Patents Examined by James Mackey
  • Patent number: 9918481
    Abstract: A flexible multiple piece mold assembly with interlocking seals suitable for baking to produce a comestible baked product in complex shapes. The mold assembly includes three or more pieces, wherein each of the at least three pieces is configured to be joined by an interlocking seal to the other pieces such that when each of the at least three pieces are joined they form the mold assembly. The mold assembly defines an interior cavity for receiving a substance to be baked into a comestible product and this interior cavity defines a shape for the baked comestible. This mold assembly can be peeled away from the comestible one piece at a time. The mold assembly can have an aperture or one of the seams between the pieces of the mold assembly can be opened to receive the substance. The mold assembly may have one or more vent holes for heat release.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Inventors: Todd Lindsay Wirth, Fatimah Wirth
  • Patent number: 9902086
    Abstract: A cutter hub pin drive mechanism and a quick disconnect hub for a pelletizer and a pelletizer having a cutter hub pin drive mechanism are provided. The pelletizer has a cutter hub that includes a cutter hub holder which is engaged with the pelletizer shaft through a plurality of drive pins. The drive pins ride in drive pin channels formed by grooves cut into an inner surface of the cutter hub holder and aligned grooves formed in the outer surface of the forward end of the pelletizer shaft. By machining of grooves into the cutter hub holder and shaft to form channels that receive the drive pins, more precise engagement between the pelletizer shaft, cutter hub holder and drive pins is obtained, resulting in improved torque transmission from the shaft to the cutter hub. Also provided is a seal around the pelletizer shaft to prevent the egress of fines into the drive pin area which might otherwise interfere with the unobstructed movement of the cutter hub holder necessary to adjust blade position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: GALA INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventor: John A. Sell
  • Patent number: 9895854
    Abstract: A vulcanizing mold for winter and all-season vehicle tires includes a mold body and an inner side mold surface having a negative tread profile having negative profile elements for molding a positive tread profile having positive profile elements of the vehicle tire to be vulcanized. Lamellar plates are arranged in the negative profile elements and configured to generate sipes in the positive profile elements. The negative profile elements include a shoulder negative profile element and at least one venting slot arranged within the shoulder negative profile element. The venting slot runs parallel and in spaced relationship to one of the lamellar plates arranged in the shoulder negative profile element. At least one cylindrical vent is arranged only axially outwards with reference to the venting slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Joharsyah Ciptokusumo, Magnus Hasselloef, Marko Drews
  • Patent number: 9889610
    Abstract: A composite ply is compacted around a radius edge of the tool by a rolling former that rolls over the radiused edge and conforms to any contours along the length of the edge. The rolling former includes a compliant tubular member rotatably held in spaced apart roller assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Matthew R. DesJardien, James N. Buttrick
  • Patent number: 9872503
    Abstract: A machine with horizontally oriented cone-rolling devices produces rolled wafer cones. The cone-rolling devices are arranged one behind the other along a circulatory path in an elongate machine framework and are conveyed along the circulatory path, by an endless conveyor, from an infeed station to the delivery station of the machine. Each cone-rolling device has a rolling mold connected rigidly to the carrying frame of the device, a cone stripper, which can be displaced along the carrying frame, and a rolling mandrel, which can be displaced along the carrying frame. The rolling mold is arranged on a lateral end portion of the carrying frame, the cone stripper is arranged on a first carriage, which can be displaced along the carrying frame, and the rolling mandrel is arranged on a second carriage, which can be displaced along the carrying frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Haas Food Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Johannes Haas, Josef Haas, Stefan Jiraschek, Gottfried Stilling
  • Patent number: 9873234
    Abstract: A tire curing mold has a vent plug installed to an exhaust hole open to a molding surface. The vent plug has a tubular housing having an exhaust passage, a stem inserted to the housing, and an urging member which urges the steal toward the cavity so as to open the exhaust passage. The stem has a head portion which closes the exhaust passage by contacting with an inner surface of an opening portion in the housing. A top surface of the opening portion in the housing and a top surface of the head portion are formed by a flat surface. The top surface of the opening portion in the housing and the top surface of the head portion in a state in which the exhaust passage is closed are both arranged closer to an opposite side to the cavity than the molding surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaaki Ohara
  • Patent number: 9868261
    Abstract: A vent piece for a vent channel of a tire vulcanization mold includes a cylindrical tube formed to be installed in a cavity end portion of a vent channel of a tire vulcanization mold and having a through hole extending in axial direction of the channel, and a plug positioned in the through hole and moves between closed and open positions. The plug has a second bearing surface facing a first surface of the tube such that the second surface of the plug makes contact with the first surface to close the channel in the closed position and the second surface is separated from the first surface to open the channel in the open position, and the first and/or second surfaces has a film formed at least on a portion of the first and/or second surfaces such that the film reduces friction between the first and second surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventor: Nobuaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9861109
    Abstract: The food product machine with a food supply, a rotary food pump connected to the food supply, a molding mechanism having a mold plate and a knockout drive, and a the mold plate configured to be driven to reciprocated between a fill and a discharge position. The knockout drive is reciprocating a knockout plunger to discharge molded food products from a cavity in the mold plate, the mold plate being reciprocated by a mold plate drive between a cavity fill position and a cavity discharge position. The machine further includes a manifold connected an outlet of the food pump and having an outlet passageway connected to an inlet of the molding mechanism for filling the cavity of the mold plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: FORMAX, INC.
    Inventors: Scott A. Lindee, Paul Taylor, Christopher Moore, E. William Wight
  • Patent number: 9854814
    Abstract: A rounding device for rounding food dough is provided with a conveyance device (9) which conveys the food dough (7) and a pair of forming plates (11, 13), which, on the upper face of the conveyance device (9), are arranged so as to extend along the conveyance direction (R) of the conveyance device (9). The forming plates (11, 13) at least opposed sloped surfaces (18B, 22B). The sloped surfaces are tilted outward from the lower side to the upper side so that the gap between the sloped surfaces is narrow on the lower side and wide on the upper side. The rounding device rounds the food dough using the sloped surfaces (18B, 22B) of the pair of the forming plates (11, 13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: RHEON AUTOMATIC MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Michio Morikawa, Katsumichi Higuchi, Akinori Takama, Shuya Sato, Akira Todate
  • Patent number: 9844895
    Abstract: A mould lifting device is suitable for use in lifting and rotating a middle mould. At each of two lateral surfaces of the middle mould is provided a pivot portion. The mould lifting device includes: a platform, two longitudinal guide assemblies, two transmissions, a power assembly, two lifting members, two push members, two pivot arms, and two covers. When the pivot arms lift and rotate the middle mould, the lifted portion of the covers will not be pushed by the lifting portions of the lifting members anymore, and the covers will naturally pivot downward by gravity to make the cover portions cover the openings of the restricting grooves, which prevents the disengagement of the pivot portions of the middle mould from the restricting grooves, and thus improving the stability and security of the middle mould during the course of lifting and rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Tien Kang Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: David Huang
  • Patent number: 9840052
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a molding element including a main lamella and two ribs positioned on either side of the main lamella at a certain distance from this main lamella. The ribs are mold-able to grooves in the tread, these ribs including rounded ends. The main lamella includes a cutting edge, the cutting edge making an acute angle. The ribs are curved in their length with a curvature C and in that the lamella is curved with the same curvature C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignees: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A.
    Inventor: Shuichi Kaneko
  • Patent number: 9833926
    Abstract: A concrete product machine comprising a vibrator assembly and a mold assembly. The vibrator assembly includes a vibrator shaft supported for rotation by a vibrator bearing set carried by a vibrator bearing housing. The mold assembly is carried by the vibrator assembly and includes a concrete product mold carried by a mold support member. The mold support member is carried by the vibrator bearing housing. A mold assembly support joint comprises first and second support surfaces of the vibrator bearing housing engaging respective first and second support surfaces of the mold support member in a tapered fit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Besser Company
    Inventor: Douglas Krentz
  • Patent number: 9827727
    Abstract: A mold for vulcanizing and molding a tire is provided herein. The tire includes a tread delimited by two sidewalls, the mold including a ring for molding the tread of the tire and two shells for molding the sidewalls. The mold includes an annular groove extending in a recessed manner in one of the shells and an insert housed in the groove, this insert having tire marking elements and being formed from a plurality of insert parts that are positioned one after another in the annular groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignees: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A.
    Inventors: Bernard Villeneuve, Christian Gomet
  • Patent number: 9815250
    Abstract: In a tire mold, a side molds and a tread molds include contact portions which come into contact with each other when the molds are closed, the side molds include vent holes extending from an inner surfaces to the contact portions in a normal direction with respect to the inner surfaces, and one of the side molds and the tread molds include communication holes through which the vent holes and outside of the tire mold are brought into communication with each other when the molds are closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaaki Ohara
  • Patent number: 9815249
    Abstract: To provide a method for producing a tire vulcanizing mold capable of obtaining a tire vulcanizing mold having excellent durability and high precision at low cost and to provide such a tire vulcanizing mold, the method includes producing a tire vulcanizing mold by assembling a pattern molding segment, produced by rapid prototyping, on a metal base segment, the method further includes a step of producing the pattern molding segment from a metal based on a shape of a surface layer part including a pattern shaping surface in a basic model of the tire vulcanizing mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sachio Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9808985
    Abstract: A roller-type depressing device, an imprint device and an imprint method utilizing the same which can depress an object like a die or a molding target by controlling the depressing force of a roller is provided. A roller-type depressing device to depress the object with a roller includes a pressure adjusting plate provided with the roller, a roller moving unit moving the roller relative to the object, a pressure adjusting unit holding the pressure adjusting plate in such a way that force produced by a pressure difference in fluid applied to both faces of the pressure adjusting plate acts on the roller, a pressure receiving stage receiving the pressure of the roller via the object, and a pressure adjuster adjusting the pressure difference in fluid applied to both faces of the pressure adjusting plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: SCIVAX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirosuke Kawaguchi, Yutaka Taniguchi, Satoru Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9802350
    Abstract: The present invention aims to stably maintain the posture of a crosshead by means of guide bars without an increase in the size of a link housing or tie bars. An opening/closing apparatus according to the present invention includes: a pressure-receiving plate (14); a fixed platen (12) to which a fixed mold (18) is to be mounted; a frame (11) on which the pressure-receiving plate (14) and the fixed platen (12) are installed; and a movable platen (16) which is movable on the frame (11) and to which a movable mold (19) is to be mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Toshiba Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Noriyuki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9802377
    Abstract: An autoclave suitable for use for heating articles such as tires is described. The autoclave includes an elongated chamber having an interior section and an annular duct surrounding the interior section, wherein the annular duct is separated from the interior section by a dividing wall; said autoclave further including a heat source for heating the air, a fan for circulating the air in the chamber, and an air deflector mounted in a distal end of the chamber. The air deflector is positioned to redirect the airflow towards the interior portion of the chamber to eliminate air recirculation zones and improve the temperature uniformity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Gilles Reichling, Jean Luc Dheur, Michael William Schellenberger, II, Richard Alan Thomas, Michael William Diehl
  • Patent number: 9796149
    Abstract: A mold for a tire comprises first and second shells that are intended to mold lateral sidewalk of the tire, a plurality of sectors that are distributed in the circumferential direction and are intended to mold a tread of said tire, a first and a second support plate that each comprise a bearing face with which the associated shell is mounted axially in contact, and a plurality of first and second heating means for heating at least the first and the second shell, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignees: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ESTABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A.
    Inventors: Michaèl Massoptier-David, Thomas Simonelli, Gilles Walrand
  • Patent number: 9796116
    Abstract: The present disclosure concerns a transport vehicle for handling a rotor blade mold for the production of a rotor blade of a wind power installation or a shell portion of a rotor blade of a wind power installation, adapted for use in a handling apparatus. The handling apparatus includes a first rail set for displacement of the transport vehicle in a first direction, and a second rail set for displacement of the transport vehicle in a second direction. In addition the transport vehicle includes a first wheel set including a plurality of wheels for movement on the first rail set, and a second wheel set including a plurality of wheels for movement on the second rail set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: WOBBEN PROPERTIES GMBH
    Inventors: Arno Georgs, Herbert Biebl, Rainer Schlueter