Patents Assigned to Thomas Industries, Inc.
  • Patent number: 9074589
    Abstract: A pump that has a flangeless valve plate, meaning that the valve plate has no flange through which bolts that secure the head to the pump extend. The pump has eccentrics and pistons that all have holes in them so that the pistons at opposite ends of the pump can be assembled to the shaft of the motor 180° out of phase. The pump further has a monolithic head that includes the two head members of the pump and the tube that connects them also has an integrally formed port. The pump is supported by elastomeric tubular members from its ports. The pump has a push-in fitting that can be pushed into a hole in a member such as the head, the housing or the base so that once pushed in, a ring around the fitting expands outwardly behind an edge of the body to trap the fitting in the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: THOMAS INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Shawn A. Leu, Stephen M. Moretti
  • Patent number: 7975717
    Abstract: A valve pin insert has a body for insertion into a valve plate and a stud integrally formed with the body and extending from one end of the body above the valve plate. The body has a lower shank at an end of the body that is opposite from the end at which the stud is positioned, and an upper shank at the end of the body adjacent to the end of the body at which the stud is positioned. The lower shank is of a lesser diameter than the upper shank and an undercut shoulder between the shanks forms a recess opening in the direction toward the lower shank and forms a tooth which shears material of the valve plate as the pin is inserted into a hole in the valve plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard C. Fuksa, Jun Zhu
  • Publication number: 20080304993
    Abstract: A nutating pump for creating pressure or a vacuum. The nutating pump includes a housing with a center support positioned within said housing. The center support includes a semi-spherical recess. The pump also includes a drive shaft adapted to be connected to an electric motor and an eccentric adapted to be connected to the drive shaft. The pump further includes a ball adapted to form a ball joint and is adapted to be positioned within the semi-spherical recess of said center support. In addition the pump includes a nutating yoke positioned within the housing. The yoke includes a semi-spherical recess adapted to accept said pivot ball. The nutating yoke is adapted to be connected to the eccentric, such that rotation of the eccentric causes the yoke to move about the ball.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Applicant: Thomas Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: William Harry Lynn, Roy Rozek
  • Patent number: 7451687
    Abstract: A nutating pump for creating pressure or a vacuum. The nutating pump includes a housing with a center support positioned within said housing. The center support includes a semi-spherical recess. The pump also includes a drive shaft adapted to be connected to an electric motor and an eccentric adapted to be connected to the drive shaft. The pump further includes a ball adapted to form a ball joint and is adapted to be positioned within the semi-spherical recess of said center support. In addition the pump includes a nutating yoke positioned within the housing. The yoke includes a semi-spherical recess adapted to accept said pivot ball. The nutating yoke is adapted to be connected to the eccentric, such that rotation of the eccentric causes the yoke to move about the ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: William Harry Lynn, Roy Razek
  • Publication number: 20080075616
    Abstract: For pumps, compressors, and air or hydraulic motors with multiple cylinders such as swashplate or nutating type pumps and compressors with axial pistons arranged about a central axis, a orbit valve is connected through an eccentric and bearing to the shaft and caused to orbit around an axis of the shaft by rotation of the shaft. Grooves in the orbit valve surface alternately connect a port in each cylinder with a fixed intake and an exhaust port in the valve plate ties for optimal performance without depending on pressure differential otherwise needed to open and close passive flapper or poppet-type valves. The orbiting motion provides direct acting valve action for intake and exhaust functions with much slower relative motion and far less friction than a rotating valve of similar size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Applicant: THOMAS INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Roy Rozek, Harry Lynn
  • Patent number: 7322801
    Abstract: A compact air pump and valve package includes pump and valve assemblies integral with a pressure housing defining inlet ports and a plurality of fittings for connecting air lines to an interior of the pressure housing. The linear diaphragm pump assembly has a permanent magnetic shuttle mounting two diaphragms reciprocated by an electromagnet. The valve assembly has a plurality of solenoid valves disposed within the pressure housing, each solenoid valve being operable to control flow into or out of the pressure housing through an associated one of the plurality of fittings. Thus, no tubes or hoses are required to transfer air from the pump assembly to the valves. The housing has special mounts to isolate vibration arising from movement of the shuttle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Thomas Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Wenjun Li, Steven D. Heidenreich, Randall M. Blindauer
  • Publication number: 20070224065
    Abstract: A roots blower pump (10) has its internal gaps between relatively moving parts reduced by adding a liquid coating to the intake of the pump while operating the pump. The liquid coating cures to a solid surface on the moving parts, presenting opposing relatively moving surfaces that mate with one another to reduce leakage losses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2005
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Applicant: THOMAS INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: John Vondenstein, William Thurmon
  • Patent number: 7220109
    Abstract: A compact opposed piston pump minimizes axial spacing between its pistons on the drive shaft and thereby reduces the shaking couple and noise from reciprocation. Each piston has its own eccentric element press-fit into the connecting rods so as not to occupy space between the pistons. The shaking couple can be further reduced for pistons of different masses by selecting the mass of the eccentrics to compensate for the difference in piston masses. The pump also includes an improved cylinder sealing arrangement having a circumferential groove in an angled surface at the end of the cylinder. The pump also has a special two piece cover and seal for closing the open neck of the pump crankcase and an improved multi-lobed valve stop. The pump further uses tubular transfer members for transferring intake and/or exhaust air into the crankcase and/or between valve heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Raymond J. Kultgen
  • Patent number: 7117781
    Abstract: A piston pump or compressor has a dynamically balanced drive assembly in which nearly all of the rotational, oscillatory and axial forces on the rotating drive shaft are canceled. The piston is primarily balanced by adding an oscillating counter weight mounted to the connecting rod to convert oscillatory forces into rotational forces at the axis of an eccentric element mounting the piston to the drive shaft. The remaining unbalanced rotational forces are centered along the drive shaft by a rotating counter weight. A further counter weight is mounted to the drive shaft spaced along the drive shaft from the rotating counter weight to impart a counter moment on the drive shaft and essentially cancel the moment about a moment axis perpendicular to the drive shaft resulting from the axial spacing of the piston and the other two counter weights. A method of reducing vibration on a piston drive shaft is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: William Harry Lynn
  • Patent number: 7037090
    Abstract: A compact 180° opposed piston pump/compressor minimizes axial spacing between its pistons on the drive shaft and thereby reduces the shaking couple and noise from reciprocation. Each piston has its own eccentric element press-fit into the connecting rods so as not to occupy space between the pistons. The shaking couple can be further reduced for pistons of different masses by selecting the mass of the cup retainers to compensate for the difference in overall piston masses. The pump also includes an improved cylinder sealing arrangement having a circumferential groove in an angled surface at the end of the cylinder. The pump also has a special cover and seal for closing the open neck of the pump crankcase and an improved multi-lobed valve stop. The pump further uses tubular transfer members for transferring intake and/or exhaust air into the crankcase and/or between valve heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Shawn A. Leu
  • Patent number: 6916157
    Abstract: A pump has a motor pump unit enclosed by clam shell housing sections. The pump moves a working fluid through the housing to an outside load. Each section has intake walls defining a portion of an intake chamber and outlet walls defining a portion of an outlet chamber. The intake walls of each section seal against one another to define a sealed intake chamber which is in communication with the intake port of the pump unit, and the outlet walls of each section seal against one another to define a sealed outlet chamber which is in communication with the outlet port of the pump unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Thomas Industries Inc.
    Inventor: Todd W. Leonhard
  • Patent number: 6896721
    Abstract: An oxygen concentrator is controlled during start-up to rapidly shuttle the sieve beds between communication with the pump and atmospheric pressure, so the pressure in the sieve beds is relieved while the pump motor is starting up. After the start-up period, the sieve beds are alternately connected to the pump and atmospheric pressure for longer continuous periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Thomas Industries Inc.
    Inventor: William Harry Lynn
  • Patent number: 6860754
    Abstract: A conductor lead and power cord retention system for a compressor/pump has a unique bushing for capturing and pinching the cord in an opening in the pump housing. The bushing has a leading end defining an open-ended slot. The bushing slides into a pocket in the housing and overlaps an open-ended slot in the housing. Overlapping the slots creates a bounded (circular for example) opening sized to snuggly pinch the cord sheathing without damaging the conductors. The slots are shaped and sized to accommodate a variety of cord diameters. The bushing is retained in the recess by a pair of angled snap tabs that engage notches and further by mounting of the drive motor to the housing, which forces the bushing against the housing to prevent rattling as well as helps maintain the necessary pinch force and prevents the bushing from being removed without tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Thomas Industries Inc.
    Inventor: Paul J. Weiss
  • Patent number: 6832900
    Abstract: A compact 180° opposed piston pump/compressor minimizes axial spacing between its pistons on the drive shaft and thereby reduces the shaking couple and noise from reciprocation. Each piston has its own eccentric element press-fit into the connecting rods so as not to occupy space between the pistons. The shaking couple can be further reduced for pistons of different masses by selecting the mass of the cup retainers to compensate for the difference in overall piston masses. The pump also includes an improved cylinder sealing arrangement having a circumferential groove in an angled surface at the end of the cylinder. The pump also has a special cover and seal for closing the open neck of the pump crankcase and an improved multi-lobed valve stop. The pump further uses tubular transfer members for transferring intake and/or exhaust air into the crankcase and/or between valve heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: Thomas Industries Inc.
    Inventor: Shawn A. Leu
  • Patent number: 6790019
    Abstract: A rotary vane pump has an open ended pump cylinder mounting a drive motor at one end and a ported end plate and sound chamber at the other end. The cylinder contains a rotor mounted to an eccentric drive shaft and having vane grooves receiving slidable vanes contacting an inner diameter of the cylinder. The end plate has an outlet port and primary and secondary inlet ports in communication with the cylinder interior, the inlet ports being in communication with an area of net expansion. The sound chamber has an intake port and an exhaust port in communication with the respective outlet and primary and secondary inlet ports of the end plate. The sound chamber is partitioned to define a number of internal cavities through which the incoming air is routed to the secondary inlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Thomas Industries Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald R. Hinchey, Jr.
  • Patent number: D510938
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: Thomas Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Paul J. Thomas, Ross P. Christiansen
  • Patent number: D524327
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul J. Weiss, David A. Bramstedt, Ross P. Christiansen
  • Patent number: D532796
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Shawn A. Leu
  • Patent number: D549320
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark E. O'Connell
  • Patent number: D549820
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: William T. Hubler