Abstract: A gas spring with a sealing and bearing assembly received within a casing of the gas spring adjacent to a rod slidably received through the assembly for axial reciprocation. The assembly has an annular retaining ring received within the casing, an annular bearing with a throughbore through which the rod reciprocates carried by the retaining ring, an annular retainer carried by the retaining ring downstream of the bearing, and a sealing member received within the retaining ring adjacent to the retainer and in firm engagement with the rod and retaining ring to provide a gas-tight seal between the rod and the retaining ring to prevent the escape of gas from the gas spring. The retainer preferably has a dovetail flange extending therefrom and the sealing ring has a complementarily shaped recess molded or press-fit onto the flange to attach the sealing ring to the retainer. The retainer is preferably firmly clamped to the retaining ring by rolling its upper edge over the retainer.

Abstract: A gas spring with a filler block assembly defining the rear sealing wall of the gas chamber of the gas spring. The filler block assembly has an end cap with an internally threaded through passageway for filling the chamber with compressed gas. An externally threaded screw plug is threaded into the cap passageway and has an enlarged head portion with a conical sealing surface. An O-ring encircles the screw plug and is wedge-captured sealably between its sealing surface and a radial sealing surface on the cap front face. The screw plug and passageway threads are constructed and arranged to provide a gas chamber filling leakage path therebetween such that the gas spring chamber can be charged with pressurized nitrogen gas admitted into the rear end of the cap filling passageway with the screw plug and O-ring already installed in the cap in final operable position to function as a one-way check valve for admitting the pressurized gas to the spring chamber and to prevent egress of the gas therefrom.

Abstract: A gas spring with an elongate tubular casing having a chamber for containing a gas under pressure therein. The casing has an opening at one end and an annular groove around the outer circumference. A piston rod projects from the casing through the opening and is connected to a piston disposed within the chamber for compressing the gas therein. A mounting sleeve is telescoped over the casing and has exterior threads thereon. The sleeve has an internal annular groove which coincides with the groove in the casing forming a passage between the sleeve and the casing. The sleeve is secured to the casing by a lock ring formed in the passage by injecting a resin into the passage and allowing it to cool and solidify. Holes are formed through the sleeve opening into the passage. Some permit resin to be injected into the passage through the holes and some permit resin to flow from the passage into the holes.

Abstract: A gas spring with a piston reciprocable in a chamber of a casing, a sealing assembly at the rear end of the casing through which the piston rod extends, and an end cap closing the rear end of the casing. The sealing assembly has a reinforcing ring having a sealing ring on one side and a wiper on the other side. The sealing ring and wiper are portions of a single body of elastomeric material molded to the reinforcing ring and integrally connected through one or more openings in the reinforcing ring. The casing wall is rolled radially inwardly over the sealing assembly into pressure contact with the reinforcing ring so that the sealing assembly becomes in effect an end cap for the front end of the casing. The rear end of the casing is rolled over the rear end cap by swaging into pressure contact with the end cap. A filler valve is disposed in the end cap.

Abstract: A gas spring with a piston reciprocable in a chamber of a casing, a sealing assembly at the rear end of the casing through which the piston rod extends, and an end cap closing the rear end of the casing. The sealing assembly has a reinforcing ring having a sealing ring on one side and a wiper on the other side. The sealing ring and wiper are portions of a single body of elastomeric material molded to the reinforcing ring and integrally connected through one or more openings in the reinforcing ring. The casing wall is rolled radially inwardly over the sealing assembly into pressure contact with the reinforcing ring so that the sealing assembly becomes in effect an end cap for the front end of the casing. The rear end of the casing is rolled over the rear end cap by swaging into pressure contact with the end cap. A filler valve is disposed in the end cap.

Abstract: A device with one or more actuator racks carried by a housing for reciprocation and each meshing with a separate pinion gear having a non-circular central hole in which a complimentary coupling shaft can be removably received for rotation in unison with the gear(s). The pinion gears are carried and journalled for rotation in the housing by a pair of co-axial bushings with generally opposed and spaced apart axially projecting rims received in mating peripheral shoulders in the side faces of the gears. The gear teeth extend generally axially continuously between their side faces with the shoulders in their side edges. Preferably the radial extent of each shoulder is less than the radial extent of the teeth. When the coupling shaft is removed from the gears each pinion can rotate independently of the shaft and each other to initially position its associated rack at a desired location and when the shaft is inserted in the pinion gears they rotate in unison to simultaneously actuate the rack(s).

Abstract: A spindle is supported for rotation in opposite directions about its longitudinal central axis. An end portion of seat belt webbing is secured to the spindle. The belt webbing normally moves parallel to a predetermined plane as the belt webbing is withdrawn from the spindle. The belt webbing moves in a direction transverse to the predetermined plane during the last quarter of a revolution of the spindle as the belt webbing is fully withdrawn from the spindle. The spindle is biased to rotate about its longitudinal central axis in a belt retraction direction to wind the belt webbing onto the spindle. A comfort mechanism has a member which is movable between a first position in which rotation of the spindle in the belt retraction direction is blocked and a second position in which rotation of the spindle in the belt retraction direction is permitted.

Abstract: A webbing retainer plate retains an end portion of a length of belt webbing within a seat belt retractor spool. The spool includes a spindle and a hollow sleeve spaced outwardly of the spindle and rotatable with the spindle. An opening in the sleeve allows the end of a length of belt webbing to extend into the sleeve. The end of the belt is sewn in a loop and encloses a central portion of the webbing retainer plate. The central portion of the plate clamps the webbing loop against the sleeve and against the spindle, to block the belt end portion from being withdrawn from the sleeve. The webbing retainer plate has two arm portions which extend from the central portion. The plate arm portions engage the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve to maintain the plate in position lodged within the sleeve. The end portion of the belt webbing, including the sewn loop, is located within the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve. This allows the belt webbing to be wound smoothly on the exterior of the sleeve.

Abstract: A motor vehicle seat belt retractor assembly is provided in which a locking pawl is carried with a rotatable saddle member to permit limited movement when the pawl is lockingly engaged with a ratchet tooth in the retractor.