Patents Examined by A. L. Pitts
  • Patent number: 6016729
    Abstract: Positioning engaging members (27) are provided between a base table (10) and a turret (11) which is indexed relative to the base table (10) by a driving force of an indexing/tool turning motor (32) so as to be engageable with or disengageable from each other. The positioning engaging members (27) engage with each other to prevent the turret (11) from turning. Further, the driving force of the indexing/tool turning motor (32) is transmitted or not transmitted to the turret (11) by clutch pieces (31). The driving force of the indexing/tool turning motor (32) is transmitted to a turning tool (14) mounted on tool mounting portions (12) of the turret (11) via a power transmission member. The positioning engaging members (27) engage with or disengage from each other by an engaging unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Pfeifer, Kenji Sugimoto, Hiroshi Shinohara
  • Patent number: 6013016
    Abstract: An engine block is located and clamped on a pallet and then brought into a boring station where the pallet is located and clamped on a shuttle. The shuttle moves solely along a straight horizontal path to move the engine block into the work station, locate the engine block during a machining operation, and then transfer the block out of the work station. First and second three-axis boring machines at respective opposite sides of the block locate crankshaft and camshaft boring bars for different engine blocks and then simultaneously back bore both the crankshaft and camshaft bores. A computer numerical control (CNC) positions the boring bars and the block and controls other machining parameters for different engine blocks. The CNC causes the shuttle to move to a location horizontally offset from a final machining location so that the boring bar axes are offset horizontally from the bearing bore axes and the boring bars are then inserted into the block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Unova IP Corp.
    Inventors: Edward J. Irvine, Michael D. Panetta
  • Patent number: 6012213
    Abstract: Methods for forming a rib on a cannula for cooperation with a safety cover which securably and reliably locks the tip of a cannula in an interior chamber within the safety cover. The cover comprises an elongate body having the interior chamber and an axial through hole which extends along the entire length of the body, through the interior chamber and through which the cannula is slidably received. Displacing elements are positioned within the interior chamber, each of which includes a hole for receiving the cannula therethrough, and which displaces upon retraction of the tip of the cannula, thereby preventing subsequent advancement of the cannula tip. The cannula includes a thickened rib adjacent to the tip, and the safety cover should correspondingly include an annular section in the rear portion thereof. The through hole extending through the rear portion has a diameter which is smaller than the thickened rib of the cannula whereby the cannula tip may not be retracted from the safety cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Inventors: Joseph J. Chang, Julian Cannon
  • Patent number: 6012881
    Abstract: A drilling tool comprises a drill tip, a chip removal part which axially adjoins the drill tip, and a drill shank which is positioned at the end of the chip removal part. Two chip flutes extend in a helical manner over the chip removal part starting at the main cutting edges of the drill tip. The drilling tool is separated into two parts in the region of the chip removal part and consists of a base body which is connected to the drill shank as one part and an exchangeable tip made of a harder material which is connected to the drill tip as another part. The exchangeable tip is connectable to the base body in a form-fitting and/or frictional-fitting manner at an axial separation point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Komet Praezisionswerkzeuge Robert Breuning GmbH
    Inventor: Gerhard Scheer
  • Patent number: 6012883
    Abstract: A hybrid tool serves as a form on which constituent materials are applied for bonding or curing into a part in a desired configuration. It also serves as a holder for the bonded or cured materials in the originally applied position during subsequent machining. The hybrid tool is made by fabricating a face sheet of composite material having a facing surface configured to the reverse of a desired shape of one surface of a part to be made on the tool. The actual part will be laid up on the facing surface, cured while on the tool, and even trimmed before release. Base structure of the tool holds the facing surface of the face sheet in the desired shape, and includes ground-engaging pads that define an "A" datum plane. The tool aligns a reference plane of the face sheet parallel to the datum plane. A substantially continuous groove in the face sheet, used for trimming the part, opens in the facing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Dwight L. Engwall, Chris J. Morrow, Kevin J. Steen, Roger A. Johnson
  • Patent number: 6012364
    Abstract: A toolholder apparatus includes a head, a cutting tool mounting fixture attached to the head for holding the cutting tool, and a floating roller assembly pivotally mounted relative to the head. These components are arranged and constructed so that during the cutting of a workpiece with the cutting tool the floating roller assembly can pivot about a pivotal axis relative to the head to allow the floating roller assembly to align with the workpiece. A mechanism is also provided for accomplishing the initial adjustment of alignment of the cutting tool with the rotating workpiece. This mechanism includes a cylindrical shaft extending from the head, and having an eccentric cam follower lug extending transversely from the shaft. A mounting block has a cylindrical bore disposed therethrough, and the shaft is received through the bore of the mounting block. A cam piece is slideably disposed within the mounting block to rotate the shaft as the cam piece slides relative to the mounting block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Peterson Tool Company
    Inventors: John L. Peterson, Mark G. Charleton, Lawrence A. Ballew, Fred E. Chaffin
  • Patent number: 6012882
    Abstract: Solid tungsten carbide is the popular material for these combinations tools. High resultant side forces on the tool during the thread milling phase are caused by relatively high circumferential engagement of the tool and a very low feed per tooth (chip thickness). A combined hole making, threading and chamfering tool with staggered thread cutting teeth doubles chip thickness and reduces side forces (resulting in less engagement), consequently allowing the feed rate to be increased while reducing thread milling time. In addition, this arrangement also reduces tool chatter, thus providing a smoother surface finish in the thread. In one form, the cutting teeth are formed on one or more removable inserts, facilitating replacement or substitution thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Inventor: Manuel C. Turchan
  • Patent number: 6010156
    Abstract: A mailing label and system and method for preparing the same is provided. The mailing labels are provided on a continuous perforated strip, where the perforations define unitary fields of labels, including at least a label for an intended recipient's address and a label for bearing a postal service approved postage indicia, to be used on a single item to be mailed. The strip is adapted for use with a computer driven printer capable of printing the recipient's address, the postage indicia and other data relating to the item to be mailed on the labels within a given unitary field. The system and method according to the invention provide for the ability to prepare the aforementioned mailing labels by effectively combining the functions of a postage meter with a system for preparing mailing labels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Costar Corporation
    Inventor: David L. Block
  • Patent number: 6010282
    Abstract: The tool is provided with a blade section having a shaped surface for shaping an end of an elongated workpiece. This shaped surface extends from the blade section into and through a body section. After the blade section has worn, the tool may be re-ground to provide a fresh blade surface within the original body portion without a need to regrind the shaped surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Swisscomatic, Inc.
    Inventors: Harry Ohori, Otto Schroeder
  • Patent number: 6010283
    Abstract: A cutting insert including a flank face, a rake face, and a cutting edge at the intersection of the flank and rake faces that is useful in the chip forming machining of workpiece materials is disclosed. The cutting insert comprises a cermet comprising at least one hard component and about 2 wt % to 19 wt % Co--Ni--FE-binder. The Co--Ni--FE-binder is unique in that even when subjected to plastic deformation, the binder substantially maintains its face centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure and avoids stress and/or strain induced transformations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Kennametal Inc.
    Inventors: Hans-Wilm Henrich, Manfred Wolf, Dieter Schmidt, Uwe Schleinkofer
  • Patent number: 6010440
    Abstract: An automated machine tool is provided and includes a frame having a first workpiece transfer station at a first location on the frame; at least two self-contained processing units, each of the units including structure for holding the workpiece for processing and structure for performing a process on the workpiece; structure for sequentially indexing the processing units to the first workpiece transfer station for transferring workpieces to and from each of the processing units; a shared tool storing device; a first cutting tool transfer device for transferring cutting tools to and from the processing units; and a second cutting tool transfer device for transferring cutting tools between the first transfer device and the storing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Inventor: Toshiharu Tom Miyano
  • Patent number: 6007276
    Abstract: An end-mill tool has at least one low helix angle flute, or primary flute) and at least two low helix angle flutes, or secondary flutes. The primary and secondary flutes intersect to define a plurality of compound helical cutting surfaces. Each of the compound cutting surfaces includes a cutting edge having a leading portion formed adjacent one of the primary flutes and a trailing portion formed adjacent one of the secondary flutes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Inventor: Lon J. Wardell
  • Patent number: 6004079
    Abstract: In a cutter head, especially for a profile cutter, with a basic body (1) having at least two recesses (3) uniformly distributed around its circumference, cutter (5) can interchangeably be secured in the recesses by means of a clamping device having at least one clamping component (8) and at least one clamping screw acting therewith and with the basic body (1). In the region of its inner end section, each of the clamping components is supported by the basic body (1) to pivot about an axis parallel to the latter's axis of rotation (12) and pivotable and clampable by means of at least one of the clamping screws (10) by a tensile force generated thereby against a bearing surface (4) of the recess (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Gebruder Leitz GmbH & Co. et al.
    Inventor: Heinrich Kislinger
  • Patent number: 6004080
    Abstract: A milling tool includes a supporting body that is rotatable around a central axis, and is being equipped with detachable cutting inserts. Each insert has two cutting edges extending at a given setting angle relative to each other. One of the cutting edges is located in a reference plane oriented perpendicular to the axis of rotation. In order to directly or indirectly connect each cutting insert with the supporting body a pair of serrated surfaces are provided, each of the serrated surfaces consisting of oblong, parallel ridges that are separated by grooves. A first one of the serrated surfaces is located at an inner side of the cutting insert, and the other one being directly or indirectly associated with the supporting body. The ridges and the grooves of the serrated surfaces are relative to the reference plane by an angle that constitutes one-half of the setting angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Sandvik AB
    Inventors: Ingemar Qvarth, Lars-Erik Enquist
  • Patent number: 6003415
    Abstract: The invention relates to toolholders and mechanisms for securing the toolholder to a lathe turret or tool indexer. One embodiment of the invention comprises a base adapted to be secured to a rotary lathe table via a mechanism receivable in slots or grooves which can be wedged and compressively secured about selected positions about an engagement surface. A second embodiment comprises a bore securable to a lathe table via both fastening and positioning mechanisms where the bore defines a dovetail groove receivable to a complementary tongue where the toolholder is securable to the bore in a cam locking mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Houston Instrument Tooling Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Jim Turner, Samuel Goertz
  • Patent number: 6000889
    Abstract: In a machine tool having a main shaft, a thermal change amount between two sampling times is computed on the basis of the movement distance of the main shaft during a period from time 0 to time 1a. After thermal change amounts are computed, a total thermal change amount which results from adding these thermal change amounts is computed. Since the thermal change amount is based on the movement distances (driving states) that are detected at the respective time points and the influence of the thermal change amounts that has been computed previously are added to the computed thermal change amount, it is possible to compute the total thermal change amount corresponding to the driving states at the respective time points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kimihiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 6000728
    Abstract: A security document according to the present invention includes a document substrate having a surface for receiving printed indicia. A half tone warning image is printed on first areas of the surface and a half-tone background image is printed in second areas surrounding the first areas. The half-tone a warning image includes at least one word indicating a status of a copy of the document. A camouflage image extending over the document surface for confusing the eye of an observer such that said warning image is not readily observed. The camouflage image includes at least one word indicating to an observer a status of the original document. One of the half-tone warning image and the half-tone background image are printed with half-tone elements of such a line spacing and element size that it is not readily reproducible by a photocopier. As a consequence, the half-tone warning image becomes apparent on photocopies of the original document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: The Standard Register Company
    Inventor: William H. Mowry, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6000306
    Abstract: A side activated clamping mechanism is disclosed for detachably connecting a tool unit to a tool support housing. The tool unit has a shank with openings which are engaged by locking elements extending radially from apertures in a canister mounted within the tool support housing. Mechanical advantage of the locking elements may be increased by angling the locking element contact surfaces relative to one another. The locking elements are driven along a ball track on a reciprocating lock rod. To accommodate the angle between the contact surfaces, the ball track must be angled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Kennametal Inc.
    Inventor: Robert A. Erickson
  • Patent number: 6000723
    Abstract: A loose-leaf sheet (1) according to the present invention comprises a base sheet (3) having a binding margin (7) adjacent one edge thereof, and release sheet members (4) affixed onto at least one of opposite faces of the base sheet (3), each of the release sheet members (4) being releasable at least once. A multiplicity of such loose-leaf sheets (1) are bound together to form a systematic notebook such as a memorandum book.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nishiwaki Keisan Center
    Inventor: Motoshi Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 6000885
    Abstract: A cutting insert for mounting on edge in the insert pocket of a toolholder. The cutting insert has a mounting surface parallel to the top surface of the insert and a second mounting surface angled relative to the top surface of the insert so that the insert may be mounted in a toolholder having either of these two surfaces. An insert mounted in a toolholder having an angled bottom surface is secured within the insert pocket with a greater lateral force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Kennametal Inc.
    Inventor: Robert A. Erickson