Abstract:
A tank intended for the storage of hydrogen by absorption into material, including a first part (I) and a second part (II), each of the first (I) and second (II) parts including a barrel (4), closed at one first longitudinal end (4.1) by a substantially hemispherical part (6), the two parts (I, II) being joined by the second open longitudinal end (4.2) of the barrel (4) by means of an assembly plate (2), the above-mentioned tank including two heat exchangers (12), each being contained in one of the two parts (I, II) and intended to be under the same hydrogen pressure, the above- mentioned tank also having means of supply and evacuation of heat transfer medium circulating in the above-mentioned heat exchangers integrated in the assembly plate, and means of supply and collection of hydrogen.
Abstract:
A vehicle has a chassis (11) with front and rear axles (12, 13) suspended from the chassis for vertical and roll movement relative to the chassis. The axles are each mounted on the chassis via an upper pivotal mounting means in the form of an upper pair of arms (12a, 13a) which is pivoted on the chassis for vertical pivoting movement relative thereto and which carry an axle support (15, 16) on which the axle (12, 13) is free to pivot in the roll mode. A second lower pair of pivoting arms (12b, 13b) also connect each axle (12, 13) to the chassis to control fore and aft movement of the axle relative to the chassis. The line of action of the forces (F1-F4) applied to the chassis (11) by the upper arms (12a, 13a) at one end of the chassis are be substantially aligned with the line of action of the forces applied to the chassis by the lower arms (12b, 13b) at the other end of the chassis to reduce and tendency for the chassis to be twisted by these forces. A first damping means (19) acts between the chassis (11) and the upper pivotal mounting means (12a, 13a) to control vertical movement of the axle relative to the chassis, and a second damping means acts between the upper pivotal mounting means (12a, 13 a) and the axle (12,13) to provide independent control of the roll movement of the axle relative to the chassis.
Abstract:
A utility vehicle (10) comprising a cab (12) mounted to a frame (14) by cab suspension means (16) is provided. The cab suspension comprises rolling linkage (20) which permits only circumferential movement of the cab around a generally longitudinal axis (24;44), and vertical linkage (22) which permits only radial movement of the cab relative to said axis (24) or radial movement of the axis (44) relative to the frame. The rolling linkage and vertical linkage are connected in series between the cab and the frame thus allowing independent resolution of rolling movement and vertical movement. The cab suspension means further comprises two spring/dampers (28,38; 58,38) arranged to independently control the stiffness and damping within the two degrees of freedom, namely roll and vertical movement.
Abstract:
A control system for a vehicle having electronic gearshift is provided. The system (30;60) comprises a multi-ratio transmission (34) arranged to deliver power from an engine (32) to driven wheels (20) of the vehicle (10) at a selected input-to-output ratio. A gearshift lever is connected to a controller. The system is operable in an engine overspeed prevention mode when the engine speed exceeds a predetermined threshold and in which mode a downshift in ratio is prevented. Any downshift command from the driver when in the engine overspeed prevention mode is translated into a braking force being applied to a wheel of the vehicle (10), and/or attached vehicle (12) such as a trailer.
Abstract:
A variable speed fan drive (10) particularly suitable for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine is provided. The fan drive comprises an input shaft (11) driven by the output of an engine. The input drives a carrier (12) for planetary gears (13) which each orbit a sun gear (14) in an epicyclic gear arrangement. A fan (16) is coupled to the sun gear. A further gear arrangement (18,19,21), driven by the input shaft, delivers a variable output to input ratio, the output of which is coupled to a housing (17) of the epicyclic gear arrangement which is meshed with the planetary gears. The provision of the epicyclic gear arrangement in combination with the variable ratio allows the fan blade to operate in reverse. Advantageously, this can be exploited to provide a means to clean a radiator grille.
Abstract:
A counterweight assembly (10) for attachment to a front or rear attachment point on a tractor is provided. The assembly comprises a main weight block (11) having an upper face (21) and a lower face (22) which serve to cooperate with respective surfaces of further weight blocks (12, 13, 14, 15), which can be added, in a vertical stacking manner, as required by a user. The further weight blocks are locked in position relative to the main weight block by separate locking means (60, 61). This allows each further weight block to be secured in position one at a time.
Abstract:
A telescopic boom (10) suitable for a material handling vehicle is provided. The boom comprises two telescopic sections. One end (12a) of an inner tube element (12) is telescopically slideable in one end (14a) of an outer tube element (14) so that a majority length of the inner tube element can be received therein. An intermediate element (16) is also provided, a first end (16a) of which resides within, and is slideable in, the outer tube element (14). A second end (16b) of the intermediate element is telescopically slideable in the end (12a) of the inner tube element (12) that resides inside the outer tube element. A first stop (20) serves to limit withdrawal of the first end (16a) of the intermediate element from the outer tube element (14), whilst a second stop (18) serves to limit withdrawal of the second end (16b) of the intermediate element from the inner tube element (12). The provision of the intermediate element (16) allows a reduced overlap between the telescopic sections (12,14) thus increased reach.
Abstract:
A foldaway passenger seat (20) for a utility vehicle (10) is provided. The seat (20) comprises a seat tray (22) which pivots around a single axis (X) between a substantially horizontal seating position and a substantially vertical stowed position. The axis is oriented so that a forward facing edge (22c) of the seat tray in the seating position becomes the lower-most edge in the stowed position and is longitudinally aligned with respect to the forward direction of travel. Advantageously, the seat tray pivots from the seating position to the stowed position in a single fluid movement.
Abstract:
A method of controlling a fan for cooling a condenser in an air conditioning system is provided. A compressor serves to drive a refrigerant around a fluid circuit which includes the condenser. The duty cycle of the compressor is measured over a period of time to determine a utilisation ratio which reflects the demand on the air conditioning system at that time. The fan is driven at a speed which is no lower than a minimum fan speed which is associated with the calculated utilisation ratio and ambient temperature. Therefore, the demand on the system is determined and exploited without any additional pressure sensors.
Abstract:
A tractor power take-off drive line having an output shaft (11) with a socket (12) within which a removeable PTO stub shaft (13) is drivingly received. The stub shaft is retained in the socket by radially moveable retaining members (16) housed in the output shaft and moveable between a radially inward retaining position in which the retaining members each projecting into the socket (12) to engage a retaining formation (18) in the stub shaft (13) within the socket and a radially outward releasing position in which the retaining members are free to move radially outwardly relative to the socket to disengage the retaining formation and allow the stub shaft to be removed from the socket. The retaining members (16) are moved between their retaining and releasing positions by an actuating sleeve (19, 29) which is axially slidable on the output shaft (11) by a tractor operator between a first retaining position in which a first stub shaft designed to be driven at a first output speed is retained in position in the socket, a second retaining position in which a second stub shaft designed to be driven at a second output speed is retained in position in the socket, and a third releasing position in which the retaining members are allowed to move to their releasing positions. The sleeve (19, 29) carries first and second PTO shaft speed indicating formations which are respectively designed to be aligned with a speed sensor (32) when the sleeve is in its first and second stub shaft retaining positions respectively.