Patents Assigned to Brown Line Metal Works, LLC
  • Publication number: 20140039810
    Abstract: An angle measuring device or system can include a wrench and a digital angle meter. The wrench can include a head for engaging a fastening device, a central axis about which the wrench or bracket rotates during use, and a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the central axis. The digital angle meter can be attached to the wrench or bracket and include a housing, a processor, and at least one gyrometer. The at least one gyrometer including a first axis extending parallel to the longitudinal axis for determining the rotational orientation of the wrench or bracket relative to a reference position. A sensor of the digital angle meter allows for an automated and accurate calculation of a total angle of rotation of the nut or bolt about the central axis using a ratcheting wrench.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: BROWN LINE METAL WORKS, LLC
    Inventor: James Wener
  • Patent number: 8438957
    Abstract: A torque wrench includes a main beam having a distal end and a proximal end, a drive element disposed at the distal end of the main beam, a stationary beam having a distal end fixedly secured to the main beam at a first location on the main beam, and having a proximal end, and a displacement sensor assembly disposed at a second location associated with the main beam and with the stationary beam to detect an amount of displacement of the main beam relative to the stationary beam. The displacement sensor assembly includes an actuating element secured to one of the main beam or the stationary beam and a sensor rigidly secured to the other one of the main beam or the stationary beam and responsive to the actuating element. An electronic component is configured to generate a torque measurement based on the generated electrical signal, and store at least one of the generated electrical signal and the torque measurement for a several positions of the main beam relative to the stationary beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Brown Line Metal Works, LLC
    Inventors: James Wener, Michael D. Rainone, Thomas E. Crippen
  • Publication number: 20130080110
    Abstract: An angle measuring device or system can include a wrench or a bracket, for example, and a digital angle meter. The a wrench or bracket can include a head or head plate portion for engaging a nut, a bolt, or crankshaft, a central axis about which the wrench or bracket rotates during use, and a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the central axis. The digital angle meter can be attached to the wrench or bracket and include a housing, a processor, and at least one gyrometer. The at least one gyrometer including a first axis extending parallel to the longitudinal axis for determining the rotational orientation of the wrench or bracket relative to a reference position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: BROWN LINE METAL WORKS, LLC
    Inventor: James Wener
  • Patent number: 8166853
    Abstract: A digital torque wrench includes a position sensor assembly which measures the movement of a load beam with respect to an indicator beam to determine the torque being applied to a working element by the torque wrench. The position sensor assembly includes a first position sensor portion having multiple rotatable pinion gears coupled to a potentiometer, and includes a second position sensor portion having a rack gear that engages one of the pinion gears of the first position sensor portion. The first and second position sensor portions are attached to different ones of the load beam and the indicator beam so that at least one of the pinion gears rotates along the rack gear in response to force (torque) being applied through the load beam to the working element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Brown Line Metal Works, LLC
    Inventors: Michael D. Rainone, Daniel Baxter, Thao D. Hovanky
  • Publication number: 20120048072
    Abstract: A digital torque wrench includes a position sensor assembly which measures the movement of a load beam with respect to an indicator beam to determine the torque being applied to a working element by the torque wrench. The position sensor assembly includes a first position sensor portion having multiple rotatable pinion gears coupled to a potentiometer, and includes a second position sensor portion having a rack gear that engages one of the pinion gears of the first position sensor portion. The first and second position sensor portions are attached to different ones of the load beam and the indicator beam so that at least one of the pinion gears rotates along the rack gear in response to force (torque) being applied through the load beam to the working element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: BROWN LINE METAL WORKS, LLC
    Inventors: Michael D. Rainone, Daniel Baxter, Thao D. Hovanky
  • Patent number: 8065806
    Abstract: A digital torque wrench includes a position sensor assembly which measures the movement of a load beam with respect to an indicator beam to determine the torque being applied to a working element by the torque wrench. The position sensor assembly includes a first position sensor portion having multiple rotatable pinion gears coupled to a potentiometer, and includes a second position sensor portion having a rack gear that engages one of the pinion gears of the first position sensor portion. The first and second position sensor portions are attached to different ones of the load beam and the indicator beam so that at least one of the pinion gears rotates along the rack gear in response to force (torque) being applied through the load beam to the working element. Rotation of the pinion gears causes rotation of a potentiometer element, which produces a signal indicative of the relative displacement of the load beam with respect to the indicator beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Brown Line Metal Works, LLC
    Inventors: Michael D. Rainone, Daniel Baxter, Thao D. Hovanky
  • Publication number: 20110132158
    Abstract: A torque wrench includes a main beam having a distal end and a proximal end, a drive element disposed at the distal end of the main beam, a stationary beam having a distal end fixedly secured to the main beam at a first location on the main beam, and having a proximal end, and a displacement sensor assembly disposed at a second location associated with the main beam and with the stationary beam to detect an amount of displacement of the main beam relative to the stationary beam. The displacement sensor assembly includes an actuating element secured to one of the main beam or the stationary beam and a sensor rigidly secured to the other one of the main beam or the stationary beam and responsive to the actuating element. An electronic component is configured to generate a torque measurement based on the generated electrical signal, and store at least one of the generated electrical signal and the torque measurement for a several positions of the main beam relative to the stationary beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: BROWN LINE METAL WORKS, LLC
    Inventors: James Wener, Michael D. Rainone, Thomas E. Crippen
  • Publication number: 20090260491
    Abstract: A digital torque wrench includes a position sensor assembly which measures the movement of a load beam with respect to an indicator beam to determine the torque being applied to a working element by the torque wrench. The position sensor assembly includes a first position sensor portion having multiple rotatable pinion gears coupled to a potentiometer, and includes a second position sensor portion having a rack gear that engages one of the pinion gears of the first position sensor portion. The first and second position sensor portions are attached to different ones of the load beam and the indicator beam so that at least one of the pinion gears rotates along the rack gear in response to force (torque) being applied through the load beam to the working element. Rotation of the pinion gears causes rotation of a potentiometer element, which produces a signal indicative of the relative displacement of the load beam with respect to the indicator beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: BROWN LINE METAL WORKS,LLC
    Inventors: Michael D. Rainone, Daniel Baxter, Thao D. Hovanky
  • Patent number: 7367250
    Abstract: A digital beam-type torque wrench has a main beam and a stationary beam having a distal end thereof fixedly attached at or near a distal end of the main beam. A sensing assembly is disposed generally at a proximal end of the main beam and includes a displacement sensing element carried by the proximal end of the stationary beam and a sensing element actuator disposed on said main beam. The sensing element actuator and sensing actuator cooperate to generate a variable output voltage, whose magnitude is proportional to the amount of flexure of the main beam upon application of torque upon a rotating element by the wrench. In one embodiment, the sensing assembly comprises a potentiometric rotary position sensor including an arcuate rack gear coupled to the main beam and engaged with a pinion gear coupled to the stationary beam, with rotation of the pinion gear in turn causing rotation of a potentiometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Brown Line Metal Works, LLC
    Inventors: Michael D. Rainone, Thomas E. Crippen