Patents Examined by Robert Reese
  • Patent number: 8075432
    Abstract: In an engine unit of a straddle type vehicle, a V-belt-type continuously variable transmission (CVT) has a secondary sheave shaft 62 that rotates with a clutch housing of a centrifugal clutch. The secondary sheave shaft is supported in a cantilever fashion via two bearings. The engine unit has a gear that rotates with a clutch boss. Cage-and-roller needle bearings, which are a type of needle bearing, are inserted between the secondary sheave shaft and the gear. In this manner, without enlarging the engine unit, abrasions and deterioration of a bearing inserted between a rotational shaft supported in a cantilever fashion and a body of rotation are prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akifumi Oishi, Yousuke Ishida
  • Patent number: 8074772
    Abstract: An applicator (10) for applying a friction modifying material to the top of rails (12). The wayside applicator includes an applicator bar (26) that has a dam for holding friction modifying material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Portec Rail Products, Inc.
    Inventors: W. Thomas Urmson, Jr., John W. Mospan, Frank T. Lenco
  • Patent number: 8066101
    Abstract: A belt device for driving an elevator is provided, the rest retaining capability of which is improved in order to retain the stopped state of an elevator cage if oil or water adheres to between a belt and a pulley. In the belt device for driving an elevator in which a belt 4 is stretched over a plurality of pulleys 1, 2, and 3, and the belt 4 is rotated by the rotations of the pulleys 1, 2, and 3, wherein the coefficient of friction of a contact surface with at least a driving pulley in the belt 4 is set to 0.6 to 3.0, and the contact surface is constructed of a rubber having a hardness (IRHD) of 65 to 95, and a wear resistance of 5 to 300 mm3 in Taber wear (ISO547-1-1999, under conditions: a wear ring of H18; a load of 1 kg; and 1000 rpm).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Nitta Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Yuasa, Yasunori Ishikiriyama, Atsuhito Wake
  • Patent number: 8062156
    Abstract: Safety as well as the minimum driving performance is secured by preventing abrupt down-shifting if a line pressure valve or a primary pressure control valve fails. A line pressure path connected to an oil pump is connected with a line pressure control valve. A first primary pressure path branched from the line pressure path is connected with a hydraulic fluid chamber through a fail-safe valve, and a secondary pressure path branched from the line pressure path is connected to a hydraulic fluid chamber. The line pressure control valve is connected with a second primary pressure path in communication with a hydraulic fluid chamber, and this secondary primary pressure path is provided with a primary pressure control valve and a limiter valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masayuki Nishida
  • Patent number: 8057336
    Abstract: A guide device for an endless torque-transmitting member. The guide device includes at least two corresponding guide tongues between which the endless torque-transmitting member is at least partially guided. The guide tongues are held at a predetermined distance from each other by a connection region. The distance between the guide tongues is maintained substantially constant when there is a temperature change by the use in the guide device of materials having different coefficients of thermal expansion. A mold for producing a guide device is disclosed and includes two corresponding mold halves, where at least one connecting component formed from a material having a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than that of the guide tongues is held in one mold half.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Luk Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG
    Inventors: Hans-Walter Wodtke, Thomas Krauss
  • Patent number: 8051953
    Abstract: A hydrogen cooled generator includes a lubricant drain system. The lubricant drain system includes a hydrogen detraining tank having a hollow interior portion. A sensor is operatively mounted in the hydrogen detraining tank. The sensor is configured and disposed to detect an interface zone between an amount of lubricant and an amount of hydrogen gas in the hollow interior portion. A drain line is fluidly coupled to the hydrogen detraining tank. The drain line includes a first end portion that is exposed in the hollow interior portion and a second end portion. A valve is mounted in the drain line. A controller is operatively connected to the sensor and the valve. The controller is configured to selectively open the valve allowing a portion of the amount of lubricant to flow from the hollow interior portion when the interface zone is above the first end portion of the drain line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Daniel Antalek, Jeffrey James Andritz, Anthony James George, Hans Knuijt, Abby Magro, Kevin Jon O'Dell, Fotios Raftelis, Steven Paul Scarlata
  • Patent number: 8052560
    Abstract: A power transmission device includes a pulley 1 and a hub 2 having an inner hub 21, a rubber damper 22 and an outer hub 23. A hub side engagement portion 24 formed of an elastic material and arranged at either one, or both, of an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface of the outer hub engages with a pulley side engagement portion 12, which is arranged at a position corresponding to the outer hub, of the pulley in a concavo-convex fitting to thereby constitute a torque transmission structure between the hub and the pulley. The hub side engagement portion and the pulley side engagement portion have a concavo-convex outer shape and mesh with each other. A ring-like dust invasion prevention portion 28 covers a front surface of said concavo-convex fitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiyasu Nosaka, Yasuo Tabuchi, Motohiko Ueda, Yoshiki Tada, Hiroshi Nagae, Masahiro Yamashita, Kouji Kida, Mitsuhiro Tanabe
  • Patent number: 8042654
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device for securing and lubricating a bushing. The device comprises: a first member having a first body portion, a first engaging portion extending outwardly from the first body portion, and at least one channel drilled through a lateral outer surface of the first engaging portion and extending along a complete length of the body portion; and a second member having a second body portion and a second engaging portion disposed internally and along a longitudinal axis of the second body portion. The first engaging portion mounts a bushing covering at least a portion of an opening of the channel on the lateral outer surface and engages with the second engaging portion, thereby sandwiching the bushing between the first member and the second member. Pressurizing a lubricant through the channel transmits the lubricant to an inner surface of the bushing through the opening of the channel on the first engaging portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: The Park Family Trust
    Inventor: Patrick A. Park
  • Patent number: 8038561
    Abstract: A chain is provided with a plurality of links, and connecting members for connecting those links such that the links are relatively bendable to each other. A first pin of the connecting member is clamped between pulleys thereby to transmit the power between itself and said pulleys. The chain includes a central area with respect to chain width directions, and side areas located on the sides of the central area. In the central area, links adjoining in the chain width directions are pushed to contact with each other, and rotate relative to each other while exerting frictional forces on each other as the chain is bent. In each of the side areas, the links adjoining in the chain width directions are arrayed through a predetermined clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventor: Shinji Yasuhara
  • Patent number: 8038554
    Abstract: An isolation damper pulley comprises a damper section 1 and an isolation pulley section 2 assembled thereto, wherein a first fitting portion 18 constituted from a cylindrical portion concentric with a center axis O of a through hole 13 is provided to a hub 10 of the damper unit 1. The isolation pulley section 2 has a supporting member 22 fixed to a pulley portion 21 via an annular elastic member 23, wherein a second fitting portion 27 concentric with the first fitting portion 18 is provided to the supporting member 22. A third fitting portion 32 concentric with the first fitting portion 18 is provided to a pressing member 31 applying a precompression to the annular elastic member 23 in cooperation with the supporting member 22. The second fitting portion 27 and the third fitting portion 32 are fitted to each other and these fitting portions are fitted to the first fitting portion 18, so that the isolation pulley section 2 is assembled to the damper section 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Fukoku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Watanabe, Kazumi Oki, Yoshikazu Kakinuma
  • Patent number: 8020665
    Abstract: A lubrication system, includes an auxiliary lubricant tank 48 and a supply conduit 58 extending from a source of lubricant 26 and through the auxiliary lubricant tank. A portion of the conduit resides within the tank and has an opening 136 for allowing lubricant transfer between the tank and the conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: William G. Sheridan, Lawrence E. Portlock, Michael E. McCune
  • Patent number: 8020666
    Abstract: An oil pan separator 132 is disposed so as to divide a space within an oil pan 130 into a first chamber 30a and a second chamber 30b. The oil pan separator 132 has a protrusion 132b formed at a low position in such a manner that a portion of the first chamber 30a protrudes into the second chamber 30b. A protrusion upper-plate 132b1, which serves as an upper end portion of the protrusion 132b, is provided with an oil feed valve 138, which is a one-way valve, for allowing substantially only outflow of oil from the first chamber 30a to the second chamber 30b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshio Yamashita, Hideo Kobayashi, Katuhiko Arisawa, Kenichi Yamada, Kunihiko Hayashi, Taiithi Mori
  • Patent number: 8016705
    Abstract: A bicycle component positioning device is basically provided with a fixed structure, an input member and a positioning member. The input member is movably coupled relative to the fixed structure. The input member has a first moving direction and a second moving direction. The positioning member is operatively coupled to the input mechanism to selectively move between a plurality of predetermined positions. The input member and the positioning member are configured and arranged relative to each other such that the positioning member is initially moved by the input member in a direction different from the first and second moving directions in response to movement of the input member both in the first moving direction and in the second moving direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Takeshi Takachi
  • Patent number: 8012053
    Abstract: A rotatable device, such as a pulley, includes an annular rotatable member having a bore extending therethrough and an outer surface disposed about the bore. A bearing is located in the bore. The bearing is operably connected to the annular rotatable member to form an axis of rotation about which the annular rotatable member can rotate relative to an inner race of the bearing. A combination dust cover and bearing retaining member spans the bore at a location spaced axially from the bearing. The cover includes a flange received by a groove extending outwardly from the bore in a direction toward the outer surface of the rotatable member to attach the combination dust cover and bearing retaining member to the rotatable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Dayco Products, LLC
    Inventor: Ethan L. Filip
  • Patent number: 7992685
    Abstract: A cable is installed in a duct by means of blowing (and, optionally, synergetic pushing) and lubricating the cable during field installation. Lubricating the cable is done after the cable exits from the cable blowing equipment and hence takes place in a pressurized airflow passage. Lubricant supplied from an external reservoir drains into a pressurized lubricator space through which the cable moves. Foam-plugs seal the entrance and the exit of the lubricator space. The cable is wetted by the lubricant as it moves through the lubricator space, and excess lubricant is wiped by the foam plug, leaving only a thin film of lubricant on the cable as it moves out of the lubricator. In one embodiment, the lubricator is fitted with a single wiping member in the form of an annular plug of open cell foam material, and the cable passes through laterally opposite sections of the annular plug. The lubricator housing is formed in mating sections, and the internal lubricator is also formed in mating sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Draka Comteq B.V.
    Inventors: Willem Griffioen, Cornelis van't Hul, Willem Greven, Patrick Menno Versteeg, Maja Keijzer
  • Patent number: 7980974
    Abstract: An apparatus for mounting a bicycle electrical component comprises a housing member structured to be mounted to a bicycle and an electronic circuit element mounted to a circuit mounting member, wherein the circuit mounting member is disposed in the housing. The circuit mounting member has a shape that varies away from a plane containing the electronic circuit element to conform to a shape of the housing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Shimano, Inc.
    Inventor: Masahiko Fukuda
  • Patent number: 7980361
    Abstract: A lubricating system is adapted to supply lubricating oil to a lip portion of an oil-seal member for preventing the lubricating oil from leaking out of a case. The lubricating system includes a rotating member, a bearing, a scraping member, and a guiding section. The rotating member is configured and arranged to be rotatably housed within the case and to slidably engage the lip portion of the oil-seal member. The bearing rotatably supports the rotating member. The scraping member is configured and arranged to scrape the lubricating oil discharged from the bearing. The guiding section is configured and arranged to guide the lubricating oil scraped by the scraping member to the lip portion of the oil-seal member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Aichi Machine Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Omoto, Tatsushi Okumura, Hideki Aoyama, Akira Kokubo