Did You Know...
...that two musicians were responsible for the invention of color print film? Fascinated by photography, Leopold Godowsky and Leopold Mannes worked together to produce an easy-to-use, practical color film. They worked full time as music teachers and gave concerts while experimenting during their off hours in Mannes' kitchen. Their success earned them full-time, well-paying jobs at Kodak and their efforts resulted in Kodachrome film, which was introduced in 1935.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7328719 | Valve state sensing module A sensing module for a fluid valve utilizes a sensor body having a sensing chamber. An extension member is fixedly coupled to a main valve element, is slidable within the sensing chamber along a first axis, and has an inclined cam surface. A plunger has a cam follow... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7257901 | Switch feel measurement setup A method may be employed to assure that a switch feel measurement system accurately measures a torque/angular displacement profile for a pivot switch. A procedure may be employed that aligns the pivot axis of the switch with the rotational axis of the measurement un... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7223198 | Automatic transmission carrier assembly including an overrunning brake A carrier assembly for a planetary gearset of a transmission includes a pinion carrier, a one-way brake having a rocker ring integral with the carrier and having multiple pockets mutually spaced about an axis and located on an outer radial surface of the carrier. A ... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7201141 | Apparatus for controlling throttle shaft deflection and friction in dual bore throttle bodies A throttle body for an automobile includes a housing defining a plurality of bores separated by a central wall. A passageway is defined through the central wall. A shaft is rotatably received within the passageway. A plurality of plates is coupled with the shaft. A ... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7194398 | Method and apparatus for designing and developing a vehicular damper An assembly 10 which allows a vehicular damper to be virtually created and evaluated. Particularly, the assembly 10 includes a torque producer 31, a frequency filter generator 50, and analyzers 32, 34, 36 and 38. The torque ... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7175563 | Planetary gearing for a dual clutch transmission A multiple speed transmission includes first and second input clutches driveably connected to an input, and a gear system that includes four planetary gear units, each gear unit including a sun gear, a ring gear, planet pinions meshing with the sun gear and ring gea... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7155793 | Method for producing a load sharing arrangement of planet pinions and gears for a Ravigneaux gearset The method includes the steps of determining a number of gear teeth for each gear and pinion that, in combination, would produce desired gear ratios. Current gearset parameters including distances and angles relating the positions of the gears and pinions are determ... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7147239 | Wheel creep control of hydraulic hybrid vehicle using regenerative braking A system according to this invention opposes creep in a hydraulic hybrid motor vehicle. An accumulator contains fluid at high pressure, and a reservoir contains fluid at lower pressure. An engine produces positive torque at the wheels during an engine idle condition... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7146266 | Controlling a hydraulic hybrid vehicle powertrain having an internal combustion engine and a hydraulic pump/motor A motor vehicle powertrain system according to this invention controls the magnitudes of torque produced by multiple power sources that drive the vehicle wheels. The system includes a source of pressurized fluid, and a pump/motor driveably connected to the wheels, w... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7100756 | Overrunning clutch A one-way clutch includes a first race having a plurality of pockets, each pocket defining a pivot center, a second race including a plurality of notches, a plurality of rockers, each rocker being supported on a respective pocket for pivoting movement about a pivot ... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7100723 | Multiple pressure mode operation for hydraulic hybrid vehicle powertrain A system for a hydraulically driven vehicle includes a pump producing fluid flow at an outlet, pump-motors having variable flow rates for driving the wheels, a hydraulic rail having a pressure and connecting the pump and the pump-motors, sensors producing signals re... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7089102 | Coasting downshift control for automatic transmissions An automatic transmission ratio shift control system and method for a powertrain having an engine and multiple-ratio gearing controlled by friction elements actuated by hydraulic pressure, an electronic controller for establishing torque transitions among the fricti... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7083537 | Multiple speed automatic transmission for motor vehicle A multiple speed transmission for a motor vehicle includes a speed reduction gear set driveably connected to an input shaft, a planetary gear set having elements selectively driveably connected to the speed reduction gear set and input shaft, a first clutch and a se... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7082757 | Pump/motor operating mode switching control for hydraulic hybrid vehicle A system for transmitting power hydraulically to and from the wheels of a motor vehicle includes an accumulator containing fluid at relatively high pressure, a reservoir containing fluid at lower pressure, and a pump/motor driveably connected to the wheels and havin... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7083538 | Power transmission with electromechanical actuator An automotive transmission is equipped with a variety of gears that may be combined to yield one or more output speeds as compared to an input speed. One or more electromechanical actuators is used to engage or disengage a particular desired mix of gears. The electr... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7077776 | Transmission fluid heating using engine exhaust A heat exchanger integrated into the transmission oil pan transfers heat from post-catalyst exhaust gases to the transmission oil. Inlet and outlet ducts route exhaust gas between the heat exchanger and an exhaust pipe located downstream of the catalyst. The exhaust... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7077080 | Hydraulic synchronizing coupler for a free piston engine A free piston engine has a pair of opposed cylinders on opposite sides of a fluid pumping assembly. An inner piston assembly includes a pair of inner pistons, one each in a respective one of the cylinders, with a push rod connected therebetween. The push rod forms a... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7063195 | Dual clutch assembly for a motor vehicle powertrain Apparatus for transmitting torque between a power source and a transmission, includes first and second coaxial input shafts, a housing, first bearing rotatably supporting the first input shaft on the housing, clutch assembly, flywheel, support shaft secured to the f... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7048104 | Selective bypass of solenoid-controlled supply to friction elements of an automatic transmission A hydraulic system for controlling the engagement and disengagement of a friction element includes a source of line pressure, a source of exhaust pressure, a manual valve having a forward state and a reverse state, connected to the exhaust pressure source and line p... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7048667 | Power split transaxle for producing stepless reverse, forward and geared neutral speed ratios The invention relates to a power split drive train that includes a variable speed ratio path and a fixed speed ratio path. An epicyclic gearset, driven at two inputs, one input continually connected to the variable path, combines the power from the fixed path and va... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7047867 | Oscillating device for adjusting the displacement of a fluid pump A device for adjusting the displacement of a fluid pump includes a swashplate supported for pivotal movement about a first axis, and an engine having first and second cylinders. A first piston is located in the first cylinder and secured to the swashplate at a first... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7045983 | System for controlling motor speed by altering magnetic field of the motor The present invention provides a system for controlling the speed of a motor by altering the magnetic field of the motor. The system includes field modification module, and a motor having field windings and a rotor. The field windings are configured to receive a dri... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7032548 | Piston guides for a free piston engine A free piston engine is configured with a pair of opposed engine cylinders located on opposite sides of a fluid pumping assembly. An inner piston assembly includes a pair of inner pistons, one each operatively located in a respective one of the engine cylinders, wit... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7020596 | Forming contoured torque converter parts with slots A method for forming complex contoured torque converter components with slots. A two dimensional blank is developed that will allow for the piercing of slots into a torque converter component while the blank is still essentially planar, as it proceeds through a prog... | 03/28/2006 |
| 7016776 | Magnetic powder torque transfer clutch for controlling slip across a differential mechanism A control for a differential including magnetic powder torque transfer clutch for controlling slip across the differential mechanism. The clutch includes a first element driveably connected to a first control shaft, a second element driveably connected to the second... | 03/21/2006 |
| 7010407 | One-way orifice for controlling a supply flow rate and permitting rapid reverse flow In a hydraulic system for controlling the rate at which fluid flows to an oncoming clutch and for quickly disengaging the clutch, a source of pressurized fluid, a valve hydraulically connected to the fluid source including a spool for alternately opening and closing... | 03/07/2006 |
| 6997298 | Dual clutch assembly for a motor vehicle powertrain A powertrain for transmitting torque between a power source and a transmission includes an output shaft driven by the power source, first and second input shafts, a housing, a first flywheel rotatably supported on the housing, a second flywheel rotatably supported o... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6994650 | Park brake mechanism for integrated transmission and transfer case In a motor vehicle driveline having an automatic transmission driveably connected to a transfer case, a park gear, continually driveably connected through a planetary gear set to the drive wheels of the vehicle, is alternately fixed against rotation on the transfer ... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6991585 | Torsional isolation of a convertless automatic transmission through slip control of friction clutch An automotive vehicle driveline includes an internal combustion engine for transmitting input torque to a hydraulically-actuated input clutch, and having a throttle controlled by a displaceable accelerator pedal. A transmission produces multiple gear ratios between ... | 01/31/2006 |
| 6991584 | Control of powertrain smoothness using output torque sensing and input torque control An automatic transmission ratio shift and shift feel control system and method for a powertrain having an engine, multiple-ratio gearing controlled by friction elements actuated by hydraulic pressure, an output shaft torque sensor producing a signal representing the... | 01/31/2006 |
| 6988976 | Control of transmission shift points for hybrid vehicle having primary and secondary power sources A method, used in a powertrain of a motor vehicle having an engine, a secondary power source, and a step-change automatic transmission for driving a load, controls an upshift from a current gear to a next gear and includes the steps of establishing first shift point... | 01/24/2006 |
| 6986726 | Planet pinion carrier assembly for Ravigneaux gearset A gearset assembly includes a pinion carrier containing long pinions mutually spaced angularly about an axis and supported for rotation on the carrier, and short pinions, each short pinion supported for rotation on the carrier and meshing with a long pinion. A ring ... | 01/17/2006 |
| 6983724 | Starting a compression ignition free piston internal combustion engine having multiple cylinders A method for starting a free piston, internal combustion engine includes supplying an air charge to a space in a combustion cylinder, and reciprocating the piston in the cylinder so that the maximum pressure of the air charge in the space cyclically increases. Air a... | 01/10/2006 |
| 6971339 | Electromagnetic servo valve strategy for controlling a free piston engine A method for controlling a servo for an actuator that applies a force to a piston that reciprocates in a cylinder of a free piston engine having axially-aligned cylinders and a pair of mutually connected pistons that reciprocate in the cylinders. The servo has a fir... | 12/06/2005 |
| 6966280 | Compression pulse starting of a free piston internal combustion engine having multiple cylinders A method for starting a free piston internal combustion engine that includes a first pair of mutually connected pistons, a second pair of mutually connected pistons, a first piston of each pair located in a first cylinder, a second piston of each pair located in a s... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6959672 | Fuel injection for a free piston engine A free piston engine is configured with a pair of opposed engine cylinders located on opposite sides of a fluid pumping assembly. An inner piston assembly includes a pair of inner pistons, one each operatively located in a respective one of the engine cylinders, wit... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6959545 | Engine control based on flow rate and pressure for hydraulic hybrid vehicle A system for a hydraulically driven vehicle includes an engine having multiple, selectively operating cylinder-pump banks producing fluid flow at an outlet, a pump/motor having a variable flow rate including an inlet for driving the wheels, a hydraulic line having a... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6958028 | Ranged dual clutch transmission for motor vehicles A power transmission for a motor vehicle includes an input, first and second input shafts, a layshaft, drive elements connecting the input shafts to the output and layshaft, couplers, a first clutch for connecting and disconnecting the input and the first input shaf... | 10/25/2005 |
| 6957632 | Air charging system for an opposed piston opposed cylinder free piston engine A free piston engine is configured with a pair of opposed engine cylinders located on opposite sides of a fluid pumping assembly. An inner piston assembly includes a pair of inner pistons, one each operatively located in a respective one of the engine cylinders, wit... | 10/25/2005 |
| 6955627 | Multi-speed transmission and integrated drive transfer mechanism A multiple speed transmission capable of producing five underdrive gear ratios, one direct drive ratio, four overdrive ratios, and four reverse ratios includes four interconnected planetary gearsets, multi-plate clutches and brakes controlling the gearset elements, ... | 10/18/2005 |
