Abstract: A heat exchanger assembly and method for making the assembly. The assembly includes a compartment having at least two sides to define at least one corner. A first plate member which defines the sides and the corner has at least one embossment on each side of the corner with one end of each embossment terminating in spaced relationship to the corner. A second plate member mating with the first plate member and connected by an epoxy adhesive compound defines fluid channel passages for receiving a heat exchange fluid. An embossment in the second plate member which extends about the outside of the corner and overlaps a portion of the ends of the first-mentioned embossments interconnects the first-mentioned embossments.

Abstract: A ratchet action slack adjuster assembly for use with cam operated brakes. The assembly includes a rotatable actuating shaft for actuating a braking means and has a portion containing ratchet teeth. An actuator is mounted on the actuating shaft for providing input to the rotatable actuating shaft by arcuate movement. The actuator includes two identically stamped lever halves having dish-shaped base portions which define a cavity when the halves are fastened together. A plurality of pawl members engaging the ratchet teeth of the actuating shaft are disposed in the cavity and are pivotally supported by the lever. An annular adjustment member is axially spaced for mounting independently of the actuator on a support structure for lost rotary motion relative to the lever and the actuating shaft.

Abstract: A constant velocity joint for transmission of rotary motion between two angularly-displaceable shafts to maintain velocity of a driven shaft equal with a driving shaft regardless of the angular relationship of the two shafts. A ball-shaped member is rotatable about a first axis and is disposed and received in an outer member which is rotatable about a second axis. The ball-shaped member is fabricated from identical stamped metal halves which are welded together to form a hollow ball. Rotary motion is transmitted between the ball-shaped member and the outer member by diametrically opposed cam rollers which are rotatably supported on shafts which are fixedly attached to the outer member. The cam rollers engage flanges which extend inwardly from the edges of slots in the ball-shaped member. The outer member has a cup-shaped socket configuration which is complementally shaped to receive the ball-shaped member. The open end of the outer member includes an annular flange.

Abstract: A furniture assembly, such as a metal box spring assembly, including slats defining support members for a plurality of coil springs. An aperture is formed in the metal support slat with an upset portion disposed about the periphery of the aperture and out of the plane of the support member and the tail of the coiled spring is inserted into the aperture and thereafter the upset portion is flattened toward the plane of the support member to force the periphery of the aperture into gripping engagement with the tail of the coil spring to retain the coil spring to the support member. The upset portion has a groove therein for receiving a radially extending support portion of the coil spring for receiving and positioning the radially extending support portion of the coil spring thereby positioning the entire spring.

Abstract: A furniture assembly, such as a metal box spring assembly, including slats defining support members for a plurality of coil springs. An aperture is formed in the metal support slat with an upset portion disposed about the periphery of the aperture and out of the plane of the support member and the tail of the coiled spring is inserted into the aperture and thereafter the upset portion is flattened toward the plane of the support member to force the periphery of the aperture into gripping engagement with the tail of the coil spring to retain the coil spring to the support member. The upset portion has a groove therein for receiving a radially extending support portion of the coil spring for receiving and positioning the radially extending support portion of the coil spring thereby positioning the entire spring.

Abstract: A sofa bed assembly of the type which includes a roller and track arrangement for guiding the movement of the folded bed frame between the storage compartment and the deployed position wherein the roller of the roller assemblies are retractable to provide a quick release connection between the bed frame and the support frame so that the two components can be easily assembled and disassembled.

Abstract: A bed assembly comprising a metal frame of generally rectangular configuration including a pair of opposed side rails and a pair of opposed end rails and a plurality of metal slats extending transversely between the side rails in spaced parallel relationship to one another and to the end rails. Both of the end and side rails have a hollow cross section along their respective lengths. The hollow cross section in each of the rails is defined at least by two metal members welded together. The end rails of a first embodiment and all of the rails of a second embodiment are defined by a pair of U-shaped members having their legs overlapping with the bases of the U shapes spaced from one another to define the hollow cross section. The side rails of the first embodiment are defined by channeled members having a channel extending therealong and a plate-like strip covering the channel to define the hollow cross section.

Abstract: A coffin-like liner for the cabinet of a refrigerator to be disposed within the outer casing of the refrigerator. The liner includes a first integral sheet which defines the back and the bottom portion of the liner and a second integral sheet which defines the top and the sides of the liner. The sheets are mechanically connected together by a crimped seam along their mating edges which extend along the juncture of the sides and the bottom and along the juncture of the sides and the back and along the juncture of the top and the back. The crimped seam includes a U-shaped portion extending along the edge of the sheet defining the back and the bottom and an L-shaped flange extending along the edge of the sheet defining the top and the sides with one leg of the L-shaped disposed in the U-shaped portion. A filler material fills the space between the mating portions of the two sheets to provide a smooth continuous surface within the liner.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel suspension assembly capable of moving a vehicle wheel between a surface-engaging position and a retracted position wherein the assembly comprises a support structure, a connecting bracket for attaching the support structure to the undercarriage of the vehicle, an arm for rotatably supporting a vehicle wheel, the arm being pivotally connected to the support structure to permit reciprocal movement of the arm in a generally vertical plane, a resilient member supported by the support structure, and a combined connecting and lifting device connecting the arm to the resilient member; the device being movable between a first mode in which the vehicle wheel is in a surface-engaging position and the arm is rigidly connected to the resilient member and a second mode in which the vehicle wheel is in a retracted position, the device including a control mechanism for selectively moving the device between the first and second modes.

Abstract: A furniture assembly movable between a sitting configuration and a bed configuration including a support frame, a foldable bed frame supported by the support frame and movable between a folded and an unfolded position, the bed frame including an inner frame member supported by the support frame and an outer frame member pivotally movable between an extended position wherein it is generally coplanar with respect to the inner frame member and a folded position wherein it is located above the inner frame member, the inner and outer frame members defining a space therebetween when in the folded position for containing bedding material; guide means, such as tracks or the like, interconnect the support frame and the bed frame for guiding the movement of the bed frame between a stored position within the support frame and a deployed position in which the bed frame may be moved to the unfolded position; the assembly further including a closure device, such as a pivoted arm, operative when the bed frame is in the fold

Abstract: A furniture assembly such as a sofa bed which moves between a sitting configuration and a bed configuration including a metal support frame having end units with interconnecting beam members removably connected to the end units by bolts. A metal plate is secured to each end unit and includes a pair of slots inclined or slanted upwardly and forwardly from the rearward ends with U-shaped metal track members having flanges secured to the metal plates for defining laterally extending track surfaces. Inner and outer frames are pivotally connected together by an intermediate frame and are movable between a folded position and an unfolded position to define the bed configuration. The inner frame has bifurcated brackets secured thereto and shafts are connected to the bifurcated brackets and extend through the slots in the adjacent plates to support rollers which roll along the track members. The shafts have threaded nuts thereon and the shafts are the sole means for supporting the bed frames on the support frame.

Abstract: A disc brake assembly including a self-contained actuator for urging a brake shoe into frictional engagement with a friction disc; the actuator including an actuated piston movably supported within a cylinder for moving the brake shoe into engagement with the friction disc, an actuating piston movably supported within the cylinder which is separated from the actuated piston by a fluid-filled chamber which defines a fluid link therebetween and a rotatable, threaded shaft member connected to the actuating piston for transmitting rotational motion to axial motion whereby rotation movement of the shaft member causes axial movement of the actuating piston which in turn causes axial movement of the actuated piston through the fluid link. In order to compensate for separation between the actuated and actuating pistons as a result of brake wear, the cylinder includes a fluid reservoir for supplying additional fluid to the fluid-filled chamber upon separation of these two members.

Abstract: A bed assembly comprising a metal frame of generally rectangular configuration including a pair of opposed side rails and a pair of opposed end rails and a plurality of metal slats extending transversely between the side rails in spaced parallel relationship to one another and to the end rails. Both of the end and side rails have a hollow cross section along their respective lengths. The hollow cross section in each of the rails is defined at least by two metal members welded together. The end rails are defined by a pair of U-shaped members having their legs overlapping with the bases of the U shapes spaced from one another to define the hollow cross section. The side rails are defined by channeled members having a channel extending therealong and a plate-like strip covering the channel to define the hollow cross section. The side rails also include slat support flanges upon which the slats are supported.

Abstract: A dual truck wheel assembly including a wheel having a hub rotatably supported on an axle. A pair of tire rims are removably supported on the wheel in axially spaced relationship to one another. Lugs and lug bolts secured to the wheel engage the outer rim for forcing the outer rim axially toward the inward rim for applying a retaining force to prevent rotation of the rims relative to the wheel. A rim lock assembly is disposed between the rims for continually re-establishing the retaining force in response to relative rotation between the rims in the event the lug bolts loosen. The rim lock assembly includes a plurality of elliptical cam plates engaging the adjacent rims. The cam plates have serrated peripheries whereby when the rims rotate relative to one another the frictional engagement between the cam plates and the rims causes the cam plates to rotate about a central axis urging the rims apart so that the outer rim is moved in a direction to place the lug bolts in tension.

Abstract: A furniture assembly such as a sofa bed which moves between a sitting configuration and a bed configuration including a metal support frame having end units with interconnecting beam members removably connected to the end units by bolts. A metal plate is secured to each end unit and includes a pair of slots inclined or slanted upwardly and forwardly from the rearward ends with U-shaped metal track members having flanges secured to the metal plates for defining laterally extending track surfaces. Inner and outer frames are pivotally connected together by an intermediate frame and are movable between a folded position and an unfolded position to define the bed configuration. The inner frame has bifurcated brackets secured thereto and shafts are connected to the bifurcated brackets and extend through the slots in the adjacent plates to support rollers which roll along the track members. The shafts have threaded nuts thereon and the shafts are the sole means for supporting the bed frames on the support frame.

Abstract: A self-contained brake actuator assembly including a cylinder, an actuated piston within the cylinder, an actuating piston, a rotatable threaded shaft for translating rotational motion to axial motion operatively connected to the actuating piston, a fluid-filled chamber between the actuated and actuating pistons defining a fluid link therebetween whereby axial movement of the actuating piston causes axial movement of the actuated piston, wear take-up and anti-drag structure for permitting substantially free forward movement of the actuated piston in unison with the actuating piston and for limiting retraction of the actuated piston to a predetermined maximum distance, and a fluid supply contained within the cylinder for supplying additional fluid to the chamber in response to retraction of the actuating piston a distance greater than the predetermined maximum for the actuated piston to thereby accommodate the increase in volume of the chamber occasioned by the resultant separation of the pistons.

Abstract: A brake assembly having a friction disc mounted on a rotatable wheel, a friction element selectively movable into frictional engagement with the friction disc to apply a braking force, an actuator for moving the friction element into engagement with the friction disc, and biasing springs for retracting the friction element from such engagement. The actuator includes an open-ended hollow piston member and a cylinder housing slidably supporting the piston member. A shaft-like member is removably connected to the housing and extends into the cavity and the open end of the piston member to a distal end. The piston has a recess extending thereinto from the open rear end to define a first shoulder. A gripping member engages the shaft-like member for moving along the shaft-like member only in the direction toward the distal end of the shaft-like member. The piston also has a groove extending inwardly from the recess and axially spaced from the first shoulder.

Abstract: A door latch assembly operable from at least two remote positions including a pair of opposed latch arms pivotally supported by a latch bracket for engaging a latch bar, a movable link connected to the latch arms for pivoting the latch arms alternately toward a latched and unlatched position, a release lever for actuating the link to pivot the latch arms toward the unlatched position, and means for supporting the release lever, preferably a ball and socket connection, for movably supporting the release lever in engaging proximity to the link such that the release lever in engaging proximity to the link such that the release lever is movable about at least two angularly related axes.

Abstract: The application relates to a steering knuckle assembly of the type utilized for supporting the steerable wheel of an automotive vehicle. Two embodiments of the steering knuckle assembly are disclosed and both comprise an integral metal housing formed from metal plate. The housing has a front extending between a top and a bottom and includes flanges extending rearwardly from the front along the sides and top and bottom. The housing includes an actuator opening in which a hydraulic actuator is disposed. A wheel support is disposed in the front of the housing. The wheel support in the first embodiment comprises a flange for rotatably supporting a driven axle. The wheel support in the second embodiment includes a spindle for rotatably supporting a wheel. Both embodiments include a floating rotor defining a disk which is disposed between a pair of brake shoes, one of which is supported by an abutment connected to the housing and the other of which is movably supported on the housing for movement by the actuator.

Abstract: The application relates to a steering knuckle assembly of the type utilized for supporting the steerable wheel of an automotive vehicle. Two embodiments of the steering knuckle assembly are disclosed and both comprise an integral metal housing formed from metal plate. The housing has a front extending between a top and a bottom and includes flanges extending rearwardly from the front along the sides and top and bottom. The housing includes an actuator opening in which a hydraulic actuator is disposed. A wheel supporting means is disposed in the front of the housing. The wheel supporting means in the first embodiment comprises a flange for rotatably supporting a driven axle. The wheel supporting means in the second embodiment includes a spindle for rotatably supporting a wheel.