Patents by Inventor Mark Alan Leimer

Mark Alan Leimer 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: 6761141
    Abstract: A valve stem seal assembly includes a retainer with one or more built-in sprues, a cavity at one end, an annular flange on the opposite end, and a cylindrical interior passageway therebetween. The built-in sprues extend from the bottom surface of the cavity to the annular flange. When the valve stem seal assembly is fitted atop the valve guide, a gap is formed between the bottom surface of the cavity of the retainer and the top surface of the valve guide to accommodate manufacturing tolerances in the height of the valve guide. A jacket is integrally bonded to the retainer by introducing material into the cavity, through the built-in sprues, and out of the bottom of the annular flange. A method of manufacturing the valve stem seal assembly with one or more built-in sprues is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Dana Corporation
    Inventor: Mark Alan Leimer
  • Publication number: 20040107936
    Abstract: A valve stem seal assembly includes a retainer with one or more built-in sprues, a cavity at one end, an annular flange on the opposite end, and a cylindrical interior passageway therebetween. The built-in sprues extend from the bottom surface of the cavity to the annular flange. The valve stem seal assembly also includes a jacket made of an elastomeric material integrally bonded to the retainer. When the valve stem seal assembly is fitted atop the valve guide, a gap is formed between the bottom surface of the cavity of the retainer and the top surface of the valve guide to accommodate manufacturing tolerances in the height of the valve guide. The jacket is integrally bonded to the retainer by introducing material into the cavity, through the built-in sprues, and out of the bottom of the annular flange.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Publication date: June 10, 2004
    Inventor: Mark Alan Leimer
  • Patent number: 6679502
    Abstract: A valve stem seal assembly for an internal combustion engine includes an elastomer seal body and a metal retainer adapted to secure the seal body in place over a valve guide. The cylindrical seal body has an aperture with at least one radially inwardly directed sealing lip adapted to engage a reciprocally movable valve stem to minimize escape of oil lubricant from the engine along a path between the valve guide and stem. The retainer, formed of a spring metal cylindrical body adapted to frictionally retain the seal body at its upper end, contains first and second sets of axially depending resilient fingers at its lower end. The first set of fingers mechanically engages and supports a unique valve guide member within a valve guide aperture of a cylinder head deck, while the second set of fingers supports the seal assembly directly against the head deck under a valve spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Dana Corporation
    Inventor: Mark Alan Leimer
  • Patent number: 6609700
    Abstract: A valve stem seal assembly for an internal combustion engine includes an elastomer seal body and a metal retainer adapted to hold the seal body in place over a valve guide. The circumferential seal body includes an aperture containing at least one radially inwardly directed sealing lip adapted to engage an engine valve stem to minimize escape of oil lubricant from the engine, particularly along a path between the valve guide and the reciprocally moving valve stem. The seal body contains an annular exterior groove adapted to receive an end wall in the upper extremity of the retainer. The retainer, formed of spring metal, comprises a cylindrical body containing a plurality of axially depending resilient fingers. The bottom extremities of the fingers have inwardly turned ends adapted to mechanically engage a circumferentially disposed groove or a step of a boss formed in the exterior cylindrical surface of the valve guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: Dana Corporation
    Inventor: Mark Alan Leimer
  • Patent number: 6571761
    Abstract: A valve stem seal assembly includes a retainer with an elastomeric seal body bonded to the interior of the retainer. The seal body includes first and second annular sealing members that engage a valve stem and valve guide, respectively. The seal body also includes a third annular sealing member that protrudes slightly below a bottom surface of a lower flanged portion of the retainer, adapted to engage a cylinder head. Poor machining of the valve guide, and or the cylinder head, often creates a leak path for oil to flow beneath the seal, and through openings between valve guide and cylinder head. The third annular sealing member seals the leak path. The elastomeric seal body also includes axially disposed ribs near the bottom of the retainer with window-like exposed metal spacer areas between ribs, which lowers cost of the seal assembly through reduced amount of elastomeric material required for manufacture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Dana Corporation
    Inventor: Mark Alan Leimer
  • Publication number: 20020179877
    Abstract: A valve stem seal assembly for an internal combustion engine includes an elastomer seal body and a metal retainer adapted to hold the seal body in place over a valve guide. The circumferential seal body includes an aperture containing at least one radially inwardly directed sealing lip adapted to engage an engine valve stem to minimize escape of oil lubricant from the engine, particularly along a path between the valve guide and the reciprocally moving valve stem. The seal body contains an annular exterior groove adapted to receive an end wall in the upper extremity of the retainer. The retainer, formed of spring metal, comprises a cylindrical body containing a plurality of axially depending resilient fingers. The bottom extremities of the fingers have inwardly turned ends adapted to mechanically engage a circumferentially disposed groove or a step of a boss formed in the exterior cylindrical surface of the valve guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Applicant: Dana Corporation
    Inventor: Mark Alan Leimer
  • Patent number: 6415487
    Abstract: A service tool for dislodging circumferentially spaced, longitudinally extending fingers of a flangeless retainer of a valve stem seal from a valve guide of an internal combustion engine, the guide of the type having circumferential detents for retaining radially inwardly turned ends of the fingers. The tool includes an exterior shell formed of two symmetrical halves divided along a longitudinal axis. The shell is coupled to a cylindrical puller element that is encased within and axially movable in the shell; the puller element also comprises symmetrical halves longitudinally divided along same axis. The puller element halves are hinged, and each of the puller halves contain gear teeth for reacting with separate worm gears contained in shell halves and attached to levers. Manual movement of the levers causes cams in radially inwardly turned arms at opposite end of the puller to dislodge the fingers of the seal retainer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Dana Corporation
    Inventor: Mark Alan Leimer