Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Dorn, McEachran, Jambor & Keating
  • Patent number: 5899764
    Abstract: For a switch connector with contact elements disposed in contact cavities of an insulator body, with contact elements with at least one spring-elastic arm in the contact cavities, and in which contact blades of a corresponding mating connector can be inserted in the contact cavities and thus make contact with the contact elements and in which there is provided at least one shorting jumper which short-circuits two contact elements in the absence of an inserted mating connector, the short circuit being broken when the blade contacts are inserted in the contact cavities, it is proposed that the shorting jumper is designed as a rigid contact part and has at least one contact limb which is disposed between the contact spring limbs of the contact elements and that in the contact cavities there is a switching element provided with a switching spring limb, the switching spring limb acting on the contact spring limb of the contact element in such a way that the latter is displaced until the switching spring limb bears
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: Harting KGaA
    Inventors: Dietmar Harting, Gunter Pape, Frank Weichert
  • Patent number: 5896947
    Abstract: In railroad applications, a new method of simultaneously lubricating the rail gage side (RAGS) and wheel flanges ahead of a locomotive's tractive wheels and lubricating the top of the rail (TOR) behind the tractive wheels to reduce the resistance of the trailing cars and reduce the locomotive wheel flange wear. The method involves controlling both lubricating units with the same computer controller when a single locomotive is used and two controllers located in two different locomotives in the case of a locomotive consist. The rail gage side lubricant spray is applied on curves of 2 degrees or more only on the high rail. For the top of rail lubrication at the trailing end of the locomotive or locomotive consist this invention requires that the angle of the lubricant jet on the rail from the vertical be between 0 and 80 degrees from the vertical, with the angle increasing in the rear or trailing direction. It further requires that the lubricant jet be a solid jet without breaking into a spray cone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Tranergy Corporation
    Inventor: Sudhir Kumar
  • Patent number: 5894613
    Abstract: A faucet escutcheon and mounting member therefor includes an escutcheon having a generally central opening for a faucet body and a defined shape surrounding the faucet body opening. The mounting member has a defined shape similar to that of the escutcheon and dimensionally smaller whereby the mounting member is located within the confines of the escutcheon when both are mounted on a sink deck. The mounting member has a plurality of outwardly extending flexible fingers in yielding contact with the interior of the escutcheon whereby when said escutcheon and mounting member are positioned on a sink deck there is essentially no movement therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Assignee: Moen Incorporated
    Inventor: Mark C. Fenn
  • Patent number: 5893782
    Abstract: For a single-pole contact system for high currents, consisting of a rigid socket part (1) and a plug-in part (2) comprising elastic contact lamellae (16), it is proposed that the plug-in part (2) is provided with a pin-type projection (9), a cylindrical contact part (15), on which are fashioned elastic contact lamellae (16), is pushed on to the pin-type projection (9), the free ends of the contact lamellae pointing towards a conical transition (12) from the plug-in part (2) to the pin-type projection (9) and, at the front end of the projection, there is provided a pressure part (20) which acts on the contact part (15), the free ends of the contact lamellae (16) being pressed against the cone so that they are pressed radially outward, i.e., against the inside of the socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1999
    Assignee: Harting KGaA
    Inventors: Dietmar Harting, Herbert Junck, Klaus Olejarz
  • Patent number: 5893189
    Abstract: A sweeping machine has a body, wheels supporting the body, and a sweeping brush which is carried by the body and driven by a motor mounted on the sweeping machine. There is a debris hopper positioned adjacent the brush to receive debris moved by the brush toward the hopper. The hopper has a bottom, a front wall, and side walls, and there is a shelf in the hopper spaced above the bottom and attached to at least one of the walls. Debris moved by the brush toward the hopper is deposited on both the hopper bottom and the hopper shelf.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1999
    Assignee: Tennant Company
    Inventor: Joseph F. D'Costa
  • Patent number: 5887848
    Abstract: A diaphragm type of flush valve for use with toilet devices such as urinals and water closets includes a body with an inlet and an outlet and there is a valve seat therebetween and a valve member movable to a closing position on the valve seat. The valve member includes a diaphragm which is peripherally attached to the body. There is a pressure chamber above the diaphragm for holding the valve member on its valve seat and there is a filter and a bypass orifice connecting the inlet and the pressure chamber. The filter includes a filter ring positioned beneath the diaphragm and adjacent the outer periphery thereof. The filter ring and the diaphragm are held in a fixed position relative to each other. The filter ring has a plurality of outwardly directed circumferentially spaced filter grooves. There is a seal ring between the filter ring and the body and facing the grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Sloan Valve Company
    Inventor: John R. Wilson
  • Patent number: 5884353
    Abstract: A surface maintenance machine includes a body, wheels for supporting the body, a sweeping brush and a debris hopper adjacent the sweeping brush and positioned to receive debris swept by the brush. The hopper has a floor, walls, and a top, all formed of a plastic material, preferably one rated as not supporting combustion in a horizontal direction. There is a heat shield attached to the underside of the hopper top, with the heat shield being formed of a non-combustible material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Tennant Company
    Inventors: David W. Berg, Michael S. Wilmo
  • Patent number: 5885102
    Abstract: For an electrical plug connection for connecting electrical leads to a motor, the said connection consisting of a first plug connection half, which is disposed in a flange-type or attachment-type housing attached to the motor, and a second plug connection half which can be plugged together with the first plug connection half, it is proposed that the first plug connection half be provided with a contact pin carrier, the contact pins of which are connected to the connecting leads of the motor, and that the second plug connection half be equipped with a socket carrier, to the contact sockets of which the leads of a connecting cable can be connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Harting KGaA
    Inventors: Dietmar Harting, Herbert Junck, Heiko Herbrechtsmeier, Harald Moller, Martin Schmidt
  • Patent number: 5883503
    Abstract: A voltage compensation system for an A.C. power line supplying one or more air conditioners, a telephone system or other telecommunication system, a battery charger, or some other utilization system that should have an input voltage within a given normal range. The voltage compensation system includes a transformer unit containing a transformer having at least two windings coupled electromagnetically by a transformer core; one of those windings preferably is in two segments that are connectable in series or in parallel. One winding is connected to an input terminal and to an output terminal. The other winding adds to the A.C. line voltage when the line voltage drops below a low voltage threshold and/or subtracts from the line voltage when the A.C. line voltage exceeds a high voltage threshold. If the A.C. line voltage is in the range required by the utilization system, the other transformer winding is effectively shorted out or otherwise disconnected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignees: Melvin A. Lace, Thomas E. Dorn
    Inventor: Melvin A. Lace
  • Patent number: 5881993
    Abstract: A flush valve includes a body with an inlet, an outlet, a valve seat at the outlet, and a piston movable in the body toward and away from the valve seat to control flow through the outlet. The piston has a chamber and there is a refill orifice in the piston connecting the chamber with the body inlet. Pressure in the chamber maintains the piston closed upon the valve seat. A relief valve in the piston vents the chamber to the outlet to permit the piston to move away from the valve seat to open flow from the inlet to the body outlet. The piston has a guide portion which extends downstream of the valve seat when the piston is in the closed position. The guide portion of the piston has a plurality of outwardly extending axial ribs, the outer surface of which is radially in alignment with the path of flow through said valve seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Sloan Valve Company
    Inventors: John R. Wilson, Daniel J. Carroll
  • Patent number: 5879598
    Abstract: A centrifuge (18) is used to introduce a fluid, particularly a viscous fluid such as an encapsulating resin, into a cavity in a container (10), particularly a small cavity such as the inside of an electronic component housing. Measured quantities of the fluid are placed in dispensing vessels (28) in the centrifuge opposite the containers to be filled. The dispensing vessels have openings (36) through which the fluid can flow when centrifugal force is applied. On the application of this force, all the fluid flows out of the vessels into the containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Electronic Techniques (Anglia) Limited
    Inventor: Kevin McGrane
  • Patent number: 5873387
    Abstract: A faucet spout mounting assembly includes a spout having an elongated tubular portion. There is a spout hub having a cavity, with an end of the spout tubular portion being positioned within the cavity and rotatable relative thereto. There is a water passage in the hub communicating with the cavity. The spout hub has exterior threads thereon and there is a spout nut threadedly engaging the spout hub and extending along the spout elongated tubular portion and beyond the spout hub. There is a recess in the spout nut facing the spout elongated tubular portion and a spring member is positioned within that recess. The spring member has spaced portions thereon, some of which bear against the spout nut and some of which bear against the spout elongated tubular portion, to thereby restrain radial movement between the spout and the spout nut while providing no essential increase in resistance to rotary movement of the spout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1999
    Assignee: Moen Incorporated
    Inventors: Eric M. Weber, Mark C. Fenn
  • Patent number: 5873574
    Abstract: A seal for sealing a low pressure area from a high pressure area for containing a process fluid. The high pressure area is located along a rotatable shaft extending from a machine body. The seal includes an outboard seal positioned along the shaft, and an inboard seal axially spaced along the shaft from the outboard seal. An annular chamber is defined between the inboard seal and the outboard seal for containing a buffer fluid. The inboard seal includes a stationary assembly attached to the machine body. The stationary assembly includes a stationary seal ring having a stationary sealing face, and a first secondary seal between the stationary seal ring and the housing. The inboard seal further includes a rotating assembly attached to the shaft. The rotating assembly includes a rotating seal ring having a rotating sealing face in sealing relation with the stationary sealing face and a second secondary seal between the rotating seal ring and the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1999
    Assignee: John Crane Sealol Inc.
    Inventor: Yoram Ringer
  • Patent number: 5873183
    Abstract: A shoe securement apparatus for a shoe employing a lace having opposite ends to interconnect two sides of the shoe. The apparatus includes a fastener plug attached to each of the opposite ends of the lace, a guide formed on each side of the shoe for engaging and directing the lace and a channel formed on each side of the shoe for receiving one end of the lace and its fastener plug. The fastener plug is forcibly engageable with the channel to secure the lace in the channel with the fastener plug being formed of a soft, flexible material such as a polymer. In one embodiment of the invention, the guide in an inclined groove and in another embodiment of the invention the guide is a knob with a curved wall which engages the lace. In yet another embodiment of the invention the lace is formed of a soft, flexible material such as a polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1999
    Assignee: Dan Lynn Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott Posner
  • Patent number: 5873138
    Abstract: An operator controlled scrubbing machine includes a body, wheels for supporting the body, a scrub brush on the body and a mechanism for raising and lowering the scrub brush. There is a squeegee on the body and a mechanism for raising and lowering the squeegee. The body includes a drive for moving the machine in forward and reverse directions and an operator controlled foot pedal for controlling the drive. There is a connection between the foot pedal and the drive providing for limited foot pedal movement prior to translating foot pedal movement into machine movement. There is a first sensor to sense machine forward movement of the foot pedal, which sensor is connected to the mechanism for raising and lowering the scrub brush. There is a second sensor to sense machine reverse movement, with the second sensor being connected to the mechanism for raising and lowering the squeegee.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1999
    Assignee: Tennant Company
    Inventors: Robert A. Geyer, Karl R. Hansen
  • Patent number: D406323
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Sloan Valve Company
    Inventor: Jonathan W. Snyder
  • Patent number: D407931
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1999
    Assignee: Creative Specialties, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles H. Sweetman
  • Patent number: D407932
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1999
    Assignee: Creative Specialties, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles H. Sweetman
  • Patent number: D409030
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: Creative Specialties, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles H. Sweetman
  • Patent number: D409285
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: Moen Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark E. Donahue, Carolyn J. Duffield, Vance M. Johnson, James J. McElroy, Nagib Nasr