Cam-type Adjuster (e.g., Gear, Screw, Wedge, Etc. Patents (Class 33/385)
  • Patent number: 11193764
    Abstract: An automatic process and structural features for accurately producing levels is provided. The process enables more rapid production of levels, less operator work or error, and the ability to quantify errors and tolerances in the manufacture of the level. Coupling a level datum plane formed on the endcaps of a vial with a level datum plane of a frame ensures accurate construction of a level that can be automated and toleranced. Ensuring that the level datum plane created at the endcaps remains parallel (or at some other predesigned angle) to the measuring surfaces of the level reduces labor to manufacture the level and ensures measurement accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher R. Millane, Jacob D. Hadfield, Richard J. LaSota
  • Patent number: 8491421
    Abstract: A handheld device for golfers is disclosed which determines the slope from a golf ball's location on the golf course to the cup or pin on a green. The device includes: a housing; a sight mounted on the housing for aiming the device at the flag of the pin; a tilt sensor for measuring the slope or tilt of the aimed device; a display wheel cooperating with the tilt sensor for indicating the slope or tilt of the aimed device; and, a chart affixed to the housing including actual ball to cup distances, slope indications and yardage adjustments which are added to or subtracted from the actual distances to enable the golfer to estimate the effective shot distance of the ball to the cup. A software application is also disclosed for estimating the effective shot distance of a golf ball to a target on a handheld device such as a smart phone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Inventor: Mark T. Scott
  • Patent number: 8259311
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for determining a position by emitting a first laser beam (7) by a laser source (6) positioned in a reference system onto a detector (1) and simultaneously detecting the first laser beam (7) by the detector (1), thus defining an emission direction of the laser source (7). The detector (1) has a segmented detection area comprising a plurality of discrete partial detection areas (17), each having a defined partial detection direction and at least two partial detection directions thereof being different. When detecting the first laser beam (7), an impingement point (9) of the first laser beam (7) on the detector (1) is detected by means of at least one partial detection area (17), and when determining the incidence direction (10), said direction is derived from the at least one partial detection direction. The location of the detector (1) relative to the laser source (6) and the reference system is then determined using the emission direction and the incidence direction (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG
    Inventors: Hansjoerg Petschko, Klaus Schneider
  • Patent number: 7568292
    Abstract: A level being one in which a mounting base 2 is configured so that a first unit 2A that presses against the inner surface of one side of the container case 3 and a second unit 2B that presses against the inner surface of the opposing opposite side of the container case 3 are slidably assembled by way of a slide mechanism S; the slide mechanism S is formed so that the assembly contact surfaces 5 and 6 of the first unit 2A and second unit 2B are formed as slope guide surfaces 5 and 6; the slope guide surfaces 5 and 6 make contact with each other, the second unit 2B is slidably configured in the slope direction in relation to the first unit 2A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Ebisu Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Maruyama
  • Patent number: 6840541
    Abstract: A trailer tongue arrangement is provided having a power jack. The power jack is removably engaged with the tongue and includes a circular level unit thereon which indicates a level condition in the front-to-back and side-to-side directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Barker Manufacturing Co.
    Inventor: Duane Walters
  • Patent number: 6176020
    Abstract: A bubble vial is mounted in a carpenter's level by a pivot rod on one side of the vial and an eccentric cam rod on the other side of the vial. The vial housing is supported in the pivot rod so as to be able to move, due to thermal expansion differences between the box frame of the assembly and the bubble vial assembly, with simple linear translation toward and away from the pivot rod and yet is not subject to twisting, torquing or rotating motions. The cam rod is eccentric so that by its rotation the vial is caused to adjust its attitude relative to the carpenter's level and thus accommodate any out of calibration condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Inventor: Dane Scarborough
  • Patent number: 5992033
    Abstract: A carpenter's level provides a three point mounting for a vial housing within a level frame. The frame is a square cylinder, preferably an extruded part. The vial housing mounts within the frame on a pivot pin and is biased by a spring toward one side wall of the frame where the vial housing abuts the side wall on a pivot ridge extending from the housing. The pivot pin provides a camming surface so that the vial housing may be rocked slightly to a new position in order to re-align the vial housing within the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Inventor: Dane Scarborough
  • Patent number: 5662535
    Abstract: A reader device for determining a proper golf ball putt direction relative to a slope of a green including a body, a green viewing area formed in the body, a ball viewing area formed in the body below the green viewing area, a bubble level affixed to the body for indicating a horizontal orientation of the green viewing area, and an indicator adjustably affixed to the body and positioned adjacent to the green viewing area. The indicator serves to indicate a proper putt direction relative to a slope of the green. The green viewing area has an edge in parallel alignment with the bubble level. The indicator is positioned on the body between the ball viewing area and the green viewing area. The indicator includes an indicator member which is pivotally connected to the body and an adjustment mechanism interconnected to the indicator member so as to allow for a pivotting of the indicator member relative to a slope of the green.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1997
    Inventor: Glenn E. Smith
  • Patent number: 5506759
    Abstract: A vehicular headlamp having an aiming leveling device in which a support table is formed so as to project from a reflector which is tiltable relatively to a lamp body, and a bubble tube support frame supporting a linear bubble tube is provided in such a manner that one end of the support frame is fixed to the support table while the other end of the support frame is held by a zero point adjusting means used to adjust the position of the other end of the support frame in the up/down direction, with the support frame extending substantially parallel to an optical axis, and with the quantity of tilting of the reflector in the up/down direction being indicated by the bubble tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1996
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katutada Shirai, Hironori Tsukamoto
  • Patent number: 5414937
    Abstract: The indicating device includes a bubble level formed by a transparent plastic vial filled with liquid having a gas bubble therein, the bubble coacting with an underlying scale to indicate the degree of tilt of the vial from horizontal. To enhance the visibility of the bubble and enable more accurate readings, portions of the vial are darkened with a strip of black material adapted to be secured to the vial by pressure-sensitive adhesive. A cap for closing the vial is darkened by molding the cap from black-tinted plastic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald S. Denley
  • Patent number: 5359499
    Abstract: The reflector of the headlamp is pivotally supported within a housing for vertical tilting about a horizontal axis and for horizontal pivoting about a vertical axis. A bubble level is carried by the reflector and may be adjusted relative thereto to a level position after the reflector has been tilted about the horizontal axis to establish proper vertical aiming of the headlamp beam. A horizontal indicator is located at the same inspection position as the bubble level and may be adjusted to a zero setting after the reflector has been pivoted about the vertical axis to establish proper horizontal aiming of the beam. Part of a mounting platform for the bubble level also serves as part of an indicating scale for the horizontal indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: Elco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald S. Denley
  • Patent number: 5177873
    Abstract: An adjustable plumb level having a first gear driven by a second gear. The second gear has a smaller external diameter than does said first gear. The second gear is operatively coupled to first gear so that when an external force causes the second gear to rotate, the first gear also rotates. The first gear includes a straight vial disposed in the center thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1993
    Inventor: Edwin M. Tate
  • Patent number: 5111589
    Abstract: An adjustable plumb level formed from an I beam with wood side panels. A circular hole is formed through the I beam and side panels, within which an indicating mechanism is disposed. The indicating mechanism is easily replaceable so that the present invention can be used as a plumb or a level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1992
    Inventor: Edwin M. Tate
  • Patent number: 4999921
    Abstract: An adjustable spirit level having a plurality of spirit levels therein. A first spirit level measures vertical orientation, a second adjustable spirit level is adjustable to a true horizontal position, and a third spirit level is adjustable to any desired position between vertical and horizontal. The second level may be adjusted with a rotatable cam-shaped end piece secured within the level body, while the third level is ratcheted to a predetermined angle. The third level may be held in place by a spring member biasing the level against the level body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1991
    Inventors: James M. Bird, Dennis K. Hendricks
  • Patent number: 4617820
    Abstract: The invention is a level checking device having a pair of orthogonal surfaces which are positioned precisely as horizontal or vertical references, respectively. The device includes a mounting bracket which is used to mount the horizontal and vertical reference surfaces to a solid support. An adjustment is provided such that, with the mounting bracket appropriately mounted, the horizontal and vertical reference surfaces can be adjusted to be precisely horizontal and vertical. An indicator is also provided to indicate when the precise alignment has been achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1986
    Inventor: Richard D. Hammond
  • Patent number: 4567666
    Abstract: A null-adjusting tool for aligning a tilt sensor of the electrolytic liquid type to the vertical is provided. A sensor mounting plate with a tilt-sensing element attached thereto is rotated about a pivot pin by the rotation of a coarse and fine adjustment screw. The coarse adjustment screw acts directly on the sensor mounting plate. The fine adjustment screw provides a high degree of position resolution control through a combination of screw thread and lever type mechanical advantage. A digital readout containing a liquid crystal display and self-contained power source is mounted on the null-adjusting tool to provide a visual indication of the angular deviation of the tilt sensor from the vertical during the alignment process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1983
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1986
    Assignee: Sperry Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas W. Neis, Harold L. Swartz