Abstract: Impact protection structures for vehicles are described. An impact protection structure includes a support structure of the vehicle, an interior rail coupled to the support structure, and an exterior rail coupled to the interior rail. The exterior rail has an inboard boundary wall positioned between an upper mounting region and a lower mounting region. The upper and the lower exterior mounting region of the exterior rail are coupled to an upper and a lower mounting region of the interior rail. At least a portion of the inboard boundary wall is spaced apart from an outboard wall of the interior rail such that when the exterior rail is impacted by a blunt-object barrier, the inboard boundary wall of the exterior rail deforms, thereby damping energy of the impact at the exterior rail and arresting crack propagation between the exterior rail and the interior rail.

Abstract: An impact protection structure for a vehicle impacting a blunt-object barrier includes a support structure of the vehicle, an energy absorbing rail coupled to the support structure, and a localized energy dissipation structure. The energy absorbing rail extends an energy absorbing rail length and includes a plurality of lumens. The localized energy dissipation structure extends a localized energy dissipation structure length less than the energy absorbing rail length.

Abstract: An impact protection structure for a vehicle impacting a blunt-object barrier includes a support structure of the vehicle, an energy absorbing rail coupled to the support structure, and a localized energy dissipation structure. The energy absorbing rail extends an energy absorbing rail length and includes a plurality of lumens. The localized energy dissipation structure extends a localized energy dissipation structure length less than the energy absorbing rail length.

Abstract: An impact protection structure for a vehicle impacting a blunt-object barrier includes a support structure of the vehicle, an energy absorbing rail coupled to the support structure, and a localized energy dissipation structure. The energy absorbing rail extends an energy absorbing rail length and includes a plurality of lumens. The localized energy dissipation structure extends a localized energy dissipation structure length less than the energy absorbing rail length.

Abstract: Impact protection structures for vehicles are described. An impact protection structure includes a support structure of the vehicle, an interior rail coupled to the support structure, and an exterior rail coupled to the interior rail. The exterior rail has an inboard boundary wall positioned between an upper mounting region and a lower mounting region. The upper and the lower exterior mounting region of the exterior rail are coupled to an upper and a lower mounting region of the interior rail. At least a portion of the inboard boundary wall is spaced apart from an outboard wall of the interior rail such that when the exterior rail is impacted by a blunt-object barrier, the inboard boundary wall of the exterior rail deforms, thereby damping energy of the impact at the exterior rail and arresting crack propagation between the exterior rail and the interior rail.

Abstract: Several systems and methods for monitoring the proximity of a device to a power line are disclosed. Electric field monitoring systems are mounted to the device and include a plurality of electric field sensors and a monitoring system base unit. Each electric field monitoring sensor senses the strength of a magnetic field in which the sensor is positioned and transmits a corresponding magnitude output signal to the base unit when polled by the base unit. If a sensor reports a magnetic field exceeding a threshold, the frequency of polling for that sensor may be increased. If a sensor reports a magnetic field exceeding another (possibly identical) threshold, an alarm may be activated, movement of the device may be limited or stopped or another action or a combination of actions may be taken.

Abstract: A clutch arm centering device is disclosed. The device is mounted on a clutch using to operate piston valves on a crane or other heavy machine. The piston valves may be operated using a valve arm which has two operative positions and a neutral position between the two operative positions. A clutch arm of the clutch is linked to valve arm to allow the valve arm to be manipulated by a remote control coupled to the clutch. As parts of the linkage between the clutch arm and the valve arm wear, the centering device biases the clutch arm to a central position which corresponds to the neutral position of the valve arm, thereby avoiding problems of understroking and overstroking which arise in the prior art.