Patents Examined by Alvin J Grant
  • Patent number: 7028587
    Abstract: A ratchet tool comprising a handle, a cartridge attached to the handle, a barrel rotatably received in the cartridge and having a gear and having a non-circular engaging hole, and one or more driving stems each having a non-circular end segment selectively engaged with the engaging hole of the barrel, for allowing the driving stems to be selectively rotated by the barrel. Two pawls are slidably received in the cartridge and each has one or more teeth biased to selectively engage with the gear of the barrel, and a control ferrule includes an actuator for selectively disengaging the teeth of the pawls from the gear of the barrel, to control the driving direction of the barrel and the driving stem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Inventor: Shu Chi Chiang
  • Patent number: 7024972
    Abstract: Disclosed is a tool for both removing and tightening screw-on drains that is simple and easy to use, has a simple design and is easy to manufacture. The tool is capable of engaging an inner surface of a drain flange in a manner that is sufficient to transfer enough force to remove screw-on drain flanges and is capable of use with various designs and sizes of screw-on drain flanges. Different size cams and different lever arms used on the cams allow the tool to optimize the radial force to torque ratio for both removal and insertion of screw-on drain flanges. In addition, nubs are used at the bottom of the drain flange to engage arms that typically are used on drain flanges to further add to the resistance that can be provided between the tool and the drain flange and distribute forces in a dynamic, instantaneous and automatic fashion to optimize removal of the drain flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: WJ Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary D. Werner, Steven X. Johnson
  • Patent number: 7024966
    Abstract: A positionable screwdriver includes a first housing member, a second housing member pivotally connected with the first housing member, and a positionable mechanism arranged between the first and second housing members. The positionable mechanism has a locking button, a leaf spring, a positioning block, a retaining member, and a spring. The positioning block is formed with a plurality of radial teeth and fixed to the first and second housing members. The locking button is arranged within the second housing member and positioned over the leaf spring. A top of the locking button is provided with a raised portion extending upwardly through an opening of the second housing member. The spring has an end bearing against another end of the locking button so as to keep the locking button positioned over the leaf spring, thereby keeping engagement between the leaf button and the positioning block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Mobiletron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shenq Ruey Chao
  • Patent number: 7020923
    Abstract: A body shop tool includes at least four fold out tool elements pivotally mounted at one end of a trough shaped holder and a fastener pry tool pivotally mounted at the opposite end of the through shaped holder wherein the pry tool is configured to fit over, retain and protect the at least four tool elements when the tool elements and pry tool are in the folded or storage position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Lisle Corporation
    Inventor: James Jangula
  • Patent number: 7017448
    Abstract: A wire stripper has a blade handle, a gripper handle, a blade jaw and a gripper jaw all pivotally connected at a main pivot pin that is offset from the mating faces of the jaws. Movable and floating cutting blades mounted on the blade jaw are self-aligning due to a floating connection of the blades that allows them to move respective gauge surfaces into engagement during closing. A blade hold down spring urges the blades into alignment. The jaws are angled with respect to the handle axis so the throat of the cutting blades aligns with a user's line of sight. Individual handle springs have differential springs rates and are arranged so that the handles springs do no resist opening of the jaws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: IDEAL Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Stacey A. Murphy, Edward T. Eaton
  • Patent number: 7017452
    Abstract: A ratchet-based adaptor assembly is comprised of a main body, a shell, a ratchet-like driven member, a switch member, and a spring. The shell is covered on the main body, having a neck formed at a side for connection with a wheel replacement wrench. A receiving space is defined between the main body and the shell. The ratchet-like driven member is rotatably mounted in the receiving space, having a plurality of teeth and an adaptor for connection with a rotatable joint of a jack. The switch member includes at least two teeth for engaging the teeth of the ratchet-based driven member, being pivotally mounted in the receiving space but having a part exposed outside the main body for poking by the user's hand. The spring is mounted in the receiving space so as to keep enabling the switch member to engage the driven member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Infinite Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Wen-Hsu Lin
  • Patent number: 7013758
    Abstract: An apparatus for removing shingles and shingle fasteners from a roof. The apparatus comprises a frame and a driver unit coupled to the frame, the driver unit including at least one motor. The apparatus also comprises a stripping unit coupled to the driver unit, the driver unit being operative to alternately move the stripping unit between two positions. The stripping unit is adapted to lift shingles off from a roof and to extract shingle fasteners out of the roof as the stripping unit alternately moves between the two positions and the apparatus moves on the roof. The apparatus further comprises a pair of cutters coupled to the driver unit, the driver unit being operative to drive the pair of cutters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Inventor: Stephane Gendron
  • Patent number: 7014531
    Abstract: Apparatus for inline measurement of material removal during a polishing or grinding process including: a. a substantially circular rotatable grinding or polishing pad; and b. a sample holder; and c. a sample with a top, a bottom and one or more side surfaces; the sample holder being arranged to hold the bottom surface of the sample in contact with the pad and the sample holder being connected to a moving device to move the sample to a position at least partially over the rim of the pad, during at least a part of the process, the apparatus also including a detecting device for sampling the distances between a reference mark and a target area in the sample and a plane defined by the bottom surface of the sample during the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Struers A/S
    Inventor: Jesper Rømer Hansen
  • Patent number: 7013761
    Abstract: A wrench includes a body, a control device, a pawl and a joint. The body includes a handle and a ring. The control device includes a disc pivotally received in the ring and a stem projecting from the disc and including upper, lower and intermediate sections. The pawl is connected with the disc and formed with a toothed end for engagement with the teeth of the ring and two arc-shaped sides. The joint includes a disc received in the ring, an insert installed beneath the disc, stops installed on the disc for selective engagement with the arc-shaped sides of the pawl, and a ball detent trapped in a hole defined in the insert for selective engagement with one of the intermediate and lower sections of the stem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Inventor: Terence Chen
  • Patent number: 7013763
    Abstract: A display device is connected to a head of a wrench including a fixed jaw and a movable jaw. A variable electric resistor is connected to a side of the head and electrically connected to the display device. The movable jaw has a contact member which is movably in contact with the variable electric resistor. The changes of the value of electric resistance of the variable electric resistor is transformed into digitals to show the distance between the fixed jaw and the movable jaw, that is, the size of an object clamped between the fixed jaw and the movable jaw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Inventor: Chih-Ching Hsien
  • Patent number: 7007574
    Abstract: A grip structure for a pressure-based tool has a main body, a grip, an operating rod, a flexible part, and a pressure block. The pressure block and operating rod are assembled in a groove of the main body. A bottom of the pressure block and a surface in the groove of the main body are set with an elastic supporter in between. A bottom of the pressure block is equipped with a groove so that a top of the elastic supporter contacts the bottom of the grip by passing through the groove. The grip is urged by the elastic supporter regardless of an upward or downward motion applied to the grip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Inventor: Geng-Hao Wu
  • Patent number: 7004050
    Abstract: A cork extractor includes a body having a pair of opposed side walls defining a gap therebetween and having a dimension that radially increases from a first end to a second end of the body. A hinge member is rotatably fixed at the first body end for turning about an axis, and a corkscrew is connected to the hinge member. The corkscrew is pivotable about the axis between a retracted position lying in the gap and an extended position for pulling a cork out from a bottle mouth upon the body being turned about the hinge member while bearing slidingly against the bottle mouth at a position sliding from its first end to its second end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Inventor: Chung Lun Wong
  • Patent number: 7003833
    Abstract: A tool assembly includes a handle and a plurality of tools mounted to the handle. Several of the tools can be rotated between a closed position and an open position relative to the handle. The tools include a utility knife, a keyhole saw, a pry bar and a punch. Additionally, the tool assembly includes a recessed rasp for trimming an edge of a sheet of gypsum board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Inventor: Pedro Feliciano
  • Patent number: 7000507
    Abstract: A hand tool having an adjustable head comprises a head, a handle, a fastening device and a joint lock mechanism, characterised in that: a bottom side of a concave pivotal portion of the handle has an inclining surface inclining forwardly from a first side of the concave pivotal portion to a second side of the concave pivotal portion; the joint lock mechanism comprises: a first engaging device and a second engaging device; the second engaging device comprises a pull button and a biasing device. The pull button is moveable from an unlocked position at the first side of the concave pivotal portion to a locked position at the second side of the concave pivotal portion. The biasing device is disposed at a front end such that when the pull button is at an unlocked position, a gap is formed between a rear end of the pull button and the bottom side of the concave pivotal portion; when the pull button is at a locked position, a front end of the pull button is adapted to engage the first engaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Lea Way Hand Tool Corporation
    Inventor: Yu-Cheng Lin
  • Patent number: 7000505
    Abstract: A socket includes a main body including a first cylinder having an outer periphery formed with a plurality of outer teeth, and a second cylinder having an inner periphery formed with a plurality of inner teeth. The inner teeth of the main body and the outer teeth of the main body have the same tooth number and have the corresponding tooth shape. Thus, the sockets can co-operate with each other to increase the working length, and the sockets co-operating with the ratchet wrench can be used in an elongated shallower space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Inventor: Chih-Ching Hsien
  • Patent number: 7000509
    Abstract: A hand tool includes a handle defining an axially extending passage therein, and having an accommodation cavity with a radially extending access opening. A cassette member is insertable through the opening to be rotatably mounted in the cavity, and has a plurality of angularly displaced storage chambers for receiving tool bits, respectively, such that a selected one of the chambers is in line with the passage. A shank is movably disposed in the passage, and has an engaging head which can push the tool bit in the selected chamber outwardly of the handle for operation, and which can be retracted into the passage for angular movement of the chambers. The cassette member can be radially pushed to be removed from the cavity through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Inventor: Hsuan-Sen Shiao
  • Patent number: 6993997
    Abstract: A ratchet wrench including a housing with a handle extending therefrom. A rotor is positioned within an opening in the housing. The rotor includes a crosspiece having a polygonal cross-section and a downwardly extending stem for the selective attachment of a socket. A pair of movable wedges is positioned adjacent each side of the crosspiece. A compressed spring separates the movable wedges of each pair and normally urges the wedges away from one another and into snug engagement with both the housing and the crosspiece. A selector is rotatably fastened to the rotor. The selector includes a disk rotatably fastened to the top of the rotor. A fin extends upwardly from the top of the disk and a plurality of arms extends downwardly from the bottom of the disk with one of the arms being provided for each pair of movable wedges. The arms, by manual rotation of the disk, selectively drive one wedge from each pair of movable wedges from engagement with the housing to permit ratcheting of the wrench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Inventor: Richard R. Marro
  • Patent number: 6993999
    Abstract: A clamping device utilizes the mechanism of conventional vise-grip locking pliers to clamp internally or to expand workpieces with adjustable force. The invention comprises a fixed arm, a movable arm with quick release mechanism, a pair of special design, crossed clamping arms with jaws. Also included with the invention is the rear adjustment screw attached to one end of the fixed arm for setting the clamping gap and the clamping force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Inventor: Harry Wong
  • Patent number: 6990702
    Abstract: A folding multipurpose tool incorporating a latch release mechanism including a lever, a cam, and a rocker-shaped grip body to easily effect release of a catch for holding knife or screwdriver blades extended. A spring and cams are arranged to hold each of a pair of handles either extended or folded with respect to the tangs of a pair of pliers jaws or the like. The handles include inwardly directed comfortable rounded rims. Portions of folding blades interlock with other folding blades on an opposite handle when the tool is folded, to stabilize the handles while using a knife or screwdriver. Blades of folding scissors include edges that are serrated only near their tips. A container opener includes a hook defining a recessed throat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Leatherman Tool Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Benjamin C. Rivera
  • Patent number: 6988940
    Abstract: This manual, vacuum-enabled dustless sander provides complete debris collection from both the working surface and area extending peripherally beyond the sander head while overcoming other deficiencies of prior art by projecting an abrasive screen above the sander head to form a rectangular mound which abrades while allowing debris to be drawn through itself. The projection is achieved by placing the abrasive screen atop an air permeable cushion supported by a rectangular platform made to rotate at a position of use at the intake end of a hollow shaft. Ends of the screen are inserted between the walls of two rectangular containers which rotate on the shaft and loosely embrace the platform. Rotating the shaft moves the threaded inner down the shaft into the lower container to clamp the screen in place. Vacuumed air draws all abraded debris into the sander head and through the hollow shaft to a collection canister.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Inventor: Bruce Taylor