Patents Examined by Allan N. Shoap
  • Patent number: 6973729
    Abstract: A knockout punch is provided with a member such that when the punch and the die are drawn together by the draw stud to make a hole in a workpiece, the member on the punch will locate the punch assembly in a pilot hole. In three embodiments of the invention, the member is formed integrally with the punch and extends from the punch proximate to a bore in the punch which is used to connect the punch to the draw stud. In another embodiment of the invention, the member is provided as an insert which is connected to the punch within a counterbore. The punch is also provided with a pair of piercing portions for piercing through the workpiece after the member has centered the punch assembly with the pilot hole and a pair of cutting portions for shearing the workpiece after the piercing portions have pierced the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Greenlee Textron Inc.
    Inventor: William F. Nordlin
  • Patent number: 6973862
    Abstract: A method and apparatus by which potatoes and other elongate food product can be properly oriented and stabilized during a slicing operation performed by a cutting device having a horizontal cutting plane. The apparatus includes a passage extending downwardly toward the cutting device and defining an opening in proximity to the cutting device, splines or other suitable features disposed along a first portion of the passage and oriented substantially parallel to the passage, and means for applying a force on a food product traveling downward through the passage so as to urge the product into contact with the splines during engagement with the cutting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Urschel Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Brent L. Bucks
  • Patent number: 6973725
    Abstract: A scissors assembly includes a main body, a jaw plate, and an angle adjusting base. Thus, the scissors assembly has a simplified construction and can be positioned efficiently. In addition, the scissors assembly can adjust the cutting angle easily and conveniently. Further, the scissors assembly is operated easily and conveniently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Inventor: Wei Chih Lai
  • Patent number: 6971180
    Abstract: A paint can channel perforating apparatus includes a perforating member, a stiffening brace and a plurality of perforating bits. The perforating bits are arranged normal to the plane defined by the perforating member. A protective housing may be adapted to enclose the perforating member and the rim of a paint can. The protective housing includes at least one cross member arranged parallel to the stiffening brace and a plurality of guides sized to accept and direct the stiffening brace linearly. A shaft may be fixedly attached to the stiffening brace and slideable relative to an orifice defined within one of at least one of the cross members. Further a spring may be positioned around the shaft and between a handle and the cross member to return the perforating bits to a rest position after the channel has been pierced by the perforating bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Inventor: Chris Yocum
  • Patent number: 6971178
    Abstract: A utility knife includes a handle assembly comprising first and second handle portions pivotally movable between open and closed positions. A blade carriage within the assembly carries a blade. When the handle portions are in the open position the blade carriage is exposed to enable cutting blade replacement. A threaded fastener mounted on the handle assembly includes a knob portion to enable the fastener to be manually moved between a locking position in which the fastener holds the handle portions in their closed position and a releasing position in which the handle portions can be moved between open and closed positions. A detent assembly is operatively connected to threaded fastener to releasably hold the fastener in its locking position. Movement of the second handle portion into its open position pivots an end portion of the blade carriage outwardly away from the first handle portion to facilitate blade replacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: The Stanley Works
    Inventor: Stephen Rowlay
  • Patent number: 6968622
    Abstract: A utility knife having a handle and a blade holder which is pivotally mounted on the handle for movement from an unfolded position to a folded position. The handle has a space adapted to receive the blade holder when the blade holder is in its folded position. The blade holder includes a main wall and guard wall pivotally mounted on the main wall to pivot from an open position to a closed position overlying the main wall. The main wall being adapted to hold a blade so that a blade is interposed between the main wall and guard wall when the guard wall is in its closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Great Neck Saw Manufacturers, Inc.
    Inventor: Qiu Jian Ping
  • Patent number: 6968767
    Abstract: A saw machine includes a seat disposed in a housing, two frames rotatably secured to the seat with pivot pins and each having a sector gear and a saw blade, and a driving device for driving the saw blades. A shaft is rotatably secured to the seat and has a worm engaged with the sector gear of one of the frames, to rotate and adjust the frame relative to the seat. A conduit is rotatably engaged on the shaft and has a worm engaged with the sector gear of the other frame, to adjust the other frame relative to the seat. A support device includes a block having an orifice to rotatably receive the shaft and to stably support and retain the shaft to the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Inventor: Hsi Hui Yu
  • Patent number: 6968768
    Abstract: The disclosure describes a slitting saw used to cut an opening in a pipe. The saw generally comprises a housing mounted on an XYZ positioning system, a drive assembly and a cutting blade. A motor is used to drive a gear train which creates rotating of the cutting blade. The cutting blade makes a bevel cut into the pipe which allows for a new piece to be welded into the window cut by the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Inventor: Donato L. Ricci
  • Patent number: 6968763
    Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus and method for orienting a part detached from a web of parts. The apparatus and method use a duct with at least one interior sloped side to orient the part in a substantially vertical orientation. The invention further provides an apparatus for stacking a plurality of flexible circuits. The apparatus includes a container having a contoured end that causes the flexible circuits to stack upon the contoured end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fletcher L. Chapin, John E. Kozol
  • Patent number: 6968764
    Abstract: A cleaning device for a continuous loop band blade food processing machine. A pair of scrapers is positioned on, and seated against, opposite sides of the blade for scraping matter from the blade as it passes between the scrapers. The scrapers are biased against the blade. The upper scraper has an axis that is transverse to the blade's axis, and the blade can be removed by loosening the screw attaching the upper scraper and pivoting the scraper about the screw. The edge of the upper scraper is transverse to the blade's axis to cause scraped matter to flow toward a deflector panel that guides air and scraped matter into a vacuum inlet which is positioned near the edges of each scraper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: J. E. Grote Company
    Inventors: John B. Gorun, David S. Rauch
  • Patent number: 6968987
    Abstract: A quartering pill splitter includes a bed having a recess formed within, the recess having a cross section which substantially conforms to the pill shape. A thin, cruciate cutting blade assembly is disposed below the pill bed, so that the pill, when inserted into the recess, rests on the cutting edges of the cruciate cutting blade assembly. A plunger, containing an upper compression member is moveable with respect to the cutting blade assembly and is forceably engaged against the pill disposed in the bed recess when the user strikes the cap of the plunger, thus cutting the pill into quarters in a single stroke. The cruciate cutting blade assembly contains a first blade and a second blade at a right angle relative to the first blade, and which is offset from the first blade a distance equal to the thickness of the first blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Three Chestnuts Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Carmen T. Reitano
  • Patent number: 6966117
    Abstract: A carpenters pencil sharpener having a body member having a T-shaped opening in its front wall. The body member has an interior pencil sharpening chamber having respective left and right upper support platforms and respective left and right lower support platforms. There are respective left and right upper ramps that extend inwardly from the T-shaped opening to the respective left and right upper support platforms. There are also respective left and right lower ramps that extend inwardly from the T-shaped opening to the respective left and right lower support platforms. A transversely extending blade member has a rearwardly extending cutting edge that extends into the interior pencil sharpening chamber. The T-shaped opening of the pencil sharpener allows a carpenters pencil to be inserted at four different 90 degree positions in order to sharpen the four different sides of the carpenters pencil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Inventor: Jeffrey C. Cannon
  • Patent number: 6966245
    Abstract: A rotary cutting die includes a trim stripper having a generally pentagonal shape which forcibly separates severed trim scrap from cut corrugated board, directing the scrap material generally downwardly and away from the trimmed corrugated board product. The pentagonal shaped stripping member mounts on the surface of a die board adjacent a trim cutting blade and is formed of a resilient material, such as closed cell rubber, which deforms elastically when forced into contact with the incoming blank of material. The angled nature of the stripper surface allows the stripper to smoothly contact and capture the leading edge of the blank, greatly reducing the potential for an initial destructive misalignment at the stripper-blank interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Container Graphics Corporation
    Inventor: Jack Richard Simpson
  • Patent number: 6966115
    Abstract: Pruning scissors comprise a blade and a counter-blade each integral with a grip and mounted so as to be pivoted around a threaded swivel pin cooperating with an adjusting nut of the blade and counter-blade. The nut is rotationally integral with a toothed wheel meshed with a retainer toothed member attached to the pruning scissors counter-blade through a blocking screw. The toothed wheel has an axial opening whose outline corresponds to the external outline of the adjusting nut and is adapted to be inserted around the nut. The retainer toothed member is a toothed gear and the toothed wheel and the toothed gear comprise a respective complementary device adapted to retain the toothed wheel around the nut against any axial movement when the gear is meshed with the toothed wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Deville S.A.
    Inventor: Antoine Deville
  • Patent number: 6966113
    Abstract: A utility knife has a disposable blade cartridge in its handle that has front and rear blade compartments. Each compartment is sized to store a plurality of blades in side-by-side relation. Fresh blades are disposed in the front compartment and one end of each is advanced one at a time substantially out of the compartment into operative position by a carrier that is controlled by an actuator on the handle. When the active blade is to be replaced, it is moved by the carrier into the rear compartment, and a new blade may then be withdrawn from the front compartment into the operative position. The active blade when not in use is partially withdrawn into the front compartment. The cartridge is reversed when the one end of all the blades in the front compartment are used, placing what was the rear compartment at the front, and the unused end of each blade is advanced into the operative position and when used they are each moved to the rear compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Repetto LLC
    Inventor: Gregory Fossella
  • Patent number: 6966116
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a shaving head for a hair cutting apparatus, with at least one outer cutter and at least one under cutter associated therewith and having cutting edges, said cutters being movable relative to one another by a drive mechanism, with the outer cutter having an engagement surface comprised of bars and slots, which slots are open at least towards one of two lateral boundary lines of the engagement surface, said boundary lines defining the width of the engagement, wherein the bars are shaped in a meandering, sinusoidal or serpentine configuration extending to and from between the two opposite lateral boundary lines of the engagement surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Peter, Werner Haczek, Thosten Piesker, Stefan Fürst, Wolfgang Franke
  • Patent number: 6964099
    Abstract: A pair of gardening shears include a blade assembly including two blades, and a handle assembly pivotally mounted on the blade assembly and including a first handle and a second handle. Thus, the gardening shears have two blades each having two cutting portions having different shapes to perform different cutting functions, so that the gardening shears provide two different pruning actions so as to satisfy the user's practical requirements, thereby enhancing the versatility of the gardening shears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Inventor: Min Zheng Zeng
  • Patent number: 6962279
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating glass panels that minimizes process failures and improves separation process consistency by utilizing a separation handle which applies the minimal pressure necessary to remove the edge portion from the glass panel. The glass panel is cut along the score line, which outlines the edge portions of the glass panel to be removed. The panel is placed upon the separating apparatus, which pumps nitrogen along the underside of the glass panel, causing the glass panel to float above the apparatus. Locating pins are inserted to position the panel on the stage. Once the glass panel is in place, a vacuum sucks the panel against the stage, holding the panel tightly against the stage. The separation handle is then inserted over the edge portion to be removed. A measured force is applied to the handle, with the force incrementally increased until the slow, controllable separation of the edge is achieved. This level of force is maintained until separation is complete.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC
    Inventors: Henry S. Marek, Robert Kwasnick, Ruben Horacio-Flores Moctezuma, Fyodor I. Maydanich
  • Patent number: 6959633
    Abstract: A cutting system for accurately cutting a notch in a piece of lineal to permit sharp bending of the lineal, permitting the lineal to be placed about the perimeter of picture or similar structure is disclosed. The cutting system includes a handle for driving a cutting blade in the direction of the force of gravity, and includes a retracting mechanism to return the handle and cutting blade to an initial starting position after each cut. A laterally reversible measuring assembly consisting of a measuring guide barn and a pair of adjustable measuring stops for measuring and supporting a piece of lineal to be cut, is releasably secured to the cutting system, facilitating interchange between left and right lateral configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Inventor: Richard J. Brady
  • Patent number: 6959634
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device for die-cutting a stack of sheet-like materials, particularly labels, whereby the stack is pressed into the die-cutter blade by a relative movement of a punching ram and a hollow cylindrical die-cutter blade. For a device such as this, it is proposed that the die-cutter blade 18 is adjustably held in a frame 16, and the frame 16 is accommodated by a receiving apparatus 13 which is mounted in a punch platen 12 and is adjustable relative to it, whereby the frame 16 can be slid in a plane parallel to the punch platen 12, in particular is adjustable in the direction of two major axes that are essentially arranged perpendicular to one another, and can also be tilted out of the plane. Such a device allows for precise orientation of the die-cutter blade relative to the stack to be punched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Adolf Mohr Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Helmut Gross, Werner Bauer, Gerhard Becker, Gerd Gottschalk, Richard Neubauer, Horst Schneider, Frank Stemmer