Abstract: An air spring of the type with a sleeve having a first rolling lobe connected at an end to a first piston, a second rolling lobe connected to an end to a second piston, and where the first piston is substantially frustoconical and the second piston is substantially cylindrical and where the minimum effective area of the first piston is less than the minimum effective area of the second piston and where the maximum effective area of the first piston is greater than the maximum effective area of the second piston. The frustoconical first piston allows the air spring to accommodate large angular suspension motion without degrading durability.

Abstract: An air spring of the type with a sleeve having a first rolling lobe connected at an end to a first piston, a second rolling lobe connected to an end to a second piston, and where the first piston is substantially frustoconical and the second piston is substantially cylindrical and where the minimum effective area of the first piston is less than the minimum effective area of the second piston and where the maximum effective area of the first piston is greater than the maximum effective area of the second piston. The frustoconical first piston allows the air spring to accommodate large angular suspension motion without degrading durability.

Abstract: A vehicle suspension with an airspring of the type with a flexible sleeve forming a chamber portion and a rolling lobe portion. The chamber portion is attached to a tilted closure and the rolling lobe portion of the airsleeve is attached to a piston that is transversely moved which introduces a shear force into the airsleeve and increases a surface area on an upward tilted side of the sleeve so as to provide side load compensation and where the axial length of the rolling lobe is substantially equalized to enhanced flexural life. A method of imparting a side load force with an airspring fastened between a fixed member and reciprocating member of a vehicle suspension, is provided by tilting a closure member of the airspring, transversely moving a piston connected to a rolling lobe portion of the airspring while distorting a chamber portion of the airspring, and eccentrically offsetting the piston in a manner that tends to equalize an axial length of a rolling lobe.

Abstract: A telescopic strut for a vehicle suspension of the airspring type with a flexible sleeve forming a chamber portion and a rolling lobe portion. The chamber portion is attached to a tilted closure and the rolling lobe portion of the airsleeve is attached to a piston that is transversely moved which introduces a shear force into the airsleeve and increases a surface area on an upward tilted side of the sleeve so as to provide side load compensation and where the axial length of the rolling lobe is substantially equalized to enhanced flexural life.

Abstract: A variable speed belt drive transmission system with a driven pulley having a movable pulley half operated to move axially with generated axial forces that decrease from where the driven pulley is closed to where the driven pulley is open, the maximum generated force being from about 100 to about 120 percent of a required pulley axial force where theoretical belt slip could occur.A method for enhancing belt life by controlling belt tension with driven pulley axial force by establishing a required driven pulley axial force that decreases from where the driven pulley is closed to where the driven pulley is open, the generated force lines being from about 100 to about 120 percent of a determined pulley axial force line where theoretical belt slip impends.

Abstract: An alternating rotary to reciprocating type actuator with two axially spaced disc members that each have a plurality of circumferentially spaced rim grooves. A cord is wound in zig-zag fashion between the disc members and in the grooves to define a plurality of similarly arranged links that interconnect the disc members.

Abstract: A variable speed belt drive transmission system with a driven pulley having a movable pulley half operated to move axially with generated axial forces that decrease from where the driven pulley is closed to where the driven pulley is open, the maximum generated force being from about 100 to about 120 percent of a required pulley axial force where theoretical belt slip could occur.A method for enhancing belt life by controlling belt tension with driven pulley axial force by establishing a required driven pulley axial force that decreases from where the driven pulley is closed to where the driven pulley is open, the generated force lines being from about 100 to about 120 percent of a determined pulley axial force line where theoretical belt slip impends.

Abstract: A method for shifting a transmission with a predominantly mechanical speed sensing actuator to within a 10 percent shifting zone around a chosen operating line on an engine rpm/torque map by matching the force balance of the driver pulley to a force balance on the driven pulley.A variable speed belt drive transmission system with a predominantly mechanical speed sensing driver pulley and a torque sensing driven pulley that responds to an operating line, monotonic in torque having a slope from about 0.004 lb-ft/rpm to about 0.060 lb-ft/rpm where the driver pulley has an actuator that controls speed for a chosen torque value. The actuator has at least one centrifugal weight connected to an end of a torque producing spring to wind the spring. A second end of the spring is operatively connected through an articulated linkage to a movable half of the pulley such that the generated axial force is not directly proportional to square of the speed.

Abstract: An air spring of the type with a sleeve having a first rolling lobe connected at an end to a first piston, a second rolling lobe connected to an end to a second piston, and where the first piston is substantially frustoconical cylindrical and the second piston is substantially cylindrical frustoconical and where the minimum effective area of the first second piston is less than the minimum effective area of the second first piston and where the maximum effective area of the first second piston is greater than the maximum effective area of the second first piston. The frustoconical first second piston allows the air spring to accommodate large angular suspension motion without degrading durability.