Patents by Inventor Carroll D. Dickerson

Carroll D. Dickerson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4509772
    Abstract: A one-piece sleeve fitted within an aperture of a top arm of a spindle. The sleeve has an aperture therethrough angled with respect to the central axis of the sleeve. The angled aperture is constructed to receive a tapered ball stud integral with a ball mounted within a control arm. The ball stud extends through the aperture with the fastener threaded thereon to abut the sleeve and to draw into the tapered aperture a tapered section of the stud to expand the sleeve and frictionally lock the sleeve within its mounting aperture in the top arm of the spindle and the stud within the angled aperture. The sleeve when unlocked, can be rotated to adjust the camber, or pneumatic trail of the wheel assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1979
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1985
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Frederick L. Drotar, David R. Wotton, Carroll D. Dickerson, Lawrence A. Makowski
  • Patent number: 4243339
    Abstract: A kingpin assembly provided with a sleeve with an angled aperture therethrough. The sleeve is rotatable within an aperture at the end of an axle. The angled aperture is sized to receive a kingpin. The ends of the kingpin are mounted to a spindle. Rotation of the sleeve angles the kingpin from its vertical normal position to provide positive or negative camber to the mounted spindle and mounted wheel thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1981
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventor: Carroll D. Dickerson
  • Patent number: 4232880
    Abstract: A wheel assembly having an axle with two vertically spaced control arms pivotably mounted to two staggered arms of a spindle assembly. One arm of the spindle has an aperture receiving a rotatably mounted sleeve. The sleeve has an aperture therethrough which is eccentric with respect to the central axis of the sleeve. The eccentric aperture is constructed to receive a tapered ball stud integral with the ball mounted within a control arm. The ball stud extends through the aperture with a fastener threaded thereon to abut the sleeve and to draw a tapered section of the stud into the tapered aperture to expand the sleeve and to frictionally lock the sleeve within the aperture of the spindle. The sleeve when unlocked can be rotated to adjust the camber of the wheel assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1980
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Carroll D. Dickerson, Robert W. Stevens
  • Patent number: 4231588
    Abstract: A sleeve assembly for adjusting the camber, and castor, or pneumatic trail, of a wheel assembly includes an inner sleeve with an aperture therethrough adapted to receive a ball stud. The inner sleeve having a partially spherical surface which is received in a complementary socket in a second sleeve which is fitted within an aperture of an upper arm of a spindle. The inner sleeve is pivotable with respect to the outer sleeve to incline the aperture therethrough with respect to the central axis of the outer sleeve such that the upper and lower openings of the aperture have opposite eccentricities with respect to the axis of the outer sleeve to angle the stud varying degrees with respect to the upper arm of the spindle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1980
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: David R. Wotton, Carroll D. Dickerson, Lawrence A. Makowski