Abstract: An abutment with a damping device, more particularly for automatic machining or conveying equipment, comprising an abutment member which is able to be moved from a first abutment position as far as second end abutment position while subjected to a damping action. A fluid power operated setting member can move the damping device (which is connected with the abutment member) perpendicularly to the direction of the abutment action and is able then to move the abutment out of an abutment plane and back into it. The damping device has in this case at least one damping piston adapted to run in at least one damping cylinder, there being a choke device which damps the piston movement and provides resistance for the ingoing or outgoing air during piston movement. Both the setting member and also the damping device operate by a fluid power effect, individual adaptation of the damping properties being possible for workpieces with different masses and/or different speeds of movement.

Abstract: A dual-rate surface effect damper with extended useful life. The dual rate is provided by two cylindrical liners which have different inner diameters which engage a damping piston having protrusions which have an interference fit with the liner. Features which extended life include heat dissipative elements such as internal and external fins, a convective heat transfer path for cooling air through the piston and a lubricant of MoS.sub.2 dispersed in a Teflon.RTM.-filled flurosilicone. Maintaining the temperature of the elastomer below about 200.degree. F. (93.3.degree. C.) is critical to avoiding thermal breakdown. In addition, the elastomer and metallic surfaces can undergo a surface treatment to reduce their tendency to abraid and to cause abrasion, respectively.

Abstract: A conveyor roller brake that is preferably carried within the confines of a conveyor roller and includes a friction surface carried by the conveyor roller and a brake shoe that is maintained continuously in biased engagement with the friction surface and is selectively engageable for disengageable with respect to a nonrotatable hub element thereby selectively permitting the brake shoe to rotate freely with the conveyor roller in frictional engagement with the friction surface, or to be arrested in its rotation so that relative rotation of the roller with respect thereto provides continuous roller braking through frictional sliding of the brake shoe in biased engagement with the friction surface.

Abstract: The instantaneous load sensor of a motor vehicle is incorporated in a suspension assembly of the vehicle, and comprises a suspension element (1) fastened via an elastic mechanism (3) to a rod (5) carried by a yoke (7). The rod (5) is a blind hollow tube, in which a slot (12) has been made substantially in the axis of the suspension element (1) and opposite the latter, so as to allow the elastic mechanism (3) to penetrate into the tube (5), a sensor (10) of the pressure prevailing in the tube hermetically closing the open end of the tube.

Abstract: A solar powered cooling apparatus for a vehicle brake system utilizing a solar cell panel mounted within a vehicle front bumper to selectively actuate a blower motor located within an air duct housing. The air duct housing is connected to the front bumper of which has a plurality of forward openings with filtering screens so as to direct cool air flowing from the openings to the associated disk brake rotor. A plurality of openings are also formed on the top panel of the bumper of which the solar panel is operatively associated and where the openings can be adjusted via a slide plate operative through a push-pull cable located in a passenger compartment of the vehicle.

Abstract: A shim for fitting a rotor of an automotive wheel assembly to an associated hub comprising an annular body connecting a plurality of washers, the body being thinner than at least some of the washers so that surface imperfections on the mating surfaces of the hub and rotor may be accomodated between the washers and the surface area of contact between the hub and rotor is limited to the washers.

Abstract: A protection device for the adjusting nut, which adjusts brake slack adjuster of a heavy duty truck is an adjusting nut cover of a generally arcuate shape having a gripping member at one end thereof to hold the cover in position over the adjusting nut, and a removal member at the other end thereof to provide for removing the adjusting nut cover or making the adjusting nut accessible.

Abstract: A safety brake for braking a moving member includes at least one active member co-operating by friction with a passive member. The active member is kept at a distance from the passive member by an incompressible fluid which opposes the effect of a drive element (7) that is coupled to the active member and tends to urge the active member against the passive member. The incompressible fluid is enclosed in a circuit (6) which possesses a frangible portion (8) such that when the frangible portion is broken in order to activate the safety brake, it constitutes an exhaust opening to allow the incompressible fluid to escape from the circuit (6).

Abstract: A friction apparatus which includes a liner having a friction surface. The liner includes a fabric having fluorine fibers. The liner also comprising a resin.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method of increasing and/or extending the operational service life of an aircraft brake disk stack by selectively limiting the number of brake assemblies which comprise the aircraft landing gear configuration and which are put into operation during the time the aircraft is on the ground and subject to taxi-snub braking cycles while also providing that all of the brake assemblies of the total available on the aircraft are operational during landing of the aircraft.

Abstract: The invention relates to a balancing unit (1) for, for example, a movable arm in an industrial robot. The unit comprises a cylinder (2) with a piston (3) and a piston rod (4) arranged in the cylinder (2). The cylinder (2) is completely closed except for a sealed exit opening for the passage of the piston rod (4). On one side of the piston (3), the cylinder space is connected to a medium which is under high pressure, and on the other side of the piston (3) the cylinder space is connected, via a connection at the end of the cylinder (2), to a closed isolated space.

Abstract: The invention relates to a protective device of drum-brake operating shafts of trucks and touring trailers. This device is essentially constituted by a protective sleeve (4) mounted on the bushing (5) of the operating shaft (1) of the clearance cam (3) of the brake shoes. This sleeve (4), extended up to the operating lever (2), comprises a packing (6) at each one of the extremities of its bore. The axis of the bore (4d) is upwardly offset in relation to the axis of the sleeve (4), of a distance X corresponding to one half of the clearance arranged between the shaft (1) and the bore (4d). A sectoral wearing plate (10) is disposed at the lower portion of the bore (4d). The sleeve (4) is mounted at the connecting bridge (8) by an annular collar (4a) with an indexing key (4b) and of the housing (9), existing at the beginning, or of a tab molded with the sleeve (4).

Abstract: A damper device comprises damping structure and a spring device and is advantageously used for a door swingably supported by a shaft to be opened and shut between a totally shut position and a totally opened position and opened under the influence of its own weight at least from a position intermediate of the aforementioned two positions to the totally opened state. The damper element acts against the motion of the door. The spring element biases the door in the shutting direction at least from the intermediate position to the totally opened position.

Abstract: A protective device for use on a wheeled vehicle such as a tractor pulled trailer equipped with an air brake is provided. The air brake includes a housing generally disposed lengthwise of the trailer and comprises a transversely disposed diaphragm in a medial portion thereof with air pressure communicating with the front side of the diaphragm and further comprises a heavy coiled spring positioned in opposition to the air pressure on the rear side of the diaphragm. A protective device in the form of a perforated plate is mounted adjacent to and rearwardly of the housing so as to be in the path of the coiled spring in the event of rupturing of the housing, as from corrosion, and releasement of the spring therefrom, to prevent the spring from being projected rearwardly away from the housing.

Abstract: A controller for controlling the increase in fluid brake pressure as a brake is applied irrespective of how rapidly the operator applies the brakes. The controller includes a valve between inlet and outlet ports in a valve body, the valve having opposing faces subjected respectively to pressure at the outlet and pressure in a volume chamber between the valve and a spring loaded piston and connected to the outlet through a restricted orifice. The valve seeks an equilibrium position wherein the rate of rise in pressure at the outlet is controlled and the deceleration of the vehicle is controlled even when the operator applies the brakes at an excessive rate.

Abstract: Bleed orifices are formed in the lower end of the rod guide of a double acting hydraulic strut or shock unit. The bleed orifices are of sufficient size and number that when a rod guide designed for a larger bore unit is assembled in a unit with a smaller bore cylinder tube, a large fluid leak path is produced between the cylinder tube and the reservoir tube. This leak greatly reduces rebound damping force that the unit normally produces. When checked for damping performance before final shipment of the unit, the low damping force is readily detected and the unit is rejected for repair.

Abstract: The present invention includes a conversion kit having substantially four pairs of pieces including a pair of rotors, a pair of calipers, a pair of bracket plates, and a pair of hub inserts along with the necessary fastening structure. The installation or conversion is as follows: The drum brake is completely removed from the axle and the new rotor is mounted thereon. The rotor is bored out to form a longitudinal cylindrical channel therethrough and the hub insert having an elongated cylindrical portion and a flanged portion is force-fitted with the hollow elongated aperture of the hub until the flange is force-fitted within a circular recess on the outer face of the hub and fastened there so that its face is generally coplanar with the face of the hub.

Abstract: This invention provides for heating a brake assembly electrically to prevent it from freezing. More specifically this invention provides for heating electrically an aircraft multi-disk brake assembly.An electric resistance heating element 12 is adapted to form a heater 10 to provide heating to a brake stack 44. Heat may be transferred either directly to the brake stack 44 or indirectly by first heating a member of the brake assembly 36. This member in turn transfers heat to the brake stack.The heater 10 may be formed to fit within the cavity formed by a torque tube 26 wherein the heater abuts a substantial portion of the torque tube 26.Signals from a thermocouple may be used for activation and deactivation of the heater 10.

Abstract: A disc brake caliper piston diagnostic gauge for the in situ testing and monitoring of a caliper piston which consists of a dial gauge having an externally threaded probe stem housing which extends outwardly therefrom into close proximity to a caliper piston when the gauge is in its operative position on a caliper housing. An anchor plate is threadably mounted upon the stem housing so as to be in abutting engagement with the inside surface of the outboard caliper housing when the gauge is in its operative position upon a caliper housing. A bias spring assembly is provided in threadable engagement with the stem housing so as to be adapted for selective operative engagement with a caliper piston. A contact indicator probe is provided which extends from the dial gauge through the stem housing member into operative engagement with the caliper piston so as to monitor the movement of the caliper piston and to translate the movement of the caliper piston into a visual indication on the dial gauge.

Abstract: Damage to tools and/or equipment (such as measuring equipment) mounted on industrial robot systems or other positioning systems tending to drop when electrical power is cut off, is eliminated by auxiliary equipment which prevents such dropping.

Abstract: In the first embodiment of the apparatus, each end frame of the apparatus has one position at which wheels engage the decking surrounding the pool, and another position at which a braking region engages such deck. In accordance with the method, the operator rolls the apparatus to a desired location when each end frame is in the first-mentioned position, and then tilts each such end frame to the second-mentioned position. He then pulls the pool cover off of the now-stationary frame. In accordance with a second embodiment, each end frame is circular and operates as a wheel when it is desired to move the apparatus. To achieve braking, one edge region of each such wheel is pivoted to expose a chordal braking area. In accordance with the method relative to the second embodiment, the shifting from the rolling mode to the braking mode is effected when the indicated edge regions are at rotated positions such that they do not engage the decking.

Abstract: An optical/mechanical solar tracking system having a lens for focusing the sun's rays for use by an element which changes shape in response to heat. The change of shape of the element is used to operate a mechanical brake which allows the tracking system to move impelled by the force of gravity to a position in which the sun's rays are directed for effective use.

Abstract: An improved pawl and ratchet mechanism is disclosed wherein at least one of a plurality of pawl elements movably disposed within a housing is movable into a least one of the spaces between the teeth of a toothed track ratchet irrespective of the location of the housing with respect to the toothed track ratchet when the housing engages the toothed track ratchet. The improved pawl and ratchet mechanism may be used to contain explosive forces resulting from a pressure failure during the hydraulic testing of pipe.