Patents by Inventor W. John Foxwell

W. John Foxwell 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).

  • Engine torque sensing arrangement
    Patent number: 5485757
    Abstract: Four different torque sensing arrangements are described: one for an engine driving a torque converter housing (2) for an automatic transmission, two are for engines with two piece flywheels (31, 35 and 80, 86) and one for a three piece coupler (61, 64, 67), where sets of cantilever blade type springs (18, 48, 74, and 118) are arranged to allow a limited extent of rotation of driving and driven members proportioned to the torque being transmitted from the engine to the transmission and vice versa. The relative movement between the member is detected by electronic sensing devices (22, 23; 52, 53; 78; and 132, 134) generating signals transmitted to an on board microprocessor (25 and 55) or other electronic unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1996
    Inventor: W. John Foxwell
  • Power cylinder with internally mounted position indicator
    Patent number: 4552055
    Abstract: A fluid pressure actuator is disclosed of the piston and cylinder type, in which an internally mounted transducer is incorporated for providing an electrical output signal corresponding to the position of the piston in the cylinder. The transducer is disclosed as a rotary potentiometer having a disc or drum element provided with conductive plastic tracks and a rotary wiper element rotated in correspondence with the linear travel of the piston in the cylinder by a connected cam rod slidably mounted within the piston rod and caused to rotate in one embodiment by means of a cam bushing engaging the cam rod, and in other embodiments by three converging spring biased plungers carried in the piston engaging respective sides of a hexagonal shaped cam rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1985
    Assignee: Prince Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: W. John Foxwell
  • Power cylinder with internally mounted position indicator
    Patent number: 4386552
    Abstract: A fluid pressure actuator is disclosed of the piston and cylinder type, in which an internally mounted transducer is incorporated for providing an electrical output signal corresponding to the position of the piston in the cylinder. The transducer is disclosed as a rotary potentiometer having a disc or drum element provided with conductive plastic tracks and a rotary wiper element rotated in correspondence with the linear travel of the piston in the cylinder by a connected cam rod slidably mounted within the piston rod and caused to rotate in one embodiment by means of a cam bushing engaging the cam rod, and in other embodiments by three converging spring biased plungers carried in the piston engaging respective sides of a hexagonal shaped cam rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1983
    Inventor: W. John Foxwell