Patents Represented by Law Firm Learman & McCulloch
  • Patent number: 6482350
    Abstract: A blow pin assembly for a mold of a rotary blow molding machine includes a base, a carriage supported by and movable relative to the base, a sub-base supported by and movable relative to the carriage, and a blow pin mounted to the sub-base for movement between a home position and a mold-engaging position. The blow pin is constructed with a low profile to clear an extruder head above the mold. This permits a method of forming a blow molded product to be used wherein the blow pin is inserted into the mold (and a parison in the mold), while the mold is at the extrusion workstation of the blow molding machine or very nearly so.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: R&B Machine Tool Company
    Inventor: David M. Johnson
  • Patent number: 6483005
    Abstract: The present invention relates to removal of organic pollutants from aqueous effluent streams. The present invention provides a method of destructively oxidising an organic compound present in an aqueous solution, the method comprising oxidising the organic compound in the presence of a catalyst which contains uranium. The catalyst may comprise a uranium oxide. The reaction may be carried out at low temperature, e.g. ambient temperature. The method may be used to treat aqueous effluent streams to remove organic compounds from the stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: British Nuclear Fuels PLC
    Inventors: Victoria Jane Boyd, Ian David Hudson, Stuart Hamilton Taylor, Shane Rory O'Leary, Graham John Hutchings
  • Patent number: 6481895
    Abstract: A crank shaft thrust bearing half includes a semi-cylindrical bearing shell carrying a pair of radially outwardly projecting thrust flanges having outer thrust surfaces. Radial grooves are formed in the thrust face to divide the surface into thrust pads. Each thrust pad has hydrodynamic contours which provide a hydrodynamic wedging action during rotation of the shaft to support high thrust loads. The thrust pad at the trailing end of the flange has an elevated land area spaced about 30° away from the trailing end and includes a long relief area from the land to the end to provide a no contact zone of the flange. Locating the land away from the trailing end and providing the relief zone shifts the peak pressure location away from the end and toward the middle of the bearing to relieve the trailing end from stress. Having radially oriented oil grooves with suitable width enables adequate oil supply and improved hydrodynamic oil film generating capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul World Wide, Inc.
    Inventors: Qingmin Yang, Robert L. Stone
  • Patent number: 6481699
    Abstract: An acceleration device of a carburetor for a two cycle engine with a rotary dual valve which controls air flow through both a scavenging passage and a separate air intake passage each extending through a carburetor body. The carburetor body houses a metering fuel chamber and an air reference chamber defined by a diaphragm between them. Fuel in the metering fuel chamber is discharged through a port into the air intake passage. An acceleration pump has an actuation chamber which communicates with the scavenging passage and a pump chamber which communicates with the air reference chamber and a membrane between them. During engine acceleration the membrane is displaced by a pressure introduced into the actuation chamber to forcibly send air into the air reference chamber from the pump chamber to move, the diaphragm into the metering fuel chamber, and thereby increase the fuel delivered to the air intake passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Walbro Japan, Inc.
    Inventors: Tamio Aihara, Hiroki Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 6481403
    Abstract: A diaphragm type carburetor which has a purge system to remove air and fuel vapor from the carburetor and to fill it with liquid fuel prior to starting an engine fed by the carburetor. The purge system has a primer valve actuated by moving a choke valve of the carburetor to its closed position to inject a small volume of liquid fuel into a throttle bore to provide a richer fuel and air mixture to the engine to facilitate starting it. Desirably, the small volume of liquid fuel is injected into the throttle bore in response to closing of the choke valve without requiring any additional steps such as depressing a button on the carburetor, to do so. Preferably, the choke valve is carried on a shaft which has at least one detent formed therein to provide a camming surface which actuates the primer valve as the choke valve is rotated from its open position to its closed position. Preferably, the choke valve shaft has a pair of detents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Walbro Corporation
    Inventors: Jerry J. Ashcraft, Jose Govea, Karl P. Richter, Randy M. Sherman
  • Patent number: 6478993
    Abstract: A method of forming foamed articles suitable for refractory, thermal insulation and construction application in a form such as bricks, blocks, slabs and discs includes the preparation of homogeneous mixture of at least one oxygen-containing, water-insoluble raw material having a particle size <200 microns and at least one gas forming reagent having a particle size <130 microns. The mixture is humidified and shaped and then heated to a formation temperature sufficient to melt the raw material to develop an oxygen-containing molten liquid phase. This phase reacts at the formation temperature with the gas-forming reagent to induce a foamed structure which is then cooled to a solid state. The raw materials preferably make up 99-99.95 wt % of the mixture, and the gas forming reagent makes up the balance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Inventors: Vladimir Gontmakher, Evgueni Pevzner
  • Patent number: 6479165
    Abstract: There is disclosed a material wire for wear-resistant and trobologically favorable shaped bodies manufactured by the arc spraying method, which comprises a covering (12) and a filling (14). The covering (12) comprises an alloy based on aluminium with at least one further alloy component, for example magnesium or manganese. The filling (14) comprises further alloy components for the resulting alloy of the shaped body, for example silicon. The filling (14) may apart from the silicon also comprise further components, for example aluminium and/or boron. By way of this the composition and the material properties of the resulting alloy of the shaped body may be set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignees: Federal-Mogul Friedberg GmbH, Drahtwarenfabrik Drahtzug Stein GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Manfred Fischer, Peter Godel, Werner Trubenbach, Markus Müller, Reinhard Rosert
  • Patent number: 6477744
    Abstract: The visor clip for a vehicle visor is a one-piece member molded from a resilient material. The visor clip includes a primary clip, a secondary clip and a third clip. The primary clip and the secondary clip share the same bight portion. The third clip and the primary clip share one leg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Inventor: Gregory Henry Miles
  • Patent number: 6477978
    Abstract: A crossing arm assembly that includes either one or two hollow, tapered fishing rod bodies cantilevered at their butt ends to a beam-mounting portion of a combined pivot/bracket. A crosspiece connects the tips of the rods. The combined pivot/bracket pivotally attaches to a support at the front end of a bus to block pedestrian traffic from crossing immediately in front of the bus when the bus is stopped. The rods are tapered in mass and cross-sectional area from their butt ends to their tips. The taper concentrates rod mass closer to the support to reduce the tendency of cantilevered rods to sag under their own weight and/or to swing forward as the bus decelerates. The taper also increases rod flexibility to prevent plastic rod deformation and to reduce loads on the support when external forces are applied to the rods. A flap is pivotally attached to one of the rods to increase beam visibility without adding significant wind resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Transpec, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald C. Lamparter
  • Patent number: 6478153
    Abstract: A package for framed and unframed single mirrors is disclosed. The package includes a recess projecting past the single mirror on all sides and in which the single mirror is to be so received that it is held in a substantially coplanar relation to the face delimiting the recess at the bottom of the package. The recess has dimensions such that there is a clearance between the delimiting edges of the recess and that of the single mirror. The clearance is adapted to allow for possible movement of the single mirror following a blow or impact. The package further includes a counter-abutment member that has a surface for contacting an external face of the mirror to retain the mirror between the recessed face and the counter-abutment member. There is also included a fastening mechanism for use in locating and mounting the counter-abutment member and the single mirror in the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Inventor: Rudolf C. King
  • Patent number: 6477941
    Abstract: A heavy duty diesel piston includes upper and lower portions joined across a friction weld and internally contoured to provide a dual gallery structure including an outer annular gallery and a central gallery joined by passages for communicating cooling oil therebetween. The dual-gallery structure allows oil to enter from the outer gallery, which is formed by the circumferential annular recess in the crown and crown bottom, into the central gallery to cool the piston and particularly the central crown region exposed to hot combustion gases. The friction weld provides high structural integrity and minimizes the number of manufacturing steps need to attach the crown to the crown bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul World Wide, Inc.
    Inventors: Xilou Zhu, Alan S. Brown, Walter Joseph Griffiths, Miguel N. Azevedo
  • Patent number: 6474490
    Abstract: A container cap for use on a container top. The container cap includes a heat-sealable central portion for securing to the bottle top rim, a peripheral portion integral with the central portion adapted to be formed into a skirt around the neck of the container top, at least one lift tab connected to the peripheral portion, and a predetermined weakened line formed on one of the central or peripheral portions. The weakened line is operatively connected to one or more lift tabs in alternate arrangements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Label Makers, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence P. Seibel, Kara E. Sturdy, Jill K. Koch, Robert P. Moran, Linda D. Ramos
  • Patent number: 6474579
    Abstract: A generally horizontal wood comminuter has a crosswise rotor with comminuting knives moving in a path of rotation and a crosswise coacting anvil. A feed works provides a material support surface and a power-driven feed member above it for feeding material toward the rotor. The rotor is driven in an uphill path of rotation relative to the feed works. Lift arms pivoted rearwardly of the feed works pivotally carry the feed member for swinging vertical movement toward and away from the material support surface. A crosswise deflector plate is carried independently of the lift arms and extends toward the anvil and a crosswise lift arm plate coacts with the deflector plate to contain fragmented material. The anvil and a grate retainer preferably are pivotal to move together from an operative to an inoperative position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Morbark, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary M. Bardos, Michael L. Hockstra
  • Patent number: 6470550
    Abstract: A method of making or reconstituting tooling to be used in the processing of high temperature molten material comprises machining an undercut in the tooling surface which terminates at a shoulder and provides an inset barrier receiving surface; a chemical barrier providing interface coating system to which a ceramic-based material will fuse, is fused over the undercut receiving surface. Then a thermally-insulative ceramic-based coating is fused to the interface system to fill the undercut and merge with the tooling surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignees: Shear Tool, Inc., Flame Spray Coating Co., Inc.
    Inventors: James E. Kowalczyk, Rick J. Bolyea
  • Patent number: 6471432
    Abstract: A marker pen has a marker tip at one end and a reservoir for marker fluid adjacent the other end. The pen is pivoted between the marker tip and the reservoir to one end of a support arm for pivotal movement from a position of use to a stored position. In the position of use, the support arm rests between the thumb and index finger of the user and the reservoir extends upwardly above the marker tip. In the stored position, the reservoir extends alongside the support arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: The Detroit Edison Company
    Inventor: Scott E. Kremer
  • Patent number: 6471379
    Abstract: A waveguide illumination assembly for an automobile license plate includes a single light source and a transport or waveguide disposed outward from the license plate perimeter. The light source shines into one end of the waveguide. The waveguide has one or more arms, each of which has an array of reflective elements. Light is internally reflected as it travels through the waveguide until it strikes a reflective element, thereby directing light through an opposing longitudinal side of the waveguide arm and onto the license plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul World Wide, Inc.
    Inventors: Lloyd Keith Bucher, George Robert Hulse
  • Patent number: 6467154
    Abstract: An apparatus for press fitting inserts into corresponding receptacles in workpieces includes a press comprising a ram and a backup tool spaced from the ram. An insertion tool is alignable between the ram and the backup tool. An insert magazine feeds inserts to the insertion tool. A workpiece positioner sequentially moves each workpiece through receiving positions that align the receptacles with the insertion tool between the ram and the backup tool. The ram repeatedly engages the insertion tool to press fit an insert into each of the corresponding receptacles. The backup tool supports the workpiece against the force of press-fit insertion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Unova IP Corp.
    Inventor: Orrin P. Beggs
  • Patent number: 6468005
    Abstract: An air mover apparatus for conveying and separating articles through a transport tube. A line-up of articles are supplied via a track from an orienting and feeding device and, thence, to a transport tube leading to a remote processing machine. The air mover is operatively connected between the track and the transport tube. Oppositely disposed converging air passages are formed in the air mover, adapted to receive compressed air from a suitable source and emit same to the interior of the air mover, to thereby draw each successive article therepast from the line-up and project same forward, creating a separation between adjacent articles while blowing the articles through the transport tube to the processing machine. An orifice may be formed upstream of the converging air passages, adapted to receive the compressed air to stall the articles to enhance the separation between adjacent articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Elopak Systems AG
    Inventor: Leo J. Esper
  • Patent number: D464899
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Bulgari SpA
    Inventor: Paolo Bulgari
  • Patent number: D465634
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Magline, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard P. Botzau, Joseph Thomas Hatfield, Jerry J. McQuarter, Daniel C. Munn