Patents Examined by Michael W White
  • Patent number: 6584647
    Abstract: A hinge for a motor vehicle rear door (2) includes a fixed knuckle (20), a moving knuckle (30), an intermediate knuckle (40) connected to each of the knuckles by a hinge pin placed in a bushing secured to the corresponding knuckle and having a flat on its outer face and an immobilizing member (50) collaborating alternately with one of the flats of the bushings. The intermediate knuckle (40) is a plate having two parallel cheeks and the immobilizing member (50) is formed of a link rod (51) pressing against one of the cheeks of the intermediate knuckle (40) and located between the bushings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: Oxford Automotive Mechanismes et Decoupage Fin
    Inventor: Dominique Jacquin
  • Patent number: 6550777
    Abstract: A plurality of packing ring segments are provided in a stationary component and about a rotating shaft. Each packing ring segment includes a brush seal insert and a plurality of labyrinth seal teeth along a concave sealing face thereof. Each segment is formed of a pair of components which, in assembly, have a split line through a slot receiving the brush seal insert. The brush seal insert includes a pair of narrow strips or rods welded to outer ends of the bristle pack and is bendable to a range of diameters. By forming forward and backing surfaces defining the slot integral with the components, the width of the bristle slot and the gap between the bristle pack and the forward surface can be readily manufactured and obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Norman Arnold Turnquist, Frederick George Baily, Mark Edward Burnett
  • Patent number: 6494459
    Abstract: An axial face seal, in particular a running gear seal, consists of an angular sliding ring and/or counter-ring with a circumferential surface for accommodating a ring-shaped sealing member with approximately plate-shaped cross section. The sealing member contains a secondary seal guided in the area of the sealing leg, wherein the sealing leg of the sliding ring and/or counter-ring is provided on the ring backside with an axial projection extending in the direction of the sealing member. The secondary seal in the non-assembled state is positioned at a radial distance to the sealing leg or the projection and has at least in part a larger diameter than the sealing member. At least the free end of the secondary seal can be positioned with radial compression on the sealing leg or the projection with the aid of a component that accommodates the sealing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul Burscheid GmbH
    Inventor: Hans-Henning Zutz
  • Patent number: 6493905
    Abstract: A hinge is disclosed comprising a mounting member for mounting to a stationary operational surface and having a hinge portion formed along the longitudinal extent of the mounting member. An elongate shaft is included having a hollow cross-sectional profile and formed along the longitudinal extent of the hinge portion. An elongate mouth is formed at the opening of the shaft and has a cross-sectional profile of smaller extent than the cross-sectional profile of the elongate shaft. A flap attachment member including an elongate hinge member is disclosed having a cross-sectional shape that conforms to the cross-sectional profile of the elongate shaft, and being received in the shaft and retained by the elongate mouth to thereby rotatably couple the flap attachment member to the mounting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Inventor: Dana Stettler
  • Patent number: 6485025
    Abstract: An abradable turbine seal having a novel honeycomb cellular structure fabricated from metal foils or sheets showing good manufacturability, optimized brazeability and especially good structural integrity and oxidation resistance after brazing to metal support structures. MCrAlY (M=Ni, Fe, Co or combinations thereof) foil and sheet metals are particularly suitable to produce such a structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Neomet Limited
    Inventors: Richard Charles Hammersley, Dieter Rudolf Sporer
  • Patent number: 6471216
    Abstract: Overall performance in enhanced in gas turbine engines by providing a rotating seal including a rotating member arranged to rotate about an axis and having at least one annular projection extending radially outwardly therefrom, and a stator element having a first surface arranged to contact the projection. The stator element includes at least one slot formed in the first surface, the slot axially traversing the projection so as to allow a flow of purge air to pass. More than one such slot can be used, and each slot is preferably angled circumferentially in the direction of rotation of the rotating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gulcharan S. Brainch, John C. Brauer
  • Patent number: 6471211
    Abstract: An improved unitized bearing seal assembly employs a resilient primary seal lip, a secondary seal lip and an excluder lip carried by a first seal case. The seal lips contact surfaces of a second seal case. One of the seal cases rotates relative to the other. The bearing seal assembly also includes a labyrinth seal positioned radially inboard of the resilient seal lips. The labyrinth seal has two axially-extending gaps. One of the axially extending gaps is defined by a resilient axial lip. The two axial gaps are joined by a radial gap. One of the surfaces defining the radial gap comprises chaplets with recessed surfaces between the chaplets. The chaplets include radially directed surfaces and inclined surfaces joining the radially directed surfaces with the recessed surfaces. These surfaces are shaped to provide hydrodynamic pumping action. A lubricant cavity is located between the labyrinth seal and the primary seal lip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Brenco, Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark W. Garnett, Danny R. Sink
  • Patent number: 6454271
    Abstract: A combined oil ring is comprised of an oil ring and an expander. The cross section of the oil ring is a generally I-shape, and the outer circumferential surfaces of outer rail portions form sliding surfaces to make contact with the cylinder wall surface. The cross section of an expander installation groove formed on the inner circumferential surface of the oil ring is formed in a rectangular shape, and an expander formed of axially corrugated ring-shaped plate material is mounted in the expander installation groove. The expander is formed by forming a rectangular cross sectional plate material in a corrugated shape in the direction of plate thickness and further forming in a ring shape. The expander installation groove of the oil ring is not limited to a rectangular shaped cross section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Teikoku Piston Ring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masao Ishida
  • Patent number: 6446976
    Abstract: A mechanical face seal includes a pair of relatively rotatable seal rings having opposing seal faces which define a sealing region therebetween. The sealing region extends radially between the inside and outside diameters of the seal rings to seal a fluid in a sealing chamber near one diameter thereof. The seal faces are provided with hydrodynamic lift features near the sealing chamber to provide a lift load that permits a liquid between the seal faces to form a fluid film therebetween. The hydrodynamic lift features primarily function to hydrodynamically generate a hydrodynamic lift load while a plurality of concentric grooves are also provided on the seal face to serve as a leakage barrier during shaft rotation of the that prevents the liquid film from leaking across the seal faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Flowserve Management Company
    Inventors: William E. Key, Lionel A. Young
  • Patent number: 6431553
    Abstract: A radially pressure balanced floating seal system is used to seal a rotating shaft, such as a drive shaft in a torpedo, or other type of vehicle or machinery. The radially pressure balanced floating seal includes an outer seal housing and an inner seal housing that floats with respect to the outer seal housing. The outer seal housing is secured proximate the shaft bearings, for example, in the tail cone of a torpedo. The inner seal housing is secured within an internal recessed region in the outer seal housing, and two or more discrete torque members or one distributed torque member extend from the outer seal housing to the inner seal housing to prevent rotation of the inner seal housing while allowing movement generally in a radial direction. The inner seal housing includes a lubricant recess formed within an internal annular aperture of the inner seal housing for containing lubricant. Double canted O-rings are disposed on each side of the lubricant recess in double canted O-ring grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Antonio M. Amaral, Stanley J. Olson
  • Patent number: 6428012
    Abstract: A compact floating seal system for sealing a rotating shaft within a structure. The floating seal system has a cylindrical outer seal housing positioned within the structure with a cylindrical internal recessed region formed in the outer seal housing and a retaining flange extending into the internal recessed region. An axial retaining means axially retains the outer seal housing against the structure, and an outer torque member prevents rotation of the outer seal housing with respect to the structure. An inner seal housing is retained within the internal recessed region and abuts the retaining flange for preventing axial movement of the housing. The inner seal housing has a shaft aperture therethrough. First and second sealing member retaining grooves formed within the shaft aperture retain O-rings. A lubricant recess is formed within the shaft aperture between the grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Antonio M. Amaral, Stanley J. Olson, Anthony N. Corvelli