A laundry treatment apparatus includes: a drive unit including a rotating shaft, a drum configured to be rotated by the rotating shaft and receive laundry and including a cylindrical drum body and a rear cover, the rear cover defining a rear surface of the drum body and a rear cover through hole in an axial direction of the rotating shaft, and a shaft bracket that (i) is coupled to the rear cover and the rotating shaft, (ii) covers the rear cover through hole, (iii) is configured to transmit rotational force of the rotating shaft to the drum, and (iv) defines a shaft-coupling hole in the axial direction. The rotating shaft is inserted into the shaft-coupling hole, projected into an inside of the drum, and coupled to the shaft bracket by a rotating-shaft-fastening member.

Disclosed fluid flow modifying devices are useful with flexible fluid flow conduits. Such devices are adapted for mitigating adverse flow considerations arising from one or more bends in flexible fluid flow conduits. These adverse flow considerations are generally characterized as enhanced laminar flow and associated increased backpressure arising from reduced flow velocity caused by the one or more bends. Beneficially, disclosed fluid flow modifying devices cause flow of flowable material (e.g., a liquid) within a flow passage of a fluid flow conduit to have a rotational flow profile. Such a rotational flow profile advantageously reduces frictional losses associated with laminar flow and with directional change of fluid flow.

A coupling member to couple a first shaft with a second shaft is disclosed. The coupling member may include a flat member having a set of holes positioned along its circumference. The set of holes may include a first sub-set of holes coinciding with holes associated with the first shaft and a second sub-set of holes coinciding with holes associated with the second shaft. Each of the first shaft and the second shaft may include a plurality of rib segments, each rib segment having a hole. The coupling member may be configured to couple with the first shaft via the first sub-set of holes and the plurality of holes associated with the first shaft. The coupling member may be further configured to couple with the second shaft via the second sub-set of holes and the plurality of holes associated with the second shaft.

A locking spacer assembly for mounting on an elongated member and a method of use thereof are disclosed. A first element with a first end and a second end fits over the elongated member with the first end, which may be beveled, facing outwards. A second element with a beveled end fits over the elongated member with the beveled end facing inwards toward the beveled end of the first element. Finally, a flexible member fits over the elongated member between the first element and the second element. The flexible member has a cross-section selected to be compressed and fit within a space formed when the first element and second element are compressed together on the elongated member so that the compression of the flexible member secures the locking spacer assembly to the elongated member so long as the compression is maintained.

A spline assembly includes a shaft having an outer surface with a shaft spline extending along the outer surface. The spline assembly may further include a hub having an inner surface with a hub spline extending along the inner surface and configured to mate with the shaft spline of the shaft. The spline assembly may further include a spline engagement aid configured to be coupled to the shaft and having an aid spline configured to engage with the hub spline to facilitate alignment of the shaft spline relative to the hub spline.

Detection of mechanical coupling slippage in rotary encoder systems is provided where position data samples are obtained from a rotary encoder coupled to rotating element and angular acceleration data is determined based on the position data samples. At least two acceleration peaks are detected in the angular acceleration data, including at least one negative acceleration peak and at least one positive acceleration peak. Slippage occurrence of the mechanical coupling are detected when an interval between a negative acceleration peak and a positive acceleration peak of the at least two acceleration peaks is less than a first time period. If at least a threshold number of slippage occurrences are detected within a second time period, a mechanical coupling error signal is generated.

The disclosure is directed to an apparatus for generating energy in response to a vehicle wheel rotation. The apparatus may include a first roller comprising a curved roller surface configured to be positioned in substantial physical contact with a first wheel of the vehicle. The first roller may be configured to rotate in response to a rotation of the first wheel. The apparatus may further include a first shaft rotatably couplable to the first roller such that rotation of the first roller causes the first shaft to rotate. The apparatus may further include a first generator operably coupled to the first shaft. The generator may be configured to generate an electrical output based on the rotation of the first shaft and convey the electrical output to an energy storage device or to a motor of the vehicle that converts electrical energy to mechanical energy to rotate one or more wheels of the vehicle.

A propeller shaft for a vehicle in which a tube yoke is connected to a main tube via an adapter and tapered splines are formed at the contact regions between a tube yoke and the main tube to transmit the power output from a transmission to a rear wheel. The tube yoke and the main tube are displaced relative to each other at the tapered splines to break the adapter. The tube yoke and the main tube are thus separated from each other by virtue of the breakage of the adapter.

A propeller shaft for a vehicle in which a tube yoke is connected to a main tube via an adapter and tapered splines are formed at the contact regions between a tube yoke and the main tube to transmit the power output from a transmission to a rear wheel. The tube yoke and the main tube are displaced relative to each other at the tapered splines to break the adapter. The tube yoke and the main tube are thus separated from each other by virtue of the breakage of the adapter.

A system for transferring torque from a driveshaft to a milling drum mountable on the driveshaft. The system includes a first coupler removably coupled to the driveshaft to co-rotate with the driveshaft. The first coupler defines an engagement surface. Also, the system includes a second coupler removably coupled to the milling drum. The second coupler defines a mating surface engageable with the engagement surface of the first coupler to engage the second coupler to the first coupler and transfer torque from the driveshaft to the milling drum.