Abstract: A tool for spreading a vehicle suspension spring, the tool incorporating a base having upper and lower ends; upper and lower arms, each such arm having a proximal end and a distal end, the upper arm's proximal end being pivotally attached to the base's upper end and the lower arm's proximal end being pivotally attached to the base's lower end, and each arm's distal end being adapted for engaging the spring; a screw mounted rotatably upon the base, the screw extending distally between the upper and lower arms; and a nut threadedly mounted upon the screw, the nut having upper and lower ends adapted for slidably engaging the upper and lower arms, the nut being kinetically spinnable for longitudinally repositioning between the upper and lower arms.

Abstract: A tool for installation and removal of flexible couplings includes a first plate having a hinge member rigidly extending from the first plate and a shaft engaging feature defined in the first plate opposite the hinge member thereof. A second plate has a hinge member rigidly extending from the second plate and a shaft engaging feature defined in the second plate opposite the hinge member thereof. The hinge members of first and second plates are hinged together for rotation of the first and second plates about a hinge axis to actuate the shaft engaging features toward and away from one another.

Abstract: A combined compressor and distractor tool is provided that includes a mechanism capable of switching the mode of operation of the tool from a compression tool to a distraction tool. The tool includes engagement tips and handles at opposed ends of the tool that are pivotally connected to a central shaft. A saddle is slidably mounted on the shaft between and pivotally connected to the handles. When the saddle is engaged with the shaft in a before center position, squeezing the handles results the movement of the shaft forwardly to operate the engagement tips as a distractor. However, when the saddle is engaged with the shaft in a past, or over center position, squeezing the handles results in the movement of the shaft rearwardly to operate the engagement tips as a compressor.

Abstract: A tubular gripping apparatus has a jaw assembly that has a tubular-contacting surface at an end thereof, a drive yoke that has a tubular-contacting surface at an end thereof, an actuator connected to the drive yoke, and a locking mechanism interconnected to the drive yoke. The drive yoke is connected to the jaw assembly. The actuator moves the jaw assembly and the drive yoke such that the tubular-contacting surfaces thereof move radially inwardly for a substantially identical distance. The locking mechanism directs a load away from the actuator while the jaw assembly and the drive yoke grip the tubular. The locking mechanism has a cylinder yoke positioned around the piston-and-cylinder assembly, and a wedge assembly positioned adjacent the bearing bar and the cylinder yoke. The wedge assembly is suitable for contacting the cylinder yoke so as to prevent a movement of the cylinder yoke.

Abstract: A pipe gripping apparatus has a first jaw with a pipe-contacting surface at one end thereof, a second jaw having a pipe-contacting surface at one end thereof, a tongue having a pipe-contacting surface at one end thereof, and an actuator connected to the first and second jaws and to the tongue. The actuator serves to move the first and second jaws and the tongue such that the pipe-contacting surfaces thereof move radially inwardly simultaneously for a substantially identical distance. A first link pivotally connects the tongue with the first jaw. A second link pivotally connects the tongue with the second jaw. The first and second links extend angularly outwardly from the tongue. The first and second pivot points of each jaw have a distance unequal to a distance between the first pivot point and pipe-contacting surface of each jaw. The pipe-contacting surfaces can be elastomeric pads, toothed dies, or rollers.

Abstract: A tool for compression of a spring comprises a yoke, a longitudinal bore defining an axis and three radial slots extending from the axis of the bore. Arms associated with an alignment pin are pivotal and engage hooked legs of the tool slidably mounted in two opposed radial slots to adjust the lateral spacing thereof. A drive rod positioned between the legs includes an anvil that may be driven to compress a coil spring engaged between the legs and the anvil.

Abstract: In an apparatus for cutting a tubular film into an elongated strip wherein the tubular film is fed at a given velocity in flattened form from a supply reel to an expansion zone where the film is expanded into a tube, advanced after such expansion along a mandrel, cut into a flat strip while advancing along the mandrel, and the flat strip is removed from the mandrel at an angle to the mandrel axis, the mandrel is hollow and air is introduced into the hollow mandrel under sufficient pressure that the flattened film is expanded into a relatively stiff cylindrical tube that makes a sliding fit with the mandrel and resists deformation while being supported thereon, Improved positive control over the film during its expansion and advance to the mandrel is achieved by means of moving surfaces, e.g. endless belts or roller arrays, that define a diverging expansion zone and are driven at a velocity equal to the velocity at which the film is fed.

Abstract: Flexible tubular film is helically cut into a flat strip by feeding the tubular film in flattened form from a supply source to a film feeding means advancing the flat film tube at a predetermined velocity to a tube expansion zone in which the flat tube is expanded into a generally cylindrical tube and passed axially over a hollow mandrel slightly less in external diameter than the diameter of the expanded tube to be cut helically while on the mandrel into a flat strop that is removed at an angle to the mandrel axis. The tube is expanded in the zone by inflation with air fed through the mandrel in a direction countercurrent to the direction of tube movement and under a pressure sufficient to render the expanded tube stiff as it slides over the mandrel and resistant to deformation while being helically cut.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for producing a woven biased fabric in which the structural fibers are skewed from the fabric centerline. The method and apparatus are particularly designed for producing a woven biased structural fabric in which the structural fibers are oriented about 45.degree. to the fabric centerline, where the flimsy, open-knit nature of the fabric makes handling extremely difficult. Broadly speaking, the apparatus includes a fabric feeding station, slitting station, and winding station. The feeding station holds a roll of conventional structural fabric (parallel and perpendicular structural fibers) woven in a tube configuration and flattened into the roll form. The feeding station rotates the roll in a vertical plane as the fabric unwinds in a horizontal direction. The slitting station includes a cutter and a pair of slatter rolls, the rolls moving the tube of fabric in the horizontal direction while rotating the tube of fabric.

Abstract: In an apparatus for helically slitting a continuous tubular film of synthetic thermoplastic material, a pair of feed rollers for feeding flattened continuous tubular film to a mandrel are mounted at fixed locations in a main frame. A rotary support mounted in the main frame carries the mandrel which consists of spaced apart low-friction bars disposed in a circular array concentric to the axis of rotation of the rotary support. A cutter is adapted to slit the tubular film as it traverses the mandrel. The axis of rotation of the support is aligned with the nip between the feed rollers approximately at the center of their length. A reversing rod and a deflecting or guide roller are connected to the rotary support for guiding the slit film from the mandrel to a winder. The winder has a winding axis aligned with or intersecting the axis of rotation of the rotary support at a right angle. A spreader for opening out the film is disposed between the feed rollers and the mandrel.

Abstract: A device for compressing a strut spring in the strut type car body independent suspension system, comprising two spring compressing plates which are U-shaped and which oppose to each other, and a threaded shaft which, when turned by an external force, changes the distance between the spring compressing plates so as to compress the strut spring.

Abstract: In an apparatus for helically slitting a continuous tubular film of synthetic thermoplastic material, a pair of feed rollers for feeding flattened continuous tubular film to a mandrel are mounted at fixed locations in a main frame. A rotary support mounted in the main frame carries the mandrel which consists of spaced apart low-friction bars disposed in a circular array concentric to the axis of rotation of the rotary support. A cutter is adapted to slit the tubular film as it traverses the mandrel. The axis of rotation of the support is aligned with the nip between the feed rollers approximately at the center of their length. A reversing rod and a deflecting or guide roller are connected to the rotary support for guiding the slit film from the mandrel to a winder. The winder has a winding axis aligned with or intersecting the axis of rotation of the rotary support at a right angle. A spreader for opening out the film is disposed between the feed rollers and the mandrel.