Abstract: A knuckle bracket includes a bracket main body that has an inner peripheral shape along a tube of a shock absorber and a pair of attachment parts that are formed to protrude parallel to each other. The apparatus for manufacturing the knuckle bracket includes a width molding machine that molds a width of the pair of attachment parts in a state where the workpiece is supported on a support shaft, and a hole punching machine that machines attachment holes into the pair of attachment parts in a state where the workpiece is supported on the support shaft. The workpiece is transported from the width molding machine to the hole punching machine by moving the workpiece along the support shaft until the workpiece is above the die after the support shaft is raised and then lowering the support shaft until the support shaft abuts a top surface of the die.

Abstract: A knuckle bracket includes a bracket main body that has an inner peripheral shape along a tube of a shock absorber and a pair of attachment parts that are formed to protrude parallel to each other. The apparatus for manufacturing the knuckle bracket includes a width molding machine that molds a width of the pair of attachment parts in a state where the workpiece is supported on a support shaft, and a hole punching machine that machines attachment holes into the pair of attachment parts in a state where the workpiece is supported on the support shaft. The workpiece is transported from the width molding machine to the hole punching machine by moving the workpiece along the support shaft until the workpiece is above the die after the support shaft is raised and then lowering the support shaft until the support shaft abuts a top surface of the die.

Abstract: A locking device for a seat back includes a release preventing mechanism for preventing the locking device from being unintendedly released by the fact that a second arm portion of a lift lever abuts on a side edge portion of a guide hole of a lock plate to cause the lift lever to rotate positively when a base plate rotates forward along a horizontal direction about a lock pin in a state where the lock pin engages with a lock hole of the lock plate and the second arm portion of the lift lever is located in the guide hole of the lock plate when the seat back is held at a rising position.

Abstract: A locking device for a seat back includes release preventing means for preventing the locking device from being unintendedly released by the fact that a second arm portion of a lift lever abuts on a side edge portion of a guide hole of a lock plate to cause the lift lever to rotate positively when a base plate rotates forward along a horizontal direction about a lock pin in a state where the lock pin engages with a lock hole of the lock plate and the second arm portion of the lift lever is located in the guide hole of the lock plate when the seat back is held at a rising position.

Abstract: A structure where an armrest is detachably coupled to a seatback includes an axial pin, a moving pin, a supporting bracket, and a slope. The axial pin and the moving pin projects from a side face of one end of the armrest. The moving pin has a head at its distal end. The supporting bracket is fixed on a side portion of the seatback, and it has an axial hole for receiving the axial pin and a guide groove for receiving the moving pin. The axial pin is inserted into the axial hole to be rotatably supported by the supporting bracket. The moving pin is inserted into the guide groove to be moved within the guide groove according to rotation of the axial pin. The slop is disposed on an edge of the guide groove near the using point. As the armrest reaches the using position, the head rides on the slope according to movement of the moving pin, so that the moving pin approaches to the seatback.

Abstract: A vehicle front seat of the kind capable of being selectively rotated into a forward position or rearward position has a turntable unit or rotation adjusting mechanism provided between the seat and a vehicle floor. The rotation adjusting mechanism includes a stationary circular guide and a rotating disk disposed inside the stationary guide. The rotating disk is provided with a latching arm having an engagement tooth. The stationary guide has a locking through hole for engagement with the engagement tooth of the latching arm. A cam is disposed inside the locking through hole and capable of contacting the engagement tooth inserted into the locking through hole. The cam is rotatable in response to movement of the engagement tooth. An amount of rotation of the cam is detected by a microswitch. The cam is provided with first and second circular arc cam surfaces and capable of absorbing possible errors in attached positions of the constituent parts of the rotation adjusting mechanism.

Abstract: A rotating device of a seat has a lower base member secured to a vehicle floor. The lower base member includes a radially inside annular raised part and a radially outside depressed annular part. An annular holder member includes a radially inner part and a radially outer part. The radially inside part is concentrically put on and secured to the radially inside annular raised part in a manner to define therebetween an annular space. An upper base member mounts thereon the seat. The upper base member includes a radially inner annular depressed part and a radially outer annular raised part. The raidally inner annular depressed part is spacedly inserted into the annular space. A first group of rolling balls are operatively arranged between the radially outer depressed annular part and the radially inner annular depressed part. A second group of rolling balls are operatively arranged between the radially inner annular depressed part and the radially outer part.

Abstract: Fermented milk with a controlled acidity increase during storage and transportation is disclosed. The fermented milk can be manufactured by inoculating raw milk with a nisin-producing lactic acid bacterium belonging to the genus Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis together with other lactic acid bacteria to be used for the fermentation and fermenting the raw milk. Nisin produced and accumulated in the fermented milk suppresses the growth of bacteria which are involved in the formation of acids, thus controlling the acidity increase during storage and transportation.

Abstract: A seat arrangement of a forklift truck includes a hood for covering an engine, a seat mounted on the hood, a seat slide mechanism and a supporting member. A seat cushion of the seat is pivotally secured at its front end portion to an upper rail of the seat slide mechanism. The supporting member has a first end which is pivotally secured to an upper surface of the hood and a second end which is engageable with an engaging portion of the seat. When it is necessary to open the hood, the seat positioned at a certain position in a fore-and-aft direction is swung forwardly, then the second end of the supporting member is brought into engagement with the engaging portion of the seat to keep the seat at a certain angle defined between a bottom surface of the seat cushion and the upper surface of the hood, and then the hood is opened.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus and variants thereof capable of producing an antibacterial substance which is a peptide or protein or a conjugate thereof, the antibacterial substance produced by the bacteria, and processes for producing fermented milk by using any one of the bacteria as a starter. The lactic acid bacteria produce the antibacterial substance, so that use of any one of the lactic acid bacteria as a starter for fermented milk inhibits growth of another lactic-acid-forming lactic acid bacteria also used as a starter owing to the antibacterial substance produced during fermentation. It is therefore possible to suppress the formation of the acid during storage or transportation of fermented milk, thereby making it possible to prevent taste and flavor variations and quality deterioration of the product.

Abstract: A suspension seat for an automotive vehicle has a seat frame which is vertically movably supported on a parallel link mechanism. A compression spring and a shock absorber of a suspension unit are coaxially assembled. A spring bracket is disposed on the compression spring and screwed with a rod of the shock absorber. A fixing nut is fixed to the rod on the spring bracket to adjust elastic force of the compression spring by changing the position of the spring bracket. A projection of the spring bracket projects from a slit of a suspension unit support bracket with scale division. A resilient bracket supports the parallel link mechanism and outwardly projects to function as a bumper for a seat frame. Therefore, the suspension seat suppresses shock or sound due to impact during an operation of the seat and realizes a simple adjustment of hardness of the suspension unit.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus and variants thereof capable of producing an antibacterial substance which is a peptide or protein or a conjugate thereof, the antibacterial substance produced by the bacteria, and processes for producing fermented milk by using any one of the bacteria as a starter. The lactic acid bacteria produce the antibacterial substance, so that use of any one of the lactic acid bacteria as a starter for fermented milk inhibits growth of another lactic-acid-foxing lactic acid bacteria also used as a starter owing to the antibacterial substance produced during fermentation. It is therefore possible to suppress the formation of the acid during storage or transportation of fermented milk, thereby making it possible to prevent taste and flavor variations and quality deterioration of the product.

Abstract: A suspension seat for an automotive vehicle includes a seat frame which is vertically movably supported on a parallel link mechanism having front and rear links. A compression spring and a shock absorber are coaxially combined and installed between an upper and back side portion of the seat frame and an arm portion connected to the rear link. Therefore, the suspension seat sufficiently absorbs an impact force while keeping small a space between the seat and the floor.

Abstract: A seatback frame (21) is disclosed as having an inverted U-shaped frame member (22) including an elongated and generally horizontal upper member (23) and a pair of elongated side members (24) and (25) respectively extending generally downwardly from the extremities of the upper member. A pair of side panels (28 and 29) are respectively secured to and extend generally forwardly from each side member and have inwardly facing surfaces that oppose each other. A resilient lumbar supporting panel (35) having lateral extremities is forwardly spaced from the side members proximate the side panels and is generally concave therebetween. It has a central portion that extends generally upwardly and is secured to a central portion of the upper member. The lateral extremities form retrorse portions (41) that extend generally rearwardly along the opposed surfaces of the side panels, and the rearmost margins (43) of the retrorse portions are attached to the side panels.

Abstract: A seatback frame is disclosed as having an inverted-U-shaped frame member including an elongated and generally horizontal upper member and an elongated side member extending generally downwardly from each extremity of the upper member. A side panel is secured to and extends generally upwardly along and forwardly from a lower portion of each side member. A lumbar supporting panel extends laterally between, and is supported by, the side panels. The lumbar supporting panel has a central portion extending generally upwardly and is secured to a central portion of the upper member.

Abstract: The present invention is of an apparatus, in a reduction-projection exposure apparatus, for reduction-projection position detection comprising illuminating means for illuminating a registration mark on a specimen with three or four wavelengths of laser beams oscillated in an Ar laser and one or two wavelengths, which are different from the aforesaid wavelengths, of laser beams oscillated in a He-Ne laser passed through a reduction-projection lens, an image forming optical system condensing, through the reductio-projection lens, reflected beams from the the registration mark on the specimen illuminated by the illuminating means and separating the beams into beams of four wavelengths, at least, out of the aforesaid wavelengths, for forming images of the separated beams, and image pick-up means for picking up the images, formed by the image forming optical system, of the registration mark on the specimen, thereby to detect the position of the registration mark, and of a relative method thereto.

Abstract: A foldable seat assembly is disclosed, which comprises a first supporting structure; a second supporting structure positioned apart from the first supporting structure; a seatback pivotally supported by the second supporting structure so that the seatback is inclinable toward the first supporting structure; a first link structure pivotally connected at one end thereof to the seatback; a first frame member held by the first supporting structure; a second frame member pivotally held by the first link structure; and a cushion supporting member extending between the first and second frame members, the cushion supporting member dangling loosely when a distance between the first and second supporting members is reduced to a certain degree.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a foldable seat for motor vehicles, in which a seatback of the seat can be folded on a seat cushion having a back surface of the seatback laid substantially flush with a flat floor of a luggage space. The foldable seat comprises a front frame structure pivotally connected to the floor, a pair of rear brackets secured to the floor at positions behind the front frame structure, a pair of hinge arms secured to the seatback and pivotally connected to the rear brackets, a pair of first links pivotally connected at their one ends to the hinge arms, a pair of second links pivotally connected at their one ends to the other ends of the first links and pivotally connected to at their other ends to the rear brackets, respectively, a rear frame structure extending between the second links and secured thereto, and a cushion supporter extending between the front and rear frame structures and supporting thereon the seat cushion.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a take-down seat for an automobile, which comprises a pair of side supports pivotally connected to the floor of the vehicle, seat cushion and seat back portions detachably mounted to the side supports to constitute a back-mounted rear seat on the floor.