Patents Examined by Kenn Thompson
  • Patent number: 6685378
    Abstract: A coupler includes one or more pairs of ears each having an orifice, a lever having one end engaged between the ears and having an aperture aligned with the orifices of the ears for receiving a locking pin. The locking pin includes a head formed on one end and having an inner flat peripheral surface for solidly engaging with the ears, and includes an opening formed in a peripheral wall which may be expanded radially outward to engage with the ears, for solidly securing the locking pin to the ears. A retaining ring may solidly secure the locking pin to the ears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Inventors: Vincent Huang, Jim Huang
  • Patent number: 6682437
    Abstract: A static unbalance-type balance shaft for canceling unbalance forces of an engine includes a principal bearing journal located adjacent a first end of the shaft and an outrigger bearing journal located adjacent the second end of the shaft. A first counterweight is positioned adjacent one side of the principal journal and a second counterweight is positioned on the other side of the principal journal. The balance shaft has a small third outrigger counterweight or other source of unbalance positioned adjacent the outrigger journal for maintenance of the shaft's Effective Plane of Static Unbalance within the length of the principal journal while allowing the composite center of gravity of the first and second counterweights to be shifted away from the outrigger unbalance, for the purpose of improving the stability of shaft operating shape at the outrigger journal end of the shaft across the entire range of operating speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Metaldyne Machining and Assembly Company, Inc.
    Inventors: David Killion, Allen Hale
  • Patent number: 6676326
    Abstract: A square lamp post insertional conjoinment structure comprised of a slip-mount tube and a casing tube fitted onto the slip-mount tube. The slip-mount tube has disposed at one end an internal binding sleeve and, furthermore, an insertional conjoinment section of a stepped arrangement is formed between the exterior of the internal binding sleeve and the interior of the slip-mount tube at two opposing sides and a spring is installed in each insertional conjoinment section. The casing tube has engagement blocks aligned with the springs. When the casing tube is fitted onto the slip-mount tube, its engagement blocks press inward against the springs to facilitate the sleeving on of the casing tube. After the casing tube engagement blocks have passed the springs, the springs rebound to their original positions, locking the casing tube onto the slip-mount tube and thereby achieving the fixed coupling of the casing tube and the slip-mount tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Inventor: Wen-Chang Wu
  • Patent number: 6676525
    Abstract: A damper mechanism having preferable torsion characteristics that exhibit different characteristics on positive and negative sides by way of a simplified structure is provided. In the damper mechanism, a hub 6 is rotatable with respect to plates 12 and 13. Coil springs 33 are compressed on positive and negative sides of torsion characteristics. Elastic members 36 are arranged to operate in a rotating direction in parallel with the coil springs 33. The elastic members 36 are compressed on the positive side of the torsion characteristics, but are not compressed on the negative side of the torsion characteristics until a torsion angle exceeds a predetermined value. The elastic members 36 generate a frictional resistance when being compressed in the rotating direction, but no other friction generating mechanism is employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Exedy Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Uehara
  • Patent number: 6676324
    Abstract: A device for fixing an interior covering in vehicles, more particularly for motor vehicle doors. An integrated adapter is provided in the interior covering through which a fastener can be operated for fixing the interior covering and/or a component part fixed on the interior covering to the bodywork part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Eberhard Pleiss
  • Patent number: 6672965
    Abstract: A constant velocity fixed ball joint in the form of a counter track joint, having an outer joint part with outer tracks, an inner joint part with inner tracks, torque transmitting balls which are received in pairs of tracks consisting of outer tracks and inner tracks, and a ball cage with cage windows in which the balls are held in a common plane and are guided on to the angle-bisecting plane when the joint is articulated. First outer tracks, together with first inner tracks, form pairs of tracks whose control angles open in a first axial direction and in which first balls are held. Second outer tracks, together with second inner tracks, form pairs of tracks whose control angles open in a second axial direction and in which second balls are held. The control angles are defined as angles between the tangents at the ball contact points in the tracks. The outer joint part, on its inside, forms a stop-and-guiding face for a spherical outer face of the ball cage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: GKN Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Hildebrandt, Stephan Maucher, Thomas Weckerling, Hans Wormsbächer
  • Patent number: 6669567
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device for the hydraulic adjustment of the angular position of a shaft (1) relative to a drive pinion (14), said device comprising a plate (2) fixed to the shaft to cooperate with the drive pinion (14) or with a component fixed to the drive pinion. The device comprises at least one ring-segment shaped section (2a) in the plate (2) and a means (4a) arranged on the drive pinion (14) or on said component to cooperate with the shaped section (2a) so as to divide the shaped section into two separate chambers (10, 11). The device further comprises a means for a selective hydraulic pressurization of the chambers (10, 11) for adjusting the relative angular position of the drive pinion (14) and the shaft (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Ina-Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Martin Scheidt, Jens Schafer, Dieter Neller
  • Patent number: 6669395
    Abstract: A connection structure of a lamp tube comprises a multi-sectional lamp tube having a front lamp tube and a rear lamp tube, a locking rod engaged in the interior of the multi-sectional lamp tube, and a buffer structure engaged to a distal end of the locking rod. The locking rod is a polygonal embedding section and a distal end thereof has a threaded section. The threaded section of the locking rod is inserted into a resisting block of the front lamp tube and then is exactly locked to the locking seat of the rear lamp tube. The middle section of the locking rod has an embedding section. The embedding section has a resisting block. A buffer structure between the locking rod and the resisting block serves to form a tightening buffer section. Thereby, the front lamp tube and rear lamp tube can be adjusted to an aligned position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Inventor: Wen-Chang Wu
  • Patent number: 6669568
    Abstract: A driving coupling for the torque transmission in the transmission line of a motor vehicle includes a shaft-hub coupling provided with longitudinal toothings for the releasable coupling of a crankshaft with a coaxially arranged hydrodynamic torque converter. The longitudinal toothings of the shaft-hub coupling have tooth cross-sections which become larger and smaller respectively in the longitudinal direction of the teeth. An elastomer layer is situated at least between the tooth flanks of the shaft and the hub which transmit the torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignees: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Mannesmann Sachs AG, ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Josef Neuner, Roland Gollmer, Karl-Heinz Hodermann, Marco Noack, Renate Walk, Wolfgang Kundermann
  • Patent number: 6669570
    Abstract: A connecting assembly for a driveshaft, includes an end toothing at a first component and an end toothing at a second component, wherein the end toothings have teeth and gaps. In an end view, the image of the teeth and gaps at both components, are identical and wherein, starting from corresponding images of the teeth and gaps at both components, there are obtained matching complementary images of the teeth and gaps at the two components in an end view when the components are rotated relative to one another by 90° or 180°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: GKN Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Werner Krude
  • Patent number: 6663493
    Abstract: A coupling device includes a transmission member and a work shaft. The transmission member includes a cylindrical rod to be coupled to a rotary drive unit, and a curved coupling flange projecting axially relative to one end of the cylindrical rod and formed with a plurality of engaging protrusions. The work shaft has a coupling end portion provided with a tubular sleeve that is formed with engaging grooves. The coupling end portion is disposed on the coupling flange to enable engagement between the engaging grooves and the engaging protrusions in order to permit transmission of rotation of the transmission member to the work shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Inventor: Hsi-Tsai Chen
  • Patent number: 6647649
    Abstract: A microparticle taggant having two or more distinguishable marker layers corresponding to a predetermined numeric code. The plurality of particles comprises a plurality of microparticle sets of at least one microparticle, each microparticle set is characterized by a specific marker layer combination different from each other microparticle set, and the combination of microparticle sets employed in said taggant collectively forms the numeric code. Each specific marker layer combination may employ two or more layers. The microparticle sets employed in the taggant may include at least one datum marker layer coded to include place information and at least two value marker layers coded to specify a value within the place, the datum marker layer(s) being readily distinguishable from the value marker layers and functioning to identify an orientation of the value marker layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Tracking Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel R. Hunt, Charles S. Hanson
  • Patent number: 6648765
    Abstract: A supporting device for a plurality of adapter chucks for the precision grinding or polishing of optical components comprises a spindle shaft having a central bore for supplying one of a gas and a vacuum, at least one arm adjustably supported by a head of the spindle shaft and having a seating for an adapter chuck, and a flexible vacuum/gas line provided between the seating and the spindle shaft. The arm is adjustable as to its angle of inclination relative to an axis of the spindle shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Leica Camera AG
    Inventors: Ulrich Ehmes, Bernd Schaub
  • Patent number: 6645079
    Abstract: A damper mechanism 4 is provided to prevent wear and damage to coil springs 21 and spring housing parts thereof. A clutch disk assembly 1 chiefly has an input rotary member 2, an output rotary member 3, and the damper mechanism 4. The damper mechanism 4 elastically couples the input rotary member 2 and the output rotary member 3 together in a rotational direction and includes the coil springs 21 and pairs of spring seats 51 that support end faces of the coils springs 21. Each spring seat 51 has a pair of engaging parts 57 having a pyramidal shape that extends in a direction opposite the coil spring 21, engages with seat bearing parts 86 and 96 formed in the input rotary member 2 such that it cannot rotate, and engages with the circumferentially facing end part of spring housing hole 71.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Exedy Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshinari Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 6626763
    Abstract: A drive shaft for transmitting an engine revolution to a rear axle of a motor vehicle comprises, a first shaft comprising a first yoke fixed to an end of the first shaft, a second shaft comprising a second yoke fixed to an end of the second shaft. The second yoke being made of a metal plate by press-forming. A coupling is provided between the first yoke and the second yoke, the coupling having a high-rigidity in a rotating direction of the drive shaft and having an elasticity in an axial direction of the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Unisia Jecs Corporation
    Inventors: Hidekazu Aoki, Naomi Morinaga
  • Patent number: 6626764
    Abstract: A universal joint (300) includes a centering device (110) for supporting the universal joint and forcing the two joint halves to operate at the same angle thereby causing the joint to operate at constant velocity at all angles. Each shaft (115, 116) of the joint (300) is connected to the centering device (110). Movement of one of the shafts (115, 116) at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the coupling device (317) is transmitted to the other shaft (116, 115) by the centering device (110) and the centering device (110) causes the other shaft (116, 115) to likewise move at the same angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the coupling device (317). The centering device (110) includes a cam bearing (cam 101) longitudinally aligned with a cam bearing (cam 102), which arrangement of cam bearings allows a full range of movement of the shafts (115, 116).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Inventor: Paul J. Cornay
  • Patent number: 6623363
    Abstract: A metal sheet is cut to provide an elongated blank having five regions defined along the length of the elongated blank, the defined regions being a central region, two end regions, and an intermediate region between the central region and each of the two end regions. The elongated blank is bent such that the two end regions overlap and provide a mounting for a shaft and such that a pivot member to be mounted on the central region of the elongated blank will be in alignment, axially, with respect to the shaft. Bores may be formed in the intermediate regions for mounting of a cross-piece to pivotably connect the yoke to a coupling member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventors: Spencer H. Guptill, Terrence J. Fogarty
  • Patent number: 6616536
    Abstract: A centered double universal joint has a first outer joint yoke 1 with first outer yoke arms 2 connected to one another by a first bridge 3. A first cenering mechanism 4, 6 is on the first bridge 3. A first inner joint yoke 8 couples with the first inner yoke arms. A first cross member 10 connects the first outer yoke arms 2 to the first inner yoke arms. The first cross member 10 has a first lubricant supply 44, 47. A second outer joint yoke 12 with second outer yoke arms 13 are connected to one another by a second bridge 14. Second centering mechanism 15, 17 is on the second bridge 14. A second inner joint yoke 19 couples with the second inner yoke arms. A second cross member 21 connects the second outer yoke arms 13 to the second inner yoke arms. The second cross member 21 has a second lubricant supply 44′, 47′. A guiding disc 25, defining a longitudinal axis 31, has a first central centering projection 28 articulatably connected to the first centering means 4, 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: GKN Walterscheid GmbH
    Inventors: Paul Herchenbach, Martin Hector, Eberhard Wilks
  • Patent number: 6616537
    Abstract: A compact constant velocity joint includes outer and inner joint members having surfaces to provide articulation of the joint. The surfaces are formed with aligned grooves to receive torque-transmitting balls. A ball retainer is provided axially adjacent the balls, adjacent an open end of the outer joint member to retain the balls in the grooves during operation. The ball retainer articulates on the same center point as that of the outer and inner joint members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Mark Thomas, William Paul Skvarla
  • Patent number: 6612057
    Abstract: A display fixture is provided for mounting to shelving in a retail store and presenting products or advertising so as to be more readily visible to the customer walking down the aisle. The display feature includes a mount, a coupler integrally provided with the mount for attachment of the mount to an upright surface such as a support of shelving or other retail displays, a display arm swingably carried by the mount, and a centering device on the extension arm which is positioned for receipt in a depression such as a hole in the mount. In a centered position, the display arm has an extension arm portion which extends preferably perpendicular to the upright surface with the centering device received in the depression, and which swings freely from the centered position with gravity returning the display arm to the centered position without the need for springs or other biasing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Hot Buys, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory D. Shoemaker, Randy G. Postle