Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Robert C. Haldiman
  • Patent number: 6835029
    Abstract: An apparatus for beveling an end of a pipe includes a base member operatively attached to a ring member by a plurality of ring support members and a plurality of blade support members. A removably attached blade has a top edge, a bottom edge and a longitudinal axis. The first edge and the second edge of the blade are helical along the longitudinal axis of the blade. The method includes engaging an end of the pipe with the rotating pipe bevel cutting apparatus and shaving material from the end of the pipe to form a bevel thereon having a preselected angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Inventor: Gary L. Salzer
  • Patent number: 6826894
    Abstract: A position control for a crop pickup device which is mounted for vertical movement relative to an agricultural harvester. A measuring device is provided for determining the distance from the crop pickup device to the ground, wherein the position of the crop pickup device relative to the ground is adjustable by one control device as a function of the measured ground distance. The distance to the ground is determined by the measuring device at two points spaced from each other in the direction of travel. As a result, advantageously the inclination of the ground can be determined and used for optimized control of ground simulation of the crop pickup device. Additionally, the cutting angle can be adapted automatically to the slope of the ground, to avoid crop losses and impede damage to the grain header.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Thiemann, Hubert Uhlending, Ludwig Dammann
  • Patent number: 6824497
    Abstract: The life of a clutch is prolonged via bypassing a clutch of a gearbox and engaging a machine braking system. A change in speed or direction of a gearbox output shaft is accomplished by a management controller sending a signal through a signal transmission system to bypass the clutch and engage the machine braking system. The method includes the steps of generating a signal; processing the signal by the management controller, sending a signal to bypass the clutch; and sending a signal to engage the vehicle braking system to change the speed or direction of rotation of the gearbox. Because changes of speed and/or direction of rotation of the output shaft are assisted by the machine braking system and the clutch is at least partially bypassed, it is ensured that the braking function of the starting clutch is considerably reduced or even eliminated. This leads to a considerable reduction in wear on the clutch, so that its service life can be greatly increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: CLAAS Industrietechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Obermeier-Hartmann, Ulrich Blumenthal
  • Patent number: 6823537
    Abstract: A water diversion apparatus for a standard toilet tank having a fitting connected to a discharge tube and a water supply, such that the discharge tube discharges into an aesthetic container. The aesthetic container may be an aquarium or a cascade and pool. When the toilet is flushed, water is partially diverted from the toilet to the aesthetic container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Inventor: Alexander J. Cummings, III
  • Patent number: 6821632
    Abstract: In a composite of vulcanizable rubber or rubber-like composition with one or more metal reinforcement elements embedded therein, the metal reinforcement element is coated with a polymer or non-cured rubber composition compatible with and co-polymerizable, co-vulcanizable or crosslinkable with said vulcanizable ruber composition to be reinforced, and additionally bearing functional groups either covalently bonding to the metal surface of said reinforcement element or forming covalent bonds with the outward directed first functional groups of a mono- or multimolecular layer of a bifunctional adhesion promoter intercalated between said metal and said coating and bound to said metal by its second functional groups. A cured rubber or rubber-like product, for instance a pneumatic tire, is obtained by vulcanization of such a composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: Continental Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andreas Topp, Bernd Kaiser, Richard Michalitsch, Francis Garnier, Philippe Lang
  • Patent number: 6817167
    Abstract: A self-propelled forage harvester having a feed shaft through which the chopped material is delivered to a pair of conditioning rollers is disclosed. The width of the feed shaft converges on the way from the bladed drum to the pair of conditioning rollers. To direct the material out of the side regions towards the center evenly over the remaining width, there are provided drive-energy-free crop guide elements and are either in the form of plowshare-like guide elements or a contoured bottom. The chopped material mat in a crop discharge region is consistently thick.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Dykstra, Carsten Wienecke, Heinrich Isfort, Markus Deppe
  • Patent number: 6802414
    Abstract: Chain conveyors in an agricultural harvesting machine can be tensioned by means of a tension adjusting device including an adjusting unit which is coupled to a displaceable shaft via a linkage means or connector members. The adjusting units are advantageously hydraulic cylinders controlled in synchronism. The hydraulic cylinders can be mutually independently pressurized via bypass lines incorporating control valves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventor: Hubert Buhne
  • Patent number: 6802771
    Abstract: An agricultural harvesting machine for removing and separating grain from harvested crop has a threshing zone and at least one separation zone for separating the grain. The axial separating rotor is at least partially encased by a separating housing having a plurality of sections. At least one of the sections is displaceable in the axial direction of the at least one axial separating rotor to increase the opening and ensure separation when a correspondingly large proportion of grain are in the outer region of the rotating crop stream and the proportion of admixtures is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Berthold Schwersmann, Gregor Gogolin
  • Patent number: 6802614
    Abstract: A system for front projection of a continuous image onto at least two non-coplanar viewing surfaces includes a light source, an image source and a projection lens assembly. The light source, image source and projection lens assembly are disposed within a housing to project an image on a first viewing surface and at least one other viewing surface. An image continuity component has a first oblique projection compensator, at least one other oblique projection compensator and the oblique projection compensators are coordinated to project complimentary image portions in a continuous image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Inventor: Robert C. Haldiman
  • Patent number: 6791488
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the distance between an agricultural machine and a surface such as the ground, wherein at least one sensor contactlessly determines the distance between the sensor and the surface. The sensor uses electromagnetic waves to penetrate through the field vegetation. The sensor may be a radar, a microwave or a laser sensor. The electromagnetic wave is emitted in a vertical direction toward the ground and reflected back to the sensor. The determined distance is used for automatically maintaining a working height of a front attachment, such as a cutterbar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Diekhans, Helmut Homburg, Jochen Huster, Manfred Pollklas
  • Patent number: 6789379
    Abstract: A support for an agricultural implement carried on a receiving device of an agricultural machine includes at least one support wheel connected with the receiving device. A support wheel assembly for use with the disclosed method includes a support wheel and a wheel lifting cylinder connecting the support wheel with the receiving device. The load on the support wheel is adjustable via the wheel lifting cylinder. Adjustment is controlled in response to load sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Franz Heidjann, Bernd Holtmann
  • Patent number: 6790193
    Abstract: A foot lifter orthosis including a dorsal leg shell, extending over the rear foot, which can be fixed by a strapping means to the calf of the orthosis wearer and which has a forefoot shell section constructed in one piece which extends to a point below the foot sole region, wherein the leg shell exhibits a low resistance in dorsal foot bending and a high resistance compensating for the foot and shoe mass in plantar foot bending with at least one resilient inlay, which extends approximately parallel to and at a short distance from an edge of the leg shell from the calf region thereof to a point below the forefoot shell section. An associated method of formation is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Otto Bock Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Ulf Wellershaus, Matthias Vollbrecht
  • Patent number: 6786182
    Abstract: A household appliance for steam generation with a boiler containing a heating source for water vaporization intended to be partly immersed in water; a control means for adjusting the pressure valve of the steam in the boiler that operatively associated with the heating source to switch on or off so as to maintain the steam pressure at a desired value; and a steam delivering means. The means for adjusting the pressure value in the boiler is operatively associated with the steam delivery means so as to switch the heating source on and off in function of the open or closed status of the steam delivery means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Imetec, S.p.A.
    Inventors: Arturo Morgandi, Diego Pietra
  • Patent number: 6784803
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for monitoring and detecting seat belt usage, having an enforcement device with an enforcement circuit board and a vehicle device with a vehicle circuit board. Each of the enforcement circuit board and the vehicle circuit board has a transformer and a receiver and a pair of antennas for transmitting and receiving a first signal and a return signal. The enforcement device and the vehicle device communicate a properly fastened state or an improperly fastened state for a seat belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Seatbelt Safety First--LLC
    Inventors: George E. Hypke, Robert R. Walker
  • Patent number: 6780102
    Abstract: A combine harvester is provided with a feeder housing; A separation unit including a rotor driven by a shaft is arranged in a rotor housing. The separation unit a feed end and a discharge end; and a transfer mechanism located in the region of the intersection of the feeder housing and the feed end of the separation unit; The transfer mechanism includes a plurality of auger blades connected with the rotor in the region of the feed zone; A rotating element located in the feeder housing has an axis of rotation perpendicular to the axis of the rotor and above the feed end of the rotor. The rotating element feeds harvested crops to the separation unit from underneath the rotating element's axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Andrie Visagie, Thomas Barrelmeyer
  • Patent number: 6769253
    Abstract: A turbine power plant utilizing buoyant force is disclosed. This turbine power plant includes a turbine wheel having a vane, wherein the turbine wheel is rotatably attached to a shaft, wherein the vane includes a housing having a chamber for receiving air to propel the at least one turbine wheel, wherein the shaft is operatively attached to an electrical generator for producing electricity through rotation of the shaft. Although the preferred design for the turbine wheel is a quad vane, e.g., fin, design, a wide variety of other vane designs may suffice including dual fin and wing designs. Preferably, there is a weighted portion located within the housing of a fin for the turbine wheel for pulling the turbine wheel downward to facilitate rotation. Moreover, a duct is preferably located within the chamber of the fin to assist the air to rise to the top of the chamber and increase the effectiveness of the buoyant force supplied by the air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Inventor: Daniel S. Scharfenberg
  • Patent number: 6752600
    Abstract: A fluid system for plural motor driven pumps is disclosed. The fluid system includes a hydraulic motor, a fluid reservoir, and a plurality of fixed displacement pumps. A control valve selectively directs flow of fluid to either a reservoir or the hydraulic motor. A control system responsive to an external condition and an internal condition generates a signal for each condition. The control valve is operated by the signals. The internal signal may be generated by an internal pressure monitoring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Wayne Engineering Corporation
    Inventor: Wayne R. Worthington
  • Patent number: 6752346
    Abstract: A device is provided for winding a roll of a fabric web made from organic and/or synthetic fibers and which has a relatively high porous material structure and a high volume per unit area. The device includes a winding bed having a plurality of support rollers and a pressure roller located above the support rollers for exerting a pressure force on the fabric web being wound into the roll. An ascending delivery table has a distal end above the pressure roller. The support rollers and the pressure roller are rotated in the same direction during the winding process. A packing station is provided adjacent the winding bed. The direction of rotation of the support rollers is reversed to move the roll from the winding bed to the packing station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: mst-Maschinenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Joachim Meyer, Frank Stöver
  • Patent number: 6746081
    Abstract: An anatomically deformable support and, in particular, a lordosis support, is provided for use with seats, couches or the like. The anatomically deformable support includes a frame, and an anatomically deformable supporting part connected to the frame and that can be arched in the reversible manner. The supporting part is connected to the frame by a connection arrangement including elongates cylindrical members, for example, wires, secured to the frame and first and second mounting arrangements provided at first and second end portions of the supporting part for securing the elongate cylindrical members to the supporting part. At least one of the mounting arrangements includes a first common rigid web member, and a pair of elastically flexible web members arranged on opposing sides of the rigid web member to form first mountings in which the elongate cylindrical members are received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Schukra Berndorf Ges. m.b.H.
    Inventor: Knud Klingler
  • Patent number: D496945
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Inventor: Timothy E. Daniel