Abstract: A four-wheel steering system of a vehicle includes a power steering device for steering the front wheels, an oil pressure pump for generating an oil pressure in accordance with a travel speed of the vehicle, and a hydraulic actuator for steering the rear wheels. A first control valve is provided between the pump and the actuator so as to operate upon reception of the oil pressure from the power steering device. This valve introduces the oil pressure from the pump to the actuator in accordance with the oil pressure from the power steering device so that the actuator steers the rear wheels in the same direction as the front wheels. A second control valve is provided between the power steering device and the actuator so as to operate in accordance with the oil pressure from the power steering device.

Abstract: According to the invention, each detecting element pair of a wafer detector is constituted by light-emitting and light-receiving elements of transmission-type and is arranged at a position corresponding to a fitting edge portion of one of a plurality of wafers. The number of detecting element pairs is equal to the number of wafers which can be stored in the wafer counter. Light emitted from a light-emitting element to a light-receiving element is kept substantially perpendicular to a surface of a wafer and is shielded when a wafer is engaged in a wafer counter. A change in the amount of light received by the light-receiving element is detected by a signal processor electrically connected to each of the detecting element pairs. The positions and number of a large number of wafers can be accurately and instantaneously detected with an extremely simple structure.

Abstract: A steering gear mechanism has in combination a housing, a pinion shaft rotatably in the interior of the housing and provided with a pinion thereon; a slidable rack bar guided the housing and formed on one surface thereof with a rack adapted to operatively engage with the pinion, and a friction device adapted to give rise to a relatively large frictional force in the directions of sliding motion of the rack bar in the neutral steering position, while giving rise to a relatively small frictational force in the same direction of sliding motion within the normal range of the steering operation of the rack bar.

Abstract: A rear wheel suspension arrangement of trailing arm type for motor vehicles includes a trailing arm for supporting a rear wheel, and a pair of upper and lower lateral arms. The trailing arm is split into a vehicle body side arm and a wheel side arm, which are coupled to have a degree of displacing freedoms within a horizontal plane of the vehicle body. The vehicle body side arm is formed shorter than the lateral arms, whose pivotally securing portion to the vehicle body is disposed at the front side from the coupling portion to the wheel side arm, and disposed in the inside in the lateral direction from the wheel side arm. The lower lateral arm is pivotally secured at least to the wheel side arm via a ball joint.

Abstract: A rear wheel steering system of the trailing arm type suspension for rear wheels having a trailing arm for supporting at the rear portion thereof a rear wheel and extending essentially in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle body by pivotally securing the front end thereof to the body side. Lateral arms are rotatably coupled at the outer ends thereof to the rear portion of the trailing arm and extending essentially in the lateral direction of the vehicle by pivotally securing the inner ends thereof to the vehicle body. The trailing arm allows the front portion thereof to displace essentially in the lateral direction of the vehicle. The rear wheel suspension arrangement allows the trailing arm to displace substantially in the lateral direction of the front end thereof and which comprises an actuator for steering a rear wheel by operating the trailing arm to displace the front portion of the trailing arm essentially in the lateral direction of the vehicle.

Abstract: In a vehicle suspension apparatus having air spring chambers between the vehicle body and the respective wheels to perform height and position control modes by controlling supply control valve means for supplying air to the air spring chambers and exhaust control valve means for exhausting air from the air spring chambers, the vehicle suspension apparatus has a high-pressure reserve tank connected to the respective chambers through the supply control valves, a first compressor for supplying compressed air to the high-pressure reserve tank, a low-pressure reserve tank connected to the respective chambers through the corresponding exhaust control valves and the suction port of the first compressor, and a second compressor for supplying atmospheric air to the high-pressure reserve tank through a check valve and a drier arranged between the check valve and the second compressor.

Abstract: In a vehicle suspension apparatus, front and rear wheel suspension units respectively have air spring chambers. Air is supplied to predetermined air spring chambers from an air source through a supply control valve, and at the same time air is exhausted from remaining air spring chambers through an exhaust control valve. Three-directional valves are inserted between the respective air spring chambers and the exhaust control valve. One end of a front wheel communication path is connected to the front left wheel three-directional valve and the other end of the path is connected to the front right wheel three-directional valve. Similarly, one end of a rear wheel communication path is connected to the rear left wheel three-directional valve and the other end of the path is connected to the rear right wheel three-directional valve.

Abstract: A carrier device for disc film for use in an image signal recorder for photographic images, for picking up a disc film by use of a video camera and recording the same on a magnetic disc.This carrier device for a disc film can record a photographic image of a disc film, wherein lateral and longitudinal photograph positions are mixed with each other, as an upright image. In other words, when the photographic image is in the longitudinal position the photographic image is taken with the disc film as a whole being turned through 90.degree., so that the photographic image in the longitudinal position can be recorded as an upright image with no rotation of the video camera.

Abstract: Video signals representative of photographic images which are stored in a plurality of substantially equally dimensioned frames in horizontal and vertical positions are produced by picking up the images. A first signal indicative of a horizontal/vertical position and a top-bottom orientation of the photographic image stored in any of the frames is entered. The photographic image is rotated relatively in response to the first signal. For a vertically positioned image, a video signal is produced which is representative of the image with a magnification which is smaller than that of a horizontally positioned image. Such a procedure provides a video signal which represents an image in a non-inverted top-bottom orientation without any essential portions of the image being omitted.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device is disclosed which includes the steps of forming oxide layers on a major surface of a substrate at first and second portions, forming first and second semiconductor layers, each having predetermined conductivity types and with predetermined patterns on the oxide layers of the first and second portions, forming a first region by introducing an impurity of the first conductivity type into the substrate while using the first semiconductor layer as a mask, etching out the oxide layer on the second portion by using the second semiconductor layer as a mask, forming a second region by introducing an impurity of the second conductivity type into the substrate while using the second semiconductor layer as a mask, and forming oxide layers on the surfaces of the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer and the second region by a thermal oxidization process.

Abstract: In a switchable suspension system for automobiles and other vehicles, an auxiliary air-spring chamber is provided above a main air-spring chamber in such a manner as to enclose a piston rod so that the spring force of the suspension can be adjusted appropriately. An air passage to connect the two air-spring chambers is provided in the piston rod. The piston rod and a control rod extending inside the piston rod make up a switch valve that controls the opening and closing of the air passage. The air passage of the suspension system is enclosed with a cover to cut off the outward leakage of the noise resulting from the inflow and outflow of air through the air passage that leads from an air compressor to the two air-spring chambers of the suspension system.

Abstract: A molding composition is obtained by blending flaky graphite with a resin component comprising a mixture of a thermoplastic resin having a glass transition temperature higher than room temperature and another thermoplastic resin having a glass transition temperature lower than room temperature. The composition is kneaded and rolled into a sheet to orient the graphite flakes parallel to the surface of the sheet. The rolled sheet is then molded into an article, for example, speaker diaphragm, arm pipe and head shell, which may be optionally be carbonized or graphitized. The resulting article exhibits improved physical properties, especially high specific modulus of elasticity comparable to aluminum and beryllium as well as good internal loss comparable to paper.