extending within the block adjacent the head of the pin. The lock member is profiled for rotation between a locked position where a part of the lock member locates in the groove in the head of the pin to restrain rotation of the pin and a free position where the lock member is free of the head of the pin so that the pin may rotate.

Abstract: A method of forming a U-shaped strap for a pulley block starts with providing a strip-like blank of a metal which may be work-hardened and having an elongate central region and two end portions extending one from each end of the two opposed ends of the central region. Such a blank may be formed by a stamping operation typically from a suitable grade of stainless steel. The central region of the blank is bent round into a U-shape with the two end portions substantially parallel. Either concurrently with the bending operation or subsequent thereto, the central region is subjected to a cold-forming operation in the transverse direction of the central region, to reduce the width thereof and to provide a radius to the long edges of that central region.

Abstract: A pulley block has a body which rotatably supports a sheave, the block having a mounting pin which extends through a bore in the block. The pin has an enlarged head disposed internally of the body to retain the pin in the bore. Rotation of the pin may be prevented by a releasable locking arrangement comprising a groove formed transversely across the enlarged head of the pin and a lock member rotatably mounted in a hole extending within the block adjacent the head of the pin. The lock member is profiled for rotation between a locked position where a part of the lock member locates in the groove in the head of the pin to restrain rotation of the pin and a free position where the lock member is free of the head of the pin so that the pin may rotate.

Abstract: A ratchet block has a sheave rotatably supported in a block body and a releasable ratchet mechanism which when engaged permits only unidirectional rotation of the sheave. A ring of ratchet teeth is provided on the sheave and a pawl is carried by the body for movement between a released position where the sheave may rotate freely and an engaged position where the pawl interacts with the teeth to permit only unidirectional rotation of the sheave. An operating member is carried by the body and is movable between free and active positions. A compression spring is arranged between the operating member and the pawl so as to be deformed by movement of the operating member, thereby biasing the pawl to be maintained stably at either its released or engaged position, depending upon the selected position of the operating member.

Abstract: A pulley block has a body defined by a pair of opposed cheeks and a bridging portion holding the cheeks spaced apart, a sheave being rotatably mounted between the cheeks. A generally U-shaped strap has a base section extending over the bridging portion and a pair of arms which overlie the respective external surface of the cheeks. The end portion of each arm remote from the base section is enlarged and the external surface of each cheek is formed with a recess in which the enlarged end portion is received so that loads may be transferred between the block body and the strap by the interengagement of the enlarged end portions and recesses.

Abstract: A sheave assembly for use in a high performance pulley block has an inner race 14, a sheave 10 defining an outer race and a plurality of balls 13 arranged between the outer race of the sheave 10 and the inner race 14, so as rotatably to mount the sheave on the inner race. The inner race 14 is formed principally of a plastics material, but incorporates an annular insert 20 of metal, the outer surface of the insert extending parallel to the axis of the assembly, and defining an inner track for the balls 13. The axial width of the insert 20 is significantly less than, and typically 33% to 67% of, the diameter of the balls 13.