Lucas Industries Limited

Lucas Industries Public Limited Company

Kelsey-hayes Company

Trw Limited

Lucas Industries Public Limited Corporation

Robert Alan Anderson

Herbert L Linkner, Jr

Anthony G Price

Ivan Mortimer

David Charles Hurst

Barry John Bridgens

Gregory J Krawczyk

Alfred Yardley

Michael James Ayres

Stephen Donald Crisp

A tandem master cylinder in which fluid under pressure is supplied to a primary outlet port from a primary pressure space in a bore between a positively actuated main piston and a floating or secondary piston, and to a secondary outlet port from a secondary pressure space between the floating or secondary piston and an end of a housing closing the bore, the position of the primary piston with respect to the secondary piston being determined by the length in a released position of a return spring which acts between the two pistons, the return spring being caged between the main position and a sleeve in abutment with the secondary piston and which is coupled to the main piston through an axially extending headed stem to determine a defined position, further in which the distal end of the stem is of a reduced diameter and a shoulder at the step in diameter defines a cutting edge, insertion of the stem into a bore in the main piston of a diameter not less of that of the distal end causing the cutting edge to cut into the material of the main piston until the defined position is reached and to key the stem to the piston at that position against withdrawal of the stem from the piston. A groove may be formed in the stem to accommodate material displaced by the cutting edge and to form a key to key the stem to the piston.

Tandem master cylinders for hydraulic systems

A coil assembly for a solenoid valve includes a bobbin formed from an electrically insulative material. A bore extends axially through the bobbin. A first flux ring having a sleeve extending axially from an annular base is mounted upon a first end of the bobbin with the sleeve extending into the bobbin bore. Similarly, a second flux ring also having a sleeve extending from an annular base is mounted upon a second end of the bobbin that is opposite from the first flux ring with its sleeve extending into the bobbin bore. The flux rings are formed from a magnetically permeable material that has a high heat conductivity. Magnet wire is wound upon the assembled bobbin and flux rings to form the coil assembly.

Solenoid valve coil having an integrated bobbin and flux ring assembly

In a solenoid-controlled valve assembly a biasing means ( ) is adapted to apply a resisting force to a spool ( ) in a direction opposite to the direction substantially of a force applied by an armature ( ), and engagement between at least one of the spool and the biasing means and the spool and the armature is through an engagement means defining a single point of contact. The spool ( ) may be provided with at least one land adapted to connect and disconnect two flow passages ( ), and the first ends of the two passages are spaced apart in a direction parallel to the axis of the bore by a smaller distance than the spacing between the second ends of the passages.

Solenoid controlled valve

In an electro-hydraulic braking system a housing is provided having at least three discrete housing portions ( ), a first portion being adapted to contain electrical drive circuitry for said at least one actuator, the second portion being adapted to contain hydraulic flow passages to and from the electrically operated actuator, and the third portion being adapted to house one or more pressure sensors. On assembly of the housing, electrical contacts from the one or more pressure sensors in the third portion provide a connection between the one or more pressure sensors and the electrical circuitry contained in the first portion, and hydraulic passages extending from the pressure sensors in the third portion provide a connection between one or more pressure sensors and fluid passages in the second portion.

Electro-hydraulic braking systems

In a pedal assembly for a brake-by-wire vehicle braking system, feedback reaction means ( ) is provided so that feedback to the driver through the pedal ( ) provides comfortable feel, similar to the pedal feel achieved in a conventional hydraulic braking system fitted to a non-EBS equipped vehicle. The feedback reaction means may comprise a two-rate spring assembly ( ) or a variable rate spring assembly, in combination with a damper (

Pedal assemblies for vehicle braking systems

An hydraulic braking system is disclosed which comprises a fluid source and brake actuators, wherein a first master control valve is provided to supply substantially equal pressures to all brake actuators and additional control valves are provided to regulate pressures applied to respective ones of said brake actuators. The first control valve and the additional control valves are provided in series between the fluid source and the brake actuators so that operation of the master control valve allows equal hydraulic pressures to be applied to each actuator while the additional control valves allow individual brake regulation and in an emergency operation of the master control valve allows for automatic operation of all the actuators.

Electronic braking systems

An hydraulic master cylinder has a cylinder body containing a valve of which a valve element cooperates with a valve seat carried by a piston, the piston performing a working movement, in use, to compress fluid in a pressure chamber of the body. The valve element and valve seat are relatively movable to permit opening and closing of the valve. A first abutment is arranged to set the retracted position of the piston and a second abutment, spaced from the first one in a direction opposite to the working piston movement, serves to hold the valve element in a desired open position when the piston is in its retracted position. The first and second abutments are both formed on a sleeve surrounding the piston.

Hydraulic master cylinder

In an hydraulic anti-skid braking system of the pump and de-boost type the position of the de-boost piston in the bore is determined by a volume of fluid trapped in a space by a dump valve. The dump valve operates in conjunction with a restrictor which, at least at pressures above a pre-set level, restricts the rate of release of fluid from the space when the dump valve is open. Decreasing the flow rate of the dump valve decreases the time period for each anti-skid cycle. The pump no longer has to pressurize to maximum (brake) from zero which reduces the amount of energy which otherwise would have been consumed in the re-application mode. In addition the rate of release of fluid at pressures below the pre-set level can be increased which is of particular advantage when the vehicle is travelling over surfaces having low co-efficients of friction.

Hydraulic anti-skid braking sytems for vehicles

In an hydraulic anti-skid braking system of the pump and de-boost type, the de-boost piston is held in an advanced inoperative position by a volume of fluid trapped in a space and supplied by a pump. A bleed device communicating with the space is held in an open position during initial bleeding of the system by a friction device which acts as a stop and which is releasable when the bleed device is subjected to a predetermined pressure. This enables initial bleeding to be carried out automatically and without an operator operation to open and close a bleed device. The device comprises a pressure-responsive detent which is located in a radial bore in the housing and has a releasable engagement at its inner end in a groove in a spool which comprises the bleed device.

Hydraulic anti-skid braking systems for vehicles

The present specification provides a caliper for use in a disc brake. The caliper has at least two body sections which are clamped together by one or more bolts, each bolt having a bore extending axially therethrough, the bores acting as pin guides for the pins secured to the torque taking member, in the complete brake. Thus only a pair of holes are required to be formed in the caliper body sections, improving the strength and rigidity of the caliper and keeping manufacturing costs to a minimum.

Pin sliding disc brake

In a disc brake the application of the brake is initiated by angular movement of pressure plates in opposite directions, the pressure plates then moving apart into engagement with friction discs which are urged into engagement with opposed radial surfaces in a stationary housing. The angular movement is effected hydraulically by an actuator comprising a piston working in a bore of a cylinder, the axis of which is substantially at right angles to that of the brake. The piston acts through a part-spherical rocking thrust coupling associated with a pull-rod passing through the actuator with a substantial clearance, the inner end of the pull-rod being pivotally coupled to the junction of a pair of toggle links connected between lugs on the pressure plates. The outer end of the pull-rod is extended for connection through a transmission member to a hand lever for applying the brake mechanically. A thrust member is disposed between the piston and the spherical rocking coupling and is engageable with a thrust transmitting force on the piston for sliding movement in a transverse direction with respect to the axis of the cylinder to accommodate angular movement of the pull-rod when the brake is applied.

Disc brakes for vehicles

The brake application of a spreading disc brake is effected by moving pressure plates in opposite directions into engagement with friction discs. This can be achieved hydraulically by pressurization of a pressure space between an annular cylinder in the plate and an annular piston in the plate and which works in the cylinder. Also this can be achieved mechanically by a brake-applying pull rod which is connected to a cranked lever pivotally connected to the plate and acting on the plate. The lever may act directly on the plate or it may act on the plate through an automatic slack adjuster.

Spreading disc brakes for vehicles

In a disc brake of the spreading type an automatic adjuster is located within the housing of the brake. The adjuster comprises an extensible strut which acts between radial lugs on pressure plates to maintain the pressure plates in relative angular positions in which the braking clearances are maintained within the predetermined limits. In the construction described the strut is coupled at each end to a respective plate through a lever which is urged into a neutral position by a spring. The load in the spring is chosen to permit the lever to move angularly about a pivotal connection with its respective plate and prevent the effective length of the strut from being increased further as a result of loads which are transmitted through the strut as a consequence of structural deflection of the housing. The adjuster is therefore said to be 'load-insensitive' for both directions of disc rotation.

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Solihull, United Kingdom

Robert Alan Anderson