Patents Represented by Attorney John J. Selko
  • Patent number: 6109394
    Abstract: An extendable boom for a material handling device includes a first boom section for connection to a support frame, the first boom section having a plurality of first structural members. A second boom section is slidable with respect to the first boom section, for supporting a load to be moved and carried. The second boom section has a plurality of second structural members. Wear pads are positioned between the first and second structural members, the wear pads being a cast polyamide material with oil impregnated therein and subjected to dynamic compressive loading condition characterized by a PV value between 26,400 and 32,000. A method to manufacture the extendable boom is also claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company
    Inventor: John E. Messenger
  • Patent number: 6059489
    Abstract: The invention relates to a road finisher with a chassis having a front bucket for receiving packing material and a conveying device for conveying the packing material from the bucket to a rear spreader screw arrangement which is arranged transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the road finisher and in front of a consolidation plank which is extendable, the consolidation plank, which is connected to the chassis via pulling arms and floats on the packing material, being divided centrally in the direction of the longitudinal axis into two plank halves, the consolidation plank being provided with a device for adjusting the inclination of two halves with respect to each other and having outer side cheeks. In order to counteract twisting of the consolidation plank and opening of the gap between the two plank halves, a clamping device, the clamping force of which can be set by a cylinder articulated on the chassis, is arranged between the chassis and the lower region of the outer side cheek.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company
    Inventor: Dirk Heims
  • Patent number: 6047785
    Abstract: A paving machine that is driven by track assemblies utilizing continuous rubber belts uses a motor and planetary gear reduction combination on each drive wheel to drive each belt. Each planetary gear includes a planetary joint connection between a rotating and a non-rotating portion, with an elastomeric seal therein to retain lubricating fluid in the planetary housing. Each drive wheel is formed from a pair of annular ring members rigidly connected together and spaced apart to provide a passage for directing debris falling from a rotating drive wheel away from the planetary joint, to minimize damage to the seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: Blaw-Knox Construction Equip. Corp.
    Inventors: Craig L. Snyder, Thomas A. Roth, Thomas Thomason, Randy Webb, Jerry F. Rau
  • Patent number: 6030058
    Abstract: A paving machine is driven by track assemblies utilizing continuous rubber belts driven by drive wheels. Each drive wheel is driven by a planetary gear assembly. Each drive wheel is formed from a pair of annular ring members rigidly connected together and spaced apart to provide a passage for directing debris falling from a rotating drive wheel away from the planetary gear, to minimize damage to the planetary gear assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Blaw-Knox Construction Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Craig L. Snyder, Thomas A. Roth, Thomas Thomason, Randy Webb, Jerry F. Rau
  • Patent number: 6022170
    Abstract: The invention relates to a paver having a consolidation plank for the floating packing of layers, the consolidation plank consisting of two plank halves (1a, 11b), of which the angle of inclination relative to one another can be adjusted transversely to the packing direction and which are adjustable via a controllable adjusting device (7, 24). In order to lock the adjusting members (7) in the non-actuated state, the two plank halves (1a, 1b) are coupled to one another, so as to be free of play, via a brake (9) which is lifted while the adjusting device (7, 24) is being actuated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Allgemeine Baumaschinen-Gesellschaft mbH
    Inventor: Helmut Rower
  • Patent number: 5988298
    Abstract: A drilling device has a drilling mast and a movable drifter thereon with a drill rod stabilizing device for stabilizing drill rods in position during drilling. The stabilizer travels along the mast along with the drifter, and includes a locking arm that automatically opens and closes the stabilizer to allow passage of drill rods into an out of the drill line from storage, while supporting the drill rods during drilling. In a substantially vertical drilling position, the stabilizer is moved downwardly by gravity, and upwardly by the drifter's drive chain, which is retained in contact with the stabilizer by a pick-up link on the drive chain contacting stop blocks on the stabilizer. In a substantially horizontal drilling position, the stabilizer is moved in a return direction by the pick-up link and stop block combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company
    Inventors: Eugene Y. T. Cheng, J. George Land, III
  • Patent number: 5947638
    Abstract: A method of compacting asphalt material having a mix of coarse and fine grains includes providing a paver which has, as compaction assemblies, two strip-shaped tampers which are arranged one directly behind the other in the direction of travel, each tamper being provided with a metering slope and each tamper being provided with a tamping surface thereon, each tamper being vertically reciprocated between an upper and lower terminal position, so as to cause the front tamper lower position to correspond substantially to the rear tamper upper position, whereby coarser grains in the asphalt mix are embedded and undergo minimal longitudinal displacement, as the paver moves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: ABG Allgemeine Baumaschinen-Gesellschaft mbH
    Inventor: Dirk Heims
  • Patent number: 5931606
    Abstract: A system for providing a visual body-length indicator for a group of mine roof stabilizers of various, unique lengths includes providing each stabilizer with a tubular body and a slot along the body. A bottom annular ring having a ring gap formed therein is attached to the body, with the ring gap and body slot being oriented in a unique relation for each unique body length, providing a visual indicator of body length that can be observed from a distance, even after the stabilizer is installed into a drill hole in a mine roof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company
    Inventor: Terje Karlsen
  • Patent number: 5924818
    Abstract: A wear compensating device for a slope adjusting assembly for an extendable screed section of a paver includes a saddle support assembly on the screed, for supporting an extendable screed section, a saddle assembly on the saddle support assembly for carrying extendable guide members to support the extendable screed section, and an adjustable cam follower positioned between the saddle assembly and the saddle support assembly for providing rolling contact between the saddle assembly and the saddle support assembly, to maintain alignment between the saddle support assembly and the saddle assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: Blaw-Knox Construction Equipment Corp.
    Inventor: Ted E. Holmes
  • Patent number: 5915495
    Abstract: A carrier member for carrying the drive train components of a small, off-road, gasoline-powered vehicle. The carrier is a sheet metal structure having a base panel for carrying a small engine, a rear panel for carrying a transaxle that includes axle shafts extending to the rear drive wheels, and a front panel for receiving a front mount adapted to engage the vehicle frame at a transverse frame cross member. The carrier and associated drive train components constitute a unitized drive train assembly that is suspended from the frame by a pair of leaf springs or a pair of coil springs. Optionally, a torsion bar can be provided to minimize roll of the vehicle during turns. One embodiment of the suspension system includes a Watts link arrangement for minimizing side-to-side movement of the drive train assembly, and a ball-type front mount for connection of the drive train assembly with the vehicle frame in a manner to minimize transfer to the frame of vibrations and torque from the drive train assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Club Car, Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Kerlin, J. Douglas Smith
  • Patent number: 5908459
    Abstract: The invention relates to a road finisher having traveling gear and a series of units which are used for the consolidation of warm packing material, the finisher having a plurality of control circuits for controlling various functions performed by the machine. Each control circuit includes a replaceable control processor therein, each control processor being adapted to replace any and all other control processors and to perform any and all control functions of any and all other control processors, whereby, when a control processor fails in service, another control processor, which is controlling a less important function, can be substituted therefor to permit continued operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1999
    Assignee: ABG Allgemeine Baumaschinen-Gesellschaft mbH
    Inventors: Maik Rower, Werner Engeln, Thomas Lossow
  • Patent number: 5857692
    Abstract: A towing arrangement for towing vehicles, such as golf cars. A pivotable, elongated towing bar is carried at the rear of a vehicle for pivotable movement about a horizontal pivot axis between an outwardly extending, towing position, and a retracted, upwardly extending, storage position. A towing bar gripper is attached to the car adjacent the rear end for releasably gripping the towing bar in the storage position. The gripper is formed by a resilient, generally U-shaped frame having a pair of opposed, spaced apart arms that form a slot into which a gripper bar is frictionally inserted and retained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: Club Car, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul E. Hayes, Donald G. Samuelson, James R. Kerlin, Charles A. Fain
  • Patent number: 5827588
    Abstract: A workpiece has a surface formed by a circular bore extending in the workpiece body along a bore axis. The bore surface includes a heat-affected zone pattern thereon, produced with a laser light beam. The heat-affected zone pattern can be a variety of patterns including a single helix, overlapping helixes a single annular ring and a plurality of annular rings. The heat-affected zones can have a variety of widths, as measured in relation to the longitudinal bore axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company
    Inventors: Craig L. Snyder, William J. Gavigan, Frank J. Tufano, James T. Shandersky
  • Patent number: 5816741
    Abstract: A hand-held, portable control device for a walk-behind mobile compactor includes a control box for generating a plurality of electrical control signals. A handle on the control box is adapted to be grasped by a single hand of an operator, without requiring an operator's thumb to support the control box. The handle is adapted to position an operator's thumb adjacent to the control box so as to permit the thumb to move freely in all directions. A flexible cable connects the control box to the compactor. Switches for activating electrical signals from the control box are positioned within a proximity of an operator's thumb, when the handle is grasped by an operator, the switches being movable among a plurality of activation positions in response to movement of an operator's thumb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company
    Inventor: G. Louis Troppman, III
  • Patent number: 5794516
    Abstract: A piston for a fluid-actuated, percussive, down-the-hole drill is provided with self-lubricating bearings and self-lubricating seals. The piston includes an elongated body member terminating in a front end and a back end and having a longitudinal bore therethrough. A bearing and seal combination is positioned adjacent each end of the piston and an undercut portion of the piston body extends therebetween. The bore and undercut portions of the body form a portion of fluid passageways in the drill, when the piston is reciprocated in the drill. The seals float in their grooves, being movable axially, radially and circumferentially. The bearings are substantially nonmovable axially and radially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company
    Inventors: Dale R. Wolfer, Leland H. Lyon
  • Patent number: 5791206
    Abstract: A breakout wrench for making and breaking joints between successive drill pipe in a drill string on a drilling rig includes a swing arm pivotable between a storage and a pipe gripping position. The swing arm carries a first and second pipe gripping jaw, the first jaw movable relative to the swing arm, and the second jaw movable relative to the first jaw. Both jaws are freely movable, to a slight degree, in all directions in the plane of their movement, to permit self-adjustment of position to the wrench relative to a drill pipe centerline. A double-rod hydraulic cylinder actuates both jaws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company
    Inventors: Odee P. Daigle, James E. Morris
  • Patent number: 5788255
    Abstract: A towing arrangement for towing vehicles, such as golf cars. A pivotable, elongated towing bar having a notch adjacent its outer end is carried at the rear of a vehicle for pivotable movement about a horizontal pivot axis between an outwardly extending, towing position, and a retracted, upwardly extending, storage position. The forward end of the car includes a towing bar receiver in the form of a channel member that is pivotable about a vertical axis and that includes a longitudinal slot for receiving a towing bar. The towing bar receiver includes a pivotable hook retainer member adapted to engage with the hook portion of the towing bar to securely retain the towing bar in position within the towing bar receiver for towing a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Inventors: Paul E. Hayes, Donald G. Samuelson, James R. Kerlin, John D. Smith
  • Patent number: 5781874
    Abstract: A vibratory compactor includes front and rear frame portions driven by a first hydraulic motor and a vibration mechanism on at least one of the frame portions also driven by a second hydraulic motor. A first sensor on the vehicle senses movement of a member on said vehicle driven by said first hydraulic motor, and sends corresponding signals to a microcontroller on the vehicle. A timing device sends timing signals to the microcontroller, which is programmed to convert the movement signals and timing signals to indicate longitudinal speed of travel of the vehicle. The microcontroller automatically turns a vibration means on the vehicle on or off depending on the speed of the vehicle. A second sensor on the vehicle sends a signal to the microcontroller indicating a reverse direction of travel of the vehicle. The microcontroller automatically coincides the direction of motion of the vibration means with the direction of travel of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company
    Inventors: G. Louis Troppman, Kenneth E. Gasper
  • Patent number: 5762150
    Abstract: A drill rod changer assembly for a drill rig includes an elongated support shaft having a housing at each end for retaining ends of drill rods, the support shaft being adapted for removable attachment to a drill rig structure, a carousel-type drill rod spacer on the shaft and a pair of gripper arms adapted for removable attachment to a drill rig structure at spaced apart positions adjacent each end of the support shaft. A hydraulic actuation device rotates the support shaft and carousel drill rod spacer between a rod storage position and a rod usage position. Each gripper arm is moved between the drill rod storage and usage positions by hydraulic actuation devices on each arm. Each gripper arm carries a sliding gate member that opens and closes the housings in response to movement of the gripper arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company
    Inventors: Eugene Y. T. Cheng, Stuart A. Connell, Danny S. Bailey, Phillip A. Mayhew
  • Patent number: D409296
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: Club Car, Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Kerlin, Donald G. Samuelson, David N. Schult