Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Ming-Chih Yew

Bernard J Finn

Trevor O Jones

Kenneth R Meloche

James G McLeish

Herbert A Libkie

A twist isolating connection between a distal end of an elastic beam disposed transversely of a vehicle sprung mass and an adjacent end of a torsion rod disposed longitudinally of the sprung mass between a suspension control arm and the elastic beam distal end, the connection including a yoke rigidly attached to the end of the torsion rod with a pair of legs straddling a platform member on the distal end of the elastic beam, and a pair of protuberances on the legs engaging opposite sides of the platform member in a common transverse plane of the sprung mass but at laterally spaced locations. The elastic beam is thus clamped between the protuberances which transfer torsional moments to the elastic beam for resistance in bending modes but which isolate the elastic beam from the torsion rod with respect to twisting of the beam due to beam bending of the torsion rod.

Elastic beam-torsion rod connection

A level control system for a motor vehicle with an unsprung mass including a wheel, a sprung mass, and a shock absorber connecting the sprung and unsprung masses comprises fluid power apparatus activatable to level the sprung mass with respect to the unsprung mass, a sensor effective to generate a signal indicating the level of the sprung mass relative to the unsprung mass and apparatus responsive to the sensor to compute the difference between the total times, within a predetermined time period, spent by the level above and below a predetermined trim band and apparatus effective to compare the difference of the times with a reference comprising a predetermined percentage of the predetermined time period and activate the fluid power apparatus if the difference exceeds the reference in magnitude, whereby the system can maintain a narrow trim band while the vehicle is not moving while avoiding unnecessary corrections and cycling due to excursions above and below the trim band during vehicle movement over rough surfaces.

Automatic vehicle level control

A vehicle wheel suspension includes transverse control arms for an opposed pair of road wheels and a primary suspension spring beam spaced longitudinally of the vehicle away from the control arms and interconnected therewith by torsion rods installed on axes located outboard of the swing axes of the transverse control arms.

Vehicle wheel suspension

In a vertical telescopic strut and transverse lower control arm type suspension, such elements are interconnected at a point substantially inboard between the ends of the control arm and the wheel support knuckle is substantially outboard of the strut axis at the distal outer end of the lower control arm. A second transversely extending control arm for the wheel knuckle is swingably mounted upon the lower telescopic portion of the strut above the lower control arm.

The adjacent terminals of adjacent battery cells are grouped in regularly spaced pairs of contacts. A first commutating member has a plurality of regularly spaced contact members effective to connect the contacts of each pair but one and is movable sequentially through a plurality of positions to vary the unconnected contact pair. One of the contact members adjacent the unconnected contact pair provides a first output terminal. A second commutating member has a single contact member effective to connect the contacts of one of said pairs and provide a second output terminal and is movable sequentially through a plurality of positions to vary the connected contact pair. Actuator means are movable sequentially through a plurality of positions in a first direction and a second direction and are connected through a unidirectional clutch to the second commutating member to move it in one direction to increase the number of cells connected across the output terminals with movement of the actuator means in its first direction and through a unidirectional clutch to the first commutating member to move it in the same one direction to decrease the number of cells connected across the output terminals with movement of the actuator means in its second direction, thereby varying the output voltage in a stepped fashion and equalizing the discharge of the individual cells with such variation.

Stepped voltage power supply with equalized discharge of battery cells

An internal combustion engine having interconnected main and auxiliary combustion chambers, respectively, supplied with air-fuel mixtures through separate main and auxiliary intake passages is provided with an inlet valve having a single stem carrying two valve elements, one controlling each inlet port. At least one of the valve elements is resiliently positioned on the stem to permit relative movement between the elements and thus obtain positive seating of both valve elements on their respective valve seats. The arrangements permit actuation of the valve by conventional single valve actuating means.

Jet ignition engine with singly actuated dual inlet valves

A jet ignition internal combustion engine of the type provided with separate induction passages for lean and rich air-fuel mixtures wherein the main inlet valve mounts a cup like member forming an auxiliary ignition chamber within the main combustion chamber. The rich mixture is supplied to the auxiliary chamber through the hollow stem of the main inlet valve, flow being controlled by a small auxiliary valve within the main valve and actuated by the same valve gear. Openings in the wall of the valve-carried ignition chamber connect with spark ignition means and with the main combustion chamber to provide for spark ignition of the rich ignition chamber mixture and resultant jet ignition of the lean mixture in the main combustion chamber.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, MI, United States of America

Ming-Chih Yew