Patents Assigned to Mechanism Inc.
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Patent number: 10086473Abstract: An upper housing assembly includes a pivot arm having an upper cam surface adjacent a distal end. A cam follower is coupled to a laser head to move up and down with a laser head. The cam follower exerts a downward force on the upper cam surface during normal operation. Thus, as the pivot arm rotates back and forth, the laser head moves up and down. A assist gas hose can be coupled between the upper housing and the laser head which has a spiral configuration permitting relative axial movement between the upper housing and the laser head. Upon an upward axial force being exerted on the laser head, the cam follower moves upwardly away from the upper cam surface.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2014Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: LASER MECHANISMS, INC.Inventors: Scott Swartzinski, William G. Fredrick, Michael Lee
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Patent number: 9968516Abstract: A child-resistant closure for a container. The closure has a first groove and a second groove formed into a base. A cap covers an opening in the base. The cap can rotate between a closed position, a primed position and an open position. The cap has a nub that engages the first groove on the base, when in its closed position, engages the second groove on the base when in its primed position, and is free of any groove when in its open position. A mechanical activator is coupled to the base with a teeter connection. The mechanical activator displaces the cap from the closed position to the primed position when a first section of the mechanical activator is depressed. The mechanical activator displaces the cap from the primed position to the open position when a second section of the mechanical activator is depressed.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2015Date of Patent: May 15, 2018Assignee: Creative Mechanisms, Inc.Inventors: Anthony R. Rogers, Shuichi Amano
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Patent number: 9547143Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for aligning the coupling an optical laser fiber using an alignment structure. The disclosed alignment structure accepts an optical fiber having a beam and a detection apparatus. According to one aspect of the teachings, the detection apparatus has a tapered form having a circular cross section at one end to match the laser aperture, and a circular cross section at the other end to match the fiber core.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2014Date of Patent: January 17, 2017Assignee: LASER MECHANISMS, INC.Inventors: William G. Fredrick, Tom R. Kugler, Dan R. Buckley, Ruchira D. Perera, Gerry F. Hermann, Scott D. Swartzinski, Mark J. Taggart
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Patent number: 9267975Abstract: The high speed, high accuracy capacitive gauging system employs an oscillator fed through steep slope filter that is discriminates between very small changes in capacitance even in the presence of electrical noise. During intervals when the probe tip is retracted, the oscillator frequency is calibrated to match the sweet spot in the center of the linear operative region of the steep slope filter. This calibrates the system to overcome the effects of varying temperature and humidity in the manufacturing environment.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: LASER MECHANISMS, INC.Inventors: Gerald F. Hermann, Daniel R. Buckley, Scott D. Swartzinski
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Patent number: 8716620Abstract: An upper housing assembly includes a pivot arm having an upper cam surface adjacent a distal end. A cam follower is coupled to a laser head to move up and down with a laser head. The cam follower exerts a downward force on the upper cam surface during normal operation. Thus, as the pivot arm rotates back and forth, the laser head moves up and down. A assist gas hose can be coupled between the upper housing and the laser head which has a spiral configuration permitting relative axial movement between the upper housing and the laser head. Upon an upward axial force being exerted on the laser head, the cam follower moves upwardly away from the upper cam surface.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2010Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignee: Laser Mechanisms, Inc.Inventors: Scott Swartzinski, William G. Fredrick, Michael Lee
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Publication number: 20140103944Abstract: The high speed, high accuracy capacitive gauging system employs an oscillator fed through steep slope filter that is discriminates between very small changes in capacitance even in the presence of electrical noise. During intervals when the probe tip is retracted, the oscillator frequency is calibrated to match the sweet spot in the center of the linear operative region of the steep slope filter. This calibrates the system to overcome the effects of varying temperature and humidity in the manufacturing environment.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2013Publication date: April 17, 2014Applicant: LASER MECHANISMS, INC.Inventor: LASER MECHANISMS, INC.
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Patent number: 8405409Abstract: The high speed, high accuracy capacitive gauging system employs an oscillator fed through steep slope filter that is discriminates between very small changes in capacitance even in the presence of electrical noise. During intervals when the probe tip is retracted, the oscillator frequency is calibrated to match the sweet spot in the center of the linear operative region of the steep slope filter. This calibrates the system to overcome the effects of varying temperature and humidity in the manufacturing environment.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2010Date of Patent: March 26, 2013Assignee: Laser Mechanisms, Inc.Inventors: Gerald F. Hermann, Daniel R. Buckley, Christopher R. D. Miller, Keith A. Jefferies
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Publication number: 20110089956Abstract: The high speed, high accuracy capacitive gauging system employs an oscillator fed through steep slope filter that is discriminates between very small changes in capacitance even in the presence of electrical noise. During intervals when the probe tip is retracted, the oscillator frequency is calibrated to match the sweet spot in the center of the linear operative region of the steep slope filter. This calibrates the system to overcome the effects of varying temperature and humidity in the manufacturing environment.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2010Publication date: April 21, 2011Applicant: LASER MECHANISMS, INC.Inventors: Gerald F. Hermann, Daniel R. Buckley, Christopher R.D. Miller, Keith A. Jefferies
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Publication number: 20110088499Abstract: An upper housing assembly includes a pivot arm having an upper cam surface adjacent a distal end. A cam follower is coupled to a laser head to move up and down with a laser head. The cam follower exerts a downward force on the upper cam surface during normal operation. Thus, as the pivot arm rotates back and forth, the laser head moves up and down. A assist gas hose can be coupled between the upper housing and the laser head which has a spiral configuration permitting relative axial movement between the upper housing and the laser head. Upon an upward axial force being exerted on the laser head, the cam follower moves upwardly away from the upper cam surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2010Publication date: April 21, 2011Applicant: LASER MECHANISMS, INC.Inventors: Scott Swartzinski, William G. Fredrick, Michael Lee
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Patent number: 7363796Abstract: A method for cold-forming a nozzle for a laser includes placing a slug or tube of oxygen-free copper into a die. A mandrel is forced into the copper slug or tube. The resultant compressive force causes the copper to cold flow around the mandrel and the die to define an inner shape and an outer dimension of the part.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2004Date of Patent: April 29, 2008Assignee: Laser Mechanisms, Inc.Inventor: William G. Fredrick, Jr.
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Patent number: 6098777Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying a coin in free fall employs a coin sensor that has a pair of drive coils for generating a horizontally elongated magnetic field across a free-fall path of the coin. The drive coils are driven by a square wave, and ringing waveforms induced in a pair of sensor coils disposed on the two sides of the free-fall path are measured when the coin passes through the magnetic field. A digitized signature is derived from the measured ringing waveforms and compared to a set of pre-stored reference signatures to find a match. A diverter mechanism directs the coin to an accept path when a match is found and to a reject path when a match is not found.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 1998Date of Patent: August 8, 2000Assignee: Coin Mechanisms, Inc.Inventors: Kirk D. Hoffman, Robert Huizenger, Joe Ferrantelli
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Patent number: 5823315Abstract: An apparatus for detecting fraud in a coin detector is disclosed. The apparatus is provided with a coin validating device. A coin sensing apparatus, located downstream of the coin validating device and preferably including a plurality of optic emitter-detector pairs arranged to detect the passage of the coin, is also provided. The coin sensing apparatus is adapted to provide improved resistance to miscounting of coins and to traditional gimmicks used to cheat coin operated devices such as tilting the coin detector.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 1996Date of Patent: October 20, 1998Assignee: Coin Mechanisms, Inc.Inventors: Kirk D. Hoffman, Joe Ferrantelli, Robert Huizenger
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Patent number: 5568855Abstract: A coin detection and identifying apparatus and method, utilizes three closely aligned electric coils. The center coil is actively driven by an alternating current to generate a magnetic field that surrounds the center coil. The two outer coils are symmetrically disposed within the magnetic field generated by the center coil, and voltages are induced across the terminals of the outer coils which are indicative of the relative field strengths of the magnetic fields within the outer coils. A sample coin and test coin are interposed between the center coil and each of the outer coils, the coins operative to attenuate the surrounding magnetic fields. A controller compares the voltages across the terminals of the two outer coils to effectively compare the likeness of the sample and test coins. A coin sensing apparatus, located downstream of the coils, provides a plurality of optic emitter-detector pairs to detect the valid passage of a coin.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 1995Date of Patent: October 29, 1996Assignee: Coin Mechanisms, Inc.Inventors: Kirk D. Hoffman, Joe Ferrantelli, Robert Huizenger
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Patent number: 5433310Abstract: A discriminator for coins and tokens monitors the extent to which an alternating electromagnetic field is coupled through a deposited coin and a reference coin, as the deposited coin passes along a feed path. A first electromagnetic field is incident on a reference coin along an axis normal to the reference coin and displaced from a midpoint of the reference coin. As the deposited coin moves through a second electromagnetic field traversing the feed path, the deposited coin passes two positions at which the second electromagnetic field is aligned to the deposited coin to a same degree as the first electromagnetic field is aligned to the reference coin. The electromagnetic fields preferably are provided by two series connected coils in a stack, and the fields passing through the coins are added at opposite polarity by a receiver coil placed between the series connected coils (and also between the sample coin and the deposited coin).Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 1994Date of Patent: July 18, 1995Assignee: Coin Mechanisms, Inc.Inventor: Edward H. Bell
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Patent number: 4905814Abstract: A coil used in electronic coin testers for testing a coin for the purpose of accepting a valid coin or rejecting a counterfeit coin in a coin-operated vending machine, game, telephone or the like is disclosed. A coin slot is provided having two opposing longitudinal walls spaced to accommodate a coin therebetween of either the sample coin type or the test coin type. Within each longitudinal wall a planar looped coil is provided that, upon inducement of an electric current, generates lines of magnetic flux which are normal to the opposing surfaces of the longitudinal walls throughout the length of the longitudinal walls.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 1988Date of Patent: March 6, 1990Assignee: Coin Mechanisms, Inc.Inventors: Donald Parker, Robert Rollins
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Patent number: 4733859Abstract: An exercise machine wherein the muscles which move a part of the body such as the foot or head are exercised by restricting movement of the body part to rotation about each of at least two mutually perpendicular axes and providing independently adjustable resistance means to selectively resist rotational movement of the body part about each axis with a desired degree of resistance which does not vary with the position or speed of movement of the body part.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 1986Date of Patent: March 29, 1988Assignee: Bio-Mechanisms, Inc.Inventors: Ronald W. Kock, Charles E. Schuster
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Patent number: 4570925Abstract: A device for handgripping or squeezing, forearm twisting, wrist casting, wrist rocking and a combination of some of these. A handle mechanism is rotatably mounted on a frame. This mechanism includes a fixed handle and a movable handle, movement of the last mentioned handle being resisted by a force which may be varied. One may grasp the two handles simultaneously and exert the fingers so as to move the movable handle towards the fixed handle in opposition to the applied force. Rotation of the handle mechanism is provided with torsional resistance which may be varied. One may grasp the fixed handle with the arm in alignment with the axis of the device and rotate the handle mechanism in either direction or one may grasp the fixed handle with the arm disposed at right angles to the position previously described and rotate the handle mechanism in either direction.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 1984Date of Patent: February 18, 1986Assignee: Bio Mechanisms, Inc.Inventors: Ronald W. Kock, Charles E. Schuster
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Patent number: 4456412Abstract: An attachment for a vertical milling machine or the like provides a drive arrangement which provides for a selective high-torque drive connection, a low-torque yielding drive connection, or a complete disconnect.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 1982Date of Patent: June 26, 1984Assignee: Varitork Research Mechanism, Inc.Inventors: Ronald Ford, Vincent G. Ford, Martyn J. Ford
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Patent number: D554906Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2007Date of Patent: November 13, 2007Assignee: Armoured Resistance Mechanisms, IncInventor: Steven C. Pretty
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Patent number: D938527Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2019Date of Patent: December 14, 2021Assignee: Mechanism Inc.Inventor: Anurag Purwar