A heat engine includes a system for varying compression ratio, which comprises a crankshaft including at least a crank pin and an arm, and an eccentric part rotatably mounted on the crank pin. The eccentric part includes an eccentric outer surface intended for engaging with one end of a connecting rod and one toothed ring gear. A control device controls the angular position of the eccentric part. The control device includes an actuating shaft provided with an actuating pinion, at least one intermediate shaft passing axially, from side to side, through a journal and the arm of said crankshaft via a corresponding bore. The intermediate shaft is provided with a first intermediate pinion meshing with said actuating pinion and a second intermediate pinion meshing with an eccentric part.

A mechanical power conversion device includes a housing filled with a fluid, at least one control assembly arranged in the housing, and at least one stationary sleeve. The control assembly includes an input shaft and an intermediate output shaft, and defines a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port. The stationary sleeve is arranged in the housing. The input shaft is installed with an impeller device in the stationary sleeve. A movable sleeve is fitted around the stationary sleeve such that the distance between the movable sleeve and the control assembly can be adjusted. The impeller device can be rotated by the input shaft to force the fluid to enter the control assembly via the fluid inlet port and exit the control assembly via the fluid outlet port to control mechanical power or torque being transferred from the input shaft to the intermediate ouput shaft.

An engine includes an engine shaft and a piston configured to reciprocate within a cylinder chamber having an axis, each piston having an first piston part and piston stem to move in unison with or separately from a second piston part to define piston strokes for different thermal functions of the engine. The engine further includes a linkage assembly having a first end coupled to the engine and a second end coupled to the piston stem defining a copy point, an actuator that engages the linkage assembly, and a guide cam that engages a guide cam follower on the linkage assembly. The actuator and the guide cam are operable to control motion of the linkage assembly to thereby define substantially linear movement of the copy point along the cylinder chamber axis.

An electric power steering assembly includes an electric motor, a gearset, and a ball-screw assembly. The gearset couples the electric motor and a ball nut of the ball-screw assembly such that the electric motor is operable to rotate the ball nut relative to the ball shaft. A plurality of bearings are circulatable through a helical track, which is defined between the ball nut and a ball shaft of the ball-screw assembly, when the ball nut rotates relative to the ball shaft in order to translate the ball shaft relative to the ball nut.

The present invention provides a spinal plate which is used to perform fixation surgery on a spine in orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery. According to the present invention, a rotation device and a locking device may be installed so as to be used by fixing any one or more of longitudinal ends of the plate with being rotated at any angle, thereby allowing a doctor to modify a shape of the spinal plate to the shape desired by the doctor, and to perform the surgery by coping with various spin shapes of patients. In addition, according to the present invention, since the shape of the spinal plate may be rotated at any angle, it is possible to cope with various spin shapes of the patients.

An electronic control unit executes gradual reduction control when a friction clutch is to be maintained in a fully engaged state such that an input rotary member and an output rotary member rotate integrally. As a result, a motor current supplied to a motor is adjusted to a lower current value. Thus, an average current value of the motor current supplied to the motor when the friction clutch is to be maintained in the fully engaged state is appropriately reduced.

A knife drive assembly for use in a harvesting header is disclosed. The knife drive may be mounted near the center line of the cutter bar of the header. Mechanical power from the power unit behind the header (typically the combine power output shaft) may be translated for application to two knife assembly sections in the cutter bar at the front of the cutter table. Movement of the two knife assembly sections with this apparatus can be fully synchronized and 180 degrees out of phase, to maximize cutting effectiveness and minimize vibration of the header. The unitary drive assembly may allow for rapid repair and manufacture, and the size and weight of the knife drive assembly may represent a significant weight and balance advantage over the prior art.

A device for converting reciprocating rectilinear motion into unidirectional circular motion is provided, which is capable of converting a man-powered rectilinear motion into a unidirectional circular motion by a combination of a rack and a gear, or a combination of a chain and a chain wheel, or a combination of a belt and a belt wheel, and under the conversion of a plurality of gear sets and unidirectional bearings. Each of the gear sets comprises a large gear, a medium gear and a small gear, thus transformation of output torque and a rotating speed can be achieved by transverse sliding meshing of the gear sets, and this speed regulation is quite convenient. In addition, the gear sets in a main body are randomly arranged according to actual needs, such as rectilinear arrangement, triangular arrangement and the like. In addition, a transportation vehicle using the device is also provided.

A variable displacement linkage mechanism includes a slider mechanism, a cam, a connecting link, a rocker link, and a cam follower. The connecting link is coupled to the slider through a first revolute joint. The rocker link includes a rocker end and a ground end. The rocker end is coupled to the connection link through a second revolute joint, and the ground end is coupled to ground through a third revolute joint. The cam follower is coupled to the connecting link and engages the cam. A location of the third revolute joint is adjustable relative to the first revolute joint.

A shift system related to an improved continuously variable transmission (CVT) may include a power output assembly, a power input assembly, a collar assembly, and a connecting assembly to connect the power output assembly and power input assembly. The shift system is advantageous because it employs only gears and hydraulics for the transmission of power, which can be used in any torque scenario, from low-torque to heavy-duty scenarios such as large passenger automobiles, large trucks and heavy-duty machinery. Furthermore, there is no need to use additional energy to keep the transmission tight enough to engage and to prevent any slipping, and the overall efficiency of power transmission would be increased.