Patents Examined by Karen Chotkowski
  • Patent number: 4597555
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a mount for an electric motor, and comprises a sheet metal annular member adapted to support electric motor parts within it, a plurality of flexible sheet metal mounting lug members extending generally radially outwardly from the outer periphery of the annular member, each of said lug members including a flexible part and a mounting part that extends generally parallel to the adjacent part of said annular member, and a mechanical connection between each of the mounting parts and the annular member. Each mounting part and the adjacent part of the annular member form overlying sheets, and each mechanical connection is formed by portions of the sheets which are pierced and offset radially outwardly and form radially inner and outer bridges, the inner bridge being spread over the surface of the mounting part to interlock the parts together.Another aspect of this disclosure relates to a method of fastening flexible mounting lugs to a motor utilizing mechanical connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1983
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1986
    Assignee: Franklin Electric Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Peter R. Weihsmann
  • Patent number: 4582291
    Abstract: A compositely statically balanced mechanically stabilized platform system including a stabilizing platform having at least one pivotal axis, an equipment platform, a supporting structure, a pendulum, non-rigid means for orienting the platform with respect to the pendulum, a gyro assembly mounted for rotation about a precession axis perpendicular to a pivotal axis of the platform. The gyro assembly itself is statically balanced about its precession axis and has restraining means for orienting the spin axis of the gyro with respect to the gyro assembly supports. The system further includes an equipment platform preferably mounted remotely from the platform and mechanically connected thereto by a linkage assembly which transmits motion of the stabilizing assembly to the equipment platform. In one embodiment the system is constructed as a single integrated unit. In several embodiments the gyro azimuth frame is supported on bearings which permit unrestrained rotation in the azimuth plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1986
    Inventor: Robert J. Matthews
  • Patent number: 4577825
    Abstract: An ocular pointing and tracking device for complete hemispherical scan capability. The device may be used for receiving a sensor at a target and making necessary corrections for relative target motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1986
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: George T. Pinson
  • Patent number: 4577823
    Abstract: A device for controlling an outside rearview mirror from inside a vehicle. A support member for the rearview mirror is mounted to pivot about a first axis Y-Y1. On the rear face of the mirror support member, two parallel arms engage a cylinder boss affixed on a shaft. The shaft is mounted to rotate and to slide in bearings made in the spider. The cylindrical boss and shaft are directed by a rotatable control cable and adapted to move both rotatably and axially. The cylindrical boss travels along on a semi-cylindrical guide means along the arc of a circle about a second.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1986
    Inventor: Stephane Manzoni
  • Patent number: 4577822
    Abstract: A strut back for a photo or picture frame comprises a back having at least one slot shaped to define the boundary of a region of flexion and a strut having an integrally formed projecting lip or flange which can be engaged in said slot by flexing of said region such that said lip or flange embraces one edge of the slot and is urged against said edge when said frame is stood in a display position supported by the strut. Both the strut and the back may be moulded from a plastics material and the back may have an overall thickness to accommodate said portion of said lip or flange projecting through said slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1986
    Assignee: Masters Wilkerson Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: David T. Wilkerson
  • Patent number: 4576249
    Abstract: A device for fighting fires in highrise buildings and towers is disclosed, whereby a pair of parallel arranged platforms are provided for alternative ascension up the side of the building in stepwise fashion. The upper platform is first released from fixed connection with the upper story to which it is attached and raised relatively to the lower platform still fixedly attached the story of the building below. After raising the upper platform to a higher story, it is fixedly attached to that story, whereupon the lower platform is released and raised toward the upper platform until it is positioned adjacent the story previously having the upper platform attached thereto. At this point, the lower platform is fixedly attached to that story. The process repeats a series of times to climb up the side of the building to the upper floors where a fire is burning to put out the fire and save lives. To descend, the process is simply reversed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1986
    Inventor: John P. Zima
  • Patent number: 4573656
    Abstract: A fluid-sealed engine mounting has a connector adapted to be connected to an engine, a base adapted to be connected to a vehicle frame, an elastic member joined between the connector and the base and elastically deformable in response to vibrations transmitted thereto, the connector, the base, and the elastic member jointly defining a fluid chamber in which a fluid is sealed, and a partition dividing the fluid member into a first chamber adjacent to the connector and a second chamber adjacent to the base, the partition having an orifice through which the first and second chambers communicate with each other. The engine mounting also includes a diaphragm mounted on the base or the connector for varying the volume of one of the first and second chambers when vibrations are transmitted to the engine mounting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1986
    Assignees: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Hokushin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yoshida, Takefumi Toyoshima, Tomio Iwabori, Hideaki Ohkura, Yasuo Miyamoto, Izumi Nishimura, Toshiyuki Oikawa, Kenji Sekijima, Makoto Ohashi
  • Patent number: 4570894
    Abstract: An umbrella holder for a golf cart is adapted to hold a handle of an umbrella when the umbrella is open and to hold a collapsed canopy portion of the umbrella when the umbrella is closed. The holder is also adapted for infinite adjustment between a first elevation and a second elevation, whereby the umbrella can be set at many different heights. By making the holder pivotable, the angle of inclination of the umbrella can be varied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1986
    Inventor: Angelo M. Miele
  • Patent number: 4568053
    Abstract: An arrangement for adjustment of seats has a seat support which is connected with rails associated with a vehicle bottom. The front end region of each lateral support member is connected via a swinging member with the associated rail in a pivotable manner. Each swinging member has a toothed rack in which a pinion supported in each lateral support member engages, and the pinion is arranged on a shaft extending through the lateral support members. An actuatable locking device fixes the pinion in the toothed rack together with the seat support in selected positions in stepped manner. For lifting or lowering the front and the rear seat region independently of each other, or together with each other, the rear end region of each lateral support member is also supported on a shaft extending through the seat support and fixedly connected with a pinion associated with each lateral support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1983
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1986
    Assignee: Keiper Racaro GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Willibald Strowik, Peter Thiel, Bernd Kluting, Wilhelm Wingensiefen, Adolf Reinmoller, Jurgen Walz
  • Patent number: 4564168
    Abstract: An upper support for a radiator wherein a body bracket and a radiator bracket are joined together by means of a rubber member which has at least one rubber prop on each side of a vertical bracket axis and has a cavity defined between the right and left rubber props. In the state before radiator assembly and also in the assembled state, the rubber props are inclined upwardly in a direction from the body bracket toward the radiator bracket. In this structure of the radiator upper support, a tensile force always works on the rubber props and accordingly there is no wide fluctuation in the dynamic spring constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1986
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Ikuta, Toshihiro Takami
  • Patent number: 4562988
    Abstract: A mechanism for mounting a video display unit (or the like) to a base unit is disclosed. The mechanism includes a ball-shaped (or partial sphere-shaped) portion which mounts to the bottom of the display unit. The base carries a circular bevelled rim-shaped member for mating with, and providing support for, the ball-shaped member. A slot in the ball-shaped member carries a sliding member. A stud, fixed to the base unit, passes through the sliding member such that pivoting of the display unit occurs about the axis of the stud. Tilting occurs by the display unit moving relative to the sliding member (i.e. the sliding member moves in the slot). Consequently, tilting is provided about an axis orthogonal to the axis of the stud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1986
    Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited
    Inventor: Donald L. Bumgardner
  • Patent number: 4555084
    Abstract: A Bingo card support which includes a support frame provided with projecting card support members, which support members are, in one embodiment, capable of retraction in recessed configuration against the support frame surface to provide a substantially unobstructed plane which enables the support frame to be used as a table. Various leg configurations facilitate orientation of the support frame at an angle to display multiple Bingo cards resting on the support members in one variation and to orient the support frame in a horizontal position with respect to the supporting surface, in another variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1985
    Inventors: Clifford E. Anderson, Clarence E. Simon, Phillip E. Barnes
  • Patent number: 4546942
    Abstract: This platform provides a portable and convenient support for a slide projector. Primarily, it consists of a plate, which is received on the bolt of the head of a tripod. It further includes a knurled nut, for tightening the plate secure to the tripod, which may be elevated to any desired height and angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1985
    Inventor: Joseph F. Winchel
  • Patent number: 4545555
    Abstract: An adjustable arm includes a base member with a base rotatable joint member connected thereto, a lower arm having one end connected to the base rotatable joint member with a central joint member connected to the other end thereof and also to one end of an upper arm while a head joint member is connected to the other end of the upper arm. An elongated means under tension is provided within the arms and about the joint members for maintaining the position of the head end in given angular position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1985
    Inventor: Mark B. Koch
  • Patent number: 4544120
    Abstract: A frame for supporting a light modifying sheet such as a flag, scrim, cucoloris, and the like, comprises a main rod having hinges at opposite ends thereof. A pair of sheet supporting rods are connected to the hinges for rotation by about 270.degree., in a common plane, about the main rod. The sheet supporting rods can thus be rotated from a storage position parallel to the main rod to an erected position substantially parallel to each other and perpendicular to the main rod. A pair of spaced clips are connected to each sheet supporting rod for releasably clipping a light modifying sheet between the erected sheet support rods. A further hinge is connected at an intermediate location on the main rod and at a spaced location from the exact center of the main rod. A frame supporting rod is connected to the additional hinge and pivotable about an axis which lies in the plane of rotation of the sheet supporting rods, with respect to the main rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1985
    Assignee: Lowel-Lighy Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Ross Lowell, Marvin Seligman, Edward Calamai