Abstract: An alarm system which signals to the driver a first alarm whenever he opens a vehicle door and the selector lever of an automatic transmission is not in its full park position. The system signals to the driver and also to persons external to the vehicle a second different alarm whenever, in addition, the driver leaves his seat and the selector lever is not in its full park position or the parking pawl fails to properly engage the parking gear even though the selector lever is in its proper park position. A manual switch may be operated to selectively disconnect the alarms, with an automatic operator being provided to close this switch should it accidently be left in its open condition.

Abstract: The invention overcomes the problem of a cocking valve in a pressure control unit for use in a vehicle braking system. The valve is provided with a body assembly defining an external cylindrical surface slidably engaging the internal surface of a valve chamber, the engaged cylindrical surfaces having sufficient axial extent as to positively prevent said valve from cocking or moving laterally out of a co-axial position with a movable valve seat.

Abstract: The invention overcomes the problem of a cocking valve in a pressure control unit for use in a vehicle braking system. The valve is provided with a body assembly defining an external cylindrical surface slidably engaging the internal surface of a valve chamber, the engaged cylindrical surfaces having sufficient axial extent as to positively prevent said valve from cocking or moving laterally out of a co-axial position with a movable valve seat.

Abstract: The invention overcomes the problem of a cocking valve in a pressure control unit for use in a vehicle braking system. The valve is provided with a body assembly defining an external cylindrical surface slidably engaging the internal surface of a valve chamber, the engaged cylindrical surfaces having sufficient axial extent as to positively prevent said valve from cocking or moving laterally out of a co-axial position with a movable valve seat.

Abstract: Sudden accidental unintended movement of an automatic transmission into reverse with the engine running is prevented by modifying the usual control rod to provide a cam surface so positioned thereon that as the control rod is moved a predetermined distance from reverse towards park a spring loaded member engages the cam surface and both restrains unintended movement of the control rod back to reverse and positively drives the control rod into its full park position as soon as the parking pawl aligns with a space between teeth of a parking gear. The mechanism may be assembled as original equipment in conventional transmissions or added to existing transmissions with little or no modification in design.

Abstract: A fifth wheel coupler having a jaw which is positively driven by a mechanism in response to the movement of a king pin in a coupling direction. The jaw and the mechanism are yieldably connected so as to permit the mechanism to be operated by the oncoming king pin to the full extent of the movement of both, after the jaw has been prevented from further movement due to engagement with an obstruction on the king pin.

Abstract: Sudden accidental or unintended movement of an automatic transmission into reverse with the engine running is prevented by substituting for the usual unitary control rod a two part arrangement, one being movable by the shift lever and the other being movable by a spring separator from the shift lever but arranged to exert a force only in the direction of a parking pawl and never in the reverse direction against any member connected to the detent plate. Thus it is impossible for a yielding cam spring to ever drive the linkage unexpectedly into reverse should a driver carelessly position a shaft lever between its reverse and park positions.

Abstract: A parking brake for automatic transmissions increases the safety of such brakes by arranging the cam, control rod, pawl and lost motion spring so that whenever the shift lever is not moved to its full park position with the engine running, the lost motion spring exerts a force on the mechanism blocking return thereof to reverse position while urging the mechanism in the direction of its park position, thereby preventing the vehicle thought to have been parked from suddenly moving in reverse possibly injuring anyone standing behind the vehicle.

Abstract: A king pin for a tractor trailer coupling is disclosed. The king pin is substantially conventional except that the lower flange thereof, which is presently standardized to have less diameter than the upper part of the king pin, is made predeterminedly larger than the upper part so that it cannot be received in the usual recess at the upper end of the coupler jaw when closed, or when the jaw is opened the flange positively prevents the jaw from closing. Thus a trailer can never be towed at all by partial seating of the flange of a misaligned king pin in the upper recess of a closed jaw as now can occur with a standardized king pins resulting in unexpected and dangerous separation of the tractor and trailer on the open highway.