Abstract:
Coded binary signals are coupled to an automotive vehicle by a magnetic signpost embedded in a traversed roadway lane. The signpost includes polarity coded magnetic pole faces having vertically directed flux lines at differing spaced longitudinal regions along the lane. Pole faces are arranged so a flux null is between adjacent longitudinal regions. Differing signals are coupled to vehicles going in opposite directions in adjacent lanes by unambiguously coding the signpost in opposite directions and arranging the pole faces so that magnetic flux continuously extends across a majority of both lanes. A detector on a vehicle includes a magnetic field concentrator including a pair of vertically extending and aligned low reluctance magnetic pole pieces having an air gap between them, in which a Hall plate is positioned. The pole piece closest to the road has shorter length than the pole piece remote from the roadway. A waveform derived by the detector includes a base line subject to drift due to ambient conditions and a pulse as the transducer crosses each region. To eliminate base line drift, a circuit with a negative feedback loop derives an analog offset signal indicative of base line drift. Fail safe circuitry prevents spurious magnetic flux variations from being recognized as a signpost by assuring that a predetermined number of bits occurs in each signpost, and that the distance between the leading and trailing edges of the same pulse and the distance between adjacent pulses are in accordance with certain distances. Valid signals are derived if a vehicle stops or backs up while over a signpost.
Abstract:
An exercise device has a frame supporting guide links to which foot support links are pivotally attached. An arc center drive assembly is provided to raise and lower the foot receiving areas of the foot support links. Vertical drive elements couple a crank system to the arc center drive assembly to control the raising and lowering of the foot receiving areas.
Abstract:
An elliptical exercise device has a frame supporting guide links and foot support links. A cam system has a vertical control cam portion. Vertical control followers are pivotally connected to a vertical follower support. Mechanical vertical control couplings couple the foot support links to the vertical control followers. A foot receiving area of each foot support link moves in a generally elliptical path when the cam portion rotates about the cam axis.
Abstract:
An elliptical exercise device has a frame and guide link pivotally attached thereto. A foot support link is pivotally connected to a lower attachment point of each guide link so that when the guide links pivot relative to the frame, foot receiving areas of the foot support links move in a path of travel having a horizontal component of motion. A cam drive has cams supported for rotation about an axis of rotation and pivoting arms each engaging one of the cams such that rotation of the cams causes movement of the pivoting arms. Flexible elements couple the foot support links to the pivoting arms such that rotation of the cams moves the foot receiving areas of the respective foot support links in a path of travel having a vertical component of motion.
Abstract:
An elliptical exercise device includes a frame supporting guide links which provide for a horizontal component of motion of associated foot support links A mechanical coupling couples the foot support links to a crank system and intermediate links couple the crank system to the guide links such that a foot receiving area of each foot support link moves in a closed generally elliptical path when the crank system rotates.
Abstract:
An adaptive exercise device includes a frame which supports swing arms which provide for horizontal motion of associated foot links. A crank system provides for vertical motion of the foot links and is movable relative to the frame. The vertical and horizontal motions of the foot links are mechanically decoupled and may be blended to approximate a desired foot path. The movable crank system causes the foot path to correspond to a natural running action.
Abstract:
An elliptical exercise device includes a frame supporting guide links which provide for horizontal motion of associated foot support links. A mechanical coupling couples the foot support links to the crank system and intermediate links connect the crank system to the guide links such that a foot receiving area of each foot support link moves in an elliptical path when the crank system rotates.
Abstract:
A compound bow includes a first and second pulley, each of which is operative, when the bow is drawn, to unwind a portion of a bow string from a bow string groove and to take up a portion of a bow cable so as to decrease its effective length. At least one of the pulleys includes a cable controller which operates to modify the rate at which the effective length of the bow cable is decreasing so that during an initial portion of the draw of the bow, the rate is greater than it would be in the absence of the controller, and during a second portion of the draw, the rate is less than it would be in the absence of the controller. Use of the controller provides a bow which has an inherently balanced draw.
Abstract:
A combination food cooler and table assembly includes a cooler base having an insulated cavity covered by a removable lid and a table assembly overlying the cooler lid. A table sub-panel has two legs that slide within table leg sleeves at opposite ends of the cooler base. A table top mounted over the sub-panel includes a central panel and a pair of drop leaves hingedly attached to opposite sides of the central panel. A pair of handhold openings in the sub-panel, accessed through hinged covers at the ends of the central panel, permit the user to raise the table assembly to a desired height. The central panel is mounted atop the sub-panel by means of a swivel mechanism that permits the table top to be rotated about its central axis 90 degrees with respect to the sub-panel when the drop leaves are raised outwardly and upwardly from a vertical or transport position to a horizontal position. A locking handle/pawl mechanism associated with each of the table leg sleeves engages a selected one of a plurality of recessed notches in the table leg sleeves to thereby lock the table assembly in a raised position of desired height above the cooler base.
Abstract:
An archery bow includes a cam assembly rotatably supported at a pivot axis on a limb of the bow. The cam assembly includes a primary string feed-out which operates to feed out a length of a bowstring as the bow is drawn. The cam assembly includes a control system associated with a secondary string feed-out. The control system is operative, during the time the bow is being drawn and the primary string is being fed out, to control the effective length of a secondary portion of the string such that during an initial portion of the draw of the bow, the effective length of that secondary portion decreases and so that during a subsequent portion of the draw, the effective length increases. The controller thereby operates to modify the force draw profile of the bow so as to increase the amount of energy stored therein during the initial portion of the draw.