Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm John C. Bigler
  • Support device for measuring sensor
    Patent number: 5803419
    Abstract: A support device including a clamping sleeve mountable in a hole and which applies a retaining force to a sensor. A wall of the sleeve bears an elastic means for locking the sleeve in the hole and an elastic means for axially retaining the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Christophe Nicot
  • Planet washer
    Patent number: 5795258
    Abstract: A substantially flat, steel ring having an axis, has an axial end face with two parallel chordal grooves disposed symmetrically about a central aperture. A flat end surface between the chordal grooves engages an adjacent planet gear and ends of rollers supporting the planet gear. A portion of the chordal grooves is radially inward of the outer raceway of the rollers, providing a lubricant path between the planet washer and the planet gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventors: Jan J. Faass, Paul M. Cornish, David R. Moulton
  • Bearing having a seal with build-in encoder and wheel hub incorporating such bearing
    Patent number: 5755517
    Abstract: A bearing comprises an inner race, an outer race mounted via rolling bodies around the inner race, one of the races being a rotatable race, and seals that seal the bearing. One of the seals incorporates an encoder element rotatable with the rotating race and includes an armature that has a radial extension extending along a lateral face of the rotating race. The radial extension compensates for the thickness of the device for fixing the sensor element. The present invention also relates to a wheel hub mounted via such a rolling-contact bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Christophe Nicot
  • Device for measuring the torque of a rotating shaft
    Patent number: 5731529
    Abstract: Two magnetic field generators are fixed symmetrically with respect to a shaft in a first plane perpendicular to the shaft, and two magnetic field detector units are fixed symmetrically with respect to the shaft, in a second plane parallel to, and axially offset with respect to, the first plane. The detector units deliver a signal proportional to the torque owing to the relative angular offset of the generators with respect to the detector units such that the plane median to the first plane and second plane passes through the point of maximum deflection of the shaft under a longitudinal flexion force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Christophe Nicot
  • Circuit and method for synchronizing a fuel pump or the like
    Patent number: 5711278
    Abstract: A sensor senses a reference signal having a reference pulse characterizing angular position of a rotating member and an angular clock pulse characterizing the rotational speed of the rotating member and having an angular clock pulse frequency greater than the reference pulse frequency. An output signal is produced having an output pulse delayed with respect to the reference pulse of the reference signal by an integral number of angular clock pulses to provide a coarse adjustment. The output signal may be delayed by an additional fraction of a subsequent angular clock pulse to provide a fine adjustment. A circuit to effect this method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventors: A. John Santos, Mark E. LaCroix
  • Bearing assembly with end cap
    Patent number: 5711618
    Abstract: A rolling element bearing is mounted in the bore of a housing, and a hollow end cap is mounted over the bearing. Circumferentially spaced grooves in the bore extend axially partially through the housing from one axial end to facilitate insertion of the bearing. The end cap has a closed wall at one axial end and resilient projections extending axially from its open end, firmly engaging the housing grooves. A strap holder, integral with the end cap, may be provided between the two resilient projections, extending radially outwardly along the axial end of the housing and axially along the housing outer surface and has an opening for mounting a grease fitting. An integral flexible strap extends from the strap holder and has a cover to enclose the grease fitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Walter P. Waskiewicz
  • Lined bearing with wear sensor
    Patent number: 5701119
    Abstract: A bearing liner between inner and outer bearing rings, one stationary and the other rotatable, is fixed to the stationary bearing ring. A pair of electrical conductors, coiled in at least one loop encircling the inner bearing ring, is embedded within the bearing liner. The electrical conductors are electrically isolated and located such that wear of the bearing liner causes the rotatable bearing ring to contact and electrically connect the electrical conductors. An electrical circuit detects the electrical connection to indicate wear of the bearing liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1997
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Mark I. Jurras, III
  • Antifriction bearing with seal arrangement
    Patent number: 5695290
    Abstract: A spherical roller bearing has a seal at each axial end of the inner ring-outer ring annulus. Each seal has two spaced apart metal parts. Elastomeric seal lips are bonded to one metal part and extend into wiping contact with the other metal part. The spherical roller bearings described have three seal lips. In one embodiment two seal lips are bonded to one metal part and one seal lip is bonded to the other metal part. In the other embodiment the three seal lips are bonded to one metal part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1997
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventors: Stephen M. Mondak, John A. Butine, Anthony Storey
  • Modular retainer assembly
    Patent number: 5660485
    Abstract: A plurality of wedge-shaped separator elements are pivotably mounted on a retainer ring such that the separator elements may space rollers of a roller bearing circumferentially. The separator elements include a narrow portion for engagement with a thrust flange of one of the inner and outer bearing rings to restrain the bearing retainer in the axially outward direction and include a wide portion for engagement with the rollers to retain the rollers in one of the radially outward and radially inward directions. The retainer ring engages the rollers to retain the bearing retainer in the axially inward direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventors: Stephen T. Podhajecki, John H. Rhodes, Walter P. Waskiewicz
  • Antifriction bearing with a seal locked against rotation
    Patent number: 5645358
    Abstract: A pair of axially separated, radially extending annular shoulders form an annular groove on the inside diameter of an outer ring of an antifriction bearing. An adjacent axially extending eccentric surface ensures that of the outer annular shoulder continuously increases around a first arcuate portion and continuously decreases around a second arcuate portion. An annular seal between an inner ring and the outer ring has concentric circumferentially separated protrusions. An annular portion of the annular seal extends into the outer ring annular groove such that when the annular seal rotated, at least one of the protrusions abuts against the eccentric surface to lock the seal against rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1997
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Salvatore Acampora, Jr.
  • Bearing with an arrangement for obtaining an indication of the temperature within the bearing
    Patent number: 5642105
    Abstract: A temperature sensor is mounted on the inside surface of a stationary race around which a rotatable race rotates. Electric signals from the temperature sensor are converted into acoustic signals. Without the use of any hard wires, the acoustic signals are received by an acoustic-electric transducer mounted on the outside surface of the bearing housing. These electric signals from the acoustic-electric transducer are frequency demodulated and converted into signals which indicate on a display panel the temperatures within the bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 24, 1997
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventors: Paul E. Duffy, Richard W. Browner, Richard L. Lemoine, Mark I. Jurras, III
  • Device for detection of the speed of rotation of a rolling bearing
    Patent number: 5640087
    Abstract: A device for detection of the speed of rotation of a rolling bearing which has an encoder element mounted on the rotating part of the bearing and a sensor unit consisting of a sensor holder attached to a support mounted in contact with a nonrotating part of the bearing. The sensor unit is mounted on an elastic member for positioning with respect to the encoder element and may be adjusted with respect to a removable immobilization component of the sensor unit in contact with the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Denis Alff
  • Locking device for a bearing assembly
    Patent number: 5630671
    Abstract: An annular collar includes a first clamping surface to be positioned radially outwardly of a surface of a bearing inner ring. The annular collar is made of a thermoelastic material such that an increase in temperature decreases the circumference of the annular collar and causes the first clamping surface to clamp against the surface of the bearing inner ring. The thermoelastic material may be a shape memory alloy or a polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1997
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: John A. Larson
  • Device for fixing a sensor to a rolling-element bearing
    Patent number: 5622437
    Abstract: The bearing has a movable ring and a fixed ring, separated from the movable ring by rolling elements, and is axially restrained by an axial stop member. A support member adapted for mounting of the sensor is positioned between the fixed ring and the axial stop member. Elastic means on the support member biases the support member away from the axial stop member to maintain a constant gap between the coding element and the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1997
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Denis Alff
  • Bearing seal with integral encoder, equipped with an information sensor
    Patent number: 5611545
    Abstract: A seal for a rolling element bearing or rolling element bearing seat wherein a packing with sealing lips is in contact with two reinforcements to which the sensor and encoder are fastened. The reinforcements have a cylindrical mounting surface. One of the reinforcements is radially extended by a support surface and by a local radial extension for positioning and retaining for the sensor with respect to the encoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Christophe Nicot
  • Bearing with an electric-acoustic transducer for transmitting information regarding various parameters within the bearing
    Patent number: 5602539
    Abstract: A bearing is mounted within a housing having an acoustic-electric transducer mounted on its outside. A stationary annular outer race has at least one sensor, an electric-acoustic transducer, and an electronic system interconnecting the sensor and the electric-acoustic transducer. The electric-acoustic transducer is mounted in an opening extending radially through the stationary race. The electric-acoustic transducer has an elastic cap pressed into the inside of the housing by a spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventors: Richard L. Lemoine, Richard W. Browner, John K. Pearson, Mark I. Jurras, III
  • Bearing having a sensor incorporated in a bearing seal and a circumferential sensor cable extending through and along the side of the bearing seal
    Patent number: 5594334
    Abstract: A bearing with integrated data sensor has a stationary bearing ring, a rotatable bearing ring, and rolling elements in contact with the bearing rings. An encoder is mounted on the rotatable bearing ring, and a sealing gasket is mounted on the stationary bearing ring. A sleeve for protection of a sensor cable is integrally connected to the sealing gasket and has a groove for housing a sensor means which is connected to the sensor cable. The sleeve has a wall of its extremity which is substantially perpendicular to an external side of the sealing gasket through which the sensor cable exits such that it is tangential to said external side of the sealing gasket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1997
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventors: Claude Sonnerat, Denis Alff, Christian Hajzler
  • Apparatus for and methods of stabilizing and regenerating metalworking fluids
    Patent number: 5589138
    Abstract: Metalworking fluids (MWFs) can be regenerated and stabilized by the controlled addition of a chelating agent. The resulting sequestration of the dissolved metals in the MWF has been found to reduce incidence of dermatitis, to control the growth of microbes including bacteria and fungi, and to reduce the generation of odors, all without the further addition of fresh (virgin) MWF or a conventional biocide. Apparatus useful for this control includes monitoring means for determining the presence of free metal ions in the MWF, testing means for determining the concentration of free metal ions if present, and addition means for adding, in a controlled manner, a chelating agent for sequestering the free metal ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1996
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Peter H. Drechsler
  • Bearing with a sensor arrangement for obtaining an indication of various parameters within the housing of the bearing
    Patent number: 5585577
    Abstract: One or more sensors are mounted on the inside surface of a stationary race/sensor mount assembly in the bearing housing. A parameter sensed by the sensor is electronically fed to the outside surface of the stationary race/sensor mount assembly and detected by a transmitter mounted in the housing. The detected information is electrically fed from the transmitter to an electronic system located outside the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventors: Richard L. Lemoine, John A. Butine, Mark I. Jurras, III, Richard W. Browner, Paul E. Duffy
  • Adaptor for inner bearing ring bore
    Patent number: D376159
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1996
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Walter P. Waskiewicz