Automotive Products, Inc.

Automotive Products Company

501 Automotive Products Plc

David Parsons

Alastair J Young

David R Arrowsmith

Harry M Windsor

Roger P Jarvis

Wilfred N Bainbridge

Raymond Higgerson

Harry D Temperley

Charles John Jones

Harold Hodkinson

Keith Vernon Leigh-Monstevens

Robert Ernest Taylor

Maurice Taylor

Mervyn Brian Packer

John V Comfort

Pre-filled power hydraulic system

Differential mechanism

Clutch control system in which the clutch actuation is initiated by

Torque responsive clutch control

The transmission includes a rotary shaft for transmitting drive to driving wheels of the vehicle, a fixed gearbox casing and a hill holder between the shaft and the gearbox casing. The hill holder, when operative, inhibits reverse movement of the vehicle and includes in series a sprag clutch and a multiplate brake. Fluid is supplied from a fluid operable control system for operating the brake and controls the rate of engagement of the brake.

Motor vehicle transmission including a hill holder device

A method of shipping and installing a hydraulic system such as a motor vehicle clutch hydraulic release mechanism comprising a driver-operable hydraulic master cylinder, a hydraulic slave cylinder and a conduit connecting the outlet of the master cylinder to the inlet of the slave cylinder. Prior to shipment and installation on a motor vehicle, the hydraulic system is filled with hydraulic fluid and bled or purged of atmospheric air, and installation on a motor vehicle is therefore greatly simplified as the requirement of filling with hydraulic fluid and bleeding or purging the hydraulic system after installation is entirely eliminated.

Liquid pressure apparatus

An electronic clutch control system for a friction clutch for starting a vehicle from rest has a clutch position control loop in which the actual clutch position feed-back signal is modified to compensate for changes in clutch characteristic. An engine speed control loop: clutch, engine, engine speed sensor, processed signals, clutch actuator control includes a switchable integrator. A wear compensation signal is added to the clutch position feed-back signal which is then subject to gain control in a gain control device in response to changes in slope of the torque-capacity/clutch position characteristic.

Electronic clutch control system

Concentric piston and cylinder components of a hydraulic slave cylinder used with a clutch release bearing have their axial movement under a biassing spring limited by latch means in the form of flanges. The flanges each have a radial face and a chamfered face, and one flange is radially deformable, being on a slotted cylindrical extension. The radially deformable flange allows the cylinder to be rapidly assembled without the need for assembly of a separate retaining device.

Hydraulic slave cylinder with latch means for use with clutch release

Fluid pressure for engagement of a clutch is controlled by a valve alternating between supply and drain conditions in response to a high frequency electrical square wave signal. The valve produces a low flow pilot pressure signal which controls clutch engagement pressure through a valve incorporating a piston which allows clutch engagement pressure to drain whenever that pressure exceeds pilot pressure.

Control system for a fluid pressure engaged clutch

Friction clutch release apparatus for a motor vehicle comprises a driver-operable master cylinder, a slave cylinder and a conduit which connects the master outlet to the slave cylinder inlet. A liquid reservoir communicates with the bore of the master cylinder between the piston and the outlet when the piston is retracted and has a vent port. The apparatus is assembled, filled with liquid and bled before being installed on the motor vehicle. The vent port may be closed temporarily for convenience of transport and storage after the apparatus is bled, for example by use of a suitable removable closure device which would be removed after installation of the apparatus on the motor vehicle, or may include a movable wall within the reservoir chamber by which liquid within the chamber is separated from that part of the chamber with which the vent port communicates. The vent port may be closed temporarily by a strip of adhesive tape, a bung or other suitable closure device which can be removed readily, or by a puncturable membrane. The movable wall may be a bellows.

An air/hydraulic servomotor unit for providing power assistance for a clutch hydraulic operating system and comprising a compressed air cylinder, a hydraulic slave cylinder, a load proportioning means that determines what ratio of the unit output is derived from the hydraulic and air cylinders, and a clutch operating member. The hydraulic slave cylinder is secured to one end of the air cylinder housing and has a piston which passes through the air cylinder piston so that both pistons can act against the proportioning means. All the unit output loads pass through the proportioning means prior to being transmitted to the operating member.

Booster for a hydraulic clutch system

A fluid pressure servo motor comprises a body having two operatively independent fluid chambers each chamber having therein a piston means movable in response to a fluid pressure differential so as to alter in use a two condition device from one to the other of said two conditions. The two piston means each have a lost motion means connection with the device to allow idle return of the pistons on cessation of the pressure differential. The two chambers and their respective pistons are co-axial and the pistons work in opposition to each other, one piston being fixed to a stirrup which bridges the other piston and acts in use against the two condition device, while allowing said other piston to move independently of the stirrup. Also disclosed is a vehicle door locking system incorporating servo motors as described.

Fluid pressure servomotor

This invention relates to a self-aligning clutch release bearing assembly comprising a rolling element bearing having a rotary race which in use engages with a clutch member, and a non-rotary race mounted on a support for transmission of a clutch release load. The non-rotary race is relatively movable on the support transversely to the rotary axis of the bearing assembly to permit in use self-alignment of the rotary axis of the bearing with rotary axis of the clutch member. This movement is controlled by a layer of viscous material interposed between the support and the non-rotary race. The viscous material exhibits some resilience and up to a given value resistance to plastic flow so that the material locates the non-rotary race but allows it to move to achieve self-alignment on operation of the clutch in use.

Clutch release bearing assembly

A ratarder for a power transmission shaft comprises a liquid immersed coupling between the shaft and a drag member, the drag member being normally entrained to rotate with the shaft by viscous drag in the coupling. A dry brake mechanism, having a frictional drag greater than that of the coupling, is provided to restrain the drag member for relative movement to take place in the coupling. In the embodiments shown, the coupling comprises a friction disc pack alternately connected to the shaft and the drag member, the brake mechanism firstly restraining the drag member and subsequently shifting it axially to engage the friction disc pack. The coupling is suitable for use in heavy motor vehicle transmission systems.

Retarder for rotating members

A master cylinder and brake valve assembly for operating the clutch and clutch brake of a heavy road vehicle is arranged such that up to a first given displacement of the master cylinder piston the clutch release mechanism only is connected to the master cylinder and, above a second further given displacement of the piston, the brake actuator only is connected to the master cylinder, there being a step change in thrust applied to the piston between the given displacements. In a modification, above a third further given displacement of the piston, the brake actuator is reisolated from the master cylinder.

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Kenilworth, United Kingdom

David Parsons