Abstract: A steering shaft assembly has a tubular main body and a shaft, with a spring and a sleeve disposed at least partially therebetween. The shaft is disposed at least partially in the tubular main body and the sleeve is disposed at least partially between the spring and the main body. The sleeve acts to urge the spring into frictional contact with the shaft to impart an axial resistance force supporting the shaft against axial displacement in response to application of an axial force on the shaft less than the axial resistance force. The sleeve enables axial displacement of the shaft in response to application of an axial collapsing force exceeding the axial resistance force. In another construction of a steering shaft assembly, a shaft is disposed at least partially in the tubular main body and the spring is disposed at least partially in the tubular main body between the tubular main body and the shaft. The spring acts to impart a radial load between the shaft and the tubular main body.

Abstract: A graphical programming language (GPL) that allows GPL user functions to be callable from other software. The present invention employs a client/server model to allow GPL user functions to be called, much like a procedure from one language is called by a second language. The client is a library of ‘C’ procedure calls. The GPL server is the service. This allows a GPL user function to be called by any application that can link in the ‘C’ library. The ‘C’ client can exist on a separate machine from the GPL service or on the same machine in the presence of a multitasking operating system. When calling a GPL user function, the arguments of the ‘C’ call correspond to the input and output terminals of the GPL user function. The data being sent to the GPL user function is the input data. The data being returned from the GPL user function is the result from the execution of the GPL user function.

Abstract: A plastic honey comb mounting bracket having a center passage surrounds a mast jacket of the steering column. The top of the plastic mounting bracket is clamped flush against a flat panel on a body of the motor vehicle by a pair of spring washers supported below respective ones of a pair of platforms on the mounting bracket by a pair of rigid studs on the vehicle body. The rigid studs are exposed through a pair of vertical slots in the mounting bracket. In some embodiments the spring washers release the plastic mounting bracket for linear translation as a unit with the mast jacket with the path traversed by the mast jacket being defined by the vertical slots in the mounting bracket. In another embodiment, the plastic mounting bracket remains stationary and the path traversed by the mast jacket during its collapse stroke is defined by the center passage in the plastic mounting bracket.

Abstract: A plastic honey comb mounting bracket having a center passage surrounds a mast jacket of the steering column. The top of the plastic mounting bracket is clamped flush against a flat panel on a body of the motor vehicle by a pair of spring washers supported below respective ones of a pair of platforms on the mounting bracket by a pair of rigid studs on the vehicle body. The rigid studs are exposed through a pair of vertical slots in the mounting bracket. In some embodiments the spring washers release the plastic mounting bracket for linear translation as a unit with the mast jacket with the path traversed by the mast jacket being defined by the vertical slots in the mounting bracket. In another embodiment, the plastic mounting bracket remains stationary and the path traversed by the mast jacket during its collapse stroke is defined by the center passage in the plastic mounting bracket.

Abstract: A steering shaft assembly has a tubular main body and a shaft, with a spring and a sleeve disposed at least partially therebetween. The shaft is disposed at least partially in the tubular main body and the sleeve is disposed at least partially between the spring and the main body. The sleeve acts to urge the spring into frictional contact with the shaft to impart an axial resistance force supporting the shaft against axial displacement in response to application of an axial force on the shaft less than the axial resistance force. The sleeve enables axial displacement of the shaft in response to application of an axial collapsing force exceeding the axial resistance force. In another construction of a steering shaft assembly, a shaft is disposed at least partially in the tubular main body and the spring is disposed at least partially in the tubular main body between the tubular main body and the shaft. The spring acts to impart a radial load between the shaft and the tubular main body.

Abstract: A plastic honey comb mounting bracket having a center passage surrounds a mast jacket of the steering column. The top of the plastic mounting bracket is clamped flush against a flat panel on a body of the motor vehicle by a pair of spring washers supported below respective ones of a pair of platforms on the mounting bracket by a pair of rigid studs on the vehicle body. The rigid studs are exposed through a pair of vertical slots in the mounting bracket. In some embodiments the spring washers release the plastic mounting bracket for linear translation as a unit with the mast jacket with the path traversed by the mast jacket being defined by the vertical slots in the mounting bracket. In another embodiment, the plastic mounting bracket remains stationary and the path traversed by the mast jacket during its collapse stroke is defined by the center passage in the plastic mounting bracket.

Abstract: A product and associated methodology provided for scheduling job streams and leveling machine loads automatically without regard to specific knowledge of a job's internals or estimates of its machine load and without specific knowledge of a machine's resources or its total machine load capability. This involves use of a generalized critical path method algorithm in conjunction with a resource leveling algorithm. The generalized CPM algorithm supports arbitrary precedence logic and precedence types. The invention can therefore provide automatic resource leveling in connection with a broad range of practical applications including managing resources of a computer network.

Abstract: The lower bracket assembly for a vehicle steering column includes a lower column support bracket with a central passage. A lower bearing adapter slides into the central passage from the rear. A pair of energy absorption straps engage the column support bracket and the lower bearing adapter and resist further forward movement of the lower bearing adapter. During a collision, the energy absorption straps absorb energy while permitting the lower bearing adapter to move forward and out of the central passage through the column support bracket.

Abstract: The lower bracket assembly for a vehicle steering column includes a lower column support bracket with a central passage. A lower bearing adapter slides into the central passage from the rear. A pair of energy absorption straps engage the column support bracket and the column support bracket and resist further forward movement of the lower bearing adapter. During a collision, the energy absorption straps absorb energy while permitting the lower bearing adapter to move forward and out of the central passage through the column support bracket.

Abstract: A mounting apparatus for an energy absorbing motor vehicle steering column including a molded structural plastic honey comb mounting bracket having a center passage around a mast jacket of the steering column. The top of the plastic mounting bracket is clamped flush against a flat panel on a body of the motor vehicle by a pair of spring washers supported below respective ones of a pair of platforms on the mounting bracket by a pair of rigid studs on the vehicle body. The rigid studs are exposed through a pair of vertical slots in the mounting bracket. In some embodiments of the mounting apparatus, the spring washers release the plastic mounting bracket for linear translation as a unit with the mast jacket through an energy absorbing collapse stroke of the latter with the path traversed by the mast jacket being defined by the vertical slots in the mounting bracket and the flat panel above the mounting bracket.

Abstract: An icon in a graphical programming language that will communicate with many different instruments. The Multi-Device Direct I/O object allows the control of multiple instruments using the instruments's built-in commands. The Multi-Device Direct I/O object (icon) allows each separate transaction within the object to address a separate instrument. The I/O Transaction dialog box associated with each transaction contains two new fields, a device field and an address field. The device field contains the name of all of the currently configured instruments or devices. The address field has two modes: Default Address and Address. The Default Address mode chooses the address entered in the Configure I/O dialog box. The Address mode causes the user to enter in another address or a variable or expression that evaluates to a valid address. The Multi-Device Direct I/O object allows for any instrument, on any interface (i.e., GPIB, RS232, and VXI interface) and can handle multiple I/O paths.

Abstract: An energy absorber for a motor vehicle steering column including a yoke pivotable about a lateral centerline of a body of the motor vehicle and an energy absorbing structure responsive to linear translation of a mast jacket of the steering column relative to the yoke in the direction of a longitudinal centerline of the mast jacket. The mast jacket extends through a bore in the yoke and is prevented by the bore from tipping relative to the yoke. The energy absorbing structure includes a convex anvil on the mast jacket and a J-shaped flat metal strap seated on the convex anvil with a short leg rigidly attached to the yoke and a long leg juxtaposed a wall of the mast jacket.