Patents Examined by Charles A. Pearson
  • Patent number: 4802795
    Abstract: An apparatus for fixing a platen includes a pair of parallel supporting plates, and a pair of fixing members fitted to end portions of a platen shaft supporting the platen. Each supporting plate has a round supporting hole and a guide hole extending from the supporting hole up to an upper end edge of the supporting plate and having a width smaller than the diameter of the supporting hole. Each fixing member includes a cylindrical body into which the end portion of the platen shaft is rotatably inserted, and an intermediate portion formed on the body and fitted into the supporting hole. An operating arm extends from the body, for rotating the fixing member between a fixed position where the intermediate portion is stably fitted in the supporting hole and a mounting position where the fixing member can be pulled out from the supporting hole through the guide hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1989
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Masaaki Takada
  • Patent number: 4800812
    Abstract: An improved automatic tape cutter/sticker is composed of an outer housing, inner housing, side cover, plate spring, circular ring tube, printing equipment, rotating cutting equipment, compressing rod and tape. The device further includes a circular ring tube, in which two opposite plates of the four pieces of circular arc tube plates are smaller and shorter than the other plates for encasing tapes with smaller widths. Moreover printing equipment is installed on the left lower side of the inner housing, which is composed of character mold rolling cylinder, ink rolling cylinder, character mold rolling cylinder shaft and ink rolling cylinder shaft. The character mold rolling cylinder linked with character mold rolling cylinder shaft is driven by the tape, so that the ink rolling cylinder located around the ink rolling shaft is driven so that the ink adheres to the convex lines of the character mold rolling cylinder for printing it in the back side of the output tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1989
    Inventor: Shuh-Chin Lin
  • Patent number: 4793333
    Abstract: A knee brace having an anterior tibial shell and a posterior femural shell which are closely configured to the shape of the leg and are joined by a closed support band. The combination of shells and band provides anterior-posterior, medial-lateral and rotary stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1988
    Inventor: Stuart H. Marquette
  • Patent number: 4790675
    Abstract: A printer ribbon cartridge of the type employing two ribbon spools mounted in spaced relation in the cavity formed in the case of the cartridge. The ribbon is driven by a belt engaging the spools. The belt is rotated over the spools by rotation of a predetermined drive wheel of two spaced sets of two intermeshing drive wheels. Means are provided for operating the cartridge in various printers having drive locations of varying spatial location as well as direction of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1988
    Inventor: Tyrone N. Surti
  • Patent number: 4787764
    Abstract: A printer, having a cylindrical platen rotatable for delivery of a printing sheet, which comprises a roller support shaft disposed in parallel with the platen and rotatably supported by a cover which is capable of being open and closed, and at least one feed roller mounted on the shaft. In the state the cover is closed, the cut form sheet is settable, without the need of displacing the feed roller, by frictionally holding the sheet at the side downstream of the printing section between the feed roller and urging portions formed on a printer main unit at a location close to the platen to delivery the sheet, with utilization of resiliency of the sheet, thereby permitting printing onto the sheet up to trailing or lower end thereof. In case of using the continuous sheet, a tractor unit is mounted on the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1988
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ikeda, Mikio Moriya
  • Patent number: 4787761
    Abstract: A small-sized printer has a carriage moving in front of a platen. A print wheel is rotatably mounted on the carriage and coupled to a print wheel gear. The print wheel gear meshes with two worm gears which extend parallel to the platen. A rack-like cam also lies parallel to the platen and is followed by rocking lever which drives a pivoted hammer support. A pivoted hammer on the pivoted support strikes the inside of the print wheel, forcing an inked character to print on the paper, and rolling the character on the paper as the carriage moves. The two worm gears are powered by a motor which acts through a print drive. Their rotation is controlled so that the print wheel is rotated for print character selection by rotating both worm gears to turn the print wheel gear, the carriage is caused to move along the print line by stopping rotation of one of the worm gears, and the carriage is caused to return to its original position by stopping the other worm gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1988
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Chikao Tezuka, Yukihiro Hanaoka, Hiroyuki Nakayama
  • Patent number: 4785798
    Abstract: A compact massaging apparatus for a seat comprising a massaging unit contained within a containing part and a lower lid which can be closed and opened through an angle of 180.degree.. The massaging unit is equipped with a box which contains a pair of worm wheels installed at both sides of a worm which engages them so that they may freely rotate. Vibration isolating plates with annular elastic rising part which applies a desired pressure to the inner wall of the box are installed on one or both of the upper surface and the lower surface of the worm wheels, and massaging balls connected to the top of the shaft of the worm wheels at a desired angle to circle relatively. The vibration isolating plates prevent vibration caused by the circling movement of the massaging balls, resonance noise from the containing part, and noise from the wheels to provide an even more comfortable massaging than conventional compact massaging apparatuses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1988
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Fuji Iryoki
    Inventor: Yoshikiyo Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 4780007
    Abstract: A mechanism for compensating for different thicknesses of record media at a printing station utilizes a platen assembly which is coupled with a pivotable arm structure to move the platen assembly toward and away from the print head. The pivotable arm structure is swung in an eccentric manner relative to the center of the platen assembly to move the platen in a linear path to accommodate the record media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1988
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: David E. Weeks, Robert L. Wirth, Winston B. Ferguson, Kenneth W. Hanna
  • Patent number: 4780010
    Abstract: A ribbon cassette for an office machine, composed of: a cassette housing removably mountable in the machine, the housing having an entrance opening, an exit opening, an openable cover and elements constituting deflection points; a supply spool and a take-up spool having a core, each of the spools being removably mounted in the cassette housing; a carbon ribbon initially wound in the form of a coil on the supply spool, the ribbon having a leading end at the outer surface of the coil to be received by the take-up spool core to permit the ribbon to be wound up on the take-up spool while being unwound from the supply spool; and a fastening member secured to the leading end of the ribbon for threading the ribbon around the deflection points; and wherein the core is formed for enabling the fastening member to be fixed thereto to aid winding of the ribbon on the take-up spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1988
    Assignee: Olympia Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Rolf Behrens, Hermann Jendricke, Manfred Sauer, Klaus-Dieter Frerichs, Alfred Keiter, Andreas Wesselhoft, Hans-Peter Heins, Heinz Lange
  • Patent number: 4777940
    Abstract: A portable massaging apparatus comprises a pair of worm gears which engage with a worm on both sides thereof, a box within which the pair of worm gears are installed, and vibration isolating plates with one or more types of annular elastic projecting parts which are applied to the inner wall of said box at a certain pressure and are equipped on one or both sides of the upper and lower surfaces of the worm gears to prevent noise and vibration which occur when the worm gears rotate. In the portable massaging apparatus of this construction, little vibration is transmitted to the massaging balls and little resonance is transmitted from the case body, so that comfortable massage to parts, such as the back or the scruff of the neck of a user's body, can be provided, and acupressure effect can be expected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Fuji Iryoki
    Inventor: Yoshikiyo Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 4778294
    Abstract: A printer comprising a printing drive gear for generating a print operation output and having a print control cam for controlling a print operation; a paper feed control cam adapted to be rotated with the printing drive gear as a unit for controlling a paper feed operation; a paper feed driving intermittent gear for generating a paper feeding output; a ratchet wheel for controlling an output timing of the paper feed driving intermittent gear; a print control lever adapted to be moved in association with the print control cam and be releasably engaged therewith; a paper feed control lever adapted to be moved in association with the paper feed control cam; a pawl lever adapted to be moved integrally with the paper feed control lever and be releasably engaged with the ratchet wheel; and an electromagnetic clutch capable of generating a first rotative output for driving the print control lever and a second rotative output for driving the paper feed control lever and the pawl lever, wherein the paper feed control
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Taniguchi, Fumihisa Hori
  • Patent number: 4778289
    Abstract: A print unit for an electronic typewriter comprising a removable character-carrying disc with flexible spokes which is operated by a selector motor which in turn is controlled by a control circuit. The character-carrying disc is provided with a plurality of reflective identification plates and a recognition circuit detects the pattern of the reflective plates present in selected ones of a series of predetermined angular sectors of the disc to identify some characteristics of the disc, e.g. typing pitch and character set. The angular position of the disc is detected by a position transducer which generates a position signal for the control circuit having a period which is double the angular distance between two contiguous character-carrying spokes discriminating the spokes at even positions from those at odd positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
    Inventors: Marcello Boella, Mario Figini
  • Patent number: 4776324
    Abstract: A method of helmet treatment for deformational cranial asymmetry in which the dimensions of the therapeutic helmet cavity are prescribed in relation to specific CT scan sections of the plagiocaphalic infant's cranium. A graded series of sized helmets is provided for such treatments. Each helmet cavity is configured to accommodate and effectively treat infants of specified ages and degrees of plagiocephaly. By employing the subject off-the-shelf helmets, the time-consuming and labor-intensive fitting of individualized helmets is obviated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1988
    Assignee: The Children's Orthopedic Hospital and Medical Center
    Inventor: Sterling K. Clarren
  • Patent number: 4774886
    Abstract: Rubber stamp cleaning apparatus comprising a roll of self-adhesive tape rotatably mounted on a base having a platen upon which a portion of the tape is secured tacky side up. The stamp is cleaned by tamping on the tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1988
    Inventor: Harvey Z. Kertzman
  • Patent number: 4773405
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for the orthopedic treatment of a leg or other limb having a joint between its proximal and distal portions. Saddles are secured to the proximal and distal portions of the limb. A compression strut is secured between the saddles to the rearward side of the limb. A stay is secured between the proximal saddle and a saddle secured to and extending around the rearward side of the distal portion of the limb. The stay may be adjusted laterally relative to the saddles secured thereto whereby twisting force may be applied to the limb. Compression pads are disposed between the stay and the limb to either side of the joint whereby, together with the saddles, straightening forces may be selectively applied to the limb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1988
    Assignee: Progressive Engineering, a Partnership
    Inventor: Roy O. Reime
  • Patent number: 4773780
    Abstract: A keyboard with a metal carrier plate and a guide frame for keys to be athed thereto. The guide frame has a base part which is provided with legs. The legs of the guide frame are inserted into openings in the carrier plate. To secure the guide frame to the carrier plate, each opening has a recess starting at the lower edge of the carrier plate and which terminates at a bracket which is formed as part of the carrier plate. The legs are provided with foot parts which slide into the recess located beneath the respective bracket, causing a peg to snap into another opening in the carrier plate. In such a manner, the guide frame is secured to the carrier plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1988
    Assignee: Preh, Elektrofeinmechanische Werke, Jakob Preh, Nachf. GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Gerhard Hochgesang
  • Patent number: 4772143
    Abstract: A symmetrical printer ribbon cartridge which is refillable. An internal, continuous drive belt (15) provides tension to push studs (33, 35) of the supply spool (23) and of a take-up spool (29) to the ends of notches (31, 32) in cartridge wall 1. When the original supply spool is emptied, a new spool need only be moved into place and the free end of the ribbon pulled from the new spool, directed through the ribbon path in the cartridge, and attached to the remaining spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1988
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James A. Craft, James J. Molloy
  • Patent number: 4770553
    Abstract: The cartridge comprises two arms situated on both sides of the cartridge y; each arm can occupy either a first, non-functional position (or storage position of the cartridge) or a second, functional position (or use position of the cartridge). Elastic tension means are provided to act on the ribbon to hold the latter taut whatever the functional or non-functional position occupied by the arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1988
    Assignee: Societe d'Applications Generales d'Electricite et de Mecanique Sagem
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Deschamps, Benoit Bizet
  • Patent number: 4768499
    Abstract: A back and stomach supporting belt has an unpadded central panel of 1/4 inch leather which is placed in the small of the back to cover the five lumbar vertebra and the sacrospinalis muscles on both sides of the lumbar vertebra, but not over the large lower portions of the latissimus dorsi muscles. The ends of the belt extend from the central panel so that when fastened together around the user's abdominal muscles, the central panel bears against the lumbar area, pressing forward into a position restricting the sacrospinalis muscles and the lumbar vertebra from relaxing into a position which may cause pain to the lower part of the spine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1988
    Inventor: Kenneth A. Kemp
  • Patent number: RE32791
    Abstract: A cervical traction device utilized on conventional traction tables which applies a tractive force to the back of the patient's skull approximate the occipital bone through the use of two V-shaped arms which are adjustably positioned behind the patient's head and mounted on a sliding carriage which has adjustable weights attached thereto. The carriage in turn slides on a stationary track which can be vertically and laterally adjusted to vary the flexion-extension angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1988
    Inventor: Harold D. Saunders