Patents Represented by Law Firm Sommer & Sommer
  • Patent number: 4379479
    Abstract: An improved roller assembly is provided for guiding movement of a beverage truck overhead door, and for preventing lateral misalignment of lettering or decals on the outside of such door. The improved roller assembly includes a roller, a dished washer, and a shaft. The shaft has self-tapping exteriorly-threaded shank portion, which is received in a hinge section of a door panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1983
    Assignee: Whiting Roll-Up Door Mfg. Corp.
    Inventor: Lauren C. Whiting
  • Patent number: 4372343
    Abstract: A cylinder valve is adapted to be mounted on a container storing a pressurized fluid. The cylinder valve has a main gate valve which is selectively operable to control the flow of such fluid. The cylinder valve further includes a pressure-retaining valve which automatically closes, when the pressure differential between the inlet and outlet falls below a predetermined minimum, to prevent further flow from the cylinder, independent of the operation of the gate valve. The pressure-retaining valve includes a ball biased to move toward an O-Ring, and adapted to pass through the O-Ring when the container is refilled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 8, 1983
    Assignee: Sherwood Selpac Corp.
    Inventor: Joseph C. Trinkwalder, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4371979
    Abstract: An improved device is operatively associated with a rentable television to enable a viewer to select access to rental channels in addition to free channels. To view the rental channels, the viewer need only depress the channel change selector switch for a minimum predetermined time interval. The fact that access to the rental channels has been provided, is visually indicated. In use, the device performs an improved method of affording selective access to the rental channels in addition to the free channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 1, 1983
    Assignee: WNY Hospital Television, Inc.
    Inventor: Friedrich Vesterling
  • Patent number: 4360038
    Abstract: A magnetically-operated valve has a body provided with a passageway therethrough. A piston is mounted on the body for sliding movement toward and away from a valve seat. The piston has a magnetic pole at one end. A magnet is mounted on the body for movement between a first position, at which the piston will be held in a flow-permitting position, and a second position, at which the piston will sealingly engage the seat to terminate such flow. An override mechanism may be operated to displace the piston against the repulsive forces between like poles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1982
    Assignee: Sherwood Selpac Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph C. Trinkwalder, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4340083
    Abstract: A valve includes a piezoelectric bar mounted as a cantilevered beam. The free end of the bar is mounted for movement toward and away from a valve seat surrounding a control opening. The beam is initially flexed when in the closed position so as to maintain a fluid-tight seal with the seat. Application of an electrical signal causes the bar to flex further, thereby causing the deflectable beam portion to move away from the valve seat and permitting fluid to flow through the control opening. The beam valve may be designed to provide a substantially constant flow independent of changes in the pressure differential thereacross, and to exert a minimum closing force against a seat to provide a substantially fluidtight seal therewith in the absence of a command signal applied to the bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1982
    Assignee: Carleton Controls Corporation
    Inventor: Richard D. Cummins
  • Patent number: 4338965
    Abstract: An improved electrohydraulic servovalve has first and second valve spools mounted for independent sliding movement relative to a body in response to a common command signal. The valve has a first drive mechanism operatively arranged to cause a desired motion of one valve spool in response to the command signal, and has a second drive mechanism operatively arranged to cause a desired simultaneous similar motion of the other valve spool in response to the command signal. The improvement comprises a differential position sensing mechanism arranged to sense the relative positions of the two valve spools and operative to produce an output related to the difference therebetween, and an indicating device supplied with such output and operative to indicate substantially dissimilar relative positions of the spools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1982
    Assignee: Moog Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth D. Garnjost, John S. Ballard
  • Patent number: 4337797
    Abstract: A high response servovalve has an improved valve spool slidably mounted within the bore at a sleeve or body. The bearing surfaces on the spool are formed of a relatively soft material. The balance of the surfaces of the spool and the sleeve or body are relatively hard. The soft bearing material tends to absorb contaminants between the bearing lands and the sleeve, is self-healing, and is not prone to weld to the facing sleeve or body surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1982
    Assignee: Moog Inc.
    Inventor: John T. Caruso
  • Patent number: 4333556
    Abstract: A selector is provided for varying the number of coins needed to permit operation of a coin-operated mechanism. The mechanism has a coin chute, a key-operated rotary actuator by which the mechanism may be selectively operated, and a coin-feeling finger arranged to permit operation of the actuator when a coin is sensed as being in a predetermined position within the coin chute. The selector includes an intermediately-pivoted operating arm mounted on the coin chute and having a nose portion engaging a cam on the actuator. A selector lever is pivotally mounted on the arm and may be moved to any of three discrete positions relative thereto. The arm carries two stops which are moved to coin-holding or out-of-the-way positions at each of the three relative positions. By selectively adjusting the position of the selector lever relative to the arm, the mechanism may be adjusted to require deposit of one, two or three coins before the mechanism may be operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1982
    Assignee: Jamestown Metal Mfg. Corp.
    Inventor: James M. Robbins
  • Patent number: 4330428
    Abstract: A smoke generator is adapted to be used with other apparatus for testing the peripheral seal integrity of a package. The smoke generator heats a fuel within a chamber and then aspirates smoke into a conduit through which fluid is flowing. The apparatus includes additional conduits operatively arranged to selectively flush the chamber of ash and other accumulated particulate material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1982
    Assignee: The Aro Corporation
    Inventor: Earl W. Clifford
  • Patent number: 4307954
    Abstract: An improved bayonet mount is employed to removably mount a lens on the body of a camera. The body has an opening adapted to receive axial insertion of a marginal portion of the lens. A plurality of circumferentially-spaced slots extend radially into said body from said opening. A corresponding plurality of similarly-spaced claws are mounted on the lens marginal portion. The claws and slots are cooperatively configured so as to permit the lens marginal portion to be axially inserted into the opening only when the lens is angularly aligned relative to the body opening, and to prevent any claw from entering the wrong slot in the event that the angular alignment is incorrect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1981
    Inventor: Robert B. Ludwig
  • Patent number: 4306756
    Abstract: An improved roller assembly is adapted for use with an upwardly-acting door structure. The improved roller assembly includes an inner ring mounted on a shaft, a sectional outer ring arranged to form an outer race for capturing ball bearings between the rings, and an outer cup-shaped member roll formed to hold the assembly together and to provide an outermost tire adapted to be moved along a track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1981
    Assignee: Whiting Roll-Up Door Mfg. Corp.
    Inventor: Lauren C. Whiting
  • Patent number: 4288285
    Abstract: Apparatus for forming a vortex includes inner and outer wall structures. The inner wall has a downward flow passageway therewithin. A plurality of vanes are provided between the wall structures to induce a vortex to form from an upward flow of liquor through the annular passageway between the walls. The wall structures form a settling trough into which solid materials may settle and accumulate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1981
    Assignee: Evaporator Technology Corporation
    Inventor: James E. Houston
  • Patent number: 4283637
    Abstract: A control circuit is adapted to control the movement of a pintle relative to the die head of extrusion apparatus. A command signal is supplied to a signal generator, which produces a first output signal in the form of a series of continuous voltage triangles, and a second output signal in the form of unit pulses. An impedance matrix contains a plurality of potentiometers which may be remotely connected to a summing amplifier. The potentiometers are arranged in a numerical order. Odd-numbered potentiometers are supplied with the triangular output signal from the signal generator. Even-numbered potentiometers are supplied with the signal generator triangular output signal, but which has been phase-shifted by half the width of one triangle. The pulse output from the signal generator is supplied to a decoder, which successively connects pairs of numerically-adjacent potentiometers with the summing amplifier during overlapping time intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1979
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1981
    Assignee: MOOG GmbH
    Inventors: Herbert Handte, Friedrich Kollmar
  • Patent number: 4273313
    Abstract: A guide is adapted to be adjustably mounted on the nozzle marginal end portion of a cutting torch. The guide has a convex lower cam surface adapted to slidably engage a straight-edge. The cutting torch may be tilted to a position determined by the operator, and slidably moved along the straight-edge to afford an improved "cut" in the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1981
    Inventor: John M. DeNardo
  • Patent number: 4268794
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided for generating a self-adjusting saw-tooth wave in response to an input signal containing a plurality of successive start pulses separating time intervals of variable length. The apparatus includes an integrator for generating a ramp signal during each time interval, a comparator for comparing the value of the integrator output signal with a predetermined maximum value and for supplying, at the end of each time interval, the difference therebetween as a correction signal to modify the slope of the ramp signal generated during the next subsequent time interval. The slope of the ramp signal is adjusted to accommodate variations in length of successive time intervals so that the peak value of such ramp signals will equal a predetermined maximum value at the end of successive time intervals of equal length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1979
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1981
    Assignee: Moog GmbH
    Inventors: Herbert Handte, Friedrich Kollmar
  • Patent number: 4265024
    Abstract: A jig is provided for storing setting data of apparatus having a plurality of adjacent slidable setting members. The positions of the members relative to the frame and to each other determines the setting data of the apparatus. The jig includes a plurality of bars mounted on a frame for independent sliding movement relative thereto, and a set screw for releasably holding the bars in desired positions. Each bar has an end face arranged to be selectively contacted by an aligned setting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1981
    Assignee: Moog GmbH
    Inventor: Herbert Handte
  • Patent number: 4264088
    Abstract: A slide mount is adapted to selectively move a plunger assembly of a ski binding relative to a detent recess component. The slide mount includes a rail mounted on the ski and having a channel aligned with the recess, a slide carrying the plunger assembly and mounted on the rail for sliding movement along the channel both toward and away from the recess, and an actuator arranged to act between the rail and slide to cause the slide to move between a first position closer to the detent recess and a second position farther from the detent recess. The actuator includes a lever pivotally mounted on the rail, and a link pivotally connected to the lever and the slide, so that pivotal movement of the lever will produce corresponding linear motion of the slide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1979
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1981
    Assignee: Moog Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas L. Replogle
  • Patent number: 4251762
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided for sensing the actual position of an armature in an electromagnetic driver, such as a torque motor, a solenoid, or the like. An oscillator generates a relatively high frequency carrier signal, which is superimposed on a relatively low frequency command signal supplied to a drive coil. Detector coils are positioned in a magnetic circuit, and are arranged to have induced therein, signals identical in frequency to the superimposed signals. The amplitude of the induced signals varies with armature position. The high frequency induced signal is separated and demodulated to provide an output signal indicating the actual position of the armature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1981
    Assignee: Moog Inc.
    Inventor: Leonard J. Williams
  • Patent number: 4248137
    Abstract: Mechanical feedback through an articulated mechanism is provided between the swashplate of a variable displacement hydraulic device and the output stage of an electrohydraulic servovalve for controlling such swashplate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1981
    Assignee: Moog Inc.
    Inventor: John T. Caruso
  • Patent number: D269028
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1983
    Inventor: Ronald J. Gardner