Patents Examined by Carmine Cuda
  • Patent number: 4949427
    Abstract: This invention relates to a vehicle door hinge which has an integral detent and stop. A spring having a flat surface portion and an arcuate surface portion is attached to a first hinge member with the arcuate portion of the spring curved about the axis of the hinge. A roller restrained on a second hinge member is in compressive contact with the arcuate portion of the spring. A depression across the arcuate portion of the spring, works in conjunction with the roller as a detent to produce an intermediate stop position. The arcuate portion of the spring has an end portion, wider than the remainder of the spring, which contacts the second hinge member to provide a stop which prevents further opening rotation of the hinge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Inventor: Russell D. Keller
  • Patent number: 4949426
    Abstract: A frame connection member, which is fixedly mounted on one of an upper split frame and a lower split frame, is pivoted on the other split frame so as to revolve around a horizontal axis shaft line. An inversely tapered concavity for inserting a twisted shaft portion of a torsion bar from a direction meeting at right angles with the axis shaft line of the shaft portion is formed in the frame connection member. The frame connection member is provided with a first engagement member for engaging a biasing reaction force portion on one end side of the torsion bar, the other split frame being provided with a second engagement member for engaging a biasing reaction force portion on the other end side of the torsion bar. The other split frame has a revolution regulating member for regulating a revolving range of the frame connection member relative to the other split frame at a range larger than a predetermined open angle set by an angle regulating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Susumu Komaki
  • Patent number: 4947516
    Abstract: A lid retainer mechanism is provided for an automatic washer which comprises an over-center spring device connected between the lid and the washer cabinet. As the lid is opened, the mechanism passes through a "centered" position and beyond that point, the mechanism acts to urge the lid into a fully open position. This mechanism is particularly useful in a stacked washer/dryer arrangement where the lid is prevented by the bottom wall of the dryer from opening to a position perpendicular to the top of the washer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1990
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Gerald L. Kretchman, William H. Gartley
  • Patent number: 4945605
    Abstract: The fitting for sliding doors includes a longitudinal groove extending in its mounted state in the longitudinal direction of the upper edge of the door which groove has two upper flanges covering the groove only partly. This allows a mounting of a sliding door and a hooking thereof onto a runway rail without the need of a lateral clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1990
    Assignee: Hawa AG
    Inventors: Karl Haab, Otto Haab
  • Patent number: 4942894
    Abstract: "A multi-purpose cartridge type handle assembly" utilizing a movable block wedged in a "U"-shaped bracket and urged by a spring to hold various adaptors fitted with special sanitary tools for flexible operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 24, 1990
    Inventor: Ming-Der Lai
  • Patent number: 4939812
    Abstract: An external door handle for a motor vehicle with a cleaning device for removing dirt and slush which accumulates on the handle when the vehicle is driven on slushy or muddy routes or when the vehicle is stationary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1990
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG
    Inventor: Karl-Heinz Bauer
  • Patent number: 4937915
    Abstract: A hinge has a hinge arm of U-shaped cross-section connected with a hinge casing by hinge links. The hinge arm is mounted on a mounting plate and at its rear end is pivotally connected thereto. At its fron end, the hinge arm has a female thread into which is screwed a joint adjustment screw which is mounted with its head in a slot of the mounting plate. The slot is open towards the front of the mounting plate. The hinge arm is deformable. The hinge arm and the mounting plate have openings for a screwdriver. The mounting plate has a slot into which extends a pin projecting from a lateral flange of the hinge arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1990
    Assignee: Julius Blum Gesellshaft m.b.H.
    Inventor: Erich Rock
  • Patent number: 4935988
    Abstract: An improved curtain rod assembly is disclosed which includes a track having a decorative fascia attached thereto. The track and fascia cooperate to permit the fascia to be easily attached thereto. A return plate is configured for attachment to the track and cooperates with a bracket assembly to support the track from a wall the appropriate distance. A side fascia is configured for attachment with the return plate and an elbow connects the fascia on the track and the return plate to provide an esthetically pleasing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1990
    Assignee: Cooper Industries
    Inventors: James A. Ford, Alan A. Ford
  • Patent number: 4935989
    Abstract: A door closer is provided of the cylinder/piston type wherein the closer is pivotably mounted to the door at a point adjacent to the piston rod end of the cylinder; a leaf type helper spring may be added between the cylinder and the door; said configuration being capable of providing increased closing force to the door as the door closes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1990
    Inventor: Cardell E. Miller
  • Patent number: 4934023
    Abstract: Laterally opened vehicular doors are guided by a track assembly which is made up of a track and an end cap. The end cap has a fastener portion which cooperates with the track to positively secure the end cap to the track without the use of a screw. A cantilevered ramped locking tab is forced into a locating hole in the bottom of the track by a tension arm which is deflected by the top of the track. The locking tab engages a side wall of the hole to locate a post against the side of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 19, 1990
    Assignee: Emhart Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Gary L. Schubring
  • Patent number: 4930183
    Abstract: A canopy-support hinge comprising a base member and bolt member is provided. The hinge base member is provided with an open side having a hinge bolt aperture. The open side of said base member is narrower than the diameter of the bolt aperture. The hinge bolt member is provided with two flat parallel sides to make the bolt narrow enough to be passed through the open side but to be contained when the bolt is rotated to different positions. A flanged bolt head and connector means on the bolt member for attaching canopy support tube members thereto renders this device advantageous for forming canopies on boats and on other structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1990
    Inventor: T. Douglas Owens
  • Patent number: 4926523
    Abstract: A door handle assembly of a household refrigerator having a stiffener member with an elongated body made of rigid metal in the shape of an upwardly open channel with spaced apart legs including a first section offset form a second section to act as the gripping section and having spaced apart fastener receiving apertures. The first section has a molded soft elastomeric covering on the outside with apertures in alignment with the apertures in the stiffener member. A first decorative trim member having an outer and inner side with a contour to receive the legs of the channel of the first section of the stiffener member and including side walls overlapping the upper edge of the legs and elastomeric covering. The trim member has an open upwardly facing recess area in the outer side with apertures in alignment with the apertures in the stiffener member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James R. Carlson, Joseph D. Tobbe
  • Patent number: 4926522
    Abstract: A utility tool that includes a utility handle for receiving any of a plurality of utility workheads with the utility handle including telescoping sections having twist look sections with one of the ends of the sections having a male thread to attach conventional utility workheads thereto such as brushes and mops and a female thread located coaxial with the male thread to receive an adaptor that permits the attachment of conventional hand held tools that have cylindrical handles or the like and extenders for the utility handle having a male thread on one end and a female thread on the other end to permit the extender to be fastened to the end of the utility handle to permit the telescoping utility handle to be extended further than through normal extension of the telescoping handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Inventor: Wei Wang
  • Patent number: 4922577
    Abstract: An extensible handle bar for tools has on its outer tube a sleeve-shaped body made of thermoplastic material and provided with an external thread. The body has an extension provided with longitudinally extending slots and an external taper. A sleeve-shaped threaded nut is guided on the external thread of the body and has an internal taper which cooperates with the external taper of the extension. For improving the clamping of the inner tube of the handle bar in the sleeve-shaped body, the angle of inclination of the internal taper of the sleeve-shaped threaded nut is smaller than the angle of inclination of the external taper of the extension of the body provided with an external thread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1990
    Inventor: Henry M. Unger
  • Patent number: 4922574
    Abstract: A wheeled carriage has a chassis with a plurality of swivel casters, and a locking assembly actuated by a foot pedal located along the front of the carriage. Pushing down on the foot pedal rotates a cam that engages a cam follower on a "T" bar frame supporting two locking rings which respectively overlie two of the caster wheels to move the rings into a locking position in engagement with the wheels to lock the wheels and the casters in any position. The cam follower surface includes a ramp portion engageable by the cam for driving the rings to their locking position and a horizontal latch portion engageable by the cam in its "overcenter" position for holding the rings in their locking position. A lifter bar is engageable by the user's foot to rotate the cam back off the follower and permit the rings to resiliently return to their release position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1990
    Assignee: Snap-on Tools Corporation
    Inventors: Charles H. Heiligenthal, George R. Slivon, Jack A. Parise
  • Patent number: 4920688
    Abstract: A swivel jig fishing lure which includes a hard body having a protuberant, rounded lobe disposed on the bottom side of the body and having a rounded nose at the forward end thereof. The central part of the body, to which the downwardly extending lobe is affixed, tapers rearwardly through a reduced diameter neck portion of the body, and merges into a flared tail portion. The body carries a retrieving line eye at the upper side of the forward end thereof, and an eye for attaching a hook at the opposite side of the artificial lure. A buck tail is secured around the body at the neck portion thereof by means of an elastomeric band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1990
    Assignee: Hart Tackle Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Chuck Devereaux, Joe D. Craig
  • Patent number: 4919466
    Abstract: There is disclosed a removable handle for use on twine or flat lashing. The handle has at least one portion extending toward the lashing, for gripping the lashing. The extended portion has a distal end with a relatively flat end surface with curving section. Attached to the distal end is a gripping surface having a "U" configuration where the base of the "U" is relatively flat and substantially equal in width to the distal end flat surface. One side of the "U" is relatively short and disposed in relationship to the curved section of the distal end so as to form a gap between the top of the short side and the curved section for the insertion of the lashing. The flat section of the distal end can contain a semi-circular notch through which twine will fit. In one embodiment, the handle has two extended portions each having a U-shaped gripping section on the distal end thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1990
    Assignee: Paragon Patent Development Inc.
    Inventors: Donald Consler, Joseph B. Federico
  • Patent number: 4914783
    Abstract: A sliding hinge for mounting a nose cone or cover on a nacelle or housing, such as an equipment package suspended from the wing of an aircraft. Typically two hinges are used, positioned at opposite sides of the housing, for pivoting the nose cone upward to provide access to the equipment within the housing. Each hinge includes a sleeve mounted in the housing, a slide block sliding in the sleeve, and a slide arm pivotally attached to the slide block and mounted in the nose. To open the package, the nose is initially slid forward from the housing and then pivoted to an upward position. During this operation the slide arm slides out of the sleeve from a retracted position to an extended position and then pivots upward to the open position, with the slide block remaining in the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1990
    Assignee: The Hartwell Corporation
    Inventors: Frank T. Jackson, Bernard W. Henrichs
  • Patent number: 4912806
    Abstract: A door check is disclosed which comprises a first arm pivotally attached at one end thereof to a door which is able to be opened and closed as desired; a second arm pivotally attached at one end thereof to the first arm, the other end of the second arm being pivotally attached to a door frame for supporting the door in such a manner that the door is able to be opened and closed as desired; a driving force storing spring retained by either the first or second arm and biased in response to the pivotal motion of the door in the opening direction so as to store force for driving the door in the closing direction; a gear train for transmitting the rotation of the door when opened to said driving force storing spring and also transmitting the driving force stored in the driving force storing spring to the door; a brake rotated by means of the force released from the driving force storing spring to apply a brake force to the force; and a speed increasing gear train coupled at its starting end to said driving force s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1990
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sankyo Seiki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Makoto Orii, Katsuhiko Hayashi
  • Patent number: 4912872
    Abstract: The animal trap of the present invention includes a housing having a top wall, a bottom wall, a closed rear end, and a door opening at the forward end. A door is hinged at the upper edge of the door opening and is adapted to swing downwardly by gravity from an open position to a latched position. A trip treadle is located near the rear end of the trap and is connected by a rod to the door. When the animal depresses the trip treadle, the rod releases the door so the door can fall from its open to its closed position. A latch mechanism is connected with the door which causes the door to automatically latch and be held in its closed position whenever the door falls by gravity from its open to its closed position. The latch may be opened without exposing the operator's hand to the vicinity of the cage, thereby making it safer to release the animal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1990
    Assignee: Kness Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Wynn, Roger Hopkins