Ford Motor Company Limited

Adam M Janotik

Lawrence P Kazyak

Derek F Gentle

Gordon G Strosberg

Charles A Stickels

Tahir M Mansour

James R Dixon

Emmanuel P Papadakis

Charles J Haddad

Anthony T Anderson

William J Fobar

Joe Marasco

A split joint construction for a space frame on an automotive vehicle includes at least one rocker member extending longitudinally, at least one structural member having extensions extending longitudinally in a first direction and in a second direction opposite to the first direction, each of the extensions having at least one channel to receive the rocker member, and a fastening mechanism for securing the structural member and rocker member together.

Split joint construction for a space frame

A space frame for an automotive vehicle includes at least one longitudinally extending structural member and at least one rocker including a structure forming channels on at least two sides, one of the channels receiving the structural member and an adhesive and/or sleeve for securing the structural member to the rocker.

Space frame construction

A rocker and various joint constructions are provided for a space frame on an automotive vehicle. Also, various methods are provided for constructing joints and joining subassemblies of a space frame together.

A connector for a space frame on an automotive vehicle having a plurality of structural members in at least two dimensions includes an inner panel, and an outer panel spaced from the inner panel and substantially parallel thereto. The connector also includes a connector panel attached to the inner and outer panel to form a channel defining one dimension and adapted to receive one of the structural members. The connector further includes at least one extension member attached to either one of the connector panel and the inner panel and the outer panel and extending outwardly therefrom to define a second dimension relative to the first dimension and adapted to be disposed within another one of the structural members to form a joint therebetween.

Space frame connector

A space frame for an automotive vehicle includes a plurality of hoop-shaped structural members and a structure disposed on adjacent portions of the structural members for allowing nesting engagement therebetween to form a substantially flush outer surface between the structural members. The structure includes at least one shoulder portion and at least one extension portion on one of the structural members.

A space frame for an automotive vehicle includes a plurality of structural members. Each of the structural members has a channel. The space frame also includes a connector disposed in the channel of each of the structural members and a joint structure and/or adhesive for joining the connector and the structural members together.

Space frame joint construction

A mounting assembly for fixing a panel to a space frame defining the general shape of an automotive vehicle that provides accurate, adjustable positioning of the panel with respect to the space frame and accommodates differential growth and shrinkage of the frame and the panel induced by temperature changes. The assembly includes a multi-piece fastener held axially and radially fast with respect to the space frame and axially and radially free with respect to the panel.

Method and apparatus for joining plastic panels to aluminum space frames

A modulated conveyor shuttling system for transfering a pallet therealong. It has a series of pedestals aligned along a predetermined path, a carrier supported on each of the pedestals with a plurality of bearings to movingly support the pallet, and locomotion apparatus incorporating air bladders to effect sequential lifting, tilting, and lowering of adjacent carriers on adjacent modules to steppingly move the pallet along such path.

Flexible conveying device

A method and apparatus for the attachment of plastic outer body panels to automotive vehicle subframes including positioning a cup within apertures in the subframe, applying a thixotropic heat curable plastic/adhesive to the cup, heat curing the plastic/adhesive in situ while forming a blind aperture in the plastic/adhesive, and securing the body panel to the subframe through threaded insertion of a fastener into the blind aperture.

Apparatus for assembling body panels

An improved construction for an automotive vehicle door provides an upstanding peripherally extending mounting flange formed integrally with the outer panel of the door for carrying a resilient seal for sealing engagement with the vehicle body when the door is in a closed position.

Closure panel for automative bodies

Method for assembling body panels

An acceleration sensor is provided for electrically activating electrically operated automotive occupant restraints which employs switch contacts arranged in a cylindrical housing to resiliently bias a sensing mass in columnar fashion and collapse to effect contact upon movement of the sensing mass responsive to an acceleration pulse above a predetermined magnitude and duration.

Acceleration sensor

An acceleration sensor for an automotive inflatable occupant restraint system employs a rolling diaphragm to divide a housing into two chambers in fluid communication through orifices across the diaphragm. The orifices damp the motion of an acceleration sensing mass with respect to the diaphragm.

Fluid damped acceleration sensor

A rotary magazine holds cutting tool inserts, each having multiple cutting edges. The magazine is rotated to a first station where the inserts are removed, transferred to a machine tool and returned after use. Each unused cutting edge of the inserts is successively advanced to a reference position on the magazine. A pneumatically operated device lifts the inserts from the magazine and rotates them into position for machining. A pneumatically operated gearwheel advances the position of the cutting edges with respect to the reference position.

Machine tool insert dispenser

A method of developing compressive residual stresses in the surface region of a high carbon steel alloy article is disclosed. The article is made of an alloy having 0.8-1.6% C, 0.2-5% Cr, 0-20% ingredients selected from the group consisting of M.sub.N, V, Mo, W, Si, and the remainder Fe. The article is heated in a carburizing atmosphere at 800.degree.-950.degree. C. for 1-2.5 hours, and then quenched to cool the central core of the article at a rate sufficiently fast to suppress the formation of non-martensitic austenite decomposition products, thereby establishing a residual compressive stress gradient proceeding from the surface to a depth of 0.007-0.03 inches.

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Grosse Ile, MI, United States of America

Adam M Janotik