Harley-Davidson Motor Company

Brunswick Corporation

Harley-Davidson, Inc.

Harley-Davidson Motor Company Group, LLC

Drs Power & Control Technologies, Inc.

Alvin R Zemlicka

William H Brown

Louis N Netz

Edward Louis Wellner

Gary L Meisenburg

Francis E Bertram

Charles F Gray, Jr

Richard F Schmerda

Robert R Radtke

Jay L Menzel

Electrically assisted safing of a solenoid linear actuator to provide shock tolerance is provided for a solenoid actuator, the actuator having an armature and at least one electromagnetic inductive coil. A controller, receiving an output from a motion sensor, adjusts an electrical power input to the electromagnetic inductive coil. When the output of the motion sensor indicates onset of an environmental transient exceeding a predetermined threshold of intensity, the controller adjusts the electrical power input such that an electromagnetic field generated by the coil is sufficient to restrain the armature in a desired position during the environmental transient.

Electrically assisted safing of a linear actuator to provide shock tolerance

A motorcycle wheel includes a rim portion, a hub portion, a joining portion extending between the hub portion and the rim portion, and an axle housing portion. The joining portion includes first and second sidewalls defining outwardly-facing continuous concave surfaces. The first and second sidewalls define a well adjacent the rim portion. The first and second sidewalls contact each other at a merger portion intermediate the hub portion and the rim portion. The first sidewall is slightly thicker than said second sidewall to facilitate casting the wheel as one piece. A merger point in the merger portion has a thickness that is less than the minimum thicknesses of a portion of the first and second walls between the hub portion and the merger portion. The hub portion includes apertures to reduce the weight of the wheel. The axle housing portion protects a motorcycle axle from debris passing through the apertures in the hub portion, and stiffens the axle bearing supports.

Lightweight motorcycle wheel

Portion of a motorcycle wheel

Portion of a motorcycle rim

Motorcycle wheel hub

A universal anchor for securing electrical connectors to a motor vehicle includes a body portion and a stem portion extending downwardly from the body portion. The stem portion is constructed and arranged for being secured in an opening in a motor vehicle. The body portion includes a first mount having a first upper surface and a pair of parallel, spaced apart rails disposed the lateral sides of the first surface. A first locking member is disposed on the first upper surface and between the rails for being engaged by locking means on a connector to be mounted thereon. The body portion also includes a second mount defined by an elongated portion projecting from the first mount and having a second upper surface formed thereon and a flange is mounted along each lateral side of the second upper surface. Second and third locking members are disposed on the second mount and spaced apart in a longitudinal direction. The second locking member extends above the second upper surface and the third locking member is disposed below the second upper surface.

Universal connector anchor

A junction box for a motorcycle including a receptacle and a cover which form an enclosure mounted on the motorcycle, a terminal assembly mounted in the enclosure, a plurality of circuit interrupters for interrupting a circuit upon the occurrence of a fault. The circuit interrupters are mounted on the terminal assembly for being connected respectively to a plurality of electrical circuits on the motorcycle. A first additional circuit interrupter for interrupting a circuit upon the occurrence of a fault is mounted in the enclosure for being connected to a starter relay and a second additional circuit interrupter is mounted in the enclosure for interrupting all of the electrical circuits.

Motorcycle terminal box assembly

A motorcycle wheel has a hub, a rim, and a plurality of wire spokes extending between the hub and the rim. The hub comprises, a pair of opposed, unitary hub members, each of which includes a tubular body portion and a bowl-shaped spoke flange extending integrally from each of the body portions. A plurality of spaced apart spoke holes are formed in each of the spoke flanges and each is positioned for receiving one end of one of the spokes. A plurality of coupling members extend from the inner end of each body portion and are engageable when the hub members are placed end-to-end for coupling the hub members and for properly orienting the positions of the spoke holes in the spoke flange on one member relative to those on the other.

Laced wheel hub

A fluid mount for an inboard marine engine includes a combination of a solid elastomer and a fluid dampening means to significantly improve vibration isolation and cushioning under normal shock loads. The fluid dampening means is constructed to lock-up and become inoperative under heavy shock loads to protect the mount against overload failure. An improved mounting system utilizing the fluid mounts optimizes the performance thereof.

Fluid mounting system for a marine engine

A marine engine exhaust assembly (7) is provided with water flow path control devices which minimize back pressure. Lower intermediate elbow portions (8) and the respective bullhorn upper legs (12) are formed and joined in a manner to provide a continuous common gas-water passage which is axially linear in a fore-to-aft direction. The common gas-water passages are formed to provide a gradual reduction in cross-sectional area from top to bottom. The wall contours of the intermediate elbows gradually merge from circular at the upper end to generally elliptical at the lower end. In addition, the wall contours of the upper bullhorn legs are generally elliptical (FIG. 5) at their upper ends for communicating with the intermediate elbows, and gradually merge into a rectangular shape (FIG. 6) in the area of the bullhorn bends (13), which continues on to adjacent the bullhorn discharge portion. The leading edges of gas-water separator plates (25) are formed with a generally V-shaped downstream curve (28) which provides a slicing edge for the water. A gimbal housing (33) has water-carrying lightening pockets (38) which connect from the bullhorn to drain holes (37) in the housing body. The lightening pockets are short and terminate adjacent their respective drain holes. The inner pocket ends are broadly curved (39) in the direction of the respective drain holes.

Marine engine exhaust assembly

A marine drive (10) is provided with a shift mechanism (200) including a detent canister assembly (202). A cylindrical canister (204) contains a ball (206) biased by a pair of concentric springs (208 and 210) into engagement with a shifter lever arm (124) to center the latter in a neutral position. The canister assembly (202) is a self-contained modular unit inserted into the marine drive housing (23). The cylindrical canister (204) has a left end wall (214) with an aperture (216) therethrough and has an open right end containing the ball (206). The first spring bears (208) at its right end against the ball (206) and extends axially leftwardly through the aperture (216) in the left end wall (214) of the canister (204) and bears at its left end against the housing (23). The second outer concentric spring (210) bears at its right end against the ball (206) and is entirely within the canister ( 204) and bears at its left end against the left end wall (214) of the canister (204). Upon axial leftward depression of the ball (206) by the shift lever arm (124), the first inner spring (208) compresses and the canister (204) moves axially leftwardly until the left wall (214) of the canister (204) strikes the housing wall (218) to close a tolerance-accommodating gap (220), whereafter both springs (208 and 210) compress during further leftward depression of the ball (206). Particular constructional details of the shift lever arm (124) are also disclosed.

Marine drive shift mechanism with detent canister centered neutral

A valve (22) is provided in the exhaust system of a marine engine (11) which discharges its exhaust underwater. The valve (22) includes a valve member (23) formed of a stainless steel plate (24) and of silicon rubber (29). Holes (28) are provided in the plate (24) to form a mechanical bond with the silicon rubber molded to the plate (24).

Growing community of inventors

Elkhart Lake, WI, United States of America

Alvin R Zemlicka