Famous Patents
3M employee and church chorister Art Fry needed something to temporarily mark pages in his hymnal. He was in luck because his colleague, Spencer Silver, accidentally developed a glue that was too weak for other purposes. After initially discouraging consumer response, Post-it Notes became a hit in 1979.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7421326 | Clutch fault detection A method for detecting a clutch fault of an automatic transmission includes determining a current clutch energy density of a clutch during a range shift and comparing the current clutch energy density to a first energy density threshold. A diagnostic alert is activa... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7367417 | Floor arrangement for off-road vehicle An off-road vehicle has a frame with a floorboard extending laterally over a middle region of the frame. The floorboard has a upward projection that defines a tunnel. At least a portion of an air intake system of an engine of the vehicle is positioned within the tun... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7357754 | Mechanism and method of controlling an automatic shifting power transmission to effect a first gear launch The present invention provides a mechanism and method of launching a vehicle using a conventional automatic shifting power transmission. By slipping a first gear reaction clutch during a launch, an efficient hydrodynamic fluid drive with a low stall speed may be use... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7351265 | Hybrid drive assembly for a vehicle, in particular a scooter A hybrid drive assembly (1) for a vehicle having at least one drive wheel (2), the drive assembly including an internal combustion engine (3); a transmission unit (5) interposed between a drive shaft (4) of the internal combustion ... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7325662 | Dry friction launch clutch for an automatic transmission and method A powertrain for a vehicle includes a dry friction clutch connected between an engine output member and a transmission input member. The dry friction clutch is selectively engagable to transfer torque from the engine output member to the transmission input member to... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7278336 | Adjustable shift lever assembly An adjustable gearshift pedal lever for motorcycles and the like designed for attachment to a shift arm. The lever may be designed in a variety of offset lengths that allow for an increase or decrease between the lever and the motorcycle footpeg. In addition, the le... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7222011 | Engine and driveline torque transfer device control A starting clutch control includes an engine control state and a slip control state. The engine and slip control states include feedforward and driveline damping control terms. The engine state control may further include an engine speed control term. The slip contr... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7151989 | Twin-clutch gearbox and method for shifting an initial gear upwards into a target gear in the twin-clutch gearbox of a motor vehicle The invention relates to a method for shifting an initial gear upwards into a target gear in a twin-clutch gearbox of a motor vehicle. According to the invention, the engine torque (MMotor) of the vehicle is altered when a target gear is selected incorrec... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7149617 | Method of timed shift to neutral in apparent stationary modes A control for a transmission and a clutch monitors conditions to determine when a vehicle associated with the clutch and transmission is likely in a stationary state. If the vehicle appears to be stationary, with the transmission engaged and the clutch open, then th... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7137329 | Circular saw clutch assembly A circular saw clutch assembly includes an elongated rod that is coupled to a table saw assembly. A peripheral flange is integrally attached to the rod. The flange has a plurality of ball bearings mounted therein. A first washer abuts the flange and includes a plura... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7120531 | Method of determining a default transmission input speed A default value of transmission input speed in a motor vehicle powertrain having an automatic-shift multi-gear ratio power transmission is continuously updated based on a measured value of the input speed and other reliable speed data including transmission output s... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7104373 | Electro-pneumatic shifting system An electro-pneumatic control system for a motorcycle transmission. A pneumatic clutch cylinder used to disengage the clutch by pulling in a clutch lever via a clutch cylinder rod. Optionally, manual override of the clutch control may be provided for by linking the c... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7107134 | Method of determining a default transmission output speed A default value of transmission output speed in a motor vehicle powertrain having an automatic-shift multi-gear ratio power transmission is continuously updated based on a measured value of the output speed and other reliable speed data including transmission input ... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7100937 | Locking device for gooseneck trailers A gooseneck trailer coupler lock which disables normal coupler operation by restricting movement of the lower latching plate of the coupler when the coupler is placed in the fully closed position. The locking device is a single piece of hardened metallic material wh... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7004296 | Torque transmission system for a vehicle A torque transmission system for the transmission of torque between a prime mover and a gearbox in a vehicle includes an input shaft, which can rotate around a first axis of rotation; at least one output shaft, which can rotate around a second axis of rotation trans... | 02/28/2006 |
| 6961647 | Method of controlling a vehicle and system of controlling the same Friction clutches 203, 204 and engaging clutches 19, 20, 21 are arranged between an input shaft and an output shaft of a gear type transmission having a plurality of gear trains. A power train unit 100 controls an output shaft torque and an inpu... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6945376 | Foot operated motorcycle clutch A mechanism to retrofit modern motorcycles with a foot operated clutch or to be installed as original equipment is disclosed. The mechanism has an escapement mechanism, such as a pawl and ratchet, for holding the clutch in disengaged condition when a rider applies p... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6910563 | Motorcycle automatic clutch with manual release A motorcycle clutch having a drive portion including a clutch basket assembly, and a driven portion including a clutch hub. A plurality of drive clutch plates are driven by the clutch basket assembly and a plurality of driven clutch plates are driven by the clutch h... | 06/28/2005 |
| 6871128 | Speed change control method and speed change controller A speed change control method of controlling a speed change ratio of a continuously variable transmission mechanism including a traction continuously variable transmission, includes: estimating a tilt angle of a power roller included in the continuously variable tra... | 03/22/2005 |
| 6799108 | Control system and method for maintaining a constant engine idle speed of an automatic transmission-equipped vehicle A control system and method maintains a constant engine idle speed during a garage shift of an automatic transmission-equipped vehicle with a torque converter. An engine control module or other processor identifies when transmission input clutch fill occurs. The eng... | 09/28/2004 |
| 6708774 | Cultivator Driving worm provided on a transmission shaft, driven worm wheel provided on a cultivating shaft, main shaft portion of the transmission shaft and clutch are collectively accommodated in a transmission casing, which includes first and second bearings for preventing ... | 03/23/2004 |
| 6647333 | Method of regulating the position of a clutch actuator A method of regulating the position of a clutch actuator in a vehicle employs the concept of adapting the servo-loop parameters of a position controller of the clutch to different operating conditions of the vehicle, as well as the concept of applying and... | 11/11/2003 |
| 6603214 | Control equipment for a vehicle and control method thereof A control device for a vehicle which has a function to reduce the change-speed shock when changing the speed by controlling the transmission of the vehicle. The control device performs the switching between a manual change-speed mode in which the vehicle ... | 08/05/2003 |
| 6466852 | Method and device for producing an error signal in a motor vehicle The invention proceeds from a vehicle having a clutch and a transmission. The clutch is mounted in the drive train of the motor vehicle and the transmission is mounted in the drive train and is changeable with respect to its transmission ratio. Furthermor... | 10/15/2002 |
| 6445991 | Method for controlling disengageable clutches for starting and for shifting variable-speed gears in automobiles Control of shiftable clutches by a clutch control signal that is a function of the difference between the actual and desired engine rotational speeds and of the gradient of the actual engine rotational speed and wherein the clutch control signal values ar... | 09/03/2002 |
| 6334082 | Shift control method for automatic transmission A shift control method for automatic transmissions includes the steps of outputting a duty control signal for upshifting to a N+1 speed when an N+1 upshifting signal is input during driving in an N speed, pre-estimating a stroke gap of a friction element ... | 12/25/2001 |
| 6244402 | Power shift transmission for motor vehicles A power shift transmission (3) for motor vehicles in which instead of a hydrodynamic torque converter a controlled or regulated multiple disc clutch serves to assist starting. The loading of clutch is minimized by a fitted catch which prevents the motor v... | 06/12/2001 |
| 6241066 | Working vehicle During a shifting operation to slide a shift gear of an auxiliary change speed device, clutches of a backward and forward drive switching device acting also as a propelling clutch and of a main change speed device are automatically disengaged to place the... | 06/05/2001 |
| 6202015 | Hydraulic control system of automatic transmission In an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle, in which a hydraulic pressure is supplied to a piston of a friction element is maintained at a first level that is lower than a given level at which the friction element is engaged, while the vehicle that i... | 03/13/2001 |
| 5991679 | Safety system for an automatic gearbox For an automatic gearbox (2) a safety system is proposed in which erroneous releasing of the clutch or brake during cross-over is detected by the fact that the time variations of the transmission input speed and of the product of the transmission output s... | 11/23/1999 |
| 5974798 | Mechanical disconnect for a variable speed hydrostatic transmission A mechanical disconnection mechanism for a hydrostatic transmission. The output shaft of the hydrostatic transmission is divided into a drive portion and a driven portion, with both the drive portion and the driven portion being provided with external spl... | 11/02/1999 |
| 5701738 | Mechanical disconnect for variable speed hydrostatic transmission A mechanical disconnection mechanism for a hydrostatic transmission. The output shaft of the hydrostatic transmission is divided into a drive portion and a driven portion, with both the drive portion and the driven portion being provided with external spl... | 12/30/1997 |
| 5662195 | Shifter assembly conversion kit A gear shift conversion kit and method for converting a foot-operated shift mechanism and a hand-operated clutch mechanism on a motorcycle to a hand-operated shift mechanism and a foot-operated clutch mechanism. Novel components which are contained in the... | 09/02/1997 |
| 5154268 | Control system for the clutch of a transmission in a motor vehicle An IC engine is connected via a clutch with a change-speed transmission. A sensor responding to a gear selection informs the electronic control circuitry in which gear the vehicle is traveling. The rotary part of a tachometer is provided at the output of ... | 10/13/1992 |
| 5119632 | Hydraulic transmission for motor vehicle A continuously variable hydraulic transmission operatively interconnects a transmission mechanism and a clutch mechanism. The hydraulic transmission includes an oil pump having an inlet port and an outlet port and a transmission ratio control member such ... | 06/09/1992 |
| 5007512 | Technique for clutch control in continuously variable transmission systems An improved clutch control system in a continuously variable transmission driven vehicle monitors driver selection of forward or reverse and implements the specific parameters for each. The control logic provides a preselected time interval for sensing of... | 04/16/1991 |
| 4884667 | Automatic change gear control means In an automatic transmission for obtaining a necessary transmission gear ratio by disposing a plurality of gear trains on an input shaft 8 and an output shaft 19 which are parallel to each other, the present invention disposes two electromagnetic multiple... | 12/05/1989 |
| 4610335 | Control device for clutch and transmission in vehicles A control device for a clutch and a transmission in a vehicle comprising a single control lever has a substantially single control lever angularly movable about at least one shaft for actuating the clutch and the transmission, a first link mechanism for t... | 09/09/1986 |
| 4598545 | Power transmission control apparatus There is disclosed a power transmission control apparatus having a clutching function and a modulating function and enabling a vehicle installed with this apparatus to make a sudden start after a clutch has been disengaged. The apparatus includes a main c... | 07/08/1986 |
| 4488140 | Clutch temperature monitor An agricultural vehicle, such as a tractor, includes an engine and a hydraulic assist-type transmission coupled together by a clutch. A monitor includes sensors for sensing engine speed, clutch temperature and transmission temperature. Warning signals are... | 12/11/1984 |
