Patents Examined by Alvin J Grant
  • Patent number: 6983675
    Abstract: A device for the extraction of the base of a broken light bulb from the socket without further breakage of any remaining glass or deformation of the bulb base member or the socket. A hollow elongated conical cylinder with a series of slots or slits at the apex of the cone is inserted into a light bulb base. A threaded cylindrical rod is screwed into threads inside the conical cylinder, causing the apex of the cone to expand and engage the inside of the light bulb base. When securely engaged, the entire device is turned to cause the light bulb base to be come disengaged from the light socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Inventor: Thomas R. Scearce
  • Patent number: 6984165
    Abstract: A disposable polish applying and buffing mitt comprising a multilayered mitt with a polish impervious layer removably attached to a material pervious to polish such that the material pervious to polish would stain the hand of the user if used to apply the polish but is suitable for buffing the object to which the polish has been applied. A disposable polish applying and buffing kit comprising a multilayered mitt with a first layer of polish impervious material removably secured to a second layer of polish impervious material forming a compartment therebetween which can hold a polish. The first layer of polish impervious material is removed from the second layer of polish impervious material to expose the polish for application. After the polish is applied to the object, the second layer of polish impervious material is removed to expose the buffing mitt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Inventor: Kurt W. Fisher
  • Patent number: 6981435
    Abstract: A ratchet wrench includes a wrench body having a drive head formed with a receiving recess, a ratchet wheel rotatably mounted in the receiving recess of the drive head, a positioning member secured in the receiving recess of the drive head and secured on the ratchet wheel to retain the ratchet wheel in the receiving recess of the drive head, and an oil seal secured in the receiving recess of the drive head and enclosed around the positioning member. Thus, the positioning member is a C-shaped snap that can abut and press the oil seal so as to position the oil seal actually, so that the oil seal has a better positioning effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Inventor: Chih-Ching Hsien
  • Patent number: 6978700
    Abstract: A wrench assembly includes a handle and a wrench. The handle includes a head. The wrench includes a first annular ring non-rotationally put in the head of the handle, a second gear rotationally installed in the first annular ring for engagement with a tool bit and a one-way driving device arranged between the first annular ring and the second gear so that the first annular ring can drive the second gear in a direction through the one-way driving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Inventor: Terence Chen
  • Patent number: 6978696
    Abstract: A corkscrew for easily removing a cork from a wine bottle in the manner wherein a holding screw fixedly inserted in the cork is raised, even by a weak force, by rotating a removal handle, which is spirally coupled to a conveying screw integrally extended in a line from the holding screw, and which is rotatably engaged with a cylindrical support body placed over a mouth of the bottle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Inventor: Sung Il Yu
  • Patent number: 6978705
    Abstract: A torque wrench including a wrench main body, a central push rod mounted in the main body and having an escape section, an adjustment handle adjustably fitted with one end of the main body and a restricting member locked on the central push rod. When adjusting the preset torque value, a user engages a toothed section of the central push rod in a toothed hole of the adjustment handle; the adjustment handle drives the central push rod to adjust the torque value of the torque wrench. The toothed section of the central push rod is then disengaged from the toothed hole of the adjustment handle. The escape section having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the toothed hole fits into the toothed hole so that the central push rod is free from the adjustment handle; as a result the torque value will not be unexpectedly changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Inventor: Chang Chuan Lee
  • Patent number: 6978702
    Abstract: A multi-purpose hand tool is disclosed. According to various embodiments, the tool may include a socket body and a shaft arm. The socket body may include a first socket at a first end and a second socket at a second end. The sockets may be differently sized. The shaft arm is connected to the socket body. According to one embodiment, the shaft arm may be a multi-sided key, such as a hex key, for turning female fasteners (i.e., fasteners, such as bolts or screws, with opening for receiving the shaft arm). The socket body may be cylindrical and the shaft arm may extend radially from the socket body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick James Diggle, III, Jacob P. Jackson
  • Patent number: 6976900
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method, system and apparatus for use in a roll grinding machine. Data is read from an RFID tag automatically by providing an RF read/write sensor on a movable cylinder rod. The RF sensor is held away from the work roll area while the work roll is loaded or removed. When the work roll is placed in the position for grinding, a signal to rotate the roll is sent to the grinding machine, and also operates to advance the cylinder rod. An RFID tag embedded in the work roll and containing identification and other data related to the work roll, is read by a read/write sensor, and the data is then transferred from the sensor to a serial control interface, which converts the data and transmits the information to the grinding machine control desk and the computer control management data base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: United States Steel Corp.
    Inventor: William F. Bolz
  • Patent number: 6973858
    Abstract: A socket assembly includes an inner sleeve, an outer sleeve movably mounted on the inner sleeve, a space defined between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve, and an attachment device mounted in the inner sleeve. Thus, the screwdriver head is locked by the locking member elastically, so that the screwdriver head can be mounted on and detached from the inner sleeve easily and conveniently, thereby facilitating the user mounting and removing the screwdriver head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Inventor: Jung-Chih Huang
  • Patent number: 6973859
    Abstract: Locking or expanding pliers (1) having two plier arms (4, 5) which arc joined to each other in the manner of a scissor-type joint. The arms forming grip sections (6, 7) on one end and clamping sections (12, 13) on the other end and being able to be locked in various clamping positions, whereby the clamping results from the elastic deformation of at least one of the two plier arms (4, 5) occurring when the plier arms (4, 5) are placed in a clamping position. A spring element (F) is arranged in the active area between the clamping section and the grip section in order to achieve improved proportioning of the clamping force, whereby both grip sections (6, 7) can be disposed on top of each other and placed in another locking position (19, 20), when both clamping sections (12, 13) are maintained in a distanced position (a), in order to increase clamping power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: wolfcraft GmbH
    Inventor: Zbigniew Noniewicz
  • Patent number: 6968758
    Abstract: An adaptor device is developed for attaching to a wrench and for being driven by the wrench, the adaptor device includes an extension for attaching to the wrench, a shank extended from the extension and having an engaging hole to receive a tool member, the shank includes one or more slots to form one or more blades and to retain various tool members in the engaging hole of the shank. A ferrule includes a bore to receive the shank and includes an inclined surface to engage with the blade and to force the blade to engage with and to force against the tool member, or to release the blade from the tool member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Inventor: Yi Chung Lin
  • Patent number: 6966240
    Abstract: The invention relates to a hydraulic ratchet wrench with a double-action hydraulic cylinder piston drive with a gear pump (20) and a piston pump (21). According to the invention, a working stroke and a return stroke are controlled through a reversal of rotational direction of a pump motor (4), whereby the necessary flow volume is produced automatically via internal flow control valves, and without additional valve controls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Inventor: Alexander Kipfelsberger
  • Patent number: 6966243
    Abstract: A universal plier structure is disclosed. The plier includes a plier body having an adjustable handle and a fixed handle, a suspension seat, an opening-adjusting knob, and a pad. The fixed handle has a bottom end having a first screw hole. The suspension seat has an end provided with a through hole. The opening-adjusting knob includes a screw rod and a knob head, the knob head being fitted in the suspension seat and having a center provided with a second screw hole, the screw rod having a first end engaged with the first screw hole of the fixed handle and a second end passing through the through hole of the suspension seat to engage the second screw hole of the opening-adjusting knob. The screw rod is welded to the knob head. The pad mounted between the knob head and the suspension seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Inventor: Wan-Yi Liao
  • Patent number: 6957511
    Abstract: Beginning with a smooth ground aluminum blank with a relatively thin layer of leveled Ni—P, circumferential electropolishing/texturing is carried out to achieve a smooth oriented surface. A conductive slurry is provided between the disc and a porous texturing tape which is in contact with a conducting plate or equivalent conductor. The disc serves as the anode, and the conducting plate as the cathode, while the slurry, being conductive, functions as an electrolyte. In the presence of current, a reverse electroplating occurs so that the Ni—P dissolves to form Ni2+, or nickel ions which are carried away by the conductive slurry. The conductive slurry further supports or carries therein abrasive material so that by moving the porous texturing tape past the disc surface, the texturing tape picks up the abrasive material in the slurry and simultaneously with the reverse electroplating, provides the desired mechanical abrasion to achieve texturing of the disc surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Leigh, Connie Liu, David Kuo
  • Patent number: 6952983
    Abstract: A power drive-in tool (4) for use in a stand-up tool includes a holding device (16) arranged in a front, in a drive-in direction, section of the drive-in tool and in which a fastening element (18) can be automatically received and released, a guide (6) for the fastening element (18) associated with the driving-tool (4) and connected to the holding device (16) by a feed track (7), an intermediate securing device (20) located in the feed track (7) and in which the fastening element (18) is held before being fed toward the holding device (16) and which is provided with a side stop displaceable into the feed track (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: Hilti Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Mnfred Ludwig, Markus Looser, Bernhard Liebert, Thomas Hofbrucker
  • Patent number: 6951512
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for polishing a substrate, including (a) a polishing pad formed with a plurality of through-holes through which polishing material is supplied to a surface of the polishing pad, (b) a level block on which the polishing pad is mounted, and (c) a rotatable carrier for supporting a substrate thereon, the carrier being positioned in facing relation with the level block, the level block being rotatable around a rotation axis thereof with the rotation axis being moved along an arcuate path, and causing the polishing pad to make contact with the substrate for polishing the substrate, the polishing pad having a first ring-shaped region concentric thereto where no through-holes are formed. For instance, the first ring-shaped region has a width greater than 10%, but smaller than 95% of a radius of the polishing pad. The apparatus enhances uniformity in polishing a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Mieko Suzuki, Yasuaki Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 6951153
    Abstract: A nail guiding and driving tool includes a substantially elongated tool body defining a hammer contacting surface and a longitudinally opposed nail contacting surface. The tool also includes a guiding sleeve slidably mounted relative to the tool body adjacent a distal end thereof. The sleeve channel defines a nail head receiving section extending inwardly from a sleeve distal end for receiving the nail head. The guiding sleeve is movable relative to the tool body between a sleeve extended configuration and a sleeve retracted configuration. When the guiding sleeve is in the sleeve extended configuration, the nail contacting surface is located within the sleeve channel and is recessed inwardly relative to the sleeve distal end so as to allow the nail head to be inserted into the nail head receiving section. A biasing component is provided for biasing the guiding sleeve towards the sleeve extended configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Inventor: Raymond Berthlaume
  • Patent number: 6948404
    Abstract: The present invention provides a jar opener which is designed for easy handling by people with arthritis. The jar opener providing a larger than normal handle with one end being flat and non functional while the opposite end is indented in a concave dish design, with a gripping teeth thereon, so as to accommodate and mate with the ribbed edge of any cap on ajar. A gripping strap loosely wraps around the cap of ajar while the opposite end of the strap aligns and tightens onto the opposite side of the handle by a releasable securing means, such as VELCRO. The user then grasps the handle of the present invention in one hand and uses their opposite hand to stabilize the jar. The user simple applies grasping pressure on the handle of the present invention and pushes in a counter clockwise direction thereby loosening the cap while rotating the cap of the jar to the open position. The strap is sufficiently long enough to be wrapped around any size circumference of a cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Inventor: Sonia Chokshi
  • Patent number: 6948406
    Abstract: A ratchet wrench includes a wrench body, a ratchet wheel, a cover, and a positioning device mounted between the cover and the wrench body. The positioning device includes a locking plate, a push plate, and an elastic plate. Thus, the locking portion of the locking plate is extended into the through hole of the cover and detachably locked in the annular groove of the socket to lock the socket on the cover, so that the socket is positioned on the wrench body rigidly and stably without detachment, thereby facilitating a user operating the wrench body and the socket to rotate a workpiece, such as a nut, bolt or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Inventor: Yi Min Li
  • Patent number: 6945144
    Abstract: A manually operated torque wrench is capable of providing a finite plurality of selectable torque values. The torque wrench has a wrench head, a handle, and a torque-responsive mechanism for producing an indication when a torque value has been applied by the torque wrench. A selector in operable communication with the torque measuring mechanism and adapted to set the torque measuring mechanism to one of a finite plurality of predetermined selectable torque value is provided. A retaining mechanism positively retains the selector when one of the selectable torque values is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Snap-on Incorporated
    Inventors: Brian Cutler, Jaye Kurtovic, Gary Keefe, David Sarabia, Denny Atkinson