Patents Examined by Allan D. Herrmann
  • Patent number: 6301981
    Abstract: The escapement (10) includes first (6) and second (7) wheels meshing with each other. One (6) of these wheels is driven by the gear train. First (9) and second (11) rollers secured to a common arbor (1) support a sprung balance. The wheels (6, 7) and the first roller (9) are provided with means allowing said first roller to receive direct impulses supplied alternately by the first and second wheels for the purpose of maintaining the oscillations of the balance. The second roller (11) is provided with means for driving a locking and rocking member arranged to lock said first and second wheels alternately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Ulysse Nardin S.A.
    Inventor: Ludwig Oechslin
  • Patent number: 6301986
    Abstract: A gear arrangement, especially for a double screw extruder, has a drive shaft and at least one driven element, wherein the driven element is in active connection, at least indirectly, with two intermediate gears driven by the drive shaft and can be driven by them. The intermediate gears (6, 7) are arranged on axles parallel to each other and act on the same driven element (8), wherein the intermediate gears are in mesh with a common distributor gear (5) coupled at least indirectly to the drive shaft (9) and can be driven by this distributor gear. The distributor gear is mounted in bearings so that it can move at least indirectly in the radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: P.I.V. Antrieb Werner Reimers GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Alfred Berky
  • Patent number: 6301982
    Abstract: A housed gyro-sensor 31 is housed in a rotation plate 33. The gyro-sensor 31 is mounted so that a rotation operation is enabled in a pitch axis direction about an axis in a mounting hole 24 formed on a housing of an inner face of the car navigation system 21. In this way, as shown in FIG. 8, even when the main body of the car navigation system 21 is not housed horizontally with respect to the vehicle, it is possible to regulate the mounting angle of the housed gyro sensor 31 in a horizontal direction by rotating the rotation plate 33. In order to realize how many times the rotation plate 33 needs to be rotated, standards for angle settings may be provided by directly printing the name of the vehicle type on an outer face of the rotation plate 33 or by printing the major angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirotoshi Kubo, Kazunari Yamakado, Yasushi Takahashi, Hiroaki Sugino
  • Patent number: 6301983
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device in linear actuators comprising a carriage (1) which is guided for movement on or in a rail by means of rotatable threaded spindle (3) extending in the longitudinal direction of the rail. The spindle runs freely through at least one screw support (2, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23) which serves as a bearing supporting the spindle (3) intermediate the ends thereof. The carriage (1) and the screw support (2, 17, 18, 21, 22) are provided with interacting locking means (4, 5, 6, 7) arranged to cause said screw support (2, 17, 18, 21, 22) to be brought along by said carriage (1) during part of the movement of the latter along the spindle (3). In addition. means (11, 19, 28, 29) are provided for releasing the carriage (1) and the screw support (2, 17, 18, 21, 22) from one another as they pass said means while at the same time the secure the screw support (2, 17, 18, 21, 22) in the position into which it has been moved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Warner Electric AB
    Inventor: Sune Andreasson
  • Patent number: 6295886
    Abstract: A transmission shifter for controlling the transmission of a motor vehicle in both and automatic mode and a manual (or “autostick”) shifting mode is disclosed, comprising a base having a detent surface provided with a series of detents, a cable actuator to which a cable would be connected to the transmission, a shifter lever connected to the base, movable along a first gear shift gate in the automatic mode and a second gear shift gate in the manual mode with the shift gates connected by a connecting gate, and a pawl mounted on the cable actuator, movable between an engaged position where the pawl engages the detent surface to a disengaged position where the pawl is free of the detent surface, such that as the shifter lever moves along the first gear shift gate the cable actuator moves with the shifter lever, and the shifter lever moves independent of the cable actuator as the shifter lever moves along the second gear shift gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Dura Global Technologies
    Inventor: Ronald A. Russell
  • Patent number: 6295883
    Abstract: An opening and closing type interior device includes a fixed member, a movable member which is capable of being opened and closed and is movable relative to the fixed member, an actuator including a driving source and a gear mechanism, and a damper coupled to one of the movable member and the fixed member. The opening and closing type interior device includes, for example, a display device for an automobile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Kejima Press Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Tsukada, Kenichi Oji
  • Patent number: 6295882
    Abstract: In a device for operating display members (2) at signs for consecutive, repeated presentation of series of images, the members (2) are operated by a driving gear wheel (9) on a drive shaft (6) through a driven gear wheel (10) for each member (2). The drive shaft (6) has a lock (15) cooperating with a member (16) being non-rotatably connected with the driven gear wheel (10) for setting in a locking position for blocking the driven gear wheel (10) against rotation when no engagement between the gear wheels (9, 10) is present, and leaving its locking position for permitting rotation of the driven gear wheel (10) before engagement once again is present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Prisma World Sign AB
    Inventor: Jonas Olof Österberg
  • Patent number: 6295885
    Abstract: A manual automobile transmission includes a non-rotating reverse gear having an internal spline in the front portion of the reverse gear and a needle roller bearing mounted at the rear portion. The bearing supports the gear and allows the main shaft to rotate without the gear turning when the transmission is not in the reverse mode. A separate splined collar is mounted on the shaft. Internal splines on the collar readily engage the splines on the main shaft and extended splines match the reverse gear splines. A small spring ball is inserted in the gear just forward of the splines to facilitate alignment of the gear and splined collar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Inventor: Robert Delsole
  • Patent number: 6293166
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for adjusting a gear in a gear train assembly. A first gear with a first rotational center and a second gear with a second rotational center are coupled to an engine. A third gear with a third rotational center is provided to form a first mesh with the first gear. The first mesh has a predetermined minimum backlash. The third gear also forms a second mesh with the second gear. The third gear includes an adjustable positioning mechanism which allows the rotational center of the third gear to be adjusted along a predetermined adjustment path that is substantially tangent to the first mesh. The adjustment mechanism of the third gear allows the minimum backlash of the first mesh to be maintained while the second mesh is adjusted to likewise achieve a generally minimized backlash.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: David P. Genter, Eudell L. Kelly, Mark A. Voils, Thomas R. Stover, Robert W. Kolhouse
  • Patent number: 6289758
    Abstract: There is disclosed a gear module comprising an output gear pivotally fitted to a base, a transmission gear rotated by a driving force from a driving motor to transmit the driving force to the output gear, a power actuating lever having a base end pivotally fitted to the base to be rotated around the base end; an actuated lever having a top end pivotally fitted to the transmission lever and a base end pivotally fitted to the base; and a connection bar connecting the top end of the power actuating lever and the top end of the actuated lever, the connection bar allowing the actuated lever to rotate in accordance with a rotation of the power actuating lever and allowing the transmission gear and the output gear to be engaged with each other, wherein the link axises of the power actuating lever and the connection bar form approximately straight line when the transmission lever is engaged with the output gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Nidec Copal Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuyasu Kugio, Takashi Kasahara, Toshinori Iiijiya, Masaaki Takagi
  • Patent number: 6289756
    Abstract: An electronic shifter assembly is provided. The shifter assembly includes a shift lever, a position sensor and first and second mechanisms. The position sensor is operable for sensing a position of the shift lever and producing a position signal in response thereto. The first mechanism is coupled to one of the position sensor and the shift lever and includes a structure having a plurality of detents. The second mechanism is coupled to the other one of the position sensor and the shift lever and includes an assembly which engages the plurality of detents to resist relative movement between the shift lever and the position sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Kelsey-Hayes Co.
    Inventors: Joseph John Roemen, William James Falkowski
  • Patent number: 6286382
    Abstract: A rack and pinion steering gear (10) comprises a rack (14) and a housing (12) for receiving the rack. The housing (12) has a chamber (42) for receiving a rack supporting yoke (70). The chamber (42) has a threaded portion (44) with internal threads (45). A rack supporting yoke (70) is disposed in the chamber (42) and supports the rack (14) for movement in the housing (12). An externally threaded yoke plug (90) is screwed into the internal threads (45) of the threaded portion (44). An externally threaded lock nut (120) is screwed into the internal threads (45) of the threaded portion (44) and into abutting engagement with the yoke plug (90) to lock the yoke plug in the housing (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: TRW Inc.
    Inventors: Steven P. Spagnuolo, Kenneth N. Douglass
  • Patent number: 6286378
    Abstract: To reduce abrasion of the pinion and the ring gear, a coil spring and a plate are arranged between the inner circumference of the plunger and the output shaft. The plate is adapted to the rear end of the thrust spline of the over-running clutch to transmit the elastic force of the coil spring to the thrust spline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichiro Kamei, Shigeru Shiroyama, Akira Kuragaki, Hidekazu Katayama
  • Patent number: 6279414
    Abstract: A manual type tilting apparatus of a vehicle is provided to improve convenience of a driver who can take an action to release the intermeshed state of a movable latch member of an upper steering column and a fixed latch member of a lower steering column and conveniently adjust the slope of the steering axis for a tilting operation while the driver's both hands hold the steering handle at the same time, the apparatus having the upper steering column and the lower steering column coupled at the upper steering column by a pivot point for rotation, a movable latch member with a long hole mounted to rotate at the upper steering column, and a fixed latch member formed at the lower steering column to selectively intermesh with the movable latch member, wherein the movable latch member rotates so as to be detached from the fixed latch member via movable latch member manipulating means eccentrically inserted into the long hole by repeating protrusion and insertion with one touch system, thereby releasing the inte
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Sung-Jin Moon
  • Patent number: 6279418
    Abstract: A clutch depressing tool for holding a clutch pedal in an engaged position while work is performed on the clutch system. The clutch depressing tool includes a bar extending between the steering wheel and the clutch pedal. The bar has a first end and a second end. A clutch pedal engaging bracket is fixedly mounted to the first end of the bar. The clutch pedal engaging bracket has a hook portion thereon, which opens away from the bar. The hook portion is adapted to rest over an upper edge of the clutch pedal. A steering wheel engaging bracket for resting the second end of the bar on the steering wheel has a generally J-shaped configuration. The steering wheel engaging bracket has a long portion and a hook portion. The long portion has a first bore therein. The first bore has a shape adapted to slidably receive a portion of the bar. A plurality of notches for holding the steering wheel bracket is in the bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Inventor: Johnny L. Olive, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6279413
    Abstract: A first arm (3) of a articulated robot has a double arm structure composed of a first arm piece (3a) and a second arm piece (3b). The first arm piece (3a) transmits a drive force, and a housing (4a) of a second arm (4) is rotatably mounted to the first arm piece (3a) at the end thereof. The second arm piece (3b) houses cables and pipes or the like, and a cover (4b) of the housing (4a) is rotatably mounted to the second arm piece at the end thereof. The cover (4b) is fixed to the housing (4a) through a fixing tool (6). The housing (4a) is permitted to be opened by separating the housing (4a) and the cover (4b) from each other by causing the second arm piece (3b) to rotate relatively to the first arm piece (3a) after the removal of the fixing tool (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Terada, Toshinari Tamura, Hisashi Ogawa, Takahiro Hase
  • Patent number: 6276225
    Abstract: A ball screw assembly includes a screw shaft with a spiral groove, balls along the groove, a nut with the screw shaft relatively rotatable with the balls, and a seal device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: THK Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuji Takeda, Tetsuhiro Nishide, Hiroshi Niwa, Mitsuaki Honma
  • Patent number: 6276226
    Abstract: A cycloidal gear with a small number of teeth includes a tooth of cycloid tooth. In the above construction, the number of teeth is four or five; and the cycloidal gear with a small number of teeth meshes with a large gear with cycloid tooth to constitute a gear train.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Fujikiko Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kotonori Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 6272944
    Abstract: A shift lever system for a vehicle having longitudinal and lateral directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Won-Jin Jeong
  • Patent number: 6273839
    Abstract: A roller control unit (2) for a continuously-variable-ratio transmission includes a cylinder (6) having a cylinder wall and an end wall; and a piston (8), within the cylinder (6) and to which the roller assembly (4) is connected for movement therewith, said unit includes an axially extending shroud (10) of variable length extending between the piston (8) and the end wall, thereby to define in combination with the piston (8) and cylinder (6) a chamber (16) for receiving hydraulic fluid, and in which the shroud (10) comprises a telescopic shroud which in a first position of the piston (8) is extended and in a second position of the piston (8) is retracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Torotrak (Development) Limited
    Inventor: Brian Joseph Dutson