Abstract: A device for dampening the movement of a pivotally supported structural part, for example, a flap or closure within an automobile, comprises a pivot arm attached to the structural part, and a rack operatively connected to the pivot arm. A housing is rotatably supported upon a support surface or member, and a rotor is rotatably disposed within the housing along with a viscous fluid which tends to dampen rotary motion of the rotor. The rotor also comprises a pinion which is enmeshed with the rack, and the housing comprises a pair of guides for confining movement of the rack in a translational or rectilinear mode while maintaining the rack enmeshed with the rotor pinion. Consequently, when the flap or closure is either opened or closed, the flap or closure is moved in a dampened mode due to the movement of the pivot arm and the rack relative to the dampened rotor pinion.

Abstract: A retarder system for a vehicular drive train is disclosed. The retarder system includes a compression brake being adapted to operate in multiple stages to slow the speed of the engine and a fluid retarder being adapted to operate in multiple stages to absorb power from the drive train. A controller regulates the operational stages of the compression brake and the fluid retarder so that the compression brake and the fluid retarder operate in combination to slow the speed of the vehicle.

Abstract: A hydraulic rotary actuator has a housing with at least one rib on its inside wall and a motor shaft with at least one vane on its outside shell surface, whereby the housing with its ribs and the motor shaft with its vanes form a working chamber which is closed off on the ends by means of a cap. A gasket is located between the motor shaft and a component of the housing to seal the working chamber off from the environment. The gasket and housing component can preferably form a latching mechanism therebetween to retain the gasket in position during assembly of the rotary actuator.

Abstract: A rotary damper has a movable valve supported on a support projection radially outwardly projecting from a shaft of a rotating member which is rotatably disposed in a chamber filled with a viscous fluid in a casing. Depending on the direction in which the rotating member rotates in the chamber, the movable valve opens or closes a fluid path defined between the movable valve and an inner circumferential surface of the casing. The movable valve may be angularly movably supported on the support projection which is of a circular cross-sectional shape or radially movably supported on the support projection which is of a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

Abstract: A hydrodynamic brake includes a housing adapted to be filled with a working fluid and to discharge the fluid, a rotor having a plurality of blades, and a stator having a plurality of blades. The number of rotor blades is about 1.2 times to about 1.5 times greater than the number of stator blades.

Abstract: A rotary damper, in particular for actuated parts in automotive vehicles, comprising a housing including a cylindrical damper chamber, a liquid in the chamber, a rotatably supported shaft in the chamber having at least one vane such that upon rotation of the shaft displaced liquid flows through a flow constriction between the vane and the wall of the chamber, characterized in that the vane is inclined relative to the shaft in the circumferential direction of the shaft and relative to a diameter extending through the base of the vane, and that the vane is adapted to swing relative to the shaft such that upon a rotation of the shaft in one sense the vane is moved towards the chamber wall and upon rotation in the opposite sense the vane is moved towards the shaft.

Abstract: One preferred embodiment of a rotary viscous damper that provides damping force constancy over the operating temperature range of a viscous working fluid includes a damper housing defining a stationary conical damping surface, a shaft member rotatably mounted in the damper housing, a rotor member having a rotating conical damping surface, a temperature compensation mechanism, and a bias spring. The stationary and rotating conical damping surfaces in opposed combination define the shear gap of the damper. The rotor member is mounted in combination with the shaft member, and is axially displaceable with respect thereto. The bias spring provides a constant spring force acting on the rotor member to axially position the rotor member to establish the baseline shear gap of the damper. The temperature compensation mechanism is mounted in compressive engagement with the rotor member and exerts a temperature-dependent biasing force thereagainst in opposition to the constant spring force.

Abstract: The device comprises a shielded outer cylinder (2), a shaft member (3) installed pivotally within, the cylinder (2), fins (4, 5) either of which are connected with the cylinder (2) or the shaft member (3) by means of base ends (4a, 5a) with edge ends (4b, 5b) thereof being slide contacted onto the other, and a fluid material (6) filled within the outer cylinder (2), wherein the outer cylinder (2) or the shaft member (3) is connected with a stationary member or a rotary member.

Abstract: A rotating-piston type rotary damper includes a rotor of substantially triangular prism shape, a rotor housing having an operation chamber provided with a stationary gear with external teeth, a main shaft having an operation shaft portion and an eccentric, and a lid having a through hole for permitting passage therethrough of the operation shaft portion. The rotor has a central circular through hole formed normal to its end faces so that one open side thereof serves as a fitting hole for the eccentric and the other open side thereof is provided therein with a gear with internal teeth for engagement with the external teeth and is accommodated in the operation chamber to define volume-variable compartments containing viscous liquid. The rotor has communication holes for transferring the viscous liquid in a volume-variable compartment of decreasing volume when the rotor is rotated into adjacent volume-variable compartments.

Abstract: A rotary oil damper includes a housing incorporating therein a storing chamber open on one side, a cap having a hole and for shutting the opening in the storing chamber of the housing, a rotor including a base part and a shaft part and disposed rotatably inside the storing chamber of the housing, a toothed wheel fixed to the shaft part of the rotor, viscous oil filling said storing chamber of the housing, and a ring-shaped leaf spring member having opposite terminal parts separated from each other and contained in conjunction with the rotor inside the storing chamber. The shaft part of the rotor protrudes outwardly through the hole of the cap.

Abstract: A playground unit having a rotatable horizontally disposed deck adapted to support at least one passenger is provided with a control means operatively connected to the deck to limit the rotational speed thereof. The control means is a hydraulic governor comprising a fluid reservoir, a pump, and a valve with interconnecting fluid lines and check valves providing appropriate directional flow of fluid between the reservoir, pump and valve. The valve automatically moves between an open and closed position depending upon the rotational speed of the unit. The force required to maintain the rotational speed of the playground unit is much greater when the valve is closed as compared to when the valve is open.

Abstract: An automotive retarder in which an outer toroid of at least one inner hydrodynamic operating cycle is bounded by inner surfaces of shells of at least two impellers engaged in the operating cycle. One of the impellers is adapted to be positioned by a thrust torque with another impeller by a counter support torque. The shell of the impeller which can be positioned by the thrust torque is provided with at least one aperture to reduce losses under idling conditions of the retarder. An annular slide valve is arranged concentrically with respect to an axis of rotation of the retarder with a sealing surface being provided on the valve which is stationary with respect to the valve. The annular slide valve may be displaced relative to the outlet aperture into a braking position such that the outlet aperture is closed off by the sealing surface of the annular slide valve and into at least one idling position unblocking the outlet opening to a greater or lesser extent.

Abstract: In this system an inertial reel is mounted beneath a platform, which is carried by a pair of trucks that roll along an overhead rail which is fastened to the ceiling of a hospital corridor or the like. Two, adjustable, rigid handles project downwardly from the platform to be gripped by a patient, who in turn is adapted to be connected by a harness to a retractable tether or cord, which extends downwardly from the inertial reel behind the patient. While gripping the handles the patient may walk beneath the overhead rail, thereby causing the trucks to roll on the rail and to maintain the platform above the patient. If the patient should suddenly stumble or fall, an hydraulic mechanism in the reel automatically brakes the trucks against movement on the rail and resists withdrawal of the cord from the reel, so that the patient is slowly lowered to the floor. The platform is rotatable by the patient 180.degree. relative to the overhead trucks so as to enable the patient to reverse his or her direction of movement.

Abstract: A two-wheeled cart for training trotters, wherein the cart frame comprises two longitudinal rigid thill members, which at a central part thereof are pivotally connected through a cross connecting member to be vertically rotatable in relation to each other, wherein each wheel is individually resiliently suspended at a rear part of the respective thill member, and wherein a seat supporting cart member is separately resiliently suspended by the cart frame. A device for adjustable loading of the cart comprises hydraulic pump means arranged to load the wheels.

Abstract: A hydraulic drive is provided for a fishing reel including a drive hydraulic pump having a drive pump member driven by a manually rotatable handle and a driven hydraulic pump having a driven pump member connected to a winding means for causing the fishing line to be wound upon a spool carried by the frame of the fishing reel. A conduit connects the drive pump and the driven pump whereby rotation of the handle forces fluid from the drive pump to the driven pump for actuating the driven pump member and driving the winding means. A flow control valve is connected in the conduit for controlling the flow rate of fluid delivered to the driven pump so that the speed of rotation of the winding means can be varied for a constant input drive speed of the drive pump.

Abstract: A rotary vane pump incorporating radially displaceable sliding vanes. The sliding vanes can be electromagnetically actuated in order to permit use of the rotary vane pump as a hydraulic brake.