Patents Examined by Evan H Langdon
  • Patent number: 7823698
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for raising and lowering a three-stage forklift mast assembly having a reduced overall lowered height. A first linkage system on the outer and middle masts creates a 2:1 movement ratio of the middle mast with respect to movement of a piston arm in the first linkage system. A second linkage system on the middle and inner masts creates a 2:1 movement ratio of the inner mast with respect to the movement of the middle mast and an overall 4:1 movement ratio with respect to the movement of the piston arm in the first linkage system. A third linkage system on the inner mast creates a 2:1 movement ratio of a set of forks on the inner mast with respect to the movement of a piston arm in the third linkage system, allowing free lift of the forks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Wiggins Light Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Artemio V. Cano, Aaron Alls, Mike Wiggins
  • Patent number: 7819389
    Abstract: An engagement chain type hoisting and lowering device is disclosed, having a hoisting and lowering table attached to the upper end of two or more pairs of hoisting and lowering driving engagement chains. A driving motor drives two pairs of hoisting and lowering sprockets which, in turn, raise or lower two pairs of hoisting and lowering driving engagement chains. By arranging two pairs of hoisting and lowering driving engagement chains on two opposed sides of the hoisting and lowering table, buckling of the hoisting and lowering driving engagement chains is suppressed, resulting in stable hoisting and lowering operations without slippage of articles on the hoisting and lowering table, and chain endurance is improved. The device is designed so that the lowest position of the hoisting and lowering table can be lower than the height of the peripherally located driving motor, for ease and safety of operation and maintenance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Takeuchi, Naoto Shibata, Toru Wada, Tomoyuki Saji
  • Patent number: 7815137
    Abstract: A fishing reel is provided having a pair of opposed sidewalls with a spool holding fishing line rotatably supported between the sidewalls. The spool is freely rotatable in a first direction to release fishing line from the bottom portion of the spool, and is mechanically rotatable in a second direction opposite to the first direction to retrieve the fishing line and to wind the line back onto the spool. A handle crank is provided for imparting rotation to the spool in the second direction by rotation of the crank in the same, second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Inventors: Fred M. Kemp, Robert C. Baenziger, Casey J. Childre
  • Patent number: 7815138
    Abstract: A handle assembly includes a handle shaft portion, a handle arm, a handle grip, and a tubular member. The handle shaft portion is mounted to the inner peripheral portion of a master gear shaft so as not to be allowed to rotate relative to the master gear shaft, and is disposed so that the tip end portion of the master gear shaft protrudes outward in the axial direction compared to the tip end portion of the master gear. The handle arm extends in the radial direction from the tip end portion of the handle shaft portion, and is mounted to the handle shaft portion so as to be capable of pivoting with respect to the handle shaft portion. The handle grip is mounted to the tip of the handle arm. The tubular member is non-rotatably engaged with the tip end portion of the master gear shaft and the base end portion of the handle arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Shimano Components (Malaysia) SDN. BHD.
    Inventors: Ken'ichi Sugahara, Yik Hui Chan
  • Patent number: 7815140
    Abstract: A magnetic tape cartridge containing a tape reel to which a magnetic tape with a leader pin attached to a leading end is wound is equipped with a leader pin retaining structure for safe and secure retention of the leader pin immediately behind a tape egress/ingress opening. The leader pin retaining structure comprises a retainer member having resilient arms and a leader pin support for supporting the retainer member so as to place tail end portions of the resilient arms across end collars of the leader pin received in sockets provided adjacent to the tape egress/ingress opening, wherein the leader pin support resiliently urges and bends the resilient arms so as to retain the end collars of the leader pin by the tail end portions of the resilient arms, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Takenoshita, Shozo Onmori
  • Patent number: 7815139
    Abstract: A fly reel is disclosed, which comprises an improved drag apparatus which includes a drag knob which is rotatably engaged to an outer side of the center shaft; a drag spindle which is spaced apart from the drag knob and is rotatably inserted into an outer side of the center shaft; a braking member which is limits a rotation of the drag spindle on the center shaft depending on a movement that the drag knob moves in an axial direction of the center shaft; an one-way bearing which is inserted into an outer side of the drag spindle and in which one direction rotation of the same is permitted, and the other direction rotation of the same is not permitted; and a drag cover which is rotatably inserted into an outer side of the center shaft and rotates by a rotation operation of the spool and allows the one-way bearing to rotate when the spool rotates, wherein the center shaft includes a flange provided on an outer side of the same for limiting an axial direction movement of the drag spindle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Juho Corporation
    Inventor: Jae Koo Lee
  • Patent number: 7810790
    Abstract: A vehicle, configured to transport an object, said vehicle among other components, comprising: a load bearing member; a line; an actuator coupled to said vehicle and adapted for applying a tensile force to said line in response to an actuator command, and disposed and adapted for transmitting at least a portion of said tensile force to said load bearing member; an end-effector mechanically coupled to said line and adapted for transmitting said tensile force and an operator force to said object and for generating an operator input signal; and a controller adapted for generating said actuator command from said operator input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Inventor: Homayoon Kazerooni
  • Patent number: 7810687
    Abstract: A feeding mechanism for feeding a web of paper in a paper handling system includes a feeding nip assembly having a driven roller structured to be rotatably driven about a first axis, and an idler roller structured to rotate about a second axis substantially parallel to the first axis. In addition, the feeding nip assembly is structured to apply a force to the idler roller to push the idler roller toward the driven roller. The force is applied in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis. The idler roller is also structured to pivot about a third axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis, the second axis, and the direction of the force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Carlos L. DeFigueiredo, Boris Rozenfeld
  • Patent number: 7810791
    Abstract: A servo motor driven hoist includes a float mode in which a load is raised lowered in response to manually applied forces on the load exerted by an operator in which forces applied to the load as a result of accelerations of the load generated by hoist movement of said load are compensated for by sensing the accelerations and computing the forces resulting therefrom, and subtracting those forces from the sensed total magnitude of forces acting on the load to eliminate the effects of dynamically generated forces when in the float mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Inventor: Ryan DeVos
  • Patent number: 7802658
    Abstract: An elevator may include an elevator car, two or more diverting pulleys on the elevator car, one or more hoisting ropes, a traction sheave, and a compensating device. The hoisting ropes may include first, second, third, and fourth rope portions. The first rope portions may extend upward from at least one diverting pulley and the second rope portions may extend downward from at least one diverting pulley. The first rope portions may be under a first tension caused by the compensating device acting on the third rope portion and the second rope portions may be under a second tension caused by the compensating device acting on the fourth rope portion. The first tension to the second rope tension may be maintained substantially constant and may be independent of a load of the elevator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Esko Aulanko, Jorma Mustalahti
  • Patent number: 7802744
    Abstract: A worm shaft disposed on an upper side of a master gear shaft. A spool shaft disposed on an opposite lower side of the master gear shaft. An engaging member arranged to engage a spiral groove in worm shaft is also disposed on the upper side of the master gear shaft. A slider body includes a first mounting portion disposed on the opposite lower side of the master gear shaft and is a portion to which the spool shaft is fixed, a second mounting portion that is disposed on the upper side of the master gear shaft and is a portion to which the engaging member is engaged, and a coupling portion for coupling the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion so that the master gear shaft is straddled by the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion when the spool shaft is disposed most forward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Kei Saito
  • Patent number: 7802751
    Abstract: There are provided a tape reel and a take-up reel at which it is possible to easily and inexpensively manufacture a hub having, at an outer peripheral surface thereof, a portion whose diameter is larger than diameters of each of the end portions of the hub, and a recording tape cartridge having the tape reel and a drive device having the take-up reel. At a tape reel 20 having a hub 22, which is made of resin on which a recording tape T is wound, and flanges 24, 26, which are provided at both end portions of the hub 22, a ring-shaped member 48, whose outer diameter is larger than an inner diameter of at least one portion of the hub 22, is press-fit in at an inner side of the hub 22. The tape reel 20 which has the hub 22 having, at least a portion of an outer peripheral surface, a portion whose diameter is larger than diameters of each of the end portions of the hub, is thereby easily formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Hideaki Shiga
  • Patent number: 7798439
    Abstract: A fishing reel includes: a reel body including left and right side plates; a spool for winding a fishing line, rotatably supported between the left and right side plates; a handle for rotating the spool; a fishing line guiding device. A fishing line guiding device includes: a slider body which is mounted between the left and right side plates on a front of the spool and is reciprocated left and right by a winding operation of the handle; a swinging body including one end portion rotatably supported by the body and the other end provided with a line guide for guiding the fishing line; and a coupling portion which couples the swinging body to the slider body so that the swinging body reciprocates the line guide arcuately left and right.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Daiwa Seiko, Inc.
    Inventor: Wataru Tsutsumi
  • Patent number: 7793882
    Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing sheet product includes a housing, a proximity sensor operative to detect a presence of a user's hand at a predetermined location near the dispenser, and a dispensing mechanism disposed within the housing, the dispensing mechanism including an electronic controller operably coupled to a drive motor that is operably coupled to a feed roller to dispense the sheet product. The dispensing mechanism is operative in a first mode to be responsive to a signal from the proximity sensor to dispense the sheet product, and is operative in a second mode to dispense a next sheet product in response to an existing sheet product being torn from the dispenser. The controller is responsive to a switch adapted and configured to set an adjustable time delay between sheet feeds when the dispensing mechanism is operating in at least one of the first mode and the second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products LP
    Inventors: Christopher M. Reinsel, Daniel J. Geddes, William J. Kane
  • Patent number: 7789374
    Abstract: A control arrangement is provided for an integrated compressor and winch assembly. The integrated assembly includes: a clutch mechanically coupled to an electric motor and selectively engageable with at least one of a compressor or a winch mechanism; an electrical control circuit having an operational mode for controlling the compressor and another operational mode for controlling the winch mechanism; and a mode selector in communication with the clutch and the electrical control circuit, whereby actuating the mode selector actuates the clutch and selects an operational mode for the control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Warn Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan M. Averill, Richard J. Geisler, Steven W. Shuyler, Oliver Heravi
  • Patent number: 7784660
    Abstract: In a tape feeder to feed electronic parts with a carrier tape, a lower support member 23 with magnet supporting the carrier tape from its lower side and stabilizing positions of the electronic parts contained in part pockets on the carrier tape by a magnetic force is constituted by a horizontal base 24 mounted on the frame member, an elongated leaf spring member 25 having an upward convex shape in a middle part thereof so as to be supported by the base 24 at opposite ends thereof, and a magnet member 26 attached on an upper face of the middle part of the leaf spring member 25. A fitting hole 24b to which the magnet member 26 can be fitted is formed in the base 24.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Atsuyuki Horie
  • Patent number: 7784723
    Abstract: A layered tape guide spool having a plurality of guide rods, each of which have a first and a second guide member. The gaps between adjacent guide rods and the gaps formed between the first and second guide members define a gap that urges the tape stacks together into a desirable rectangular shape. The resulting tape stacks are then wrapped onto a tubular core or onto existing layers on a tubular core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: DeepFlex Inc.
    Inventor: Marbert G. Moore, III
  • Patent number: 7784768
    Abstract: A portable hoist assembly having a housing. The housing has a recoil spring secured thereto wherein the recoil spring is secured to a cable spool such that constant tension is provided on the cable spool. The cable spool contains a cable that is secured thereto and has a hook member secured at a first end. An actuating member having a self contained power source and connected to the cable is thus operable to feed and retract the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Inventor: Randy A. LaFreniere
  • Patent number: 7780108
    Abstract: In a method for winding an electrical machine, a winding auxiliary body is placed on at least one of the end faces of a base body such as to cover at least one of the slot end openings within a circumferential bridging area. Electrical conductors of a winding system are inserted in at least one of the slots whose slot end opening is on one side of the bridging area and passed through an uncovered slot end opening. Subsequently, the electrical conductors are deflected by the winding auxiliary body and guided to a further uncovered one of the slot end openings on another side of the bridging area. After placement of an end plate having an axially projecting separating element and plugging an axial attachment cutout of the winding auxiliary body onto the separating element, the winding auxiliary body is removed, thereby producing a winding element of the winding system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Eduard Lyschick, Fridolin Mahlmeister, Michael Menz, Norbert Wöhner
  • Patent number: 7780106
    Abstract: The present invention provides a recording tape cartridge with a retention structure capable of stabilizing and retaining a memory board without deformation of the memory board. A recording tape cartridge includes a case for accommodating a reel on which recording tape is wound, the case formed by an upper case and a lower case and a non-contact memory board, on which various information is stored and which is disposed at a specific angle within the case. The lower case is formed with a position control member of substantially a C-shape in plan view for controlling the position of the memory board, and a support member for supporting the bottom face of the memory board at substantially the central portion thereof. The upper case is formed with retaining members that face portions of the top face of the memory board at both ends in the memory board length direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Yosuke Sumiya, Yasushi Hatano