Patents Assigned to Elco Industries, Inc.
  • Patent number: 5467255
    Abstract: The indicating device is adapted to be installed on a platform on a headlamp frame with a slip fit and, once installed, is automatically locked into place. The indicating device includes a bubble level having a vial which is molded integrally with a base adapted to be assembled with a spring metal retaining bracket with a slip fit. The retaining bracket includes cantilevered legs with free end portions which resiliently engage the upper side of the base to enable an adjusting screw to tilt the vial upwardly and downwardly to various positions relative to horizontal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1995
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald S. Denley
  • Patent number: 5415507
    Abstract: A fastener assembly for anchoring masonry to a wall support stud includes a sealing member releasably seated in a retaining groove. The fastener threads into the support stud and is affixed to a hole in the masonry with a bonding agent. The retaining groove holds the sealing member in place during the installation of the fastener, and a break-off groove enables the fastener to be severed inside the masonry. After the fastener has been severed, the sealing member can be relocated inside the masonry to a pre-determined sealing position, thereby insuring the use of a controlled volume of bonding agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Janusz, Patrick M. Monahan
  • Patent number: 5414937
    Abstract: The indicating device includes a bubble level formed by a transparent plastic vial filled with liquid having a gas bubble therein, the bubble coacting with an underlying scale to indicate the degree of tilt of the vial from horizontal. To enhance the visibility of the bubble and enable more accurate readings, portions of the vial are darkened with a strip of black material adapted to be secured to the vial by pressure-sensitive adhesive. A cap for closing the vial is darkened by molding the cap from black-tinted plastic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald S. Denley
  • Patent number: 5408391
    Abstract: The indicating device is adapted to be inserted into a housing on a headlamp frame with a slip fit and, once inserted, is automatically locked into place. The indicating device includes a bubble level having a vial which is molded integrally with a base adapted to be assembled with a spring metal retaining bracket with a slip fit. The retaining bracket coacts with the base to hold the indicating device in the housing and coacts with an adjusting screw to enable the vial to be tilted upwardly and downwardly to various positions relative to horizontal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1995
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald S. Denley
  • Patent number: 5398173
    Abstract: A device for adjusting the position of a vehicular headlamp includes a gear which, when rotated, effects linear movement of a link to adjust the headlamp. The gear is stamped from sheet metal and includes a flange with angularly spaced and axially extending teeth. A manually adjustable actuator rod is rotatably supported by the housing of the adjusting device and includes angularly spaced teeth which are adapted to drivingly engage the teeth of the gear in order to rotate the gear when the actuator rod is turned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Eddie D. Ellenberger
  • Patent number: 5390089
    Abstract: An adjuster for adjusting a headlamp component along mutually perpendicular coordinates includes an eccentric connected to a threaded shaft and adapted to be rotated to adjust the headlamp component along one coordinate when a toothed wheel on the shaft is turned by a Phillips screwdriver. By using the screwdriver to turn a second toothed wheel on the shaft, the shaft and the eccentric are moved linearly to effect adjustment of the headlamp component along the second coordinate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1995
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald S. Denley
  • Patent number: 5359499
    Abstract: The reflector of the headlamp is pivotally supported within a housing for vertical tilting about a horizontal axis and for horizontal pivoting about a vertical axis. A bubble level is carried by the reflector and may be adjusted relative thereto to a level position after the reflector has been tilted about the horizontal axis to establish proper vertical aiming of the headlamp beam. A horizontal indicator is located at the same inspection position as the bubble level and may be adjusted to a zero setting after the reflector has been pivoted about the vertical axis to establish proper horizontal aiming of the beam. Part of a mounting platform for the bubble level also serves as part of an indicating scale for the horizontal indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald S. Denley
  • Patent number: 5355287
    Abstract: A vehicular headlamp component is pivotally adjusted in response to back or forth movement of an adjusting link extending through an opening in one wall of a two-component housing of an adjusting device. Back and forth movement of the link is produced by a gear driven bushing which is threaded onto the link. An O-ring encircles the link between the bushing and the housing wall and is adapted to be compressed against the wall and the link thereby to seal the opening in the wall and prevent contamination from passing through the opening and into the housing of the headlamp. Compression of the O-ring is effected by camming the bushing toward the housing wall as an incident to assembly of the two housing components with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1994
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald S. Denley
  • Patent number: 5328311
    Abstract: A sleeve is slidable axially through a limited range along the shank of a threaded fastener. A resiliently yieldable retainer is capable of both moving with and moving along the thread of the shank and captivates the sleeve against slipping axially off of the shank while effecting required relative positioning of the sleeve and the shank even if the sleeve is short in comparison to the length of the shank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1994
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Rudolph E. Knohl
  • Patent number: 5244325
    Abstract: A sleeve is slidable axially through a limited range along the shank of a threaded fastener. A resiliently yieldable retainer grips an unthreaded portion of the fastener shank and coacts with the adjacent end of the thread to captivate the sleeve against slipping axially off of the fastener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1993
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Rudolph E. Knohl
  • Patent number: 5193905
    Abstract: A mechanism for adjusting the vertical or horizontal aim of a vehicle headlamp includes a rod-like link supported by a slide to move linearly relative to a housing and having an outer end connected to the headlamp. The inner end portion of the link includes a helical thread form which meshes with a second helical thread form on a rotatable driver extending perpendicular to the link. When the driver is rotated, the thread forms coact to advance or retract the link and thereby adjust the headlamp. A plastic bushing snaps onto the driver and into the housing to support the driver for rotation in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Edwards, Arthur R. Fry
  • Patent number: 4875818
    Abstract: A fastener includes a threaded shank with a driving head on one end and a washer of resiliently yieldable material encircling the shank and disposed beneath the head to be compressed between the latter and a workpiece as the shank is driven into the workpiece. The head includes a skirt engaging the washer, the underside of the skirt being concave and being formed with an annular rib. As the washer is compressed, the rib exerts a downward force and produces a sealing circle between the washer and the workpiece. At the same time, the inner side of the rib forces the washer downwardly and inwardly to form a seal around the shank. The outer side of the rib forces the washer downwardly and outwardly against a flange on the periphery of the skirt, the flange trapping and retaining the washer in the space defined by the underside of the skirt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1989
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Ernest W. Reinwall
  • Patent number: 4840083
    Abstract: A shaft is journaled to rotate in a housing and is formed with an enlarged disc which carries an elastomeric ring. As the shaft rotates, the ring is compressed against and is massaged by protrusions extending axially into the housing and coacting with the ring to apply a retarding torque to the shaft. In one embodiment, the protrusions are semispherical buttons which are formed integrally with the end wall of the housing. In another embodiment, the protrusions are spherical balls which are free to spin in semispherical pockets formed in the end wall of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1989
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Hagan, Ernest W. Reinwall
  • Patent number: 4833938
    Abstract: A rotatable shaft carries a hard plastic disc located in a housing. A braking member in the form of a steel washer is sandwiched between the plastic disc and a washer-like elastomeric spring which is compressed against an axially facing wall of the housing. The spring urges the braking member frictionally against the disc to retard rotation thereof and dampen rotation of the shaft. By adjusting a screw, the disc may be shifted axially toward or away from the spring to change the compression thereof and thereby change the retarding torque applied to the disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1989
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Ernest W. Reinwall, Robert A. Hagan
  • Patent number: 4801230
    Abstract: A retainer includes a cylindrical sleeve projecting downwardly into a hole in a plate with a flange at the lower end of the sleeve engaging the underside of the plate. Resilient fingers struck out from the sleeve engage the top of the plate to cooperate with the flange in holding the sleeve in place. A fastener initially is threaded along dimples in the sleeve to hold the fastener while permitting the latter to be threaded down into a member beneath the plate. As the fastener is threaded down, its head engages the sleeve which is crushed between the head and the plate so as to be out of the way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1989
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas H. Wilburn
  • Patent number: 4764069
    Abstract: The anchor includes a stud holder having one end which threadably receives a threaded stud. A flat tongue-like driving head projects axially from the other end of the stud holder and is formed with an eye for receiving one end portion of a wire tie for establishing a positive lateral load connection between an outer masonry veneer wall and an inner supportive wall having a layer of insulation thereon. An integral, radially extending flange is formed at the inner end of the driving head and stabilizes the stud holder while the latter is being driven by a power-rotated socket. When the stud is fully driven, the flange seals a hole drilled in the insulation by the stud holder. The inner end of the stud holder includes cutting elements which enable the stud holder to drill effectively through both hard and soft insulation. The eye through the driving head is shaped so as to eliminate the need of establishing precise angular alinement between the driving head and the wire tie.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1988
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Ernest W. Reinwall, Robert A. Hagan
  • Patent number: 4749321
    Abstract: A sealing fastener includes an insert made of metal such as steel and a cap made of a non-ferrous and non-corrosive material such as aluminum. The cap is formed around and is captivated on the upper end portion of the insert by an impact extrusion process. The insert is formed with a head-retaining portion, a flange and a threaded shank. During impact extrusion, the cap is molded over the head-retaining portion and the top of the flange, around the peripheral edge of the flange and under the marginal portion of the underside of the flange. The upper side of the flange is formed with angularly spaced grooves and the outer edge of the flange is formed with scallops to help prevent the cap from turning relative to the insert when the fastener is tightened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1988
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Rudolph E. Knohl, Ernest W. Reinwall
  • Patent number: 4731034
    Abstract: The terminal assembly includes a terminal element made of yieldable material and a tubular post made of soft, flowable material. One end portion of the terminal element is defined by a slotted tube-like member adapted to telescope into the post. When the post and the tube-like member are squeezed axially together during assembly, the tube-like member collapses axially and expands radially to cause the soft material of the post to flow into and interlock with the slots and thereby establish a positive electrical and mechanical connection between the terminal element and the post.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1988
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Hagan, Ernest W. Reinwall
  • Patent number: 4726164
    Abstract: An assembly for fastening a flexible membrane to a layer of insulation on a roof deck includes a plastic disc and a threaded screw which, when tightened, clamps the disc to the membrane. Angularly spaced pins are formed integrally with and depend from the underside of the disc and bite into the membrane to help prevent edgewise tearing of the membrane when wind uplift forces are exerted on the membrane. The pins preferably are formed between the ends of radially extending and angularly spaced ribs which depend from the underside of the disc to resist upward flexing of the disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1988
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Ernest W. Reinwall, Robert A. Hagan
  • Patent number: 4630984
    Abstract: An assembly for fastening a compressible layer of insulation includes a threaded screw projecting through the center of a flat circular disk of a resilient plastic material. A central hub on the disk is received between the head and a flange spaced below the head to hold the disk adjacent the head, the hub being defined in part by resilient fingers which flex outwardly to let the flange pass through the hub as the screw and the disk are assembled together. An annular surface is formed on the underside of the disk at the periphery thereof to engage the insulation and ribs which decrease in width are formed on the underside of the disk and project radially from the hub to the peripheral surface so that an uplift force causes the disk to flex upwardly progressively from the periphery toward the center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1986
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Ernest W. Reinwall, John Spibey