Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Henry H. Skillman
  • Patent number: 6322471
    Abstract: A chain guide includes an angle-like guide base having a single mounting portion bolted to a mount surface on the interior side of an endless chain and projecting to the exterior side of the chain through a space defined between the chain and the mount surface. A shoe supporting portion of the angle guide base projects perpendicularly from an exteriorly projecting end of the mounting portion and is provided with a plurality of nose locking projections spaced in a direction of travel of the chain. A guide shoe is provided with a plurality of generally hook-shaped resilient locking prongs projecting from a rear surface on a side opposite to a shoe surface. The locking prongs are snap-fitted with the locking projections to attach the guide shoe to the guide base with the shoe supporting portion held between the rear surface of the guide shoe and the locking prongs. The angle guide base is highly rigid and hence is able to suppress vibration and noises generated while the chain is running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 6318063
    Abstract: A cable drag chain includes a plurality of link members connected together end to end in a bendable manner. Each of the link members is molded of synthetic resin and includes a pair of opposed left and right side plates, and upper and lower connecting plates connecting upper and lower edges, respectively, of the left and right side plates. The upper connecting plate has one end made contiguous to one of the side plates via a resiliently deformable hinge portion, the other end of the upper connecting plate being formed with a locking portion releasably engaged with a portion of the other side plate. The hinge portion has a circular recess formed in a central portion of an outside surface thereof and hence is reduced in cross-sectional area at the recessed central portion, so that the upper connecting plate has a tendency to resiliently flex at the recessed central portion in a given direction when the upper connecting plate is forced to move from an erected released position to a recumbent assembled position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
    Inventors: Shoichiro Komiya, Takayuki Matsuda
  • Patent number: 6312353
    Abstract: A chain guide for guiding a chain includes an elongated chain guide body pivotally connected at one end to a fixed support member and having an aperture formed in an opposite end of the chain guide body, and a collar loosely fitted in the aperture in such a manner that a clearance is defined between the chain guide body and the collar at least on that side of the collar which is aligned with a direction of pivotal movement of the chain guide body. The collar is firmly secured to the fixed support member so that the chain guide body is allowed to pivot within the range of the clearance. With the clearance thus provided, the chain is protected against excessive tightening or loosening which may otherwise occur when the chain guide is mounted on the fixed support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
    Inventor: Fumiaki Oba
  • Patent number: 6289755
    Abstract: A drive transmission assembly for transmitting motive drive between a reciprocating drive member (11) and a driven member (16) in order to move the driven member (16) between first and second limits of reciprocal movement, the assembly including a drive transmission member (20) adapted for connection to the drive member (11) and the driven member (16) in order to transmit said motive drive, a fixed stop member (22) arranged to be located within the path of reciprocal travel of said transmission member (20), the transmission member (20) including a stop (25) for abutment with said stop member (22) in order to define said first or second limit of reciprocal movement for the driven member (16), said transmisson member (20) being adapted to define a vibration isolating connection between said stop (25) and said drive member (11), whilst said stop (25) is in abutment with said stop member (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Bonas Machine Company Limited
    Inventor: John Bertram Derrek Rush
  • Patent number: 6279650
    Abstract: A temperature-humidity controller for a semiconductor equipment comprises a housing; an inlet pipe for introducing processing air, which has a discharging portion for flowing the air into an inner portion of the housing; a water supplying means for supplying water into the inner portion of the housing so as to contact with the processing air from the discharging portion of the inlet pipe thereby simultaneously performing dehumidifying and humidifying processes; a cooling means for cooling the water at a dew point; a heating means for heating the air at a desired temperature, which is dehumidified and humidified by the water supplying means; an outlet pipe for supplying the heated air to the semiconductor equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Dasan C & I Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Myeon-Chang Sung
  • Patent number: 6276631
    Abstract: A winding reel which can be placed on another similar free winding reel so that they can be stored or carried in a comparatively small space and is convenient to carry or handle. The winding reel includes a hollow core section, and first and second flange sections provided at the opposite ends of the core section. The core section includes four core wire pieces extending in an axial direction thereof. The first flange section includes a first flange wire piece extending radially outwardly from a first end of each of the core wire pieces in a plane perpendicular to the axis and a connection wire piece for connecting outer ends of adjacent ones of the first flange wire pieces. The second flange section includes a second flange wire piece extending radially outwardly from a second end of each of the core wire pieces in a plane perpendicular to the axis and a third flange wire piece extending radially inwardly from the second end of each of the core wire pieces in the plane perpendicular to the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Mio, Shigeo Kitagawa, Takashi Mitsufuji, Teruo Nakajima
  • Patent number: 6269941
    Abstract: A roller conveyor for conveying an elongated article includes a row of drive roller units arranged in a conveyance direction of the elongated articles at intervals smaller than the length of a roller engagement portion of the elongated article. The drive roller units each includes a drive roller for frictionally driving the elongated article in the longitudinal direction thereof while engaging the roller engagement portion of the elongated article, a floating support frame rotatably supporting thereon the drive roller and being attached to a fixed member of the roller conveyor so as to enable an outer peripheral surface of the drive roller to move toward and away from the roller engagement portion of the elongated article, and an urging member for urging the floating support frame in a direction to force the outer peripheral surface of the drive roller against the roller engagement portion of the elongated article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
    Inventor: Ichirou Ueno
  • Patent number: 6264579
    Abstract: In a toothed belt including at least one positioning-aiding/position-identifying tooth and a large number of driven teeth engageable with a driving toothed pulley, the positioning-aiding/position-identifying tooth is formed in a predetermined positioning area of the toothed belt and has a different shape from that of each of the driven teeth. The total amount of rubber used in the positioning-aiding/position-identifying tooth is set to equal an assumptive total amount of rubber in one or more imaginary driven teeth that could be formed in the predetermined positioning area if the positioning-aiding/position-identifying tooth was not formed in that area, and the amount of backing rubber used in a portion right behind the positioning-aiding/position-identifying tooth is set to be equal to or greater than an assumptive amount of backing in a portion right behind the imaginary driven teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Odai, Tatsuo Arai
  • Patent number: 6250458
    Abstract: A plastic conveyor chain includes a multiplicity of pinned links each having a flat load-carrying portion formed from a synthetic resin compound containing a polyacetal resin and a silicone-containing lubricant. Preferably, the silicone-containing lubricant contains, with respect to the weight of the synthetic resin compound, 0.5 to 2.0% by weight of silicone oil, 0.5 to 2.0% by weight of potassium titanate fiber, and 0.5 to 2.0% by weight of fatty ester obtained from a monobasic fatty acid and a monohydric alcohol. The thus formed flat load-carrying portion has a low friction coefficient such that the conveyor chain can achieve stable conveyance of articles even when the articles have an unstable bottom configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Shibayama, Yoshihiro Murakami, Takashi Ishii, Daisuke Sanada, Toshio Kubayashi
  • Patent number: 6244426
    Abstract: A speed-increasing and accumulating conveyor chain includes a large-diameter mounting roller and small-diameter traveling rollers that are loosely fitted concentrically around a connecting pin through over an oil-impregnated sintered oil bushing concentrically. A lubricating oil is gradually discharged from the oil-impregnated sintered bushing, so that the chain can travel with a small chain-driving force as a whole while stably maintaining low friction coefficients at the loosely fitted portions between the connecting pin, the bushing, the mounting roller and the traveling rollers. The chain can, therefore, perform the speed-increasing function and the accumulating function by means of the mounting roller and the traveling rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Murano, Seiji Kitagawa, Tomoo Suko
  • Patent number: 6240797
    Abstract: A linear actuator includes two axially opposed bearings with built-in one-way clutch assembled in a housing member with respective outer races secured to the housing member such that respective directions in which inner races of the bearings are locked against rotation are opposed to each other, a ball bearing shaft relatively and rotatably supported on the inner races of the bearings with bearing bushings disposed between the ball screw shaft and the respective bearings, and two load transmitting collars fixed on the ball screw shaft. When the ball screw shaft is subjected to a thrust load applied from a ball nut in a direction to retract the ball screw shaft, one of the inner race is locked against rotation to thereby exert a braking torque to the corresponding load transmitting collar via an associated friction collar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
    Inventors: Satoshi Morishima, Takaki Tsuruzono
  • Patent number: 6234034
    Abstract: A linear actuator including a mechanism for preventing accidental drop of an inner cylinder caused when a driven nut engaged with a drive screw shaft is broken. The drop prevention mechanism includes a drop prevention nut threaded with the drive screw shaft in close proximity to the driven nut, a shear pin secured at one end to one of the drop prevention nut and the inner cylinder or the driven nut, and a shear pin guide groove formed in the other of the drop prevention nut and the inner cylinder or the driven nut for slidably receiving a projecting free end portion of the shear. When the inner cylinder and the driven nut is displaced in a direction of a load acting on the inner cylinder, the shear pin is broken or sheared by engagement with an end wall of the shear pin guide groove. Upon shearing of the shear pin, the drop prevention nut supports thereon the inner cylinder or the driven nut to thereby keep the inner cylinder in position against drop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Ando
  • Patent number: 6234928
    Abstract: The housing of a ratchet tensioner is formed of an aluminum-containing metallic material in order to decrease the weight of the tensioner. A hard alumite layer having a thickness of 5 to 50 &mgr;m is formed on the inner circumferential surface of a plunger accommodation bore formed in the housing, and a lubricant is incorporated into the alumite layer. Thus, the service life before occurrence of seizure is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
    Inventors: Tadasu Suzuki, Kazuhiko Shimaya
  • Patent number: 6224028
    Abstract: A cantilever shaft assembly includes a steel pipe firmly secured at one end to a wall surface of a stationary support member, and a core shaft made from a synthetic resin and having a body portion removably fitted in the steel pipe and an end portion located outside the steel pipe. The end portion forms a free end of the cantilever shaft assembly and rotatably supports thereon a rotating member such as a driven sprocket. The core shaft and the steel pipe are locked and held together by a locking device such as a pin or a key. The cantilever shaft assembly is light in weight and can be easily repaired at a low cost when the end portion of tne synthetic resin core shaft is damaged or worn out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
    Inventors: Koji Tanaka, Katsuo Doi
  • Patent number: 6221256
    Abstract: A transportable apparatus for preventing the spreading and coming ashore of spilled oil that is easily transportable to a sea area where spilled oil is spread and that can perform the operation of preventing the spreading and coming ashore of spilled oil in the open area. The apparatus has an oil-fence-housing robot ship (10) and a pair of oil-fence-setting-up robot ships (20, 30) that are separably coupled together into an easily transportable block body. The apparatus encircles a sea area where spilled oil is spread with oil fences (40, 41) by remotely operating the robot ships (10, 20, 30) via radio signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Inventor: Noboru Kimura
  • Patent number: 6216853
    Abstract: A toothed conveyor belt is composed of a flexible belt body and an elastically deformable steel belt. The flexible belt body conveys articles on the outer side thereof and has meshing teeth formed on the inner side thereof for meshing with a toothed pulley. The steel belt is embedded in the belt body and extends in the longitudinal direction of the belt body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
    Inventor: Norihisa Fujita
  • Patent number: 6216602
    Abstract: A balance control mechanism for an overhead traveling carrier includes a movable section disposed on a carrier body at a position below the fulcrum of a traveling wheel of the carrier such that the movable section can be moved laterally of the carrier body to thereby displace the center of gravity of the movable section laterally of the carrier body, a gravity center moving unit for moving the center of gravity of the movable section with respect to the carrier body, and a balance control unit for calculating a balancing position at which the center of gravity of the movable section is to be placed so that the moment of a centrifugal force turning around the fulcrum with an axis lying in a direction of travel of the carrier and applied to the carrier in its entirety upon travel of the carrier over a curved portion of the rail is counterbalanced by the moment of gravity, and then controlling the gravity center moving unit to cause the center of gravity of the movable section to be moved to the balancing positi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
    Inventors: Daisuke Fukuzaki, Yoshikazu Nakano
  • Patent number: 6213292
    Abstract: A number of link plates molded of synthetic resin are pivotally connected together by connecting pins to form a molded conveyor particularly suitable for the conveyance of delicate or easy-to-break articles. Each link plate has a plurality of aligned bush holes formed at intervals along a trailing end edge of the link plate, and a plurality of aligned pin holes formed at intervals along a leading end edge of the link plate. Each of the connecting pins is inserted alternately into the pin holes in one link plate and the bush holes in the adjacent link plate to pivotally connect these two link plates. A locking projection formed on the connecting pin to lock the connecting pin in position against detachment is located closer to one end of said connecting pin than to a longitudinal central portion of said connecting pin. The locking projection thus arranged reduces a stroke of hammering required to drive the connecting pin into the pin and bush holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
    Inventors: Toshio Takahashi, Katsutoshi Shibayama, Yoshihiro Murakami, Takashi Ishii
  • Patent number: D440458
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Inventor: Hee-Bum Ohu
  • Patent number: D440476
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Inventor: Peter V. Del Gaone