Patents by Inventor Harry M. Windsor
Harry M. Windsor has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 5038901Abstract: A motor vehicle having a transmission comprising a clutch (14), a clutch control (18, 20) and a change-speed gearbox (12). The gearbox (12) has a plurality of mutually exclusively engageable gear ratios any desired one of which can be engaged by a manually operated gear lever (16) which comprises a shaft (33) pivoted at (34) and a hand knob (42) on a tube (40) rockably pivoted in force relatively to the shaft (33), a signal is sent to the clutch control (18, 20) causing automatic disengagement of the clutch (14). Further manual force on the tube (40) pivots the shaft (33) in direction (A) or (B) to the opposite side of a gear shift pattern. The clutch control (18, 20) receives a signal (54') that a new gear ratio has been engaged and automatically reengages the clutch (14).Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 1990Date of Patent: August 13, 1991Assignee: Automotive Products PlcInventors: David Parsons, Alastair J. Young, Roger P. Jarvis, Harry M. Windsor
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Patent number: 4561530Abstract: An electronic clutch control system for a friction clutch for starting a vehicle from rest has a clutch position control loop in which the actual clutch position feed-back signal is modified to compensate for changes in clutch characteristic. An engine speed control loop: clutch, engine, engine speed sensor, processed signals, clutch actuator control includes a switchable integrator. A wear compensation signal is added to the clutch position feed-back signal which is then subject to gain control in a gain control device in response to changes in slope of the torque-capacity/clutch position characteristic.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 1983Date of Patent: December 31, 1985Assignee: Automotive Products plcInventors: David Parsons, Harry M. Windsor, John V. Comfort
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Patent number: 4518064Abstract: A vehicle transmission clutch control including an electronic logic control which controls the transmission gear selection, a clutch position signal generator responsive to vehicle operating parameters to produce a command signal which operates a clutch control to govern the engagement of the clutch.A clutch disengagement control receives a gear change signal from the logic control and produces an output signal that can override the command signal to cause the control system to disengage the clutch. The output signal is caused to vary during a gear change and thereby alters the command signal and cause the clutch engagement to vary over the gear change period.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 1982Date of Patent: May 21, 1985Assignee: Automotive Products LimitedInventor: Harry M. Windsor
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Patent number: 4497397Abstract: A vehicle electronic control system for a friction clutch having a clutch position signal generator which senses the vehicle operating conditions and produces a command signal which dictates the state of engagement of the clutch. A clutch actuator control is responsive to the command signal, and includes a transducer that produces a feedback signal indicative of clutch position which is fed into a comparator for comparison with the command signal. The feedback signal is modified by a signal derived from a wear compensator to alter the feedback signal as the clutch wears.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 1982Date of Patent: February 5, 1985Assignee: Automotive Products LimitedInventors: Harry M. Windsor, Andrew J. Mallion
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Patent number: 4481843Abstract: A control system for a rotary transmission for controlling pressure during speed ratio changes. The system includes a pump for delivering fluid under pressure which fluid selectively engages speed ratio selectors to enable the drive to be transmitted through the transmission. The system also embodies a regulator for regulating the fluid pressure in response to a throttle controlled torque demand signal. The system also includes sensors arranged to provide a signal to indicate the state of a speed ratio as well as a command signal to effect a change in the speed ratio.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 1982Date of Patent: November 13, 1984Assignee: Automotive Products LimitedInventors: Roger P. Jarvis, Harry M. Windsor
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Patent number: 4473143Abstract: An electronic control for a vehicle transmission having a clutch, the engagement of which is controlled in response to a clutch engagement signal. An electronic speed ratio logic for selection of the appropriate transmission gear ratio can produce a disengagement signal which overrides the engagement signal to cause disengagement of the clutch. A limiter is activated by a gear change signal from the logic to produce a limit signal which partially overrides the engagement signal to prevent full engagement of the clutch when the disengagement signal ceases, and the gear change signal is in operation.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 1982Date of Patent: September 25, 1984Assignee: Automotive Products LimitedInventor: Harry M. Windsor
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Patent number: 4432445Abstract: A vehicle automatic clutch control has an engine speed sensor that produces an electrical signal indicative of engine speed, an electrical reference signal generator that produces a reference signal, a throttle position sensor that produces a signal indicative of throttle opening. The throttle signal is summed with the reference signal to produce a modified reference signal which is then compared with the engine speed signal by a comparator that produces an error signal. The error signal is used for controlling a clutch actuator that operates the clutch to vary the engagement of the clutch to alter the engine speed and equalize the modified reference signal and engine speed signal and thus maintain a substantially constant engine speed until the clutch is fully engaged.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 1981Date of Patent: February 21, 1984Assignee: Automotive Products LimitedInventor: Harry M. Windsor
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Patent number: 4418810Abstract: An electronic control system for a motor vehicle friction clutch and which has an electrical reference signal generator, an engine speed sensor and signal means, and a throttle position sensor which produces a signal indicative of throttle opening. The throttle signal is combined with the engine speed signal to form a modified engine speed signal and a comparator receives the modified engine speed signal and reference signal to produce an error signal derived from the two. A clutch position control is operated by the error signal to vary the state of engagement of the clutch to equalize the modified engine speed and reference signals.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 1981Date of Patent: December 6, 1983Assignee: Automotive Products LimitedInventor: Harry M. Windsor
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Patent number: 4413714Abstract: An electronic control system for a motor vehicle friction clutch and which has an engine speed sensor, a reference signal generator, and a clutch actuator responsive to an error signal E derived from engine speed and reference signals V.sub.1 and V.sub.R respectively. The error signal E is fed into an integrator having two operation modes, dependent upon whether a capacitor in the integrator circuit bypassed by the error signal E or not. With the capacitor initially bypassed by the error signal E the integrator has unity gain, and with the capacitor subsequently placed in the error signal path the integrator has high gain. By having two response modes the time delay between the error signal E reaching its trigger point and the clutch actuator responding is greatly reduced.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 1981Date of Patent: November 8, 1983Assignee: Automotive Products LimitedInventor: Harry M. Windsor
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Patent number: 4412461Abstract: A control system is provided for a rotary transmission having a set gear trains and two clutches independently operable and providing alternative drive paths through the gear trains from an input to an output, alternate gear trains in the set being driven respectively through one and the other clutch. The control system includes sensor means to sense the operating state of the transmission, command means to command a change in the operating state of the transmission, control means responsive to the sensor means and the command means and including an array of electronic logic elements to control the transmission in a given series of discrete steps and operating means arranged to operate the transmission.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 1981Date of Patent: November 1, 1983Assignee: Automotive Products LimitedInventor: Harry M. Windsor
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Patent number: 4403682Abstract: A vehicle automatic clutch control comprising an engine speed sensor that produces a signal V.sub.1, an electrical reference signal generator that produces a signal V.sub.R and a comparator that processes the two signals V.sub.1 and V.sub.R to produce an error signal E. The error signal E is utilized for controlling a clutch actuator that operates the clutch to vary the state of engagement of the clutch to alter the engine speed and equalize the two signals V.sub.1 and V.sub.R and thus maintain a substantially constant engine speed until the clutch is fully engaged.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 1981Date of Patent: September 13, 1983Assignee: Automotive Products LimitedInventors: Peter J. Norris, Frederick J. Parker, Harry M. Windsor