Other

Michael M Randolph

Charles Gilbert Bell

An upper body or chest protector includes a pad having a case occupied by a block of cellular foam adapted to be compressed upon receipt of impact loading. Neck and body girth straps are employed to detachably retain the pad in place on the chest of the user. The body girth straps may include a pair of support straps that downwardly depend from the pad and loop about a waist belt.

Chest protector

A unique double acting piston and cylinder assembly is disclosed wherein the assembly can be moved to any one of three positively determined positions by application of fluid pressure to any one of three ports. The cylinders include first and second pistons attached to an output shaft for movement therewith, third and fourth pistons slidably mounted on the shaft between the first and second ones, a first stop within the cylinder to limit the movement of the adjacent first and third pistons, a second stop to limit the axial movement of the second and fourth pistons, an extension on the third piston and extending toward the first piston for reaching beyond the first stop to contact and move the first piston, an extension carried by the fourth piston and protruding toward the second piston for reaching beyond the second stop in contacting and moving the second piston, and first, second and third ports on the cylinder for passing fluid under pressure respectively between the two inner, third and fourth, pistons and at the ends of the cylinder whereby any of the three positions can be obtained with pressure supplied to one port with the other two vented. Vents in the cylinder between the first and third pistons and the second and fourth pistons prevent build up of a pressure differential therebetween.

Fluid actuated gear changing system

A gear changing system is disclosed for changing the gears in one or more automotive or truck transmissions of the mechanical type. Each rail or equivalent linkage for supporting and moving the gear changing fork is connected to the operating shaft of a fluid actuated cylinder assembly which has fluid ports connected to a plurality of control valves. The valves are connected, on one side, to a source of fluid under pressure, preferably pneumatic, and on the other side are vented to a reservoir or the atmosphere. An electrical or electropneumatic control system controls the operation of the valves, the control system including a push button selector which chooses a shift gear ratio to be attained. The push button assembly first operates a 'neutral' valve which causes the cylinder means to move each shift rail to neutral. A system of microswitches detects the neutral condition and, along with a clutch switch, completes a circuit which permits fluid under pressure to be delivered to a port selected by the push button and its associated valve to move one or more cylinders and their associated gear changing rails. The disclosure also contemplates providing a gear changing mechanism such as above described in a conversion kit form for the modification of existing mechanical gear changing devices.

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Sioux City, IA, United States of America

Michael M Randolph