Did You Know...
...that power steering was invented by independent inventor Francis W. Davis? As chief engineer in the 1920s of the truck division of the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company, he saw how hard it was to steer heavy vehicles. So that he would be able to keep the profits from his future invention, Davis left his job, rented a small engineering shop in Waltham, Mass., and developed a hydraulic power steering system that led to power steering.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7641033 | Wet type multi-plate clutch The present invention provides a wet type multi-plate clutch comprising a first friction engaging element coaxially arranged within a clutch housing, a second friction engaging element alternately disposed with the first friction engaging element and a piston for ap... | 01/05/2010 |
| 7578376 | Latched-pump applied clutch A latched-pump applied clutch circuit is provided for a vehicle transmission having a controllable pump, a controllable pump pressure, and a main sump, the latched-pump applied clutch circuit comprising a clutch, a clutch piston disposed within a cylinder, a plurali... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7578377 | Clutch of an automatic transmission A clutch or a brake of an automatic transmission comprises a plurality of main plates, a plurality of friction plates that are disposed alternatively to the plurality of main plates, and a piston selectively pressurizing the plurality of main plates, wherein each of... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7527135 | Multiplate friction clutch A multiplate friction clutch can transmit power by pressing a stack of friction plates, which comprises plural separator plates and plural friction plates arranged alternately side by side, with a piston movable within a clutch casing. The multiplate friction clutch... | 05/05/2009 |
| 7516827 | Hydraulic controlled fan clutch with integral cooling A hydraulically controlled fan drive system (12) having a method of engagement includes a housing assembly (20) containing a hydraulic fluid (48) and an engaging circuit (36). The engaging circuit (36) includes a pitot tube (152... | 04/14/2009 |
| 7513351 | Piston for automatic transmission A piston for an automatic transmission including a pair of mutually meshing gears such as counter drive and driven gears mounted on respective two parallel shafts, the piston including a bottom portion, and a cylindrical portion to be disposed radially outwardly of ... | 04/07/2009 |
| 7458453 | Disk clutch and method for operating same The invention relates to a clutch, particularly a multi-disk clutch, of an, in particular, manual transmission for, in particular, vehicles having a spring force of a spring device, said spring force influencing the adjusting force, which is produced in a power sour... | 12/02/2008 |
| 7448482 | Electro-magnetic actuator for torque coupling with variable pressure-relief valve A torque-coupling assembly comprises a rotatable torque-coupling case, a friction clutch assembly for selectively engaging the torque-coupling case and an output shaft, a hydraulic pump for generating a hydraulic fluid pressure and a variable pressure-relief valve a... | 11/11/2008 |
| 7445106 | Electronically-controlled hydraulically-actuated coupling A power transmission device includes a friction clutch operable to selectively transfer torque between an input member and an output member. An actuator is operable to provide an actuating force to the friction clutch. The actuator includes an electric motor having ... | 11/04/2008 |
| 7445107 | Hydraulic clutch control system and method A hydraulic clutch control system includes a clutch, a hydraulic circuit that supplies a hydraulic pressure to a piston of the clutch so as to cause a stroke of the piston for engagement of the clutch, a primary hydraulic pressure signal generation unit that generat... | 11/04/2008 |
| 7438167 | Coupling device and improved method of assembly thereof A coupling device (11) and method of assembly, the device being of the type including a plenum member (17) disposed at one axial end of the coupling housing (13,15), the method comprising configuring the plenum member (17) such that each ... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7438168 | Cushion plate A cushion plate is provided, for example, between a piston of a hydraulic servo and an adjacent friction plate in a frictional engagement element of an automatic transmission. The cushion plate is deflected by a pressing force of the piston to absorb an engagement s... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7431138 | Start-up clutch assembly A start-up clutch including a disk clutch having an outer disk carrier and an inner disk carrier with a multi-disk clutch pack disposed therebetween. The multi-disk clutch pack is adapted to engage and provide torque translation between the inner and the outer carri... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7370744 | Friction engagement device of automatic transmission In a friction engagement device of an automatic transmission, a brake piston is actuated by an oil pressure and a friction disc is pressed by the brake piston. The friction engagement device of an automatic transmission includes an oil pressure chamber extending in ... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7353928 | Torque coupling assembly with venting passage A torque-coupling assembly comprises a hydraulic fluid reservoir provided for storing a supply of a hydraulic fluid, a hollow coupling casing rotatable by an outside drive torque, a hydraulic pump located within the coupling casing to generate a hydraulic pressure, ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7353927 | Electro-magnetic actuator for torque coupling with variable pressure-control spool valve A torque-coupling assembly comprises a rotatable torque-coupling case, a friction clutch assembly for selectively engaging the torque-coupling case and an output shaft, a hydraulic pump for generating a hydraulic fluid pressure, a fluid control passage through which... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7350633 | Apply piston for a power transmission An apply piston for a torque-transmitting mechanism in a power transmission includes a first circumferential periphery and a second circumferential periphery radially inward of the first circumferential periphery and axially displaced therefrom. The apply piston has... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7350631 | Automatic transmission An automatic transmission includes a clutch drum formed, by press forming, with splines including recessed portions and raised portions, and engaging with clutch plates; and a rotational speed measuring device configured to measure a rotational speed of the clutch d... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7341136 | Hydraulic fluid plenum plate assembly A hydraulic fluid plenum plate assembly in a torque-coupling assembly, non-rotatably mounted to a rotatable coupling case thereof so as to form a plenum chamber between the plenum plate assembly and the coupling case. The coupling case has an inlet port fluidly conn... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7337887 | Method of actuating a clutch A method of actuating a clutch in a power transmission device having a first rotary member and a second rotary member includes compressing a spring, releasing the spring to pressurize a fluid, supplying the pressurized fluid to a piston, and applying a force from th... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7325291 | Method for assembling a clutch system A method for assembling a clutch system on a drivetrain is proposed in which the clutch system is mounted on the transmission and in which the transmission is then connected to the engine block. ... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7325885 | Regulator valve for a torque-transmitting mechanism and method of engaging a torque-transmitting mechanism A regulator valve for controlling the pressure of fluid engaging a torque-transmitting mechanism in a transmission includes a valve body forming a valve bore of a plurality of passages. A spool valve slides within the valve body. A check valve selectively opens and ... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7320391 | Alternative pack designs for multidisk clutches A method and apparatus reduces hot spotting in transmission clutch packs actuated by a piston with axial fingers engaging the clutch pack. The method and apparatus combine an alternative pack arrangement with the fingered actuator, the alternative pack preferably be... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7318511 | Coupling device independent of differential speed A coupling device (11;111) including a rotatable housing (13,15;113) defining a clutch cavity and a clutch assembly (29;129) disposed therein. The housing defines an apply chamber (37;137) and a clutch apply member (39) disposed th... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7318422 | Fluid pump assembly A fluid pump includes an electric motor with a casing and a drive shaft extending from the casing, a pumping element coupled to the drive shaft for rotation with the shaft to take in fluid and discharge it under pressure. The fuel pump casing may be sealed and a hou... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7314127 | Dual function apparatus for clutch feed and system retention An improved hybrid transmission including two electric motor/generator modules and a plurality of planetary gear sets operatively connectable to the motor/generators and to an engine is provided. Novel structural and packaging schemes enhance the function and effici... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7314128 | Clutch control regulator valve with end of fill detection A torque-transmitting regulating system employs a valve mechanism, which distributes fluid pressure from a pressure source to a torque-transmitting mechanism by control for the engagement and disengagement thereof. The valve mechanism has associated therewith a pres... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7308977 | Clutch assembly and method of reversing cooling fluid flow A clutch assembly for a transmission having a pressurized fluid source includes selectively engageable clutch plates including an apply plate. A piston is movable between an apply position and a release position to respectively engage or release the clutch plates. A... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7296507 | Piston for automatic transmission A piston for an automatic transmission, wherein a first piston member forming a cylindrical portion of the piston has a plurality of axial cutouts and a circumferential groove formed in one axial end portion thereof, and a second piston member forming a bottom porti... | 11/20/2007 |
| 7287635 | Force -transmission unit comprising speed -dependent hydraulic clutch and centrifugal force compensation A power transmission unit with a hydraulic coupling dependent on a rotational-speed difference, in which, when a rotationalspeed difference occurs between the input member (1) and the output member (6), a hydrostatic displacement machine (20) pr... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7287633 | Supporting structure of multi-plate clutch and method of assembling multi-plate clutch and shaft with pump cover A supporting structure of a multiple-plate clutch is constructed by a clutch drum having an outer cylindrical portion in which a spline is formed on an inner periphery, an inner cylindrical portion, and a bottom-wall portion formed at one end of the axial direction,... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7284647 | Clutch device for automatic transmission A clutch device for an automatic transmission, wherein a piston is disposed radially outwardly of a drum supporting frictional coupling elements, and cooperates with the drum to define a hydraulic pressure chamber, and a balancer is disposed on one side of the pisto... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7281617 | Active torque coupling with hydraulically-actuated rotary clutch actuator A torque transfer mechanism having a multi-plate friction clutch connecting a pair of rotary members and an electrohydraulic clutch system for controlling engagement of the friction clutch. The electrohydraulic clutch system can include an actuator with first and se... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7278525 | Internally and externally splined clutch hub for torque-transmitting mechanisms in a power transmission A transmission assembly in accordance with the invention includes a plurality of torque-transmitting mechanisms. A hub member of the assembly includes a radially extending wall, and a circumferentially extending wall formed integrally with the radially extending wal... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7264085 | Hydraulic passage structure of automatic transmission friction element A hydraulic passage structure of an automatic transmission having at least one friction element for gearshift, the friction element being comprised of a drum. The hydraulic passage structure includes a housing formed integrally with a midway wall protruding inwardly... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7258218 | Multi-plate clutch The present invention provides a multi-plate clutch comprising drive plates which are coaxially disposed within a clutch housing and to which friction materials are fixed, driven plates which are alternately arranged with the drive plates and a piston having an urgi... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7258208 | Vertical mount disc brake with disc separator A brake (10) which is adapted to be rotationally coupled with an output shaft includes a housing (11). An inner shaft (33) is adapted to be attached to the output shaft for rotation therewith. A disc assembly (64) includes a plurality of ... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7258217 | Frictional engagement structure using multiple disks A frictional engagement structure includes a first drum arranged at the inner periphery of a transmission casing, a second drum arranged at the inner periphery of the first drum, first friction plates splined to the casing or the first drum, second friction plates s... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7255038 | Piston for automatic transmission A piston for an automatic transmission includes: (a) a cylindrical wall portion provided by a first piston member; (b) a bottom wall portion provided by a second piston member; and (c) an engaging portion at which the first and second piston members are engaged with... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7249664 | Fan drive having pressure control (fluid) of a wet friction fan drive A hydraulically controlled fan drive system (12) having a method of engagement includes a housing assembly (20) containing a hydraulic fluid (48) and an engaging circuit (36). The engaging circuit (36) includes a pitot tube (152... | 07/31/2007 |
