Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Robert F. Palermo
  • Patent number: 5682778
    Abstract: A lead-in device is used during installation of a rim-type lock cylinder having a tailpiece in an exit mechanism including a cam having a tailpiece receiving aperture. The lead-in device includes a converging tunnel having an exit aperture sized to match the tailpiece receiving aperture and an entrance aperture that is larger than the exit aperture. The lead-in device also includes a pair of arms positioned to be inserted into the cam aperture to hold the exit aperture in registry with the cam aperture and to maintain the entrance aperture at a predetermined distance from the cam. When the arms are positioned in the cam aperture and the exit aperture is in registry with the cam aperture, the converging tunnel guides a tailpiece inserted into the entrance aperture through the exit aperture and into the cam aperture to engage the cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1997
    Assignee: Von Duprin, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard B. Cohrs, James Mason, Benjamin H. Akers, III
  • Patent number: 5676407
    Abstract: A dead bolt actuating assembly capable of moving a dead bolt between a retracted position and an extended position includes a latch arm having an end portion mounted on a rotating shaft. The latch arm is movable in response to the rotational movement of the shaft between a first position in which the dead bolt is in its retracted position and a second position in which the dead bolt is in its extended position. A link having an elongate body is pivotally connected to the opposite end portion of the latch arm at one end thereof. The link has a foot portion at the other end of the body extending in a generally perpendicular direction from the body. The foot portion is releasably engageable with the dead bolt for selectively moving the dead bolt from its retracted position to its extended position upon movement of the latch arm from its first position to its second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Schlage Lock Company
    Inventors: Jon M. Smallegan, L. C. Derek Chamberlain, Dario L. Pompeii
  • Patent number: 5673949
    Abstract: A push pad releasable exit device with continuous deadlocking for mounting near a door edge for engaging a lock strike includes a housing having first and second sidewalls upon which are mounted two end walls and an internal wall parallel to the end walls, each of the end walls and the internal wall having a hole, the holes being aligned on a common axis, the first sidewall having a wedge stop projecting inwardly therefrom toward the axis of the holes in the end walls and the internal wall; a tapered latch bolt mounted on a cylindrical shaft, the shaft extending through the holes and having a provision for urging the latch bolt toward the lock strike; a wedge plate having a hole providing clearance around the shaft and aligned with the holes in the end walls, having a tab pivotally resting in a slot of the second wall, and having a corner distal from the tab resting against the wedge stop when the door is in an open position; a provision for sensing when the door is in a closed position and for flipping the w
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: Von Duprin, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald E. Mader, William P. Dye, Matthew S. Prucinsky
  • Patent number: 5667357
    Abstract: A percolator system for providing fluid flow to bearings and seals supporting a shaft, on which is mounted an impeller having pumping vanes, disposed within a housing of a centrifugal pump, during intermittent dry running periods, the pump having a vertical upwardly directed discharge nozzle, includes a chamber having a lower end attached to the discharge nozzle and an upper end attached to a discharge pipe, the chamber having an inside diameter greater than an outside diameter of the discharge nozzle, and the chamber further having an internal percolator pipe at least equal in diameter to the discharge nozzle and extending from the nozzle to a height less than the height of the chamber such that fluid coming from the nozzle overflows into the chamber. A fluid return port near the lower end of the chamber has one end of a return tube attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Dresser Pump Company
    Inventors: Frederic W. Buse, Francis W. Thamarus
  • Patent number: 5664816
    Abstract: A door lever assembly has capability for changing the handing of the lever during installation. It includes a housing having a face with a bore for receiving a lever shaft and an input cam rotatably mounted in the housing. The input cam has a shaft for transmitting rotary motion to a latch spindle and a lever arm for rotatably driving the input cam and the shaft. A slider plate surrounds the shaft and the lever arm of the input cam and has a branched slot for permitting the slider to move relative to the shaft while driving the lever arm. A cover plate protects and retains all parts within the housing. Provision for removably mounting a cam on the lever shaft to be driven thereby against the slider plate, moving the slider plate to drive the lever arm of the input cam and to thereby rotate the shaft of the input cam to drive the latch spindle. A tailpiece, adjustable to indexed lengths, drivably connects the input cam and the latch spindle. A torque limiting and damage prevention feature is also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: Von Duprin, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel N. Nigro, Jr., Theodore J. Fritsch
  • Patent number: 5658026
    Abstract: A modular door handle assembly has a door handle on a rotatable handle shaft mounted on a housing having a face with a bore for receiving the handle shaft. Dual-function studs retain a cover on the housing and have provision for mounting the door handle assembly to a door. Other provisions, within the housing, provide for operating a door latch in response to rotation of the door handle together with a mechanism for returning the handle to a parked position upon release of the handle from rotating force and a locking feature for releasably locking the door handle assembly to prevent operation of the door latch. The handle return and locking features are both driven by a pair of dual acting springs. The modular design simplifies repair and replacement of the assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1997
    Assignee: Von Duprin, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel N. Nigro, Jr., Theodore J. Fritsch
  • Patent number: 5657653
    Abstract: In a door lock having a latch bolt selectively retractable by a rotatable driver spindle, the driver spindle being rotatable by operation of an outside manual lever associated with an outside chassis assembly or by operation of an inside manual lever associated with an inside chassis assembly, a lost motion mechanism is provided between the driver spindle and the inside chassis assembly so that rotational movement of the driver spindle is not transmitted to the inside lever. An interconnect mechanism connects the inside lever to a deadbolt operating assembly whereby operation of the inside lever retracts both the latch bolt and the deadbolt. The lost motion mechanism includes a driven spindle located within an axially extending bore in a spindle core and having an opening for receiving an end of the driver spindle, the spindle core being mechanically linked to the inside lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1997
    Assignee: Schlage Lock Company
    Inventors: Frederick M. Hensley, Gary A. Dehn, Dario L. Pompeii, Jeffrey G. Towles
  • Patent number: 5647686
    Abstract: A shaft coupling includes a shaft with a circumferential groove near one end, a shaft receiving member and a resiliently loaded shaft retention member in the shaft receiving member. The shaft retention member is fitted about a clamping bolt with one end of the spring engaging in the groove of the shaft. The shaft can be a vehicle steering column shaft and the shaft receiving member can be a yoke of a universal joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1997
    Assignee: Nastech Europe Limited
    Inventors: Michael Thomas Hancock, David Thomas Wormall
  • Patent number: 5641011
    Abstract: A system for transporting and dispensing fluent materials consists of a shipping container disposed with a supply of fluent material, and having a bottom wall with an outlet aperture, the outlet aperture being occluded by a normally disabled transfer valve; a base container adapted for sealed attachment to the bottom wall of the shipping container, the base container having a top wall equipped with a means for enabling the normally disabled transfer valve, when the base container is properly attached to the shipping container, and a bottom wall which tapers downwardly to an opening with a valve for dispensing particulate material at a controlled rate when the valve is opened. A remotely operable metering valve is also disclosed as a substitute for the valve in the base container opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 24, 1997
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Dresser Pump Company
    Inventors: Albert M. Benedetti, Jr., Paul A. Nolte
  • Patent number: 5638285
    Abstract: A material dispensing system for agricultural pesticides and chemicals. The system uses distributed processing with a main controller and a plurality of sub-controllers to control pesticide metering devices. The metering devices are attached to a pesticide container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1997
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Dresser Pump Company
    Inventor: Cloyce D. Newton
  • Patent number: 5610794
    Abstract: A doorholder for retaining a door in an open position by magnetic interaction with an armature secured to the door has an electromagnetic flux generator which includes a core having a face confronting the armature and a coil of wire surrounding the core. A cup having an inside diameter somewhat greater than the coil outside diameter receives the coil, the core extending from the face to the cup bottom. A power control circuit including a resistor circuit controls electrical power supplied to the coil, the power control circuit being mounted on a circuit board situated between the coil rear surface and the cup bottom. The resistor circuit being situated in sufficiently close proximity to the cup bottom for transfer of heat from the resistor circuit to the cup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1997
    Assignee: Von Duprin, Inc.
    Inventors: William P. Dye, Paul J. Hoggard
  • Patent number: 5609371
    Abstract: A push pad releasable exit device with continuous deadlocking for mounting near a door edge for engaging a lock strike includes a housing having first and second sidewalls upon which are mounted two end walls and an internal wall parallel to the end walls, each of the end walls and the internal wall having a hole, the holes being aligned on a common axis, the first sidewall having a wedge stop projecting inwardly therefrom toward the axis of the holes in the end walls and the internal wall; a tapered latch bolt mounted on a cylindrical shaft, the shaft extending through the holes and having a provision for urging the latch bolt toward the lock strike; a wedge plate having a hole providing clearance around the shaft and aligned with the holes in the end walls, having a tab pivotally resting in a slot of the second wall, and having a corner distal from the tab resting against the wedge stop when the door is in an open position; a provision for sensing when the door is in a closed position and for flipping the w
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1997
    Assignee: Von Duprin, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald E. Mader, William P. Dye, Matthew S. Prucinsky
  • Patent number: 5604970
    Abstract: A method for automatically attaching a bolt for a mortise lock to its draw bar includes the steps of boring a hole longitudinally in the bolt on the axis of the bolt; drilling a hole, having a small diameter relative to that of the bored hole, transversely in the bolt to intersect the bored hole such that the drilled hole is tangent to the wall of the bored hole at its outer edge and intersects the bored hole at the midpoint of the depth of the bored hole; selecting a bar having a diameter which fits snugly in the bored hole; cutting a groove around the bar, the groove having a depth and width substantially equal to the diameter of the drilled hole, and being set back from a first end of the bar a distance substantially equal to half the depth of the bored hole; inserting the bar into the bored hole; and pressing a spring pin into the drilled hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1997
    Assignee: Schlage Lock Company
    Inventors: Helmut R. Aigner, Michael R. Ahlgren
  • Patent number: 5605444
    Abstract: A fluid impeller for a centrifugal pump includes a hub having a substantially disk-like form with a center and an edge, circular symmetry, and provision for being rotatably driven. A first plurality of pumping vanes projects substantially perpendicularly from a first surface of the hub and extends radially outwardly from a locus near the center of the hub to another locus near the edge of the hub. These vanes provide a high pressure head with a small impeller diameter. A second plurality of separate and twisted inlet vanes also projects substantially perpendicularly from the first surface of the hub and extends radially outwardly to the locus near the center of the hub from another locus nearer the center of the hub. The separate second plurality of vanes, by turning and pre-pressurizing the fluid, provides an impeller having capability of cavitation-free pumping at low net positive suction head (NPSH). A front shroud can be used which partially or totally covers the first and/or second plurality of vanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1997
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Dresser Pump Company
    Inventors: Alan Paton, Bruno Schiavello, Giovanni Rigamonti
  • Patent number: 5598726
    Abstract: A lockset suitable for use on doors of different thicknesses comprises inside and outside knobs mounted on inside and outside spindles which are in turn rotatably supported in inside and outside chassis. Rotation of either knob causes rotation of a rectangular driver spindle to drive a latch operating assembly which retracts a latchbolt. Locking may be accomplished only by pressing a push button located in the inside knob. In one embodiment the push button drives a caliper spring to engage and axially move a plunger bar and in a second embodiment a hook spring carried on the push button engages teeth on the plunger bar. Axial movement of the plunger bar actuates a clutch mechanism to disconnect the outside knob from the driver spindle and lock the outside knob to the outside chassis to prevent rotation of the knob. In the first embodiment unlocking is accomplished by rotating the plunger bar relative to a coupler having a spring thereon for engaging notches on the plunger bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1997
    Assignee: Schlage Lock Company
    Inventor: William H. Cordle
  • Patent number: 5593193
    Abstract: A thumb actuated latch retracting mechanism, for mounting with a grip handle on a door, includes a thumbpiece, the thumbpiece having a laterally offset cam on a second end thereof; an escutcheon plate having an opening through which the second end of the thumbpiece and the cam protrude into a door preparation cavity; and provision within the cavity for retracting a latchbolt in response to pressing the thumbpiece, the provision including a chassis mounted to the escutcheon and containing further provisions for converting linear motion of the thumbpiece cam to rotary motion of a spindle for retracting the latchbolt. The chassis also has tabs which act as barbs to hold the handle and mechanism against the door when pushed into mounting position and to simplify installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1997
    Assignee: Schlage Lock Company
    Inventor: Jonathan R. Heim
  • Patent number: 5570916
    Abstract: A door lever assembly for disengaging an unlocked latch of a lockable door latch assembly includes a lever handle rotatably connected to a trim housing supporting a stop plate. A cam is operably connected to the lever handle and positioned to rotate in response to rotation of the lever handle, converting its rotational movement to linear movement of a movable slider positioned adjacent to the cam. A lift arm is operably connected to vertical rods of the door latch assembly and an over-ride spring is connected between the slider and the lift arm. The over-ride spring transmits motion of the slider to the lift arm to lift the lift arm and the connected vertical rods when the door latch assembly is in an unlocked position. The over-ride spring compresses in response to slider movement when the blocking slide is positioned to block movement of the lift arm when the door latch assembly is in its locked position, preventing damage to components of the door lever assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1996
    Assignee: Von Duprin, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald E. Mader
  • Patent number: 5566994
    Abstract: A door lever assembly having a locked and an unlocked position includes a trim housing and a lever handle and cam rotatably connected to the trim housing. A rotatable shaft extends between the lever handle and the cam, with the shaft defining a connection groove therethrough to provide access to a shaft interior. The shaft interior is configured to a accept a pin for connecting the cam and the shaft. This pin can be resettably disconnected following controlled slippage of frictional contact surfaces in response to excessive force applied to rotate the cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1996
    Assignee: Von Duprin, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald E. Mader
  • Patent number: 5566996
    Abstract: A system for attaching door lock trim roses on inside and outside faces of a door, has a mounting chassis with inside and outside members, each having outwardly projecting portions with opposed cylindrical sector arcs. Fasteners join the outside member to the inside member to secure both members against the outside and inside faces of the door. Interchangeable hollow inside and outside trim roses have at least two inwardly projecting pips close to a door contacting lip of the trim rose. Detents on the outside member of the mounting chassis receive the pips of the outside trim rose and secure the outside trim rose against the outside face of the door; and grooves on the inside member of the mounting chassis receive the pips of the inside trim rose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1996
    Assignee: Schlage Lock Company
    Inventors: William S. Massey, Rocco A. Carestia
  • Patent number: 5564760
    Abstract: A door lever assembly includes a lever handle rotatably connected to a trim housing. A pair of guide rods positioned in the trim housing support a stop plate and a movable slider. A cam is operably connected to the lever handle and positioned to rotate in response to rotation of the lever handle, converting its rotational movement to linear movement of the movable slider positioned adjacent to the cam. A lift arm is operably connected to the slider to engage and disengage door latches in response to movement of the slider when the door lever assembly is unlocked. When the door lever assembly is locked, an over-ride spring connected between the slider and the lift arm compresses in response to slider movement, preventing damage to components of the door lever assembly. When the door lever assembly is unlocked, a pivot rotates to control contact between the slider and the stop plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1996
    Assignee: Von Duprin, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald E. Mader