Patents Examined by Tyrone V Hall, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11753183
    Abstract: A representative system includes an alignment tool for aligning attachment interfaces of horizontally-oriented launch vehicle portions. The tool can include a receiver assembly for connecting to a first launch vehicle portion and an actuation assembly for connecting to a second launch vehicle portion. When a first connecting element of the receiver assembly is engaged with a second connecting element of the actuation assembly, the second connecting element can apply force to the receiver assembly, and the actuator assembly applies an opposite force to the second launch vehicle portion, to align fastening features in the launch vehicle portions and/or to reshape the launch vehicle portions. A representative method includes connecting the alignment tool to the launch vehicle portions and operating the tool to apply oppositely-directed forces to align the launch vehicle portions for installing fasteners to connect the launch vehicle portions. One or more bracing beams can connect two tools together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Blue Origin, LLC
    Inventor: Derek Johnson
  • Patent number: 11752642
    Abstract: A gripper head is for a robotic gripping system. The gripper head body has an attachment section and a tool section defining an attachment region for a tool. The attachment section is configured to attach the gripper head body to a mount of a robot. The gripper head body has a first port at the attachment section and a second port at the tool section. The gripper head body defines an internal channel mutually connecting the first port and the second port. The internal channel is configured to pass air between the first port at the attachment section and the second port at the tool section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Mid Atlantic Machinery
    Inventor: Joshua C. Mayse
  • Patent number: 11753186
    Abstract: Described herein are flexible truss systems and methods of transferring flexible composite parts using these systems. A flexible truss system comprises a flexible truss mechanism and composite pick-and-place mechanisms supported on the flexible truss mechanism and designed to attach to various composite parts. The flexible truss mechanism comprises flexible elongated members and slidable ribs coupled to each flexible elongated member. Specifically, each rib is slidably coupled to at least one flexible elongated member. In some examples, each rib is also fixedly coupled to another flexible elongated member. The slidable coupling allows the flexible truss mechanism to bend and follow the shape of a supported part, such that the composite pick-and-place mechanisms are able to contact and support different areas of the composite part. As such, the same flexible truss mechanism is able to support flexible composite parts having different shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Caleb J. Handolescu, Luis F. Velasquez, Allen James Halbritter
  • Patent number: 11752984
    Abstract: A support foot (100) comprising: a first body (105), a second body (110) slidingly coupled to the first body (105) along a predetermined sliding direction (A), an actuator device (150) adapted to actuate the second body (110) to slide with respect to the first body (105) along said sliding direction (A) between a retracted position and an advanced position, a third body (115) hinged to the first body (105) according to a hinging axis (B) orthogonal to the sliding direction (A) of the second body (110), and an actuation apparatus adapted to actuate the first body (105) to rotate with respect to the third body (115) around said hinging axis (B) between an active configuration and an inactive configuration, wherein said actuation apparatus comprises a mechanism adapted to transform a sliding of the second body (110) from the advanced position towards the retracted position into a corresponding rotation of the first body (105) from the active configuration to the inactive configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: SIMOL S.P.A.
    Inventor: Valter Righetti
  • Patent number: 11752595
    Abstract: The present invention provides an adjustable bar clamp leveling device operable to receive a plurality of conventional woodworking bar clamps and provide space above and below a workpiece for positioning cauls and clamps to the workpiece a glue-up. A plurality of bar clamp leveling devices may be incorporated into a workbench with or without T-slots for securing a workpiece at various positions while maintaining planar alignment of the workpiece components during a glue-up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Inventor: Ryan Feldthouse
  • Patent number: 11738440
    Abstract: A portable, battery-powered hydraulic unit for hydraulic rescue tools, in particular for spreading or cutting tools, as well as a rescue tool equipped therewith, are disclosed. The hydraulic unit includes at least one hydraulic pump, a hydraulic tank, a compensation device for hydraulic fluid, a manually operated hydraulic control valve, an electromechanical interface for on-demand coupling and decoupling of at least one battery pack, a mechanical-hydraulic interface for connecting a hydraulic tool, and an electric motor operable by the electrical energy of the battery pack for driving the hydraulic pump. The electric motor is formed by a disc-shaped motor whose axial length extending in parallel to the longitudinal axis of its output shaft is shorter than its outer diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Weber-Hydraulik GmbH
    Inventors: Johann Schmollngruber, Dominik Steinparzer
  • Patent number: 11738723
    Abstract: In at least some implementations, a vehicle window installation tool includes a front face defined at least in part by a first engagement surface, the front face extending from a first end to a second end, and from a left side to a right side, and a rear face defined at least in part by a second engagement surface, the rear face extending from the first end to the second end, and from the left side to the right side. The first end is wedge shaped, and a support portion is defined in part by the front face and in part by the rear face. The support portion has a void, the void is open to a second end that is opposite to the first end. The tool can be arranged in multiple positions relative to a window being assembled into the door, to protect and position the window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Kaitlyn J Fritz, Mark L Lusky, Sandra C Smith, Kyle Kindle
  • Patent number: 11731225
    Abstract: An electro-hydraulic micro-displacement platform, a micro-displacement system, a precision compensation system, and its method, comprises an x-direction guide rail and a y-direction guide rail slidingly connected with a cross slider respectively. The x-direction guide rail is fixed on the floor of the frame, and a z-direction fixed platform is fixed on the y-direction guide rail. The periphery of the z-direction fixed platform is connected with the side plate of the frame through the x-direction micro-displacement actuator and the y-direction micro-displacement actuator, the z-direction fixed platform is connected with the z-direction floating platform through the first z-direction micro-displacement actuator, the z-direction floating platform is connected with the z-direction auxiliary fixed platform through the second z-direction micro-displacement actuator, and the z-direction fixed platform is fixedly connected with the z-direction auxiliary fixed platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Shandong University
    Inventors: Kai Guo, Wei He, Jie Sun, Mingjian Sun
  • Patent number: 11724540
    Abstract: A tool for mounting a motor-vehicle wheel on a wheel hub includes a tubular body having a coupling portion arranged for coupling to the wheel hub, and a carrier portion for supporting the motor-vehicle wheel during a centering phase of the wheel on the hub. The tool has an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member rigidly connected to each other so as to be coaxial. At the coupling portion, the inner and outer tubular members are spaced apart so as to define a space arranged to receive an end portion of the wheel hub, in such a way that, in an operating condition, the end portion of the hub is interposed between the inner tubular member and the outer tubular member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: FCA ITALY S.P.A.
    Inventors: Stefano Lucà, Renato Badino
  • Patent number: 11724327
    Abstract: Disclosed is a handle clamp for an exothermic mold. The clamp includes a pair of legs, each having a plurality of rods that are shaped to fit into engagement holes on sections of the mold. The rods of each leg engage with one section of the mold. Engagement brackets are rotatably disposed on one or more or the rods. The brackets each have a thumb bolt that can be extended toward a mold section connected with the clamp. When engaged with the mold section, the thumb bolt stabilizes the mold section on the handle. A detent mechanism is provided between the bracket and the leg of the handle. The detent mechanism releasably holds the bracket in one of a selected plurality of rotational positions with respect to the rod. By selecting different rotational positions for the brackets, the handle can be configured to engage with different configurations of mold. The thumb bolts that are biased toward the mold section by a spring. The bolts include a key that can be aligned or misaligned with a key slot on the bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: Rodd R. Ruland, Charles Mitchell Stilwell, David Lee Schroeder
  • Patent number: 11718277
    Abstract: A jack assembly for mounting on the hitch arm of a wheeled implement frame supports the wheeled frame relative to a ground surface upon which the wheeled frame is engaged. A jack frame of the assembly is fixedly mounted onto the implement frame and pivotally supports a leg for movement between a raised transport position and a lowered position to support the implement frame elevated above the ground when stationary. A first catch on a retainer member pivotal on the jack frame cooperates with a second catch on a link member pivotal on the leg. A linear actuator coupled between the jack frame and the link member acts to both (i) release the catches and extend the leg towards the lowered position, and (ii) engage the catches and raised the leg towards the raised position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Inventor: Micheal Justin Waldner
  • Patent number: 11717921
    Abstract: An apparatus for connecting collar components to an elongate member is disclosed. The apparatus includes a frame structure having a central opening that is configured to receive an elongate member and that includes at least a first gripping station and a second gripping station. Each gripping station includes a reference surface and a clamp device that is configured to force a collar component against the reference surface. The first and second gripping stations are configured to control relative spatial location of a first collar component held by the first gripping station relative to a second collar component gripped by the second gripping station, prior to connecting the first and second collar components to the elongate member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: ConXtech, Inc.
    Inventors: Maxwell C. Simmons, John S. Boyd, Kevin Marek, Eric Bellman, Robert J. Simmons
  • Patent number: 11712769
    Abstract: The collecting mechanism includes a holding unit and a controller. The holding unit has a pair of arms, and can sandwich a machined portion with the pair of arms. The holding unit can be switched between a holding state and a standby state. In the holding state, the pair of arms is closed to be in contact with the circumferential surface of the machined portion to sandwich the machined portion. In the standby state, the pair of arms is opened so as to stay near the circumferential surface of the machined portion with a space between the arms and the circumferential surface of the machined portion. The controller monitors whether cutting-off of the machined portion has been completed to keep the holding unit in the standby state before completion of the cutting-off and to switch the holding unit from the standby state to the holding state at the time of completion of the cutting-off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: OKUMA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Yoshino, Yosuke Ichigi
  • Patent number: 11715664
    Abstract: A holding mechanism includes a wafer holding section that holds a wafer under suction, and a frame support section that is disposed on the outer circumference of the wafer holding section and that supports a frame. The frame support section includes a permanent magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Saito, Yoshinori Kakinuma, Takashi Mori
  • Patent number: 11713226
    Abstract: A lifting device for use in lifting towable irrigation towers mounted on an all terrain vehicle (ATV). The lifting device having a support frame fitted beneath the ATV, a parallelogram linkage attached to the support frame operable with a hydraulic cylinder between a collapsed and upright position with saddles on an upper rail for lifting an axle of the tower such that the tower wheels can be rotated, a winch for raising and lowering the support frame and a suspension limiter for stopping movement of the support frame in the up position such that the frame does not damage the underside of the ATV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Inventor: Edward E. Otte
  • Patent number: 11712819
    Abstract: A concrete cutting machine includes a motor, a pivot arm, and a concrete cutting chain assembly. The motor has an output drive, and the pivot arm has an input coupled to the output drive for receiving power from the motor. The arm is configured to pivot relative to the motor, and the pivot arm has a pivot arm output. The concrete cutting chain assembly is supported on the pivot arm and has a power input coupled to the pivot arm output. The chain assembly is configured to be pivotable relative to the pivot arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: HUSQVARNA AB
    Inventors: Anthony Baratta, Peter Zetterlind, Andreas Jönsson
  • Patent number: 11710949
    Abstract: Method for installing a cable comprising: a first phase with at least the steps of: introducing the cable into a first duct, attaching at least a first pig to the cable, introducing a liquid at first pressure and first flow into the first duct, stopping the cable when, or after, its foremost end has reached an exit of the first duct, a second phase with at least the steps of: attaching at least a second pig to the cable, introducing again a liquid at first pressure and first flow into the first duct, introducing the liquid at second pressure and second flow, compensating, at a location between the first duct and second duct, for a difference in flow or volume of liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Plumettaz Holding S.A.
    Inventor: Willem Griffioen
  • Patent number: 11705697
    Abstract: Connection joint for cables for a cable stringing plant, comprising at least one first tubular element (18) to which a first segment (22) of a flexible member (19) is attached and positioned rotatable, at least with respect to a longitudinal axis (L) of the joint, inside a second tubular element (23) open at a first end and closed at the other end by a bottom wall (25); the bottom wall (25) comprises at least one hole (26) from which a second segment (27) of the flexible member (19) emerges; the second segment (27) is attached to a portion (32) of a third tubular element (31); the second and third tubular elements (23, 31) are provided on opposite ends with a corresponding hole (29, 35) directed substantially in a longitudinal direction and able to house a respective segment of cable (11a, 11b) to be laid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: TESMEC S.P.A.
    Inventors: Alberto Oscar, Stefano Osio, Fabrizio Parodi
  • Patent number: 11701764
    Abstract: A sleeve-component extracting jig according to the present invention is configured to include an engagement part on which a thread engageable with an inner circumferential surface of a sleeve component is formed, wherein a taper surface configured by cutting off crests of the thread to lower a height of the thread toward a leading end of the engagement part, and a plurality of clearance grooves open at the leading end of the engagement part and arranged at equal angular intervals in a circumferential direction of the engagement part are formed in the engagement part, a length of a radius of the engagement part at an end position of the taper surface is a sum of a length obtained by multiplying a thickness of the sleeve component by a digging ratio (20%˜60%) and a length of an inside radius of the inner circumferential surface of the sleeve component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignees: KYOOKA Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiteru Kyooka, Yutaka Adachi, Noriaki Ii
  • Patent number: 11697576
    Abstract: A telescopic lifting unit with a first segment, a second segment, and a third segment. The first and second segments may be displaced relative to one another, and the second and third segments may be displaced relative to one another. The first and second segments may be moved relative to one another by a motor unit, and the second and third segments may be moved relative to one another by a cable hoist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Ewellix AB
    Inventors: Daniel Greilinger, Christoph Riehl, Marcel Soltermann