Abstract: A brake proportioning system for a motor vehicle is responsive to the presence or absence of loads exceeding a threshold at passenger and cargo-carrying locations in the vehicle and includes load presence sensor switches, a signal processing system such as an onboard computer, and an electrically controllable brake proportion valve that has a plurality of finite settings controllable in response to passenger and cargo-load presences in the vehicle. The ratio of rear-to-front braking effort is controlled by the proportion valve so that the ratio increases as the number of passenger and cargo-load presences increases. The location of the loads in the vehicle can also influence the brake proportion ratio.

Abstract: Improved set of sealing blades are for a shrink warpping process of the type wherein a plurality of the objects are advanced in spaced relationship along with and between two long sheets of heat-shrinkable polyethylene. A first set of sealing blades and a second set of the sealing blades respectively join the two sheets at a trailing side of one of the objects and at a leading side of an adjacent object. The two sheets are cut by a cutting blade between the first set of sealing blades and the second set of sealing blades to temporarily retain each of the objects between the two sheets prior to the polyethylene being heated to cause shrinkage thereof for sealing the object within the polyethylene. The improvement includes the first set of sealing blades having mating V-shaped sealing surfaces with bases thereof adjacent the cutting blade and legs thereof extending toward opposite sides of the one object.

Abstract: A wheel having an ornamental outer side thereof includes a load supporting portion having a mounting hub, a tire receiving rim and a radial wall extending therebetween. The radial wall has an axially extending, radially outwardly facing surface on the outer side. A radially inwardly facing surface on the outer side of the rim has a plurality of openings therein. A hub plate overlies the wall portion with an edge portion thereof being located radially outwardly of the axially extending surface. A plurality of spoke elements include a hub end and a rim end with the rim end being installed in each of the openings and the hub end being installed against the axially extending surface. The hub plate is mounted over the radial wall with the edge portion thereof entrapping the hub end of the spoke elements against the axially extending surface.

Abstract: A method of forming a wheel having a plurality of ornamental spoke elements on an outer side thereof includes the steps of providing a load supporting wheel portion having a mounting hub, a tire receiving rim and a radial wall portion extending therebetween. The radial wall portion is provided an axially extending, radially outwardly facing surface on the outer side. A radially inwardly open circumferential groove is formed on the outer side of the rim. A cylindrical element has a plurality of openings therein and is installed in the groove. A hub plate is formed to overlie the wall portion with an edge portion thereof being located radially outwardly of the axially extending surface. A plurality of spoke elements are formed with a hub end and a rim end with the rim end being installed in each of the openings and the hub end being installed against the axially extending surface.

Abstract: A wheel cover device is capable of being mounted on a vehicle wheel including a central hub element and a rim. An annular trim ring makes firm non-sliding contact with the rim and a central support section includes a device for fastening the wheel cover to the central hub element. A plurality of circumferentially spaced spoke elements extend generally radially from the center support section to the trim ring with each of the spoke elements including a first end in the center support section and a second end joined to the trim ring to be capable of transmitting sufficient retaining force thereto to collectively produce the firm, non-sliding contact with the rim. A resilient ring in the center support section provides the retaining force on the first end of each of the spoke elements when the fastening device is fully installed on the center hub element.

Abstract: A method of verifying the stress rolling of a metallic rim includes the steps of taking a first hardness reading of the surface that is to have been stress rolled, taking a second hardness reading of a reference surface that has not been stress rolled and comparing the readings so that the first hardness reading will be significantly higher than the second only if the surface has been stress rolled.