Patents Examined by Allan D. Herrmann
  • Patent number: 6575050
    Abstract: A control device for a backhoe that moves four separate reversible hydraulic valves in any combination or all at the same time with only one human hand needed to manipulate said controls. These valves are controlled through an organized series of arms, levers, and push rods. Lever one 1 can pivot forward or backward, move up or down, push forward or pull backward, and move to the left or right. Lever two 2 pivots up or down at lever four 4, therefore lever one 1 moves with lever two 2 as a unit. Lever four 4 spins around lever three 3 with lever two 2 and lever one 1 as a unit. Lever three 3 pivots forward and backward taking lever four 4, lever two 2, and lever one 1 with it as a unit. Lever one 1 pivots forward or backward to actuate valve 20 through a number of pins, rods, and arms. As lever one 1 is moved up or down, it pivots lever two 2 causing valve 22 to be actuated, leaving valve 20 uninterrupted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Inventor: Geoffrey B. Greene
  • Patent number: 6494111
    Abstract: A change lever mechanism for manipulating a change lever, and more particularly to a change lever mechanism of a vehicle constructed and arranged to provide a good shifting feel to a change lever and to absorb vibrations transmitted from engine to thereby prevent transmission of the vibration from a body of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Yang-Soo Lee
  • Patent number: 6470762
    Abstract: In a flat sliding gear drive formed of flat panel-shaped sliding elements (1), (2), with a first sliding element (1) connected to a motor and a second sliding element (2) connected to a variable load, the first and second sliding elements (1), (2) have interacting wedge surfaces which are curved for providing a uniform torque loading of the driving motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Harald Burkart
  • Patent number: 6460426
    Abstract: A column shift device for motor vehicles includes a steering column, and a hand lever secured to the steering column in the vicinity of the upper end and including a knob arranged in the vicinity of the steering wheel and comprising two different and separate portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Fuji Kiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Kataumi, Ryoichi Fujiwara, Hirokazu Hirabayashi
  • Patent number: 6461270
    Abstract: A pair of power rollers which is gripped between an input disk and an output disk and transmits torque by friction, is supported rotatably by a pair of trunnions. The upper ends and lower ends of the trunnions are respectively connected by links, and the power roller is prevented from being driven out from between the input disk and output disk by the grip force. When the trunnions and the power rollers are displaced by the servopistons in the trunnion axis direction in mutually opposite directions, the trunnions and power rollers gyrate around the trunnion axis as pivot, and a speed change will occur. Links are provided with slots which lengthen in the trunnion axis direction, and are supported in the transmission case free to displace in the trunnion axis direction via pins inserted in the slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshikazu Oshidari
  • Patent number: 6453761
    Abstract: A linear actuator comprises a ball screw carrying an axially restrained rotatable ball nut driven by an electrically energized motor. An enclosing motor housing has front and rear walls with axially aligned openings for passing the ball screw. The motor has a radially inner hollow stator assembly and a generally concentric radially outer rotor assembly. A can member is integrated with the rotor assembly to rotate therewith and has a radial end wall connected to the nut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Thomson Saginaw Ball Screw Company, L.L.C.
    Inventor: James A. Babinski
  • Patent number: 6450916
    Abstract: A loading cam mechanism of a toroidal type continuously variable transmission is provided with a cam disc that rotates together with an input shaft. A cam surface is formed on the cam disc. The cam disc includes a disc portion having the cam surface formed thereon and a cylindrical portion protruding from the central portion of the cam surface. The cam disc further includes a lathe-turned portion formed by lathe turning, a milled surface formed by means of an end mill, and a ground surface formed by means of a grindstone. Formed on a corner portion between the cylindrical portion and the disc portion are a first corner curved surface worked by means of an arcuate portion on the distal end portion of the end mill and a second corner curved surface worked by means of an arcuate portion on the distal end portion of the grindstone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuko Kamamura
  • Patent number: 6450053
    Abstract: A device for ensuring correct tooth engagement during coupling of an adjustable, first gearwheel to a second gearwheel of a printing-material processing machine, includes a first adjustment device for adjusting the first gearwheel in a direction towards the second gearwheel during coupling, and further includes a protrusion and a guide for guiding the protrusion during the coupling, the protrusion being disposed eccentrically to one of the two gearwheels and being connected to the one gearwheel, so that, during rotation of the one gearwheel about a central axis thereof, the protrusion is rotatable together with the one gearwheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen
    Inventors: Jens Friedrichs, Peter Heiler, Arno Kern, Frank Kropp, Frank Schaum
  • Patent number: 6450055
    Abstract: A ball screw apparatus comprises a screw shaft, a nut, and a plurality of balls. A first helical groove is formed at an outer peripheral surface of the screw shaft. A second helical groove is formed at an inner peripheral surface of the nut. A rolling contact way of balls is defined by the first helical groove and the second helical groove facing each other. A connecting way formed of a tube for connecting a part and another part of the rolling contact way is provided on the nut. An endlessly communicating circuit is defined by the connecting way and the rolling contact way. Each of the balls is endlessly arranged in the circuit. A smoothly continuous machined portion is formed by cutting out an angular portion between the helical groove and the connecting way of the nut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Noriaki Sekiya, Daisuke Maruyama, Toshiyuki Iehisa, Kazuo Miyaguchi
  • Patent number: 6446520
    Abstract: A ball screw 2 or a sliding screw 2a has a driving force-transmitting shaft 4 or 4a and a bearing member 6 or 6a externally fitted to the driving force-transmitting shaft 4 or 4a. The driving force-transmitting shaft 4 or 4a is made of aluminum or aluminum alloy, and the bearing member 6 or 6a is made of any one of synthetic resin, aluminum, and aluminum alloy. The member, which is formed by using the aluminum or the aluminum alloy, is applied with a surface treatment, and preferably, it is further applied with a surface finish treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Hiroyuki Shiomi
  • Patent number: 6443870
    Abstract: The present toroidal-type continuously variable transmission comprises input and output disks coaxially disposed so as to be opposed to each other, and a pair of power roller bearings, each power roller bearing including an inner race, an outer race, and power rollers disposed so as to roll on the toroidal surfaces of the input and output disks. At least one of the input and output disks and power rollers are made of medium-carbon steel containing carbon in an amount ranging from 0.3 wt %-0.5 wt %, to thereby have a very long life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomonobu Yoshikawa, Yasuo Murakami
  • Patent number: 6443024
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an operating device with a control lever (1) and an operating console (2), and provided with two pivot axes about which the lever can be alternately pivoted relative to the operating console, for adjustment between a number of operating positions. The operating positions of the control lever about said pivot axes are intended for transmission into a corresponding operating condition of a device to be operated. Said pivot axes are created by four support members (3, 4, 5, 6) for the control lever (1) in the operating console, in pairs defining each one of the pivot axes for the control lever. The support members are biased towards their respective paths (7, 8, 9, 10) defined in the operating device, in which paths the support members, alternately and in pairs, are blocked and operable, respectively, to allow control movement of the lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Kongsberg Automotive AB
    Inventor: Kenneth Skogward
  • Patent number: 6440035
    Abstract: To provide a continuously variable transmission for motor vehicles which transmits power with a speed change from a driving member to a driven member. In the continuously variable transmission, power transmission is effected by moving a carrier which supports a shifting rotating member in frictional contact with the driving member and the driven member. No other special mechanism other than the continuously variable transmission is needed to push to move the motor vehicle with a small force. At least either one of the driving member and the driven member is driven by a power disconnecting means to move away from the other member along the axis of a transmission shaft, thereby releasing at least one of the driving member and the driven member from frictional contact with the first and second friction transfer surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Tsukada, Kazuhiko Nakamura, Toshiya Nagatsuyu
  • Patent number: 6440034
    Abstract: In the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission, the radial clearance of a second radial needle roller bearing 30 for supporting the power roller 8 on the periphery of the pivot shaft portion 26 of the displacement shaft 7 is set larger than the radial clearance of a first radial needle roller bearing 27 for supporting a support shaft portion 25 on a trunnion 6. By increasing the radial clearance of the second radial needle roller bearing 30 in this manner, an increase in the surface pressures in the contact portions between the rolling surfaces of needle rollers 32, 32 and the inner peripheral surface of the power roller 8 and the outer peripheral surface of the pivot shaft portion 26 can be restricted, thereby enhancing the durability of the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission. Also, by reducing the radial clearance of the first radial needle roller bearing 27, the inclination of the displacement shaft 7 is minimized, thereby stabilizing the rotation speed change operation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: NSK, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouji Ishikawa, Nobuo Goto, Takashi Imanishi
  • Patent number: 6439071
    Abstract: The transmission mechanism comprises a lever (12) which can rotate around an eccentric shaft (11) of a rotating disk-crank (10). The lever (12) is guided in its movement by cam means (15a) and acts upon an arm (19) which is attached for joint rotation to an output shaft (3). Advantageously the disk-crank (10) is driven through a connecting rod (8) from another disk-crank (1) which can rotate around a shaft which is different from that of the first disk-crank (10). It doesn't require adjustment or setting up and it has a low cost. The transport device has on the output shaft the wheels for drawing chains with transporting bars provided with clamps for the sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Iberica A.G., S.A.
    Inventor: Ramon Bermudez Perez
  • Patent number: 6435048
    Abstract: A compact telescopic leg assembly includes a generally cylindrical drive motor mounted axially within the inner leg and coupled to a drive collar by a pedestal mount. A drive screw is threadably coupled to a first drive collar which is attached to the inner leg to raise and lower as the drive screw is rotated by the motor. The pedestal mount couples the motor through the first drive collar to a second drive collar which is coupled to an intermediate leg telescopically receiving the inner leg. Gears couple the motor-driven drive screw to a rotatable power nut coupled to the second drive collar. A fixed drive screw extends from the base within an outer leg upwardly through the second drive collar and cooperates with the power nut within the second drive collar to simultaneously extend and retract the legs as the motor rotates the motor-driven drive screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Suspa Incorporated
    Inventor: Dean A. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 6431024
    Abstract: A backpack-type working machine comprises an engine on a shouldering frame and a swingable arm on a side thereof. A throttle lever on the arm controls the engine. A base of the arm is connected to a holder by means of an elastic pivot means including a bolt around which the arm swings and a spring. To allow the arm to move on a plane orthogonal to a swing direction (plane including a center line of a pivot means), the holder and the base of the arm are connected such that only parts opposing and oppositely of inclined surfaces thereof are in partial contact with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuneyoshi Yuasa, Kunio Tsutsui, Junichi Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 6431317
    Abstract: A tri-modal—energy storage mode, fail-safe mode, and operating mode—fail-safe actuator with low overall power consumption and specifically low fail-safe power consumption due to energy storage pawling mechanisms. Stored energy is discharged at a controlled rate in fail-safe mode. The actuator's sequencing through its three modes is enabled by a dual-cam/clutch system which is powered separately from the operational (shaft control) system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Valvcon Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas Edward Coe
  • Patent number: 6431018
    Abstract: A plurality of clamp devices for clamping a cable or a pipe connected to an end effector of a robot are mounted to a robot wrist portion. A first clamp device has a base and a clamp portion configured to slide linearly with respect to the base and be also capable of turning about an axis perpendicular to the slide direction. A second clamp device has a base and a clamp portion configured to be capable of turning about an axis perpendicular to the installation surface of the base. A third clamp device has a revolving unit fitted to the circumference of the arm and configured to be capable of pivotal motion in the circumferential direction of the arm and a clamp portion provided on the circumference of the revolving unit to be capable of turning about an axis in the radial direction of the revolving unit. The clamp portions of these clamp devices are adapted to clamp the cable or the pipe extending to the end effector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Okada, Hiroshi Uchida
  • Patent number: 6427546
    Abstract: In a linear guide unit comprising a guide housing configured as a profiled girder having a bottom wall and a side wall, said bottom and side walls defining empty guide space and forming an angle of less than 180° with each other in cross-section, a guide rail fixed on one of the bottom wall and the side wall, said guide rail being partially surrounded by at least one sliding traveler supported thereon, and a carriage plate fixed on the traveler and projecting out of a longitudinal opening of the empty guide space, said carriage plate having a connecting surface for connection to a connecting structure that is to be moved in a longitudinal direction of the guide housing, for a further delimitation of the empty guide space, a cover sheet is detachably fixed on the side wall in an end region of the side wall opposing the bottom wall, the longitudinal opening for the carriage plate being arranged between a free end region of the cover sheet and the bottom wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Ina Walzlager Schaeffler oHG
    Inventor: Eberhard Alber