Patents Examined by R. K. Arundale
  • Patent number: 9923340
    Abstract: A workpiece having a first portion and a second portion is held. The first portion extends in the direction of a center axis of the workpiece, and a male thread is to be rolled on the first portion. The length of the second portion in a direction perpendicular to the center axis is longer than that of the first portion. The male thread is formed on the outer circumference of the first portion using two rolling dies through rolling. At least a first portion center axis that is a part of the center axis and corresponds to the first portion is separated in a prescribed direction from a first virtual plane containing the center axes of the two rolling dies. In the workpiece held, the first portion center axis is inclined such that its distance from the first virtual plane increases with distance from the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Reiji Wakazono
  • Patent number: 9914162
    Abstract: An assembly for press forming a deformable material including: a first die array including a plurality of dies, the first die array defining a first die profile; a second die array that is complementary with the first die array and including a plurality of dies, the second die array defining a second die profile that is complementary with the first die profile; and a drive for driving at least one of the first die array and the second die array; wherein in use the plurality of dies of the first die array and the plurality of dies of the second die array sequentially engage the deformable material along a processing length to deform the deformable material to a predetermined profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND
    Inventor: Shichao Ding
  • Patent number: 9915365
    Abstract: An inflation valve for inflating containers with non-rigid walls comprising a tubular body defining a passage with a first opening at one end and a second opening at its opposite end, adapted to be secured to a container; a sealing disc adapted to sealingly close off the second opening to the passage in the tubular body, and adapted to open the second opening mechanically when an inflation device is inserted into the passage through the first opening and thus gas may be passed into the container through the second opening, thereby moving the sealing disc away from the second opening; a guide member located within the passage of the tubular body; a spring adapted to assist the sealing disc to close off the second opening; and a gasket and/or sealing ring adapted to assist the sealing disc to close off the second opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Stopak India Pvt. Ltd.
    Inventor: Bester Jacobus Pansegrouw
  • Patent number: 9914163
    Abstract: A method of sheet forming manufactures a sheet-formed part that is formed in an L-shape as viewed in a plan view and includes a top portion, side wall portions formed on the respective both sides of the top portion, and flange portions contiguously formed with the respective side wall portions, by sheet-forming a metal sheet with the a sheet forming tool. The method includes: a first sheet forming process in which the metal sheet is arranged on a first sheet forming tool including a first punch, a first die, a first blank holder, and a pad; and a second sheet forming process in which the first sheet-formed part formed is sheet-formed into a second sheet-formed part having a top portion and a side wall portion whose shapes are identical with those of the sheet-formed part, with a second sheet forming tool having a second punch and a second die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Shiozaki, Yoshikiyo Tamai, Toyohisa Shinmiya, Shunsuke Tobita
  • Patent number: 9914186
    Abstract: The water jet peening device of the present invention is provided with: a swiveling mechanism for swiveling a spray nozzle in the horizontal direction centered on a positioning member that is positioned at the upper end of an instrumentation tube support; a lift mechanism for raising and lowering the spray nozzle in the vertical direction with respect to the positioning member that is positioned at the upper end of the instrumentation tube support; and a rotation mechanism for supporting the spray nozzle so as to be able to rotate centered on a downward-inclined rotation shaft center on the positioning member end of the vertical direction, disposing a spray port aimed toward the side of the rotation shaft center in a direction that is at a slant from the rotation shaft center, and rotating the spray nozzle centered on the rotation shaft center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Hinami, Kenichi Kawanishi
  • Patent number: 9908172
    Abstract: A method for texturizing a workpiece uses a die assembly installed within a press having a press ram. The method includes (a) delivering the workpiece onto a center die plate; (b) forcing the press ram against an upper die plate mounted above the center die plate to descend a first contact surface associated with the upper die plate and a plurality of blades mounted to the upper die plate toward the center die plate; (c) actuating horizontal movement of the blades; (d) driving the blades down into the workpiece; and (e) contacting the first contact surface to a second contact surface associated with the center die plate to descend the center die plate in unison with the upper die plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Nucap Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Ray Arbesman, Nghi Pham
  • Patent number: 9901970
    Abstract: A formed material having a tubular body and a flange formed at an end of the body is manufactured by multistage drawing of a blank metal sheet. The multistage drawing includes preliminary drawing in which a preliminary body having a body preform is formed from the blank metal sheet, and at least one compression drawing which is performed after the preliminary drawing and in which the body is formed by drawing the body preform while applying a compressive force to the body preform. The at least one compression drawing is performed so as to be completed before the pad portion of pressurization means reaches bottom dead center, and a support force supporting the pad portion acts as the compressive force upon the body preform when the body preform is drawn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: NISSHIN STEEL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naofumi Nakamura, Yudai Yamamoto, Katsuhide Nishio
  • Patent number: 9901965
    Abstract: A double action extrusion press has: a main crosshead provided freely movable with the application of pressure in an axial direction by a main cylinder and having a pressing system disposed on the tip thereof; and a piercer cylinder built into the main cylinder and provided within the main ram, allowing a mandrel to slide within the pressing system and the main crosshead. The double action extrusion press complements the extrusion force by force equivalent to a mandrel pull force acting on a mandrel stop rod by affixing the piercer cylinder in contact to a piercer crosshead that is joined with the mandrel stop rod and applying hydraulic force to the rod side of the piercer cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Ube Machinery Corporation, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeharu Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9902025
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing at least one nonlinear file including the steps of deforming at least a portion of a linear file away from a file axis and heat-treating the deformed file to shape-set the nonlinear file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: DENTSPLY International Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent Shotton, Dan Ammon
  • Patent number: 9898015
    Abstract: A system for regulating pressure in a fluid supply pipe, including a valve operated by a double acting piston cylinder and in which the chamber of the cylinder, the pressure of which acts on the piston to move the rod in the direction for closing the valve, communicates with the transmission mechanism for transmitting the instantaneous hydraulic pressure at a point of the pipe. The chamber of the cylinder, the pressure of which acts on the piston to move the rod in the direction for opening the valve, is connected to an energy accumulator accumulating energy in the form of pressurized gas at a predetermined pressure P0, which can be regulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: AQUATEC, PROYECTOS PARA EL SECTOR DEL AGUA, S.A.U.
    Inventors: Alberto Jimenez Martinez, Javier Pardo Masso, Felix Mendaza Martinez, Jonathan Sanchez Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 9897227
    Abstract: A self-acting pressure activated drain valve includes at least one inlet configured to receive a fluid. A drainage passage delivers the fluid to at least one outlet where the fluid is expelled. The self-acting pressure activated drain valve further includes a flexible diaphragm configured to operate in an open position and a closed position based on a pressure. The flexible diaphragm is normally biased in the open position such that fluid is delivered from the at least one inlet to the at least one outlet via the drainage passage. The pressure, however, initiates the closed position such that air is prevented from flowing through the drainage passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher McAuliffe, Nigel Palmer
  • Patent number: 9895736
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a cover by bending a non-magnetic metal sheet, the cover being provided between an annular magnet fixed to a rotary member and a magnetic sensor detecting magnetism generated from the annular magnet, and a press die having a first die and a second die configured to be able to approach to and depart from each other. The method includes a bending step of bending the metal sheet by using a forming machine of which contact portion with the metal sheet is a non-magnetized portion. The press die presses and bends a non-magnetic metal sheet, and the first die and the second die include non-magnetic portions on a part of press faces configured to press the metal sheet, respectively, the non-magnetic portions facing each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Uchiyama Manufacturing Corp.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Terazawa, Teruyuki Kiyoshi
  • Patent number: 9895698
    Abstract: Grinding apparatus for grinding substances, such as tobacco. In certain embodiments, grinding apparatus with a plurality of receptacles which can be selectively filled with a ground product, such as tobacco. In still other embodiments, a grinding apparatus with a selector capability or mechanism for selecting one or more of a plurality of receptacles, or storage area(s), for delivery of a ground product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Inventor: Zachary Elliott Spielman
  • Patent number: 9889491
    Abstract: A method may be used to produce a seamless pressure vessel for storing hydrogen. So that such a pressure vessel withstands both very high internal pressures and pressure fluctuations and (low) temperatures and temperature fluctuations and also high mechanical loading, is resistant to embrittlement, and is comparatively lightweight, a round or tubular workpiece may be formed that includes a multi-layer composite sheet metal material comprising a carrier layer made of steel material and a shielding layer resistant to hydrogen embrittlement by a flow forming process into a seamless hollow body, which serves as a semifinished product to be further processed into the seamless pressure vessel. The shielding layer may represent an inner layer of the pressure vessel. During the flow forming of the workpiece, the shielding layer may be retained as a whole-area, uninterrupted layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: THYSSENKRUPP STEEL EUROPE AG
    Inventors: Thomas Flöth, Thomas Groβerüschkamp, Lothar Patberg, Andreas Cott, Henrik Sage, Jörg-Wendelin Sauer
  • Patent number: 9889489
    Abstract: A vertical Pittsburgh Seam closing apparatus having a base supporting surface, a track mechanism for moving a carriage assembly which holds seam forming members used to close a Pittsburgh Seam, a pair of upper and lower guide members for guiding the duct section into a proper vertical position, and upper and lower clamping members positioned inside the duct section and adjacent the inside portion of the Pittsburgh Seam to be closed, the upper guide members and clamping member being selectively movable and adjustable for accommodating different duct section lengths. In one embodiment, the seam forming assembly includes three roller members mounted in vertical arrangement to each other, one roller member being V-shaped in configuration and the other two roller members being substantially cylindrical in shape. The V-shaped roller member may also include one or more projecting members for forming dimples in the closing process to prevent shifting and/or slipping of the closed seam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Vicon Machinery LLC
    Inventors: Dale R. Foster, Bert Michael Fischer
  • Patent number: 9889487
    Abstract: An apparatus for crimping a radially expandable stent includes a pressure vessel, shaping balloon, and mandrel. The mandrel is configured to slidingly receive a stent thereon, and to be slidingly advanced into the pressure vessel. The shaping balloon is inflated to radially compress the stent onto the form of the mandrel; such compression need not be uniform. Pressurization of the shaping balloon facilitates the expansion of the balloon to achieve compression of the stent, with depressurization of the shaping balloon causing the balloon to return to an unexpanded state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
    Inventor: Harvey H. Chen
  • Patent number: 9889488
    Abstract: A peening device is provided with: peening impact pins that impact on a surface to be worked; a device main body that uses vibration to move the peening impact pins back and forth with respect to the surface to be worked; servo motors (22x, 22y) that adjust the inclination of the device main body with respect to the surface to be worked; laser displacement gauges (20A, 20B, 20C, 20D) that detect the device angle; and a vibration sensor (18) that detects the vibration state of the device main body. Furthermore, a control device (40) for the peening device controls the servo motors (22x, 22y) such that the vibration state detected by the vibration sensor (18) is a predetermined vibration state. Thus, the peening device carries out excellent peening by conforming to the surface to be worked, the shape of which changes from moment to moment because of the peening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Kozaki
  • Patent number: 9884355
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a seamless metal pipe includes: preparing a plurality of mandrel bars in which lengths of work portions which come into contact with a hollow shell during elongating are different from one another; selecting a mandrel bar including a work portion having a length corresponding to the number of stands used in thickness reduction, among the plurality of mandrel bars; inserting the mandrel bar selected in the selecting into the hollow shell; and performing the elongating on the hollow shell into which the mandrel bar is inserted. Moreover, in the elongating, outer diameter reduction is performed by one of a preceding-stage stand group and a succeeding-stage stand group and the thickness reduction is performed by the other of the preceding-stage stand group and the succeeding-stage stand group, or the thickness reduction is performed by both of the preceding-stage stand group and the succeeding-stage stand group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihito Yamane
  • Patent number: 9884405
    Abstract: According to the present invention, the distance between a spray nozzle and a surface to be constructed is kept constant, and the spray nozzle is moved smoothly to perform water jet peening in a suitable state of construction. A water jet peening device has a spray nozzle (8) for spraying a water jet, the spray nozzle being capable of moving along a predetermined movement trajectory so that a spray port (8a) of the spray nozzle points upward or downward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Hinami, Kenichi Kawanishi
  • Patent number: 9884356
    Abstract: A process for drawing a steel wire, in which the wire has a carbon content by weight C of 0.4%?C?0.74%, includes an uninterrupted series of drawing steps. The drawing steps draw the wire from a diameter d? to a diameter d, with d? and d being expressed in mm, and with a true strain ?? of the steel wire being given by ??=2×ln(d?/d), with ??>4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ESTABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Arnaud Verleene, Sébastien Noel