Abstract: A fuel pressure regulator is provided between the outlet of the fuel pump and an inlet of a jet pump to control the flow of fuel to the jet pump. Desirably, during low voltage conditions in a vehicle, the flow of fuel to the jet pump may be temporarily restricted or terminated to decrease the amount of fuel diverted from the engine and thereby increase the flow rate of fuel to the engine and improve the performance of the engine. The regulator may also function to bypass fuel delivered from the fuel pump in excess of the engine fuel demand to control the pressure of and limit the maximum pressure of fuel supplied to the engine.

Abstract: A trailing arm axle/suspension system includes rigid or spring beams for mounting the axle directly to the beam without any or minimal, respectively, additional mounting hardware or structure. An axle mounting plate is formed as part of the preassembled rigid beam or attached to the spring beam, and is formed with a recess that can range from significantly smaller than to generally the same size as the smallest axle which will be seated therein. The axle is extruded into the recess to eliminate clearance and create intimate contact between the axle and the axle mounting plate. The force typically deforms the axle from its normal cross-sectional shape, such as round, into a generally oval or elliptical cross-sectional shape. Such clearance-free intimate contact also creates a constant preload or compression between the axle and the axle mounting plate in the recess area.

Abstract: A locking mechanism for a movable subframe of a semi-trailer includes at least a pair of transversely spaced pins. Each pin is extendable into and retractable from an opening formed in its respective longitudinally extending main member of the subframe and a selected aligned one of a plurality of openings formed in its respective longitudinally extending rail of the trailer main frame. An elastomeric bladder is disposed between the pins and is operatively connected to one or more cables and/or linkage members which in turn are operatively connected to the pins. When the bladder is voided of air and is in its collapsed state, sufficient slack exists in the bladder, cables and/or linkage members to enable the bias force of a coil spring disposed about each of the pins to independently cause the pins to extend through their respective aligned openings to lock the subframe in a selected longitudinal position with respect to the trailer main frame.

Abstract: A locking mechanism for a movable subframe of a semi-trailer includes at least a pair of transversely spaced pins. Each pin is extendable into and retractable from an opening formed in its respective longitudinally extending main member of the subframe and a selected aligned one of a plurality of openings formed in its respective longitudinally extending rail of the trailer main frame. An elastomeric bladder is disposed between the pins and is operatively connected to one or more cables and/or linkage members which in turn are operatively connected to the pins. When the bladder is voided of air and is in its collapsed state, sufficient slack exists in the bladder, cables and/or linkage members to enable the bias force of a coil spring disposed about each of the pins to independently cause the pins to extend through their respective aligned openings to lock the subframe in a selected longitudinal position with respect to the trailer main frame.

Abstract: An in-tank fuel pump reservoir assembly for drawing fuel from a fuel supply tank and discharging the fuel under pressure to an engine. The assembly includes a reservoir canister that partially defines a reservoir chamber and is mounted within a fuel tank. A reservoir inlet admits fluid into the reservoir chamber from the fuel tank. A reservoir outlet allows fuel to flow from the reservoir chamber to an engine through a fuel line. A reservoir filling device draws fuel into the reservoir chamber from the fuel supply tank through the reservoir inlet. A fuel pump assembly disposed within the canister draws fuel from the reservoir chamber and discharges at least a portion of that fuel to the engine through the reservoir outlet. A modular fuel delivery pod includes the fuel pump assembly, the reservoir filling device, and the inlet check valve. The pod connects to the canister to cooperatively define the reservoir chamber.

Abstract: A fuel pump assembly for drawing fuel from a reservoir and supplying that fuel to an engine and including a fuel pumping module and an electric motor supported in a pump housing. The pumping module includes a module housing and an impeller that the motor rotates in an impeller cavity of the module housing. The impeller includes upper and lower vanes that move fluid through upper and lower portions of a semi-circular pumping channel, respectively. An exhaust port extends through the module housing and communicates with an exit passage of the pumping channel. An arcuate trench is disposed in the upper wall of the module housing and communicates with the outlet end of the pumping channel to redirect exiting fuel upward from the pumping module to a fuel pump housing outlet. The exit passage of the pumping channel extends tangentially outward into the trench. so that fuel exiting the pumping channel is relatively unimpeded.

Abstract: A fuel pump module constructed to be disposed in a vehicle fuel tank has a primary fuel pump with a fuel inlet disposed adjacent the bottom of the module and a fuel outlet which delivers pressurized fuel to an engine and also a jet pump disposed in a recess of the module and closely adjacent the bottom of the fuel tank to draw fuel into the module from the fuel tank in response to fuel flow through the jet pump. Disposing the jet pump in the recess of the module and closely adjacent to the bottom of the fuel tank enables the jet pump to draw substantially all of the fuel from the fuel tank into the module to ensure that the primary fuel pump can deliver an adequate supply of fuel to the engine even during extremely low fuel level conditions in the fuel tank.

Abstract: An electric motor regenerative or turbine type fuel pump has a fuel pumping channel with a cross sectional area which decreases from adjacent its inlet to at least midway through the pumping channel to improve the efficiency and vapor handling capability of the fuel pump. Preferably, the pumping channel generally continuously decreases in cross-sectional area from its inlet to its outlet. In one form, the pumping channel is defined between a pair of plates or caps and a split ring received between the caps and surrounding an impeller having a plurality of vanes formed about its periphery and disposed within the pumping channel. Each of the caps preferably has a groove therein forming a portion of the pumping channel with each of the grooves having a greater cross sectional area adjacent the inlet of the pumping channel compared to the outlet of the pumping channel.

Abstract: A beam-type axle suspension system particularly applicable to trailers and which is subject to torsional forces includes an elongated beam, a pneumatic bellows located on the beam, a hanger bracket located at one end of the beam, a connection for rigidly connecting the beam to the axle and a resilient pivot connection for resiliently connecting the beam to the hanger bracket wherein the beam includes an orifice through which the axle is slid or pressed and rigidly attached thereto, thereby preventing the axle from assuming a cross-sectional shape substantially different from its unstressed shape due to the torsional forces imposed on the axle. This beam-type axle suspension system also includes a resilient pivot connection for connecting the hanger bracket to the beam, thereby allowing the brake components to be attached to the beam instead of to the axle, and having the effect of eliminating stress risers on the axle due to welding the brake components to the axle.

Abstract: A flexible energy absorbing strap is provided to limit downward travel of a suspension system in reaction to rebound forces. The strap requires and uses connections already existing in the suspension system for attachment, and provides two flexible bands between the suspension beam and the vehicle frame.

Abstract: A smear test machine for diagnosing problems associated with reader sorters used to process documents having magnetic ink characters printed thereon includes read heads which are closely juxtaposed to a document transport subsystem adapted to move the document past the read head a preselected number of times as controlled by a solenoid-operated gate.