Patents Represented by Attorney Robert E. Smith
  • Patent number: 4617432
    Abstract: An adjustable pressure responsive switch assembly includes a unitary slide cam and button with projections extending outwardly from the slide cam. The support bracket mounted on the pressure switch includes an elongated slot having an enlarged opening at one end. The slide cam projections are adapted to be inserted in the enlarged opening and then be slidingly received in the elongated slot. The slide cam cannot be removed from the bracket unless it is moved all the way to one extreme so that the projections can be removed from the enlarged opening. This movement is prevented by stops formed as part of the cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1986
    Assignee: Controls Company of America
    Inventors: Tore B. Hanssen, Abed G. Kahale
  • Patent number: 4612821
    Abstract: A push-button control for a sewing machine is provided with a spring system which returns slidable push-buttons from actuated to unactuated positions, and includes individual wire springs supported within grooves in a fixed member and preloaded against extended portions of the buttons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1986
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: William Weisz
  • Patent number: 4613123
    Abstract: An end effector for use with automatic machines for handing flexible materials including a flat base plate having openings therein, at least two barbs, holders positioning each of said barbs adjacent one of said openings, an arrangement for moving each of said barbs through the adjacent one of the openings along a path which forms an angle of less than forty five degrees with the face of the plate, the arrangement for moving each of the barbs through the adjacent one of the openings limiting the travel of the barb along the path and being adapted to move each of the barbs in a direction generally opposite to the directions of the path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1986
    Assignees: The Singer Company, AVG Productions, Inc.
    Inventor: Franke, Sr., John
  • Patent number: 4601477
    Abstract: A clamp for a reciprocatory tool blade is disclosed having a spring loaded roller constrained in an inclined blade accommodating cavity which so effectively forces the roller into clamping relation against a tool blade shank that no special blade shank configuration is required and manual shift of the roller against the spring load provides for ready removal of the tool blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1986
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: Michael E. Barrett, Chris Johnson
  • Patent number: 4600923
    Abstract: A remote meter display unit is connected to a meter index through a magnetically actuated single pole double throw switch cooperating with a magnet mounted on an index pointer shaft. The remote display unit is configured to increment a counter whenever the switch toggles. If the switch or any of the wires connected thereto are disconnected or shorted, the display is reset and maintained at zero. A portable reset/preset unit mates with the remote display unit and includes switches for resetting the remote unit and entering any desired number into the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1986
    Assignee: American Meter Company
    Inventors: Irwin A. Hicks, Joseph P. Schroeck
  • Patent number: 4599499
    Abstract: A drive mechanism for a program timer of the type having a rotating member advanced in a step-by-step manner by a drive pawl includes a drive cam having a camming surface defining the drive stroke of the drive pawl. In order to shorten the switching time, the drive cam is intermittently rotated by an angle sufficient to drive the pawl to advance the rotating member during a single intermittent movement of the drive cam. Sub-interval switching is accomplished by the cooperation between a pivotable sub-interval switching lever and a sub-interval camming surface on the drive cam, with the lever actuated by the camming surface to control the movement of a sub-interval switch blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1986
    Assignee: Controls Company of America
    Inventor: John P. Duve
  • Patent number: 4598753
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for finlessly pressing sewing machine needles without compromising any predetermined final needle configuration by operating on the needle blank prior to any deformation by pressing step to form in the blank a varying cross-sectional area along its length matching the finished needle cross-sectional area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1986
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Thaddeus J. Zylbert
  • Patent number: 4595171
    Abstract: An inline solenoid operated fluid flow control valve includes a plunger housing and a plunger movable against a valve seat and pole piece within the flow line when the solenoid coil is energized. The plunger and plunger housing are axially coupled via a spring which absorbs impact when the plunger strikes the valve seat. A piston within the valve seat member provides a pressure balancing feature and the clearance around the piston provides for a minimum flow when the solenoid coil is energized, with full flow occurring when the solenoid coil is not energized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1986
    Assignee: Controls Company of America
    Inventor: Robert J. Torrence
  • Patent number: 4594956
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for forming and securing by stitching articles with mitered corners such as bed sheets or the like in which the mitered corner is contorted into a substantially flat configuration capable of being secured by a straight line of stitching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1986
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: Artin G. Vartoukian, Robert P. Haggerty
  • Patent number: 4592144
    Abstract: For a powered hand tool having a plastic housing and requiring a slide button with a detent action for at least two positions with an audible indication of the transition from one position to another position, a plastic spring molded as part of the housing and having an arched surface extending into the path of a projection from the slide button which has first and second oppositely disposed tapered sides extending towards each other and terminating in a flat base portion which coacts with the arched surface to provide a detent action and an audible indication of the transition to a new position when the slide button impacts upon abutments formed as part of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1986
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: Richard R. Tolbert, Troy L. McCurry
  • Patent number: 4590790
    Abstract: A meter in a high pressure gas pipeline is calibrating using a sonic nozzle in series with the meter. A bypass line is run where measurements are made to determine gas composition dependent factors for use in defining the flow through the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1986
    Assignee: American Meter Company
    Inventors: Irwin A. Hicks, Robert S. Jacobsen, David F. Kee, George W. Schneider, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4587389
    Abstract: A switch assembly to provide snap action switching on a cam rise in a program timer includes a follower assembly on the free end of a first blade to engage the program member to reference the first blade relative to the program member. A cam follower for actuating a second blade has a relatively high coefficient of friction between it and the follower assembly so that when a steep cam rise is encountered the horizontal force from the cam rise forces the cam follower tightly against the follower assembly, to lock the cam follower to the follower assembly. At the end of the cam rise, the horizontal force is released and the snap action occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1986
    Assignee: Controls Company of America
    Inventor: John Willigman
  • Patent number: 4584868
    Abstract: An arrangement for determining the supercompressibility factor of a flowing gas at elevated pressure includes a first meter for measuring the volume flow rate of the gas at the elevated pressure, a restrictor at the outlet of the first meter for dropping the pressure of the gas to a pressure at which the supercompressibility factor is known, and a second meter for measuring the volume flow rate of the gas at the lower pressure. A computer calculates the supercompressibility factor of the gas at the elevated pressure by utilizing measured values of temperature, pressure and volume flow rate of the gas at both the elevated and lower pressures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1986
    Assignee: American Meter Company
    Inventors: Robert S. Jacobsen, George W. Schneider, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4583419
    Abstract: A handwheel is assembled to a sewing machine arm shaft with a conical screw in association with a torque transmitting handwheel clip-on member having wings thereon which are disposed in line contact with the screw, and which include planar surfaces that are caused to engage planar surfaces on radially extending ribs of the handwheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1986
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: William Weisz
  • Patent number: 4581941
    Abstract: A pressure switch and transducer arrangement combines into a single unit both a power contact switch for providing power to an automobile fuel pump in response to a predetermined minimum oil pressure and a magnet/Hall effect sensor for providing an analog signal indicative of the oil pressure for use by the automobile on-board microcomputer. The arrangement includes an actuator rod movable by a diaphragm in response to oil pressure. The end of the rod remote from the diaphragm is coupled to a contact washer for providing the power switching function and also to a magnet which cooperates with a fixed Hall effect sensor, which sensor provides an output corresponding to the air gap between the magnet and the sensor. The magnet and the washer are coupled to the actuator rod in such a manner that even after the washer makes contact with the power switching terminals, the actuator rod and magnet are free to continue moving as the oil pressure continues to increase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1986
    Assignee: Controls Company of America
    Inventors: George Obermann, Lui M. Lee
  • Patent number: 4583085
    Abstract: An oil level sensor assembly adapted for installation in an automobile engine crankcase at the level corresponding to "low oil". The sensor assembly utilizes the principle that air is expandable whereas oil is not. Accordingly, when it is desired to sense the oil level, a predetermined amount of fluid is trapped within a chamber sealed by a diaphragm. If the oil level is adequate, then the sensor will be below the oil level and the trapped fluid will be oil. However, if the oil level is low, the trapped fluid will be air. After the fluid is trapped, a spring operating on the diaphragm attempts to expand the chamber. If the admitted fluid is air, the chamber can be expanded and a switch contact will be made, to provide an indication of low oil level. On the other hand, if the chamber is filled with oil, the chamber will not expand and the switch contact will not be made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1986
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Wilbert E. Beller
  • Patent number: 4582008
    Abstract: In a sewing machine, needle bar and take-up motion is timed to feed dog motion through a constant breadth cam and gear in predetermined angular positions on the arm shaft, a gear on a vertical shaft in mesh with the arm shaft gear according to timing marks on the gears, and a lift cam in a predetermined angular position on the vertical shaft relative to the gear thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1986
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: Walter H. W. Marsh, John Patricia
  • Patent number: D283517
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1986
    Assignee: Simuflite Training International, Inc.
    Inventors: Haig Khachatoorian, James S. Hughes
  • Patent number: D284456
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1983
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1986
    Assignee: American Meter Company
    Inventor: Norman Porter
  • Patent number: D285431
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1986
    Assignee: American Meter Company
    Inventor: Irwin A. Hicks