Patents by Inventor John Spooner
John Spooner 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).
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Patent number: 10704683Abstract: A gear selector comprising a gate pattern and a gear lever arranged to be moveable within the gate pattern, the gate pattern comprising: a high range gate sub-pattern comprising one or more high range gear planes for moving the gear lever into to select a high range gear; a low range gate sub-pattern comprising one or more low range gear planes for moving the gear lever into to select a low range gear; a neutral plane extending transversely with respect to the high and low range gear planes; and a force profile arranged to urge the gear lever when in the neutral plane toward a resting position in one of the one or more high range gear planes, the force profile comprising a first interference arranged to divide the high range gate sub-pattern from the low range gate sub-pattern, wherein the gear lever is moveable past the first interference from the high range gate sub-pattern to the low range gate sub-pattern when a first predefined action is performed by an operator moving the gear lever.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2015Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITEDInventors: John Spooner, Russell Osborn, Steve Mullane
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Patent number: 10054196Abstract: A constant mesh gearbox has five parallel rotational axes. The input and output axes are not aligned. Up to eight forward speeds and two reverse speeds are disclosed, with two very low ratios suitable for non-highway travel. The transmission is suitable for two and four wheel drive.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2014Date of Patent: August 21, 2018Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITEDInventors: Russell Osborn, Alex Tylee-Birdsall, John Spooner, Steve Mullane, Steve Nesbitt
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Patent number: 10030598Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to the pull away from rest of a motor vehicle on a slope. The vehicle includes an automatic transmission and internal combustion engine with an electronic controller. The engine torque response to the accelerator pedal input is modified accounting for the slope to improve consistency of pull away on different slopes and reduce the dead pedal feeling on steep slopes.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2015Date of Patent: July 24, 2018Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover LimitedInventors: James Gennard, John Spooner
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Patent number: 10024430Abstract: A park lock apparatus and control unit for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a locking member (28, 30; 50) having: a first state arranged to permit independent rotational movement of front and rear drive shafts (20, 22) of the vehicle relative to a fixed position on the vehicle; a second state arranged to prevent independent rotational movement of the front and rear drive shafts of the vehicle relative to the fixed position on the vehicle; and a third state arranged to prevent rotational movement of the front and rear drive shafts of the vehicle relative to the fixed position on the vehicle, and an actuation member (36; 64) for moving the locking member between the first, second and third states.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2015Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITEDInventors: John Spooner, Ged Pybus
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Publication number: 20170343106Abstract: In one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of manually releasing power actuated vehicle park means in the absence of power, the method comprising the steps of: rotating a power actuated selector shaft from a park mode position in which one or more wheels are locked by the park means to a park release mode position in which the one or more wheels are released by the park means; and locking the selector shaft in the release mode position by means of locking means, whereby the successive steps of rotating the selector shaft to the release mode position and subsequently locking the selector shaft in the release mode position comprise manual translation or rotation of one or more members in first and second directions respectively, the first direction being different from the second direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2017Publication date: November 30, 2017Inventors: John Spooner, Graham Tarvar
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Patent number: 9829072Abstract: A constant mesh gearbox has five parallel rotational axes. The input and output axes are not aligned. Up to eight forward speeds are disclosed, with two very low ratios suitable for non-highway travel. The transmission is suitable for two and four wheel drive.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2014Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITEDInventors: Russell Osborn, Alex Tylee-Birdsall, John Spooner, Steve Mullane, Steve Nesbitt
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Patent number: 9752655Abstract: A constant mesh gearbox has five parallel rotational axes. The input and output axes are not aligned. Some torque paths are via a sleeve rotatable on a shaft on one of said axes. Up to eight forward speeds are disclosed, with two very low ratios suitable for non-highway travel. The transmission is suitable for two and four wheel drive.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2014Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITEDInventors: Russell Osborn, Alex Tylee-Birdsall, John Spooner, Steve Mullane, Steve Nesbitt, Gareth Thomas, Matthew Hole, Mark Findlay, George Scott
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Publication number: 20170234428Abstract: A park lock apparatus and control unit for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a locking member (28, 30; 50) having: a first state arranged to permit independent rotational movement of front and rear drive shafts (20, 22) of the vehicle relative to a fixed position on the vehicle; a second state arranged to prevent independent rotational movement of the front and rear drive shafts of the vehicle relative to the fixed position on the vehicle; and a third state arranged to prevent rotational movement of the front and rear drive shafts of the vehicle relative to the fixed position on the vehicle, and an actuation member (36; 64) for moving the locking member between the first, second and third states.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2015Publication date: August 17, 2017Inventors: John SPOONER, Ged PYBUS
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Patent number: 9732850Abstract: In one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of manually releasing power actuated vehicle park means in the absence of power, the method comprising the steps of: rotating a power actuated selector shaft from a park mode position in which one or more wheels are locked by the park means to a park release mode position in which the one or more wheels are released by the park means; and locking the selector shaft in the release mode position by means of locking means, whereby the successive steps of rotating the selector shaft to the release mode position and subsequently locking the selector shaft in the release mode position comprise manual translation or rotation of one or more members in first and second directions respectively, the first direction being different from the second direction.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2013Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover LimitedInventors: John Spooner, Graham Tarver
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Publication number: 20170211692Abstract: A gear selector comprising a gate pattern and a gear lever arranged to be moveable within the gate pattern, the gate pattern comprising: a high range gate sub-pattern comprising one or more high range gear planes for moving the gear lever into to select a high range gear; a low range gate sub-pattern comprising one or more low range gear planes for moving the gear lever into to select a low range gear; a neutral plane extending transversely with respect to the high and low range gear planes; and a force profile arranged to urge the gear lever when in the neutral plane toward a resting position in one of the one or more high range gear planes, the force profile comprising a first interference arranged to divide the high range gate sub-pattern from the low range gate sub-pattern, wherein the gear lever is moveable past the first interference from the high range gate sub-pattern to the low range gate sub-pattern when a first predefined action is performed by an operator moving the gear lever.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2015Publication date: July 27, 2017Inventors: John Spooner, Russell Osborn, Steve Mullane
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Publication number: 20170058808Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to the pull away from rest of a motor vehicle on a slope. The vehicle includes an automatic transmission and internal combustion engine with an electronic controller. The engine torque response to the accelerator pedal input is modified accounting for the slope to improve consistency of pull away on different slopes and reduce the dead pedal feeling on steep slopes.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2015Publication date: March 2, 2017Inventors: James GENNARD, John SPOONER
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Publication number: 20160102734Abstract: A constant mesh gearbox has five parallel rotational axes. The input and output axes are not aligned. Some torque paths are via a sleeve rotatable on a shaft on one of said axes. Up to eight forward speeds are disclosed, with two very low ratios suitable for non-highway travel. The transmission is suitable for two and four wheel drive.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2014Publication date: April 14, 2016Inventors: Russell OSBORN, Alex TYLEE-BIRDSALL, John SPOONER, Steve MULLANE, Steve NESBITT, Gareth THOMAS, Matthew HOLE, Mark FINDLAY, George SCOTT
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Publication number: 20160076628Abstract: A constant mesh gearbox has five parallel rotational axes. The input and output axes are not aligned. Up to eight forward speeds are disclosed, with two very low ratios suitable for non-highway travel. The transmission is suitable for two and four wheel drive.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2014Publication date: March 17, 2016Inventors: Russell OSBORN, Alex TYLEE-BIRDSALL, John SPOONER, Steve MULLANE, Steve NESBITT
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Publication number: 20160053862Abstract: A constant mesh gearbox has five parallel rotational axes. The input and output axes are not aligned. Up to eight forward speeds and two reverse speeds are disclosed, with two very low ratios suitable for non-highway travel. The transmission is suitable for two and four wheel drive.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2014Publication date: February 25, 2016Inventors: Russell OSBORN, Alex TYLEE-BIRDSALL, John SPOONER, Steve MULLANE, Steve NESBITT
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Publication number: 20150034450Abstract: In one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of manually releasing power actuated vehicle park means in the absence of power, the method comprising the steps of: rotating a power actuated selector shaft from a park mode position in which one or more wheels are locked by the park means to a park release mode position in which the one or more wheels are released by the park means; and locking the selector shaft in the release mode position by means of locking means, whereby the successive steps of rotating the selector shaft to the release mode position and subsequently locking the selector shaft in the release mode position comprise manual translation or rotation of one or more members in first and second directions respectively, the first direction being different from the second direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2013Publication date: February 5, 2015Inventors: John Spooner, Graham Tarvar
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Publication number: 20100029155Abstract: The present invention relates to adhesive coated fabrics, suitable for use in composite materials, coated on at least one outwards facing surface thereof with an acrylate adhesive, wherein the coated acrylate adhesive on said at least one outwards facing surface is less than 11 g/m2 solid particles. Such adhesive coated fabrics are especially useful for the manufacturing of water or moist resistant or repellant structures such as boats, airplane components, wind turbine blades, helmets, or telephone poles.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2005Publication date: February 4, 2010Inventors: Charles William Peterson, Martin William John Spooner, Lee Ian
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Patent number: 7031347Abstract: In order to enable high speed, high bandwidth data transfer between two ASIC devices, for example in a backplane, a wide parallel input data word is divided into a smaller number of words, and each smaller word is converted to serial form and then transmitted over a respective sub-link at a high clock rate relative to the system clock. At the receiving side, the clock is recovered from the serial words, and the serial words are converted back to parallel form. An alignment process is then carried out, firstly involving detecting the positions of the bits of the words and then storing the words in a buffer FIFO register. The words are clocked out of the FIFO register in synchronism under control of the system clock once it is detected that valid words are received in the FIFO registers.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2001Date of Patent: April 18, 2006Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.Inventor: Robert John Spooner
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Publication number: 20010033568Abstract: In order to enable high speed, high bandwidth data transfer between two ASIC devices, for example in a backplane, a wide parallel input data word is divided into a smaller number of words, and each smaller word is converted to serial form and then transmitted over a respective sub-link at a high clock rate relative to the system clock. At the receiving side, the clock is recovered from the serial words, and the serial words are converted back to parallel form. An alignment process is then carried out, firstly involving detecting the positions of the bits of the words and then storing the words in a buffer FIFO register. The words are clocked out of the FIFO register in synchronism under control of the system clock once it is detected that valid words are received in the FIFO registers.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2001Publication date: October 25, 2001Applicant: Lucent and AgereInventor: Robert John Spooner
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Patent number: 6273809Abstract: Coin dispensing apparatus is provided including a reservoir for coins and a rotor located to receive coins from the reservoir, the rotor having a lower storage portion shaped to receive a stack of coins, and an upper feed portion shaped to receive coins from the reservoir and direct them to the lower storage portion. Because the rotor receives and feeds the coins, to provide a stack of coins within the lower storage portion, ready for dispensing, the associated reservoir can be of a size to receive any type of coin. If it is necessary to adapt the apparatus to accept a different type of coin, it is only necessary to replace the rotor.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 1998Date of Patent: August 14, 2001Assignee: Coin Controls LimitedInventors: Mike Bell, Colin Richard Spooner, Brian John Spooner
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Patent number: 6254506Abstract: A motor vehicle transmission has a differential assembly (17) in which one input, sun gear (39), of an epicyclic gear train can be selectively coupled by a sleeve (59) through a viscous coupling (55) to either an input, i.e. annulus gear (31), or to another output, i.e. carrier (36). Coupling the sun gear to the annulus gear gives a low resistance mode of operation and coupling the sun gear to the carrier gives a high resistance mode of operation. A locked mode where the annulus is locked to the sun gear is also described, together with a free mode where the viscous coupling is disconnected from both the annulus gear and the carrier. The sleeve is lined to the control of a range change gearbox to select the low resistance mode when a high range is selected for on-road use and a high resistance mode is selected when a low range is selected for off-road use.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 1999Date of Patent: July 3, 2001Assignee: Rover Group LimitedInventor: John Spooner