Patents Examined by David A. Bucci
  • Patent number: 6772654
    Abstract: A crankshaft being integrated with stemmed, inertia-forced lobes that increase engine and motor efficiency, in which a respective lobe extends and branches out to a single traversal side of crankshaft integration, and thus being right-angular to its integration. Essentially, the lobe is a structurally-curved limb having respective curvature about the traversal axis of crankshaft rotation. Hence, the ensuing inertia from the lobes actually rotate. in the same direction and in parallel with the crankshaft, and thus retaining at least 99% of lobe force, to significantly increase engine and motor output power. By contrast, conventional lobes retain only 50% of inertial force. Furthermore, if the lobes' outer extended, weighted portions are “loaded” with very heavy material, such as lead, then the power output becomes proportionally greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Inventor: Daniel L. Cobble
  • Patent number: 6773367
    Abstract: A two speed shift mechanism for a belt drive that includes a rotatable shaft with a first pulley, and a tube concentric with the shaft and rotatable therearound. The tube includes a shift hub supporting a second pulley in axially spaced relation to the first pulley for concentric rotation about the shift hub. The mechanism further includes a collar mounted around the shift hub for rotation with the fit hub and for axial movement between a position adjacent the first pulley and a position adjacent the second pulley. In a first position, the collar and the first pulley include elements engageable for connecting the collar to the first pulley for rotation of the collar, the shift hub and the tube. In a second position, the collar and the second pulley include elements engageable for connecting the collar to the second pulley for rotation of the collar, the shift hub, and the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Case Corporation
    Inventors: Nicholas J. Laufenberg, Peter J. Ungs
  • Patent number: 6769325
    Abstract: A detent assembly for a transmission is provided including a transmission component, such as a shift rail, movable between a plurality of shift positions including first, second, and neutral shift positions. A contoured surface on the shift rail includes first and second recesses, respectively, corresponding to the first and second shift positions. A neutral recess is arranged between the first and second shift recesses corresponding to the neutral shift position. The first and second recesses, respectively, include first and second transition surfaces sloping towards the neutral recess with the second transition surface being steeper than the first transition surface. A detent assembly includes a biasing member and a detent member with the biasing member urging the detent member into engagement with the contoured surface. The biasing member generates a first work along the first transition surface and a second force along the second transition surface greater than the first work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: ZF Meritor, LLC
    Inventors: Dean Molde, Patrick Scheib
  • Patent number: 6766714
    Abstract: A case member mounting structure, in which a case member (5) is mounted to an engine body (2, 3, 4) by fixing an outer circumference of the case member (5) to the engine body (2, 3, 4) with a plurality of fastening means (34) to cover a power transmission mechanism, includes at least one projecting portion (40, 41) which projects from one or both of the inner wall surface of the case member (5) and the outer wall surface of the engine body (2, 3, 4) for contact with the other, and a seal member (44) applied to the contact surface at the distal end of the projecting portion (40, 41).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Iwata, Keiko Yoshida, Atsushi Tanaka, Yuuji Ishimura
  • Patent number: 6767302
    Abstract: A hydraulic tensioner that decreases the number of components, secures an adequate backlash, and prevents backward movement of a plunger. The hydraulic tensioner includes a hollow plunger having rack teeth formed on a portion of an outer circumferential surface, slidably received in a bore of the housing, where the plunger has an inner space to form a fluid chamber with the bore. A slider housing portion, having an inclined surface, located in the housing, receives a wedge-shaped slider having a ratchet portion adapted to engage with the rack teeth of the plunger and a second side surface. The wedge-shaped slider being slidable along the inclined surface of the slider housing portion in a direction crossing an axial centerline of the plunger. The hydraulic tensioner further includes a first spring biasing the plunger in a protruding direction, and a second spring biasing the slider such that the slider moves along the inclined slide surface of the slider housing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventor: Shin Seungpyo
  • Patent number: 6763914
    Abstract: A brake cable assembly includes a cable movably received in a sheath and an outer tube is mounted to the sheath and has an aperture defined through a wall of the outer tube. A shoulder extends inward from an inner periphery of the outer tube. A lubrication sleeve is received in the outer tube and contacts an end surface of the shoulder. Lubrication liquid is dropped to the lubrication sleeve via the aperture. The cable extends through the lubrication sleeve so as to be lubricated during operation. A seal member seals the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Inventor: Yung-Pin Kuo
  • Patent number: 6764422
    Abstract: A method of bonding an ethylene•&agr;-olefin rubber composition with a fiber material. The method includes the steps of adhesion treating the fiber material with a resorcinol-formalin-rubber latex with an ethylene•&agr;-olefin elastomer latex and vulcanization bonding the adhesion-treated fiber material together with an unvulcanized ethylene•&agr;-olefin rubber composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsuboshi Belting Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Hasaka, Keiji Takano, Takashi Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 6764421
    Abstract: Since a pressing force applied to a pulley has ability to regulate a rotation speed and an elastic force applied to the pulley has ability to regulate torque, by independently applying the pressing force and/or the elastic force to the single pulley, and externally regulating the pressing force and/or elastic force to arbitrary values independently, a practical speed-change range is widened irrespective of a type of belt and high effective transmission is achieved. The pulley pressure control system comprises pressure application means for applying at least one of a pressing force and an elastic force to each movable disk, in which the pressing force applied to the movable disk regulates a rotation speed of each pulley by shifting a position of the endless belt on the pulley and the elastic force applied to the movable disk regulates torque using a frictional force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Tokyo Automatic Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenkichi Onogi
  • Patent number: 6763738
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus having a reduction mechanism in which an inner peripheral face of a fitting hole provided to a gear housing is formed into an inclined face inclined with respect to a worm shaft so as to fit with and hold a bearing to which a worm shaft for transmitting rotating force of a steering assisting motor to a steering shaft provided with a worm wheel, an inclined contact surface in contact with the inclined face is provided on an outer periphery of the bearing, and the inclined contact surface of the bearing is moved along the inclined face of the fitting hole to adjust a distance between a shaft center of the worm shaft and a rotation center of the worm wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Tsutsui, Masayuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6763735
    Abstract: A starter device for starting internal combustion engines having a starter motor (20) that comprises a stator (22) and a rotor (23) as well as a drive shaft (58) as starter components (21), further having a driven element (70) that can actively be connected to the drive shaft (58) and the internal combustion engine, and having a brake device (100) that acts on the driven element (70) is proposed. The starter device is characterized in that the brake device (100) can be actuated by means of at least one starter component (21) by switching on the starter motor (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Dieter Siems, Ngoc-Thach Nguyen, Sven Hartmann, Hans Braun
  • Patent number: 6761080
    Abstract: A multiple extend ball screw and nut linear actuator incorporates a revolvable axially restrained ball screw with a ball nut thereon. A constant speed reversible drive revolves the screw to move the ball nut forwardly and rearwardly. External helical threads of the same hand as the ball nut threads are provided externally on the ball nut but have a substantially reduced lead. A second rotatably restrained nut having threads matching the external threads on the ball nut mounts on the ball nut and connects to the system to be actuated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Thomson Saginaw Ball Screw Co., LLC
    Inventors: David A. Lange, Sid M. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 6761656
    Abstract: The over-running clutch pulley of the preferred embodiments of the invention includes a sheave member defining a sheave input surface adapted to engage an input device, a hub member defining a hub output surface adapted to engage an output device, and a clutch cartridge. The clutch cartridge includes a sheave engagement sleeve coupled to a sheave cartridge surface of the sheave member, a hub attachment sleeve coupled to a hub cartridge surface of the hub member, and a coil spring having the first end attached to the hub attachment sleeve. The coil spring is adapted to engage the sheave engagement sleeve upon the acceleration of the sheave member in a first rotational direction relative to the hub member, and to disengage the sheave engagement sleeve upon the deceleration of the sheave member in the first rotational direction relative to the hub member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Randall King, Katsumi Furutani, Robert Frayer, Steve Russell, Mary-Jo Liston, Jared Taketa
  • Patent number: 6761085
    Abstract: A vibration damper for a semiconductor wafer handling arm includes a spring and a mass coupled to the spring to form a mass spring system that is tuned to vibrate at a structural resonant frequency of the vibrating wafer handling arm. The spring has temperature insensitive spring characteristics and the mass and spring are constructed of materials that do not outgas or produce contaminants in a semiconductor processing environment. The mass spring system is preferably a cantilever beam spring connected to a high response point on the vibrating arm and oriented to vibrate in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the wafer. The mass is preferably slidably adjustable along the length of the cantilever beam spring to adjust the resonant frequency of the vibration damper. Vibration damping of the wafer handling arm is accomplished by the transfer of kinetic energy from the vibrating wafer handling arm to the mass spring system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Novellus Systems Incorporated
    Inventor: Mark Tan
  • Patent number: 6761087
    Abstract: A casing (1) for a transmission mechanism constituted by two half shells (1A, 1B), contains at least one clutch control member (3) moved angularly by a control lever (4) external to the casing (1) The control lever (4) includes a split sleeve (5) insertable within a receiving bearing (6) of the casing (1), this sleeve (5) defining at least two fingers (7A, 7B) that are resiliently deformable so as to be able to be immobilized axially in the receiving bearing (6), a portion (3A) of the body of the control member (3) being disposed in the assembled condition of the half shells (1A, 1B) of the casing (1) in the slots (8) provided between the fingers (7A, 7B) to render the lever (4) undisassembleable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: France Reducteurs
    Inventor: Robert Blanchard
  • Patent number: 6758777
    Abstract: A chain guide, such as a fixed chain guide or a tensioner arm, includes a bracket adapted for being secured to an associated engine. The bracket includes a support surface, a leading end and a trailing end spaced from the leading end in a chain movement direction. A guide blade includes a leading end, a trailing end spaced from the leading end in the chain movement direction, a chain guide surface and an inner surface positioned adjacent the support surface of the bracket. The guide blade is selectively movable slidably on the support surface in the chain movement direction and an opposite direction between a first position where the blade is separable from the bracket and a second position where the blade is fixedly secured to the bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Cloyes Gear and Products, Inc.
    Inventor: James D. Young
  • Patent number: 6758113
    Abstract: A pick and place apparatus comprises a bond arm adapted for rotation about an axis between a pick location and a place location. The bond arm is formed with a cavity at an end of the arm remote from the axis, within which cavity are located a plurality of damping particles for damping unwanted vibrations of the bond arm. The particles may be irregular tungsten granules with a diameter between 0.3 and 1.2 mm and a filling ratio of about 75%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: ASM Assembly Automation Limited
    Inventors: Ping Kong Choy, Chou Kee Liu, Wei Hsin Laio, Yu Wang
  • Patent number: 6758775
    Abstract: Provided is an infinitely variable cone pulley transmission for which the contact pressure between the cone pulley pairs and the traction is generated hydraulically on one transmission side and mechanical, with the aid of a spring, on the other transmission side. The second transmission side is provided with an axially fixed and an axially movable cone pulley with extended hub. The contact pressure mechanism includes a cam sleeve that is fixed relative to the shaft, a cam sleeve formed by the free end of the hub and roll bodies for the force transmittal, which are inserted between opposite arranged cam curves and rotate around axes extending radial to the transmission shaft. The roll bodies are guided by rings and are held at a mutual distance to each other and with spring force in the axial center region between the cam sleeves, wherein the spring is arranged coaxial on the extended hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: P.I.V. Antrieb Werner Reimers GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Johannes Heinrich, Gert Schönnenbeck, Peter Wagner, Rainer Matzig
  • Patent number: 6758778
    Abstract: The invention comprises a CVT belt having two multi-ribbed belts. Each belt is engaged in an opposing slot in a transversely mounted clip. Each belt is retained in each slot by a flat belt which is sandwiched into each slot with the multi-ribbed belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: The Gates Corporation
    Inventor: Alexander Serkh
  • Patent number: 6755431
    Abstract: A derailleur system for bicycle is constructed to include an annular plate holding at least two gears, a bracket assembly rotated to a center hole of the annular plate to hold a transmission shaft, a driven gear wheel set pivoted to the transmission shaft and having a driven gear wheel meshed with one of the gears, a control device connected to a derailleur cable of the bicycle, and a driven member for selectively controlling the engagement between the driven gear wheels of the driven gear wheel set with the transmission shaft subject to the position of the control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Inventor: Yu-Ching Chang
  • Patent number: 6755759
    Abstract: The invention relates to a speed transmission for a mower, in particular a lawnmower, comprising a speed changer. This transmission is characterized in that the speed changer is constituted by a transmission with a belt (5) between a drive pulley (6) mounted on the motor shaft (1) that bears the blades and a driven pulley (7) mounted on the input shaft (2) of the reducer (4), the drive pulley (6) and the driven pulley (7) each having flanges (6A, 6B) (7A, 7B) that are movable, the movement of the flanges (6A, 6B) of the drive pulley (6), ensuring continuous tensioning of the belt, being controlled automatically as a function of the couple transmitted between said pulleys by means of a member (8) for the continuous adjustment of the tension of the belt (5) while the movement of the flanges (7A, 7B) of the driven pulley (7), ensuring the speed change, is controlled manually by means of a control member (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: France Reducteurs
    Inventor: Robert Blanchard