Abstract: A gear box has a housing and a direct current motor inside of the housing. A rotatable output shaft extends through a wall of the housing and is rotatably driven by the motor via a gear train. The gear box can be used to dispense ice from a refrigerator/freezer. The motor drives the output shaft in one direction to dispense ice cubes. The motor also drives the output shaft in an opposite direction to crush ice and dispense the crushed ice. The gear box has a low-profile height. The gear train is located in front of a motor shaft of the motor and has a maximum height which does not exceed a maximum height of the motor. The motor shaft is perpendicular to the input gear of the gear train and to the output shaft of the gear box.

Abstract: A gear box includes a first permanent magnet direct current (PMDC) motor, a first output shaft driven by the first motor in one direction to dispense ice cubes and driven in an opposite direction to dispense crushed ice, a second PMDC motor and a second output shaft driven by the second motor in one direction to dispense shaved ice. The first and the second motors operate independently of each other. They are also aligned parallel to each other. The second motor operates at a different speed and torque than the first motor. Cross-sections of the first and second output shafts are hexagon-shaped. The longitudinal axis of the first output shaft is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the second output shaft. Thus, this compact miniature gear motor box has two output shafts capable of performing more that two functions.

Abstract: A bobbin for an electromagnetic inductive wire coil, to which at least one terminal is attached, has a hollow body with two opposite ends. A side flange is molded integrally to each one of the opposite ends. Each side flange has a plurality of corners and at least one reverse L-shaped rib configuration in at least one corner so that the rib configuration prevents rotation of the bobbin and breaking off of the terminal when a rotational force is applied to the terminal. Another reverse L-shaped rib configuration may be positioned upside down in another corner of each side flange. The reverse L-shaped rib configuration may have a third rib molded integrally thereto to form a reverse C-shaped rib arrangement to confine a rear end of the terminal. This confinement helps to prevent backward movement caused by a head-on force applied to a front end of the terminal.

Abstract: In a deployment apparatus for extending a safety device from a school bus, the safety device is attached to a connector which is rotated about a pivot pin that is turned by a friction clutch driven by an output shaft. The safety device may be either a guard arm on a front bumper or a stop sign on a side of the school bus. The present invention is an improvement, i.e. an L-shaped bracket and a gear box are integrally molded together into a unitary structure. Gears inside the box turn the output shaft and an electric motor, operatively connected to the gear box, drives the gears. Furthermore, the L-shaped bracket has closed-end elongated slots through which fasteners extend to secure the unitary structure to an inside wall of the deployment apparatus.

Abstract: A bobbin for an electromagnetic inductive wire coil, to which at least one terminal is attached, has a hollow body with two opposite ends. A side flange is molded integrally to each one of the opposite ends. Each side flange has a plurality of corners and at least one reverse L-shaped rib configuration in at least one corner so that the rib configuration prevents rotation of the bobbin and breaking off of the terminal when a rotational force is applied to the terminal. Another reverse L-shaped rib configuration may be positioned upside down in another corner of each side flange. The reverse L-shaped rib configuration may have a third rib molded integrally thereto to form a reverse C-shaped rib arrangement to confine a rear end of the terminal. This confinement helps to prevent backward movement caused by a head-on force applied to a front end of the terminal.

Abstract: In a deployment apparatus for extending a safety device from a school bus, the safety device is attached to a connector which is rotated about a pivot pin that is turned by a friction clutch driven by an output shaft. The safety device may be either a guard arm on a front bumper or a stop sign on a side of the school bus. The present invention is an improvement, i.e. an L-shaped bracket and a gear box are integrally molded together into a unitary structure. Gears inside the box turn the output shaft and an electric motor, operatively connected to the gear box, drives the gears. Furthermore, the L-shaped bracket has closed-end elongated slots through which fasteners extend to secure the unitary structure to an inside wall of the deployment apparatus.

Abstract: A three-wire reversing system for a permanent magnet, reversible, brush-type, direct current (DC) motor has a three-wire alternating current (AC) input voltage source which supplies electrical current to at least one capacitive element. This capacitive element and the DC motor replace a permanent split capacitor (PSC) and an AC motor in a prior art three-wire reversing system.

Abstract: A planetary gear motor assembly opens and closes a shutter door on a coin dispensing mechanism. The assembly includes a cage having a pair of annular plates with a plurality of cluster gears composed of upper and lower planet gears sandwiched between the pairs of annular plates. The improvement is a plurality of pins on which the cluster gears are placed. Each of the pins is staked at opposite ends to the pair of annular plates so that structural integrity of the assembled cage is retained during rotation and abrupt stopping of the planet gears. A method of manufacturing a planetary gear motor assembly for opening and closing a shutter door on a coin dispensing mechanism includes several steps. Initially, there is assembled a cage having a pair of annular plates with a plurality of cluster gears composed of upper and lower planet gears sandwiched between the pair of annular plates.

Abstract: A high torque resistant and strong screwless plastic gear box has a reduced thickness at its output shaft. The gear box and a reduction drive assembly therein may be used particularly, but not exclusively, in a slot machine with a spinning drum or hopper which holds coins or tokens to be released therefrom. The gear box includes a main body and a cover which is ultrasonically welded thereto. Locating posts, holding tubes, inner welding pads, outer surrounding tubes, and locating ribs are provided to weld the cover to the main body. Acoustical chambers are formed between outer walls and inner arcuate walls of the main body. The inner arcuate walls surround all of the shafts and gears inside the main body. This double-walled construction reduces noise and provides surprising mechanical strength. All of the gears are mounted on only three shafts secured between the main body and the cover. Four of the gears are stacked on a single central shaft and rotate in two pairs independently of each other.

Abstract: A high torque resistant and strong screwless plastic gear box has a reduced thickness at its output shaft. The gear box and a reduction drive assembly therein may be used particularly, but not exclusively, in a slot machine with a spinning drum or hopper which holds coins or tokens to be released therefrom. The gear box includes a main body and a cover which is ultrasonically welded thereto. Locating posts, holding tubes, inner welding pads, outer surrounding tubes, and locating ribs are provided to weld the cover to the main body. Acoustical chambers are formed between outer walls and inner arcuate walls of the main body. The inner arcuate walls surround all of the shafts and gears inside the main body. This double-walled construction reduces noise and provides surprising mechanical strength. All of the gears are mounted on only three shafts secured between the main body and the cover. Four of the gears are stacked on a single central shaft and rotate in two pairs independently of each other.

Abstract: An electric motor gearbox for a vending machine has four main parts: a housing, a minimotor, a printed circuit board, and an assembly of gears. An output pinion and an output gear are so strong that they permit the minimotor to stall before the assembly fails in response to jamming of a product item in the vending machine. Also, the motor gearbox is less prone to failure caused by constant starting and stopping, excessive flexibility of a gearbox housing cover, intermittent vibrations, and the like.