Abstract: A valve characteristic control apparatus is provided with a simple structure in which a cam shaft having three-dimensional cams is axially displaced and the cam shaft is rotated with respect to a crank shaft by a ring gear. An axial driving mechanism axially displaces the intake cam shaft and thereby changes working angles of the three-dimensional cams. In this case, engagement of a spline formed on the cam shaft with teeth formed on an inner peripheral surface of the ring gear allows the cam shaft to axially move with respect to a pulley integrated with the crank shaft. A rotational driving mechanism axially displaces the ring gear, so that a helical spline formed on the pulley engages teeth formed on an outer peripheral surface of the ring gear and a spline formed on the cam shaft engages teeth formed on the inner peripheral surface of the ring gear. Thus, the cam shaft rotates relative to the pulley.

Abstract: A valve drive device has a pair of valves in association with a cylinder and a pair of cams provided on the camshaft to selectively open and close the valves. Each cam has a cam surface and a cam nose. The cam surface has an axially varying radius at the cam nose. A bearing supports the camshaft between the pair of cams. A pair of valve lifters are arranged respectively between the cams and the valves. Each valve lifter has a supporting surface and a cam follower supported on the supporting surface to slidably contact with the cam surface. A moving mechanism moves axially to change the lift amount of the valves, Each cam follower is located farther from the bearing, which is positioned between the pair of cams, than the center of the supporting surface in the axial direction of the camshaft. This results in greater axial movement of the cams and a greater variation of valve lift without placing excessive axial lodes on the camshaft.

Abstract: A variable valve timing mechanism of an internal combustion engine varies the rotational phase of a camshaft with respect to a drive shaft to vary the timing of a set of engine valves. The mechanism includes a first rotor for a rotation in synchronism with the drive shaft and a second rotor for a rotation in synchronism with the camshaft. The second rotor has vanes, which are located in hydraulic chambers. Unequal hydraulic forces on the vanes causes the second rotor to rotate with respect to the first rotor to change the rotational phase of the camshaft with respect to the drive shaft. Hydraulic pressure is supplied to a certain side of the vanes to apply forces to the vanes. A lock member locks the second rotor to the first rotor to fix the rotational phase of the camshaft with respect to the drive shaft.

Abstract: A label printer for printing tape-shaped labels. The label printer includes a freely detachably mountable tape cassette housing a tape; printing device including a print head for printing symbols and alphanumeric characters on the tape; controller for controlling printing operations; a freely detachably mountable ribbon cassette independent from the tape cassette, the ribbon cassette housing an ink ribbon; detector for detecting a type of the ribbon cassette; and an operation portion for operating the detector, the operation portion being provided to the ribbon cassette in a configuration corresponding to the type of ribbon cassette.

Abstract: A tape printer cassette, bearing a film tape and ink ribbon on spools therein, maintains the film tape in a feed path defined by an outer wall and a partition and the ink ribbon in a feed path defined by the partition and an inner wall. The inner wall and the partition are set to be substantially the same height as the ink ribbon and higher than the outer wall. When the ink ribbon is wider than the film tape, an unused portion of the ink ribbon remains after printing; regulating members spaced by the width of the film tape, downstream of the printing region, keep the film tape in the center of the ribbon so that the unused portion remains and so that the ink ribbon cannot proceed along the film tape feed path past the regulating members. When an adhesive backing is also provided on a spool in the cassette, regulating members align the film tape and adhesive backing at a feed capstan so that they are not displaced relative to each other when adhered.

Abstract: A tape/ribbon composite cassette comprising a tape cassette freely detachably mounted in a printer provided with a print head, the tape cassette housing a tape serving as a print medium, the tape cassette having an upper surface; a ribbon cassette freely detachably mounted in the tape cassette, the ribbon cassette housing an ink ribbon, the ribbon cassette provided with an upper surface overlapping at least a portion of the upper surface of the tape cassette; at least two guide portions provided to the tape cassette at positions separated from each other at an outer periphery of the tape cassette, the at least two guide portions guiding the ribbon cassette vertically in and out of the tape cassette; and at least two guided portions formed integrally to the upper surface of the ribbon cassette at positions corresponding to the positions of the guide portions, the at least two guided portions engaging with the guide portions to guide the ribbon cassette vertically in an out of the tape cassette.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing a product such as a constant velocity joint having a recess whose opening has a lesser diameter than its interior, by ironing a workpiece supplied to working parts of punches which workpiece is pre-formed into a hollow structure whose opening has an excess of metal required to be ironed. A group of punches are mounted in a loop around a punch guide for relative axial movement. The group of punches includes a set of first punches and a set of second punches, disposed alternately. Each punch has a working part at an upper end thereof and the working parts are closely assembled in a closed loop at the time of the forming process. Each punch is formed with a groove in a side which is slidable along the punch guide. The grooves in the first punches are different in length from those in the second punches.

Abstract: An intake system for an electronic control fuel injection system for a double overhead camshaft type internal combustion engine. The intake system has a surge tank connected via a connection pipe to a throttle body in which a throttle valve is arranged. A recess is formed between a cover for the intake camshaft and a cover for the exhaust camshaft. The throttle body is at least partially arranged in the recess.

Abstract: A control system for a push-pull unit mounted on a motor scraper has a push-pull control circuit including a bail actuating cylinder and a directional change-over valve, a suspension control circuit and an electric operating circuit for changing over the directional change-over valve to supply fluid under pressure from a hydraulic pump into either the push-pull control circuit or the suspension control circuit in accordance with the operator's indication. The directional change-over valve is changed over by an actuator connected with a pressure source through a pressurized medium passage in which solenoid operated valves controlled by the electric operating circuit are provided.