Automotive Products (usa), Inc.

James V Ludwig, Jr

Keith V Leigh-Monstevens

Alexander Zelikov

A slave cylinder particularly suited for use in a hydraulic clutch release system for a motor vehicle. The cylinder includes a spring boot which serves as both a dust boot and a preload spring device. In one embodiment of the invention, the cylinder is an external slave cylinder and the spring boot extends from a rear end of the cylinder body to a rear end of the pushrod and acts to apply a preload force through the pushrod and through the release lever to the release bearing while simultaneously precluding the entry of dust and other contaminants into the interface between the piston and the cylinder bore. In another embodiment of the invention, the slave cylinder is a concentric slave cylinder and the spring boot is positioned in surrounding relation to the main body of the cylinder housing with the front end of the spring boot bearing against a flange portion of the housing and the rear end of the spring boot bearing against the non-rotating race of the release bearing so that the spring boot exerts the desired preload directly on the release bearing and simultaneously precludes the entry of contaminants into the interface between the housing and the annular piston. The front and rear ends of the boot define annular toothed configurations for respective mating coaction with annular toothed configurations on the flange portion of the housing and on the non-rotating race of the bearing whereby to preclude rotation of the non-rotating race induced by rotation of the rotating race.

Hydraulic pressure cylinder with combined boot and spring

An improved quick connect coupling and an improved spring clip for use in the coupling. The coupling comprises a female member defining a passage defining an annular seat, a male member sized to fit in the passage, and a spring clip positioned in the annular seat. The spring clip comprises a thin walled spring steel tubular member capable of being compressed for seating within the annular seat and including a first plurality of circumferentially spaced finger portions for engagement with a trailing abutment surface on the male member and a second plurality of circumferentially spaced finger portions for engagement with an annular shoulder defining one end of the annular seat. In one embodiment the finger portions for engagement with the abutment surface on the male member have a T configuration with the head portions of the fingers coacting to define a large circumferential surface for engagement with the male member abutment surface. In another embodiment the finger portions for engagement with the annular shoulder on the female member have a T configuration with the T portions of the fingers coacting to define a large circumferential surface for engagement with the annular shoulder.

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Shelby Township, MI, United States of America

James V Ludwig, Jr