Did You Know...
...that to encourage use of his new invention, the shopping cart, market owner Sylvan Goldman hired fake shoppers to push the carts around his store in Oklahoma City? Seems his customers were reluctant to give up their hand-carried baskets.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7121012 | Apparatus and method for measuring and controlling pendulum motion A magnetically damped inclinometer has a shaft with attached pendulum that rotates. The rotation causes an index member to rotate past one or a set of magnets or electromagnets that are connected to the load. The magnet or electromagnet may be mounted directly the l... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7100998 | Method and device for controlling wheel brakes of a motor vehicle A method and a device for controlling wheel brakes of a vehicle, in which braking force is maintained and/or built up in at least one operating state at at least one wheel of the vehicle irrespective of the extent of pedal actuation. Such an operating state is prese... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7021723 | Operating system for towed vehicle electric brakes An operating system for towed vehicle electric brakes where an electric signal proportional to the longitudinal force between a tow vehicle and a towed vehicle is used to create an output signal to actuate the brakes of the towed vehicle. The response of the output ... | 04/04/2006 |
| 6959793 | Inertial brake actuator for towed vehicle Disclosed herein is a brake actuator for a towed vehicle having a brake actuated by a pedal. The actuator comprises a weight, slidably mounted to a base, a base and a slidable mount. Alternatively, the actuator comprises a weight, slidably mounted to a base, a base,... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6891468 | Vehicle brake monitoring system A vehicle brake monitoring system including processing units receiving signals from each of the several brake stroke sensors mounted on a vehicle. The sensors adapted to generate signal corresponding to stroke movement of the brakes. The system adapted to process th... | 05/10/2005 |
| 6837551 | Towed vehicle brake controller A brake controller, for controlling the brakes of a towed vehicle, having a control module and a power module is provided. The control module is mounted in the cab of a vehicle used for towing, in such a manner that it can be easily seen and accessed by the driver. ... | 01/04/2005 |
| 6702074 | Brake heat reducing system The present invention provides a brake heat reducing system for reducing the temperature of brake components in vehicles, the brake heat reducing system cooperating with the braking system of the vehicle and having a control device having an accelerometer... | 03/09/2004 |
| 6695415 | Brake fluid pressure relief assembly A brake fluid pressure relief assembly (50) for a brake system (10) including a pedal assembly (12) employs first and second valves (52, 54) to provide controlled collapse of a brake pedal pad (14) when both a predetermined deceleration limit is exceeded ... | 02/24/2004 |
| 6644761 | Towed vehicle brake actuation system A towed vehicle brake actuation system comprising an adjustable inertia activated switch and a relay in series and a radio transmitter, all in the towing vehicle where an electrical signal must pass through both the switch and the relay before the towed v... | 11/11/2003 |
| 6367588 | Deceleration sensor for an electric brake controller A decration sensor includes a pendulum which is suspended within an U-shaped bucket. The pendulum carries a permanent magnet which is adjacent to a Hall Effect device mounted upon the bucket. Both the pendulum and bucket are carried in an open ended housi... | 04/09/2002 |
| 6361123 | Yaw control system A yaw control system for an automotive drivetrain includes an equal torque differential, an engine-driven hydraulic pump, and hydraulically actuated control brakes operable to apply a resistive torque to either a left or right axle of the driven wheels. A... | 03/26/2002 |
| 6053581 | Process and system for briefly stopping a vehicle A process and a system for briefly stopping a vehicle which utilizes a secondary brake circuit. In the present case, the problem is to be solved that the vehicle operator must exercise high brake holding forces in a stopped condition and, because of a con... | 04/25/2000 |
| 6012780 | Brake controller for trailer brakes A system and method are provided for controlling brakes on a trailer being towed by a towing vehicle. The system includes an accelerometer for sensing inclination and a rate of deceleration of the towing vehicle and providing inclination and rate of decel... | 01/11/2000 |
| 5997108 | Process for controlling the speed of a vehicle travelling on a slope A process for controlling the speed of a vehicle travelling on a slope is disclosed. The vehicle is equipped with an electronic system which, through active brake intervention, adjusts the speed of the vehicle to a predetermined constant hill descent spee... | 12/07/1999 |
| 5954164 | Brake system for towed vehicles The present invention relates to a braking system for a towed vehicle. The system comprises a weighted pendulum pivotally attached to the towed vehicle and having a swing path in the direction of travel of the towed vehicle; and a structure for translatin... | 09/21/1999 |
| 5951117 | Boosted braking system with automatically-controlled reaction A boosted braking system for a motor vehicle having a master cylinder (200) and a pneumatic booster (100). The master cylinder (200) causes an increase in pressure of brake fluid supplied to at least one wheel brake (300). The pneumatic booster (100) is c... | 09/14/1999 |
| 5916062 | Process and system for aiding a starting movement of a vehicle The invention relates to a process and a system for aiding a starting movement of a vehicle. Problems occur particularly when starting on a hill or on a steeply sloping road because it is difficult or impossible for the vehicle operator to simultaneously ... | 06/29/1999 |
| 5785393 | Electronic trailer brake controller with pendulum zero adjust An electronic brake controller for actuating electric wheel brakes of a towed vehicle which includes a zero adjusting circuit for a pendulum in an inertia sensor.... | 07/28/1998 |
| 5700068 | Positioning apparatus for inertial sensors An inertial sensor of the type having an inertially responsive pendulum and a rigid support structure for operatively supporting the pendulum, includes an improved pendulum attitude adjustment assembly which allows precise adjustment of the verticality of... | 12/23/1997 |
| 5558123 | Electrically controlled pressure-holding valve A pressure-holding valve for a brake system having a body with a blind bore therein. The body has a first passage which connects the blind bore with a variable pressure inlet port and a pressure outlet port. The blind bore is closed by seals carried on a ... | 09/24/1996 |
| 5484044 | Device for the automatic control of vehicular brake systems on hills A device for the automatic control of vehicular brake systems on hills, in order to allow the vehicle to remain stopped on a hill even after the brake pedal of the vehicle has been released. The device automatically releases the brakes when the driving to... | 01/16/1996 |
| 5452946 | Hill holding brake control system This invention provides a hill-holder control system for operating vehicle brakes of a nature readily retrofit on existing vehicles. This system solves the problem of stopping and starting motion as when a traffic signal is encountered upon an upwardly in... | 09/26/1995 |
| 5399001 | Vehicle all-weather braking aid An all-weather braking aid for a vehicle having brakes actuated by air pressure. The all-weather braking aid includes at least one motion detector responsive to inertia of the vehicle. A sensor is operatively engaged with the motion detector and a switch ... | 03/21/1995 |
| 5354122 | Seating for an inertia ball of a deceleration-sensitive brake power control A seating for an inertia ball (101) of a deceleration-sensitive brake power control is disclosed, featuring a substantially stepped feature (114) located above a bottom area (105) and which feature engages the inertia ball so as to not allow any horizonta... | 10/11/1994 |
| 5352028 | Controller for electric braking systems An improved electronic controller for electrically actuated vehicle brakes includes a triple sloping integrator for providing a control signal to a pulse with modulator controller. The circuit further includes a protection circuit for protecting electrica... | 10/04/1994 |
| 5342117 | Brake pulsing apparatus A brake pulsing apparatus for use in vehicles having vacuum hydraulic, pneumatic or electric brake systems. The brake pulsing apparatus includes a solenoid valve, for vacuum hydraulic and pneumatic brake systems, or a relay, for electric brake systems, mo... | 08/30/1994 |
| 5333948 | Multiple-gain electronic brake actuator with trigger point inertial sensor An electronic controller for outputting pulses of current to actuate towed vehicle brakes includes a trigger point inertial sensor for varying the gain thereof. The trigger point inertial sensor includes a switch connected to the controller for switching ... | 08/02/1994 |
| 5273347 | Method and device in tractor-trailer brakes The invention relates to a method and a device for controlling the operating brake pressure to pressure medium brakes in a vehicle combination comprising a tractor vehicle and at least one trailer vehicle. The vehicles in this case are connected by a conv... | 12/28/1993 |
| 5217287 | Brake control system for preventing rear wheel lock in automotive vehicles A brake control system for preventing a rear-wheel lock in an automotive vehicle comprises a fluid pressure control valve controlling a brake fluid pressure distribution between front and rear wheels such that a rear wheel-cylinder brake fluid pressure is... | 06/08/1993 |
| 5211453 | Process for enhancing control over a braked vehicle Brake pressure is varied briefly by means of pressure pulses at regular intervals during phases when brake pressure is otherwise maintained constant, and any variations in transverse acceleration at each axle are determined. These variations at the axles ... | 05/18/1993 |
| 5195806 | Brake pressure control device for automotive vehicles A rear brake pressure proportioning control device is disclosed, with a regulating piston (7) and with a valve closing member (9) being supported within a slidable control piston (8), the movement of the control piston interrupted at a predetermined rate ... | 03/23/1993 |
| 5195808 | Method and system for non-locking and non-skidding braking/traction of a vehicle wheel Systems and methods are described for achieving optimum braking/traction for a vehicle wheel (1), based upon measurement of road normal and road parallel force on the wheel axis (3). The measuring signals are continuously recorded in an electronic control... | 03/23/1993 |
| 5180212 | Dual brake pressure reducing valve assembly using single inertia responsive member A brake pressure reducing valve assembly (1) includes first (2) and second (3) normally open valve sets each for controlling communication between respective associated inlet (4A,15) and outlet (4,16) chambers. The first valve set (2) is controlled by a b... | 01/19/1993 |
| 5176431 | Vehicle deceleration prediction based on vehicle dive An improved scheme for predicting vehicle velocity independent of wheel speed for use in a vehicle antilock braking system (31) is disclosed and includes an arrangement for measuring variations in the separation between a reference point on the vehicle (1... | 01/05/1993 |
| 5161863 | Braking pressure control device for automotive vehicles The present invention relates to a braking pressure control device for automotive vehicles including a regulating valve, composed of a regulating piston (5) and a valve closure member (6), which governs the connection between a pressure-fluid inlet (3) an... | 11/10/1992 |
| 5058960 | Pendulum-type accellerometer for electrically-actuated braking systems A freely-flexing cantilever-type inertial sensor is suspended from one end so that its other end may move in response to inertial forces, for example, as a result of braking in a towing vehicle. The pendulum blade is secured to a rigid support structure i... | 10/22/1991 |
| 5022715 | Pressure control device for brake systems of automotive vehicles A pressure control device for brake systems of automotive vehicles. The device includes a stepped control piston (5) which is guided axially displaceably within a housing (1, 2) and which, cooperating with a valve element (14), controls the pressure mediu... | 06/11/1991 |
| 4989922 | Method of anti-lock brake control for motorcycle vehicle In an anti-lock brake system (ABS) for a motorcycle the driving stabilty is improved by measuring the position of lateral inclination of the motorcycle and adjusting at least one threshold value for the anti-skid control in response to the measurement. In... | 02/05/1991 |
| 4930846 | Anti-lock control apparatus An anti-lock control apparatus of this invention has modulators each of which is disposed at a point between said master cylinder and each set of front and rear brakes. Each modulator has a stepped piston in its cylinder. In the cylinder, are formed a fro... | 06/05/1990 |
| 4850656 | Anti-slip control device for drive wheels of automotive vehicle An anti-slip control device for a drive wheel of a vehicle, for preventing an excessive amount of slip of the drive wheel during acceleration of the vehicle, by lowering a speed of the drive wheel when the amount of slip of the drive wheel exceeds a prede... | 07/25/1989 |
