Patents Examined by Allen Ortega
  • Patent number: 6254019
    Abstract: The invention is a food processor with a blade that moves up and down while rotating, for improved comminuting action. An additional, more general field of this invention is in the area of transmission mechanisms, specifically a mechanism that adds up-and-down motion to rotational motion. The mechanism includes a lifting element which is coupled to the drive shaft and which is also free to move up and down along the shaft. The blade is attached to the lifting element. A cylinder is fixed to the main body of the processor. A thread forms a continuous loop inside the cylinder, beginning at the bottom of the cylinder, extending in a spiral fashion to the top of the cylinder, and returning in a reverse spiral fashion to the bottom of the cylinder. The lifting element fits inside the cylinder, and has a post and a member located thereon. The post and member on the lifting element fit into the thread on the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Inventor: John Alexander Galbreath
  • Patent number: 6250989
    Abstract: An eyeglass lens grinding apparatus which is designed to ensure that the lens processing operation proceeds smoothly enough to streamline the overall process flow. Processing information about right and left eyeglass lenses is provided on the basis of information about configuration of the eyeglass frame and information about a layout of each eyeglass lens with respect to the eyeglass frame. The processing information about the eyeglass lenses is stored in a memory even after processing has ended. Information about size correction is entered to modify the processing information. Lens corrective processing information is provided on the basis of the entered corrective information and the processing information stored in the memory. After sequentially processing the right and left eyeglass lenses on the basis of the processing information, corrective processing is carried out on the basis of the corrective processing information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Nidek Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiaki Mizuno