Abstract: The invention concerns a device for provoking the collapse of a snow cornice comprising several exploders (11). Each exploder (11) consists of a main cylinder (12), perpendicular to the support base (14) arranged flat on the ground, and a positioning tube (13) connected to the main cylinder and mounted on a rigid seat (15) fixed to the mountain side. A supply conduit (20), connected by conduits (23, 24) respectively to an oxygen cylinder and a propane cylinder stored in a shelter (22), supplies via conduit sections (9) a detonating gas mixture, obtained from two gases, into the positioning tube (13) and into the main cylinder (12). Igniting means (21) mounted upstream of the supply conduit (20) ensure the ignition of the detonating gas mixture.

Abstract: There is provided a countermeasure defense system against hostile missiles by employing non-explosive intercepting (“NEI”) elements 14 deployed by the spin stabilized rocket 10. The NEI are carried in a payload section 17 and contained by a sleeve assembly 16 which is removed by a drive mechanism 20 or a pyrotechnic device 152 after a countdown time delay programmed into the trigger release assembly 46 as controlled by the control unit 150. The drive assembly includes a drive rod 26 that is releasably held by a release assembly 46 a compressed coiled spring unit 30 drives the sleeve assembly 16 forward exposing the payload section 17 to the centrifugal force of the spin stabilized rocket propelling the NEI elements out from the rocket at constant angular velocity creating an interceptor cloud of elements.

Abstract: A method for transporting road haulage trailers by railway train using carriages having flat load bearing tops (2). The carriages are constructed so that they are on the same level as a railway platform (61) so that trailers (7) may be driven directly onto the carriages from the platforn (61) and decoupled from a prime mover in order that the trailers can be arranged end to end along the train (1). Similarly the trailers may be unloaded by bringing in the train into registry with an unloading platform (91) and driving the trailers directly from the train onto the unloading platform with a prime mover. A series of rollers (62) may be provided to underlie the edges of the flat tops (2) in order to prevent them tilting when the trailers are driven onto the train.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for actuating a switch guide beam swinging laterally between two or more fixed guide beam ends, in order to make a route selection for a beam guided vehicle. The moving guide beam pivots distantly of the primary fixed guide beam end to create a gap spanned by an intermediate suspended channel plate guide segment that provides substantially two equal lateral deflections to the moving vehicle for a route diversion in a storage yard or repair shop area. The mechanism for high speed or main line operation has two additional channel plate guide segments slidably guided at each end of the guide segment centrally affixed on the straddle beam and pivoted at the primary beam fixed end and the merge point on the radially moving swing guide beam to provide four substantially equal lateral deflections to the moving vehicle when a route diversion is required.

Abstract: A pod assembly is disposed inside and thrusted along a slotted tube having a longitudinal slot. The pod assembly comprises a first pod, a second pod coupled with the first pod, and a strut disposed between and coupled with the first pod and the second pod. The strut extends through the longitudinal slot of the slotted tube to the support a transportation module outside the slotted tube. In one embodiment, the first pod is a thrust pod and the second pod is a passive pod. The thrust pod includes a thrust pod tire to make contact with the interior of the slotted tube and at least one bladder which is inflatable and deflatable to modulate gas flow through the thrust pod to adjust speed of movement of the thrust pod in the slotted tube. The passive pod includes a passive pod tire to make contact with the interior of the slotted tube and includes no thrust control feature. In another embodiment, the first and second pods include pod tires for making contact with the interior of the slotted tube.

Abstract: This damping device comprises: two symmetrical jacks (10, 10′), extending respectively between each support member (8, 6) and the housing (4), each jack (10, 10′) defining two chambers (24, 24′, 26, 26′) filled with a hydraulic fluid (16, 16′), two hydraulic lines (28, 28′) establishing fluid communication between, on the one hand, the first chambers (24, 24′) of the jacks and, on the other hand, the second chambers (26, 26′) of the jacks, two branch lines (30, 30′) opening into two accumulators (32, 32′) containing a compressed gas, and means (34, 36, 40, 42) capable of providing a controlled flow rate of the fluid outside the said chambers (24, 24′, 26, 26′) and means (38, 44) capable of providing a controlled flow rate of the fluid to the accumulators. The intensity of damping of the transverse and hunting components can be independently adjusted.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling discharge of material from a bottom dump railroad car having a centersill defining a longitudinal axis for the hopper car is disclosed. The apparatus includes a plurality of longitudinally mounted discharge door assemblies. Each door assembly comprises a pair of longitudinally mounted discharge doors disposed to opposite lateral sides of the longitudinal axis of the car for movement between open and closed positions relative to respective discharge openings on a bottom of the car. Each discharge door is mounted for movement about an axis disposed adjacent and extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the car. A door operating mechanism including a positively driven actuator is carried on the hopper car for operating at least one of the discharge door assemblies independently of at least one other discharge door assembly on the car.

Abstract: A coupling element unit with spring action is located between a car body and an undercarriage of a railway vehicle. To largely relieve the coupling element unit from forces that act at a right angle to the suspension direction, a sliding adapter is provided that has two sliding elements and that can be displaced with respect to one another parallel to a floor of the car body.

Abstract: A table, for allowing several people to comfortably sit at a couch or a similar seating system, with their legs extending comfortably under the table. Accordingly, the table has an upper level and a lower level and comprises seating portions and non-seating portions. At the seating portions the upper level extends forward while the lower level is recessed rearward, so that a person can sit comfortably with their legs extending under the upper level. At the non-seating portions the lower level extends forward and the upper level is recessed rearward. The table has a table front and a table rear. Seating portions and non-seating portions are alternated along both the table front and table rear. The table is made up of a plurality of adjacent sections, wherein each section is made up of one seating portion and one non-seating portion.

Abstract: A movable stage assembly suitable for use in a vacuum has three circular stages rotating independently of one another. The stage assembly includes a base and a large rotatable circular table mounted on the base. This large table has a second smaller circular table which is eccentrically mounted within the first large table and rotates independently. This second table also has a smaller third circular table eccentrically mounted on it and independently rotatable within the second table. All the rotatable tables utilize ferrofluidic seals to prevent air within the air bearings from leaking into the vacuum chamber and are driven by motors mounted beneath the tables.

Abstract: A method of removing dioxins from an exhaust gas, including the steps of introducing gamma-alumina into a stream of the dioxin-containing exhaust gas, and sorbing dioxins on the gamma-alumina.

Abstract: A method of burning tires in a horizontally rotating combuster includes the steps of loading the tires into a rotating combustion chamber through a traveling air lock and burning them until they are reduced to ash; enhancing combustion by tumbling the burning tires in a tapered rotating chamber while adding preheated draft air; controlling the intake draft air using thermal expansion of the rotary combustion chamber to activate the draft control valve; advancing the residual ash with each successive revolution of the combustion chamber by use of angled flights on the inner surface of the chamber to an afterburner for completion of the combustion and disposal of the ash.

Abstract: A system and method for treating, injecting and co-combusting sludge in a municipal waste or other combustor is disclosed. The system includes a sludge receiving and treatment module and a sludge injection and combustion module. The sludge is received and stored in one or more storage hoppers where it is first diluted with a liquid and subsequently mixed to a desired homogeneous consistency suitable for pumping. The high liquid content sludge is then pumped to a furnace injection nozzle where it is preferably atomized with steam and sprayed into the combustion zone of the furnace. The disclosed system and method increases sludge moisture content and controls the solids content of the sludge to control furnace temperature.

Abstract: An operation control method and apparatus are provided for a melting furnace 1 having a supply opening 2 for incineration ash 6, a discharge opening 3 for molten slag 7, and a heat source 9 for applying an amount of heat to the supplied incineration ash. The method includes the steps of imaging the vicinity of the surface of molten slag 7 heated by an amount of heat transferred from the heat source with a television camera 5 to obtain an electronic image, differentiating a high-temperature region in the electronic image that is not lower than a predetermined temperature (1,300° C.) from a low-temperature region in the electronic image that is lower than the predetermined temperature, and controlling the amount of heat applied to the incineration ash from the heat source so that the size of the differentiated high-temperature region reaches a predetermined value.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for optimizing the combustion air system in a power boiler or chemical recovery boiler by improving fluid flow and gas mixing are disclosed, whereby one can increase boiler capacity and combustion uniformity and reduce particulate and gaseous emissions. The method involves interlacing of the secondary and, where applicable, the tertiary air supply through opposing air ports on all four walls of the boiler, and is implemented by alternately opening wide or partially closing a port damper on one side, while partially closing or opening wide a port damper on the opposite side, such that a 70-100% open damper on one side opposes a partially closed (10-40% open) damper on the other and vice versa in an alternating fashion, along opposing walls.

Abstract: A seed planting apparatus includes an elongated planter member having an upper end portion and a lower end portion. An elongated seed delivery tube is positioned next to the planter, the tube having a bore and an outlet. The lower end portion of the planter member has an end that is preferably frustoconically shaped, providing a flat lower surface and a tapered side wall. The lower end portion of the planter member can be in the form of a truncated pyramid. The delivery tube has a lower end portion with an outlet that communicates with the bore and that is so positioned that when a user drops a seed into the tube, the seed exits the tube at the outlet above the lower end portion of the delivery tube so that it falls next to the lower end portion of the planter member which can be positioned into a cavity that was formed by the lower end portion of the planter member.

Abstract: A looper and needle configuration with lower set rear needles and corresponding loopers is provided to create more uniform low pile height yarns in a multiple pile height fabric. The tufting and tip shearing such fabrics will simulate woven fabrics.

Abstract: A headgear frame apparatus comprises: a headgear frame for clamping a headgear; and a rotary drive frame for fitting the headgear frame replaceably thereon on the side of a sewing machine. The headgear frame is provided at its outer circumference with a brim which is further projected outward. On the outer circumference of the rotary drive frame, there are tiltably hinged levers which have hook pawls projected toward the rotary drive frame and which are biased by springs in the direction where the hook pawls approach the rotary drive frame. When the headgear frame is fitted on the rotary drive frame, the brim once raises the hook pawls in the direction away from the rotary drive frame, and after the hook pawls rode over the brim, the hook pawls are hooked on the brim by the biasing forces of the springs.

Abstract: A propulsion system for a watercraft is provided, which may be an integral part of a watercraft or may be retrofitted to a particular watercraft. The propulsion system is fixedly mounted to the hull in a central area, rather than along the perimeter of the watercraft. The propulsion system includes a jet-drive assembly coupled to a jet, an angular drive assembly for rotating the jet, and a control system for controlling the jet-drive assembly and the angular drive assembly.

Abstract: An aircraft carrier is provided with an airflow deflector such as flap 26, an inflatable flap 26 or an airjet curtain such that air passing along the flight deck is provided with an upward component of velocity, thereby to provide an upwash in the airwake behind the aircraft carrier. The upwash persists for a reasonable length downstream of the aircraft carrier and means that, for a given spatial attitude, the angle of attack of the aircraft relative to the airstream is increased. This means that the aircraft may be flown at a reasonably high angle of attack to the airstream on a landing approach without sacrificing the pilot's view of the deck. In addition, the increased angle of attack may be used to facilitate a flare maneuver.

Abstract: An umbilical constraint mechanism. The mechanism keeps the umbilical line near the center of the payload bay opening when the umbilical line is deployed. The mechanism will transfer lateral umbilical loads into the drone vessel frame near the bottom of the payload bay. A modified cone shaped structure is provided in the payload bay above the normal storage position of the ROV. The cone is mounted on a frame that is capable of sliding up or down in the drone vessel.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is fabricated by the steps of coating an underlayer formed on a semiconductor substrate with chemically amplified resist, exposing the resist to light, bringing the resist into contact with an alkaline developing solution with applying a magnetic field to the alkaline developing solution for conducting development to form a resist pattern, and etching the underlayer on the semiconductor substrate using the resist pattern as a mask.

Abstract: There is provided a method of optimizing recipe of in-situ cleaning process for process chamber after a specific process on semiconductor wafers by using Residual Gas Analyzer Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (RGA-QMS). According to the present invention, a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor devices comprises: a process chamber; process gas supply line for supplying process gas into the process chamber; a waste-gas exhaust line for removing the waste-gas from the process chamber after process; a supply line for supplying a CiF3 gas into the process chamber; a sampling manifold for sampling the gas inside process chamber by using pressure difference; and RGA-QMS for analyzing the sampling gas, and the optimization of the end points according to gas flow, pressure, and temperature of the cleaning process for the process chamber is achieved through the analysis by above RGA-QMS.

Abstract: A plasma CVD system has a reactor which can be evacuated, a substrate holding means in the reactor, a material gas feed means for feeding into the reactor a material gas for plasma CVD, a high-frequency power supply means for supplying an electrode high-frequency power of 30 MHz to 600 MHz, generated by a high-frequency power source, and means for exhausting gas remaining in the reactor after the reaction. The high-frequency power is supplied to produce a plasma across a substrate in the reactor to form a deposited film on the substrate, and the phase of reflected power is adjusted on the electrode at a side opposite the feeding point. High-quality deposited films having very uniform film thickness and homogeneous film quality can be formed at a high rate and stably on large-area substrates having any shapes.

Abstract: A coated plastic container provides for low permeability to gases and vapors. A method and system for coating plastic containers includes applying a thin inorganic oxide layer to the external surface of the containers with plasma-assisted vacuum vapor deposition. For example, the coating can include silica which is bonded to the external surface of the container. This coating is flexible and be can be applied regardless of the container's internal pressure or lack thereof. The coating firmly adheres to the container and possess an enhanced gas barrier effect after pressurization even when the coating is scratched, fractured, flexed and/or stretched. Moreover, this gas barrier enhancement will be substantially unaffected by filling of the container. A method of recycling coated plastic containers and a method and system for packaging a beverage using the coated containers are also disclosed.

Abstract: A reactor for coating flat substrates and particularly wafers is described which has a reaction vessel into which reaction gases can be introduced, and a substrate holder unit in which substrates are held in a holder such that the main surface of the substrates to be coated is oriented downward during the deposition operation and is aligned essentially in parallel to the flow direction of the reaction gases. The invention is characterized in that at least two spaces for substrates are provided on the substrate holder unit and in that the holder or holders is/are constructed in the manner of a template which has openings for the surfaces of the substrates to be coated.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically milking animals, such as cows, which comprises teat cups for connection to the teats of the animal to be milked and separate cups for connection to the teats of the animal for the purpose of cleansing, disinfecting or foremilking the animal. The apparatus is further provided with a switching device for alternately connecting the teat cups and the separate cups to the animal's teats. Each set of cups has its own compartment for being cleaned by a fluid spray. The process is controlled and recorded for each animal or groups of animals in a computer in association with an animal identification system. Robot arms separately move each set of cups to and from the animal's teats and to and from their respective cleaning compartments, and a further robot arm has a detector such as a laser, ultrasonic sensor or camera mounted thereon for locating the animal's teats so that the two sets of cups can be connected and disconnected therefrom.

Abstract: A pet watering fountain including a box-shaped housing, a water supplyer, a hose, two pipes, a control valve unit (body), a helical or expansion spring (spring), a bowl, a drain, and a pedal. A thirsty dog walks onto the spring-biased pedal. The spring-biased pedal is then lowered to the floor of the housing which actuates a lever on the control valve unit. As a result, water flows from an outside hose bib into a garden hose, through a first pipe into a valve unit, then into a second pipe which fills into an elevated bowl.

Abstract: A pigsty includes a horizontal base member and a fence member extending upwardly from the base member and cooperating with the base member to confine a raising space adapted for accommodating and raising pigs therein. The base member is configured to have an excretion area within the raising space. The excretion area is provided with a plurality of upward projections. The distance between two adjacent ones of the upward projections is substantially shorter than the width of each of the pigs raised in the raising space so as to be adapted to prevent the pigs from lying down on the excretion area.

Abstract: Disclosed is a veterinarian treatment table having a base upon which an elongated tub rests. The tub has an inclined bottom wall to drain fluids towards a drain at the bottom of the tub. Also provided is a fluid dispersing means which, in one embodiment, is a spray bar having a plurality of openings to allow fluid such as water to flow onto the tub bottom. A fluid sheeting element is also provided to form a uniform sheet of fluid from the fluid. The tub is fitted with a grate that will support an animal and allow fluids to flow freely from the animal to the tub interior space and bottom wall. The uniform sheet of fluid from the fluid dispersing means continuously washes fluids from the animal away and into a drain. The water flow can be adjusted by a valve controlled by the veterinarian practitioner.

Abstract: A method and system for infusing and monitoring a tethered laboratory animal includes a platform suitable for carrying the laboratory animal. A tether assembly includes a flexible conduit for connecting to the animal and a tether for tethering the animal. A torque sensor detects a motion of the animal and drives the tether assembly in response to the detected motion of the animal, and thereby reduces the torque on the animal. The platform is driven in a direction opposite to the tether assembly so that it appears to be stationary when the tether assembly is driven in response to a detected motion of the animal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sorting livestock such as hogs, sheep, cows, and poultry within an enclosure and guiding the livestock to an exit opening therein is disclosed. The present invention includes an elongated, foldable livestock barrier constructed of a durable plastic material which may be attached to a perimeter wall of a livestock enclosure adjacent an exit opening therein and gradually unfolded and extended to a remote position along an opposite wall of the enclosure to separate the livestock into groups to be sorted. Thereafter, the flexible barrier is gradually refolded to shorten its effective length and moved along the perimeter wall toward the exit opening of the enclosure to gradually reduce the confined area wherein the animals to be sorted are contained. Using this technique the animals are guided out of the exit opening to an alternate floor within the livestock facility without injury to either the animal or the worker.

Abstract: A fluid bed chamber assembly that is affixed to or incorporated onto the bottom portion of a combustion chamber of a package boiler assembly to increase combustion efficiency of the boiler. The fluid bed chamber assembly comprises a lower region and an upper region. The lower region having a plurality of inlet means for admitting fluidizing gas to the lower region for fluidizing a bed of particles contained therein, heat exchange tubes disposed about the side walls of the lower region, and first and second in-bed heat exchange tubes which are disposed substantially horizontal within the lower region. The upper region comprises at least one secondary air inlet means, at least one tertiary air inlet means, at least one fuel feed inlet means, and at least one recycle inlet means, all of which are disposed within the side wall of the conversion fluid bed chamber assembly.

Abstract: The invention provides a heat recovery method for use in sulfuric acid production plants by which the heat generated in the step of drying SO2 gas or the step of drying air, and the step of absorbing sulfur trioxide in the plant is effectively utilized for heating the water to be supplied to a boiler although the heat is conventionally discarded because of the difficulties encountered in using the heat effectively. The boiler water to be supplied is heated by utilizing the heat generated by drying and/or absorption in a drying tower of the plant for drying sulfur burning air or the sulfur dioxide and/or in an absorption tower of the plant for causing circulating concentrated sulfuric acid to absorb sulfur trioxide produced by the conversion of the sulfur dioxide.

Abstract: A coolant pump housing for an internal combustion engine includes a cover having integral supports for an ignition module. Each ignition module support projects outwardly to define an elongated member having a mounting end defining a bore sized to receive fasteners for securing an ignition module. Preferably, the coolant pump cover is cast of aluminum. The cover further a pump cavity in fluid communication with inlet and outlet passageways having respective ports for communication of coolant through the coolant pump and the rest of the cooling system.

Abstract: A cylinder head for an engine having a two-plane water jacket in which a lower chamber at one plane through the head cools the fire deck of each cylinder and a cross-flow passage for the coolant is spaced above the lower chambers in a second plane through the head directs coolant to an outlet. The two planes of the water jacket are connected by an annular passage surrounding the injector nozzle sleeve and has machined surfaces whereby the size of the flow channel and thus the coolant flow between the two planes is better controlled to enable more even cooling of the fire deck resulting in less variability in fire deck temperature from one cylinder to one another. The lower chambers cooling the fire deck are separate for each cylinder to prevent heated coolant from one cylinder flowing to the next cylinder fire deck.

Abstract: A free piston combustion engine and method by which additional combustion air is supplied by a charge air system. The charge air system includes a piston-cylinder charge air pump in which the piston is movable independently of the movement of the free piston. The charge air pump may be hydraulically driven.

Abstract: A rotary engine includes a central rotor having a frustoconical shape with an ellipsoidal groove machined into the outer surface of the rotor. The rotor is rotated by the movement of a series of pistons mounted in cylinders surrounding the rotor. A series of piston rods connected to the pistons have piston followers that engage and follow the elliptical groove on the rotor. The rotor is mounted on a main drive shaft, and a cam assembly is additionally mounted above the rotor on the main drive shaft. Each cam in the cam assembly has a lobe, and is operable to control the intake of fuel and the exhaust of burned gases within the each cylinder according to the rotation of the main drive shaft. In this design, the piston follower encounters less friction and side forces due to the frustoconical shape of the rotor. Additionally, the pistons have a positive movement within each cylinder due to the angular placement of the cylinder in conjunction with the rotor.

Abstract: An internal combustion piston engine with horizontally opposed cylinders. Each opposed pair of cylinders fires simultaneously, providing symmetric cranking force on the crankshaft 13. Each cylinder 1 is a simple solid of rotation with air-cooling fins 10. The cylinder heads 5 are modular. Each module covers two adjacent cylinders, and has liquid cooling channels. All cylinders are identical, and all cylinder heads are identical. The cylinders are held inward against the crankcase by the cylinder heads. Each cylinder head is held inward against the cylinders by two tension bolts 42 that span to the opposite cylinder head. One tension bolt crosses above the crankcase, and one below it. In a preferred 12-cylinder engine embodiment, each opposed pair of cylinders is separated from the other opposed pairs in spark timing by a sequence of 105 and 135 degrees that reduces torsional harmonic resonance in the crankshaft, eliminating harmonic balancers.

Abstract: An engine structure and mechanism that operates on various combustion processes in a two-stroke-cycle without supplemental cooling or lubrication comprises an axial assembly of cylindrical modules and twin, double-harmonic cams that operate with opposed pistons in each cylinder through fully captured rolling contact bearings. The opposed pistons are double-acting, performing a two-stroke engine power cycle on facing ends and induction and scavenge air compression on their outside ends, all within the same cylinder bore. The engine includes a novel compressor arrangement having an intake valve comprising a V-shaped double reed valve with an apex pointing toward the intake port and an exhaust valve having a V-shaped double reed valve with an apex pointing away from the exhaust port. The compressor arrangement may further include rectangular intake and exhaust ports, a rectangular piston rod and rectangular crosshead bearings.

Abstract: A two-cycle engine includes scavenging passages on the cylinder side and the crankcase side as the passages to supply scavenging gas into the cylinder. The passage on the cylinder side includes a passage inside the cylinder sidewall having substantially the same inner diameter as that of the opening area of the scavenging charge port, while the passage on the crankcase side includes a space between the inner peripheral surface at the top end of the crankcase and the outer peripheral surface of the piston, and a connection means provided between the top end of the space and the lower end of the scavenger passage of the cylinder. As the fuel mixture in the crank chamber flows into the scavenging passage on the cylinder side through the narrow space of the passage on the crankcase side and the connection means, the rapid inflow of the fuel mixture into the cylinder is restrained and the supply of the fuel mixture is sustained constantly high until the latter half of the scavenging time.

Abstract: A drive train for a four stroke, overhead cam engine is provided, comprising a crankshaft, connecting rod, and piston assembly for reciprocating the piston within the cylinder bore of a cylinder block. An internally profiled cam gear is driven around an axis perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder block. A pair of follower arms extend from a pair of rocker arms and engage the cam profile to actuate intake and exhaust valves in the cylinder block. An intermediate gear is driven by the crankshaft at half speed to drive the cam gear, and may also be used to drive an additional device, such as a combination oil pump and governor. The cam follower arms may be disposed in an overlapping crosswise arrangement generally parallel to the cam gear, or may be disposed perpendicular to the cam gear.

Abstract: The present invention offers a valve driving apparatus provided in an internal combustion engine. The valve driving apparatus drives an exhaust valve by using electromagnetic force. The exhaust valve is movable between an open position and a closed position. The valve driving apparatus includes an armature coupled with the exhaust valve, an electromagnetic coil for generating an electromagnetic force exerted on the exhaust valve, and a control means for controlling the electromagnetic force applied to the armature in the direction of the closed position of the exhaust valve when the exhaust valve is moving to the open position, in the fuel injection cut control, that is, combustion is suspended in the internal combustion engine. The present invention also offers a method for driving the exhaust valve, which comprises the steps of driving the electric current through the electromagnetic coil, biasing the armature and controlling the electromagnetic force applied to the armature.

Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator for operating a driven member includes an electromagnet having a yoke provided with a pole face and a coil supported by the yoke and adapted to be supplied with electric current to produce an electromagnetic force; and an armature connectable to the driven member and movable in a path of motion into a first position and a second position spaced from the first position. The armature is moved by the electromagnetic forces into the second position in contact with the pole face. A resetting spring is coupled to the armature and exerts a spring force thereon for urging the armature away from the second position toward the first position. The actuator further includes a dampening assembly which has a piston affixed to the armature and a dampening cylinder provided in the yoke and having an open end oriented toward the armature and being in an axial alignment with the piston. In the first position of the armature the piston is axially spaced from the dampening cylinder.

Abstract: A finger lever for a valve train of an internal combustion engine, said finger lever being made by shaping without chip removal and comprising two side walls (5,6) which are connected to each other in a first end region (1) by a first bottom wall (4) to form an upwardly open U-shape, the first bottom wall (4) comprising a downwardly facing semi-spherical recess (7) for receiving a support element, said side walls (5,6) being connected to each other in a second end region (2) by a second bottom wall (11) to form an upwardly open U-shape, said second bottom wall (11) comprising a contact surface for a valve stem of a gas exchange valve (12), and the contact surface comprising lateral guides spaced apart from each other characterized in that, in the region of the contact surface of the valve stem (12) and/or in the region of the semi-spherical recess (7), the side walls (5,6) comprise partially punched-out sections (14) that are bent through nearly 180° toward the valve stem (12) and/or toward the support el

Abstract: A valve gear controls a gas exchange in an internal-combustion engine with a valve spring which holds a valve in its required position at all times and is clamped between a valve head and a valve-spring support. The valve spring support is adjustable in the direction of the valve axis. The adjustable valve-spring support includes two nested setting rings (2, 3) which are rotatable in opposite directions.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein an apparatus for routing electrical signals in an engine having n cylinders and an intake manifold, one embodiment of which comprises: (1) a generally rigid housing generally conforming in shape with and being removably attachable to a top surface of the intake manifold; (2) at least n carrier members attached to the housing and extending outward therefrom, wherein each carrier member is arranged in general proximity with a respective cylinder; (3) a plurality of conductive circuit traces arranged on or within an underside or other surface of the housing and on or within each carrier member; and (4) at least one input/output connector for connection to at least one of an external signal source, an external power source, an external signal destination, and an external power destination, wherein each input/output connector is attached to the housing and is electrically connected to at least one of the circuit traces.

Abstract: Inlet pipes extend from a collector to the cylinder inlets of the internal combustion engine. The inlet pipes are formed with mutually facing openings in their adjacent walls. Control flaps each have a shaft, which is respectively provided with a damping element and is mounted by way of the damping elements in a bearing bush. The openings in the inlet pipes are selectively closed and opened with the control flaps.

Abstract: A cylinder head constructions wherein the cylinder head is comprised of a main cylinder head member that slidably supports the valves for the engine, and which has an upper peripheral edge that defines a cam chamber. At least one camshaft and the tappets associated thereby are supported by a separate cam and tappet carrier member that is affixed to the main cylinder head member. The bearing surfaces for the camshaft are formed at longitudinally spaced points and the valves for the corresponding cylinder are disposed between those points and are in parallel relation but have a large diameter and their actuating tappets have a large diameter but do not encroach on the bearing surfaces for the camshaft.

Abstract: There are a number of controlling elements of an internal combustion engine which have an influence on the charge of the cylinders. For each controlling element, a triggering instant is determined that is adapted to its individual reaction time, so that all the controlling elements simultaneously deploy their action influencing the charge. In this manner, a desired charge is attained at a defined instant, thus permitting a harmonious adjustment of the charge to other operating parameters. This optimizes the driving properties, the performance and the fuel consumption of the internal combustion engine.