Patents Examined by Charles Goodman
  • Patent number: 6443043
    Abstract: Automatic dispensing apparatus for paper rolls, including a molded housing containing a take-off reel, a cutting blade and a tensioning device in the upper section. A mechanism controls the tensioning and cutting of strips from the roll. A protective cover is hinged to the housing which snaps into place to cover the cutting and dispensing components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Inventor: Maurice Granger
  • Patent number: 6442840
    Abstract: A razor for shaving hair from the skin of a user includes a rotating blade assembly connected so as to be rotated by a drive mechanism. The blade assembly includes a generally cylindrical roller rotatably mounted along its longitudinal axis, at least one blade mounted on, and extending along a major part of, the roller, and a guide element associated with each blade. The blade and the guide element are configured to form a safety blade such that, when the blade assembly rotates in direct contact with the skin, the at least one blade shaves hair from the skin without cutting the skin. Preferably, the razor includes two similar blade assemblies rotated by the drive mechanism in opposing directions so as to apply stretching tension to the skin of the user. Also described are a number of safety blade configurations relevant to both manual and power driven exposed-blade razors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Wheel Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Shlomo Zucker
  • Patent number: 6435069
    Abstract: A cover for a rotary die is centrifugally cast with multiple layers to substantially eliminate stress when the cover is cast in an arcuate shape for use in a die cutting system. A locking mechanism attached to ends of the cover is designed to be convenient to install on and remove from a cutting cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: IAM Corporation
    Inventors: Alan D. Kirkpatrick, Jr., Christopher D. Kirkpatrick
  • Patent number: 6431039
    Abstract: A method of forming cuts in elongate objects such as a catheters and guide wires, using a cutting device which includes a movable cutting means, a clamping means for holding the elongate object while the cutting means makes an incision therein, and a manipulating means including a pinch roller assembly including a first roller and a second roller, and configured for advancing the elongated object to the clamping means and rotating the elongate object, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a length of the elongate object to the manipulating means; b) advancing the elongate object toward the clamping means by rotation of a roller of the pinch roller assembly; c) rotating the pinch roller assembly so as to rotate the elongate object about a lengthwise axis of the elongate object; d) engaging the clamping means around the elongate object; e) cutting the elongate object; f) advancing the cutting means toward the elongate object until a desired cutting depth has been reached; and, g) retracting the cutti
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Sarcos LC
    Inventors: Stephen C. Jacobsen, Clark Davis
  • Patent number: 6431042
    Abstract: A cutting tool including a base having a workpiece support surface for supporting a workpiece and an annular, upwardly facing bearing surface. The cutting tool also includes a turntable mounted on the base for rotation about a generally vertical axis. The turntable has a workpiece support surface and an annular, downwardly facing bearing surface. A cutting unit is mounted on the turntable for movement therewith and an annular bearing is mounted between the first and second bearing surfaces. The cutting unit also includes a biasing mechanism for biasing the second surface toward the first surface so that the base workpiece support surface and the turntable workpiece support surface form a smooth continuous upper surface beneath the cutting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: Richard P. Brault, Jeffrey S. Holly
  • Patent number: 6427573
    Abstract: A saw blade has a plurality of teeth with each tooth formed by a beveled gullet forming a trailing face, a beveled gullet forming a leading face and a planar surface forming a curved cutting face. The gullets forming the trailing face and the leading face are beveled in opposite directions. The planar surface is generally parallel to the beveled trailing face. The unique tooth profile provides a saw tooth having a positive rake angle to significantly improve the strength of the tooth. The method of manufacturing of the unique tooth profile begins by orienting a saw blade blank about three axes and performing a first grinding operation which forms every other tooth gullet and every other planar surface. The partially formed blank is then oriented about two of the three axes in an opposite direction and a second grinding operation is performed. The second grinding operation grinds the remaining gullets and planar surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Black & Decker, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel J. Carlsen, George F. Parker
  • Patent number: 6428247
    Abstract: A double-ended parting or grooving insert comprising a central body portion and a pair of opposite cutting end portions; each cutting end portion having an upper rake surface and front and side relief flanks and a front cutting edge formed at an intersection of the rake surface and the front relief flank; the front relief flank comprising an upper relief flank surface; a lower abutment surface inset with respect to the upper and disposed substantially normally with respect to a longitudinal median plane intersecting the front cutting edges and an intermediate surface serving to bridge the upper and lower surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Iscar Ltd.
    Inventor: Jacob Friedman
  • Patent number: 6418829
    Abstract: A highly reliable and inexpensive safety device for a power tool having a protective guard over a cutting blade which prevents use of the power tool when the protective guard is not in place. The safety device includes a proximity detector detecting a distance between the guard and a power tool table top and an interlock system that prevents operation of the power tool when a distance less than a predetermined relative proximity is not detected. In the case of a power table saw a pair of magnets are secured to the guard and a pair of reed switches are mounted beneath the table top to be closed when the guard is in place. The interlock system responds to the reed switches by allowing the saw to be started when the switches are both closed and preventing startup when they are not. A key activated bypass circuit allows the saw motor to be started when the guard is not present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Inventor: Thomas Stanley Pilchowski
  • Patent number: 6415700
    Abstract: A bread slicer that has a knife frame, a damper and a variable rate control. The knife frame is movable between first and second positions. The damper is coupled to the knife frame and is configured to affect the rate of movement of the knife frame. The variable rate control assembly has an actuator coupled with the damper to selectively affect the rate of movement of the knife frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Hunn, Hardev S. Somal
  • Patent number: 6415514
    Abstract: An artistic knife with replaceable blade magazine, including a handle formed with a receptacle on one side in which a blade magazine is inserted. The magazine is formed with an internal reservoir in which several overlapped blades are placed. A pushing member is slidable within the reservoir. The pushing member is formed with a stop wall for abutting against the rear end of the blade. An upper edge of front end of the blade magazine is an opening through which the uppermost blade in the reservoir and the pushing member are pushed out. A blade seat is back and forth movably disposed on inner face of the handle. One side of the blade seat is formed with a blade cavity. A latch hook is disposed on upper side of the blade cavity. The top edge of the blade is formed with at least one notch for the hook section of the latch hook to hook in. The blade seat is controlled by a pushing member to move forward or backward to make a blade extend out of the handle for use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Inventor: Tseng Min Chun
  • Patent number: 6412382
    Abstract: A shingle cutter that is portable and can be temporarily attached to and used on the roof with the roofing nails used on the job. The power for cutting results from the housing of the cutting wheel being manually drawn back towards the operator. The shingle cutter has a structural base and two vertical end walls that support a rectangular rack, which holds the cutting block. In one version the rack drives a pinion, which in turn drives the cutting wheel. In a second version, the cutting wheel is free to rotate as it is pulled through the shingle. The cutting block is constrained by rollers in contact with the top and bottom of the rectangular guide bar so that the cutting wheel moves to perform a shearing function with an abutting shear ledge mounted on the structural base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Inventor: Michael E. Conley
  • Patent number: 6412380
    Abstract: An air jet containing blade guide for stabilizing a band saw blade or a circular saw blade of a saw mill and guide blocks or inserts for a saw blade guide are disclosed. The inserts can be removably fastened to a blade guide by means of cap screws preferably containing a hex socket for tightening and loosening the screws with a hex wrench. Cap screw holes formed in the inserts contain recessed countersinks for recessing the heads of the cap screws below a blade opposing surface of the inserts when disposed in an operative position of a blade guide in a saw mill. The inserts can be constructed of brass or aluminum bronze which is softer than the blade being stabilized thereby to avoid undue blade damage but which are hard enough to provide good wearability and heat dissipation as against periodic blade impacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Inventor: Edward E. Belfiglio
  • Patent number: 6412179
    Abstract: A cutting guide apparatus for use with a portable power cutting tool and including a guide base plate, locking mechanism for removably attaching the cutting guide apparatus to an upper blade guard of the cutting tool, and a control mechanism to control the position of the tool relative to a planar workpiece. The control mechanism includes a slidable member and is slidably disposed on a track which is attached on the guide base plate and moves along the direction of the cut to guide the cutting tool throughout the cutting process. The control mechanism further includes an abutment guide member for abutting against the workpiece to maintain the cutting tool in an accurate cutting position during the cutting process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Inventor: Mathias Am Ende
  • Patent number: 6412384
    Abstract: A hole-forming device includes a base member having a hole-forming projection facing a bottom of a can. The hole-forming projection is formed on an upper surface of the base member. The base member is slidable upward to the upper part of a case by pushing a pressing member. The hole-forming projection is normally held in the case for safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Iwazaki
    Inventor: Shin Iwao
  • Patent number: 6408730
    Abstract: A cutting device for tooling sandwich plates has as its cutting tool a cutting chain (5) with cutting elements in the form of chain links (27, 28, 29) and a chain guide as the guide mechanism, wherein the chain links (27, 28, 29), lying one behind the other in their direction of movement (23), can swivel relative to one another on a swivel axis running transverse to their plane of movement and are moved by means of the chain guide in the plane of movement sometimes in a straight line, sometimes in a curve. The chain links (27, 28, 29) also have several cutting teeth (34) lying one behind the other in their direction of movement (23), which project radially on the cutting chain (5) and have cutting edges (335), which run transverse to the plane of movement of the chain links (27, 28, 29), wherein the perpendicular projections of the cutting edges (35) are arranged in the plane of movement at least partially along a line curved radially to the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Trumpf GmbH & Company
    Inventors: Andreas Tinner, Matthias Accola
  • Patent number: 6401582
    Abstract: An apparatus for removing binder straps from coils of metal strip in which a cage is engageable with the coil and has a blade carriage displaceable over at least a region in which binder straps may be provided in a continuous manner so that a wedge can engage beneath the straps in succession and a cutting tool can cut through straps in a single continuous operation without interrupting the movement of the carriage. The wedge and the carriage can be provided with clamping elements to engage the strap after it is cut to allow it to be transported to a scrap bin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: BWG Bergwerk- und Walzwerk-Maschinenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Rolf Noé, Andreas Noé, Reinhold Keller
  • Patent number: 6397716
    Abstract: A bevel angle indicator for a saw is disclosed. The saw 10 consists of a table 16, a pivot support 26 pivotally mounted with respect to the table 16 about a bevel axis 92 and a mechanical saw blade pivotally mounted with respect to the pivot support 26 about a second axis 28. The pivot support 26 pivots on a pivot block 27 attached to the table 16. A gearing mechanism couples the pivot block 27 and the pivot support 26 to a dial which indicates the angle between the surface of the table 16 and the plane of the saw blade. The gearing mechanism comprises a rack 50 attached to the pivot block 27 and a pinion 54 rotatably journalled in the pivot support 26. Adjustment of the bevel angle of the saw 10 causes the pinion 54 to advance along the rack 50 and therefore rotate relative to the pivot support 26. The pinion 54 is attached to a sleeve 52, the free end of which carries a pointer 56; the pivot support 26 carries a scale 58. The pointer 56 and scale 58 indicate with accuracy the current bevel angle of the saw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventor: Andrea Garuglieri
  • Patent number: 6389944
    Abstract: A bagel holder is a saddle shaped member having a top wall and depending side walls that will hold a bagel. A knife guide is provided adjacent the top wall, and is formed by two spaced apart walls that define a knife slot and have lower edges that are concave to receive a peripheral portion of a bagel that is positioned between the side walls. A knife is then inserted in the slot while the bagel is rested on a supporting surface to cut the bagel into two pieces. Holder wall edges which will engage the outer surface of the bagel and keep it from rotating are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Larand International, Incorporated
    Inventor: Jimmy W. Davidson
  • Patent number: 6389941
    Abstract: A rotary knife incorporates the use of an electronically controlled, active damping system to control vibrations of knife cylinders. The system preferably uses pairs of electromagnetic actuators to provide opposing pulling forces on a ferromagnetic portion of a lever arm that is mechanically coupled to the stationary support shaft for the knife cylinder. Vibration sensors, preferably accelerometers, are used to monitor vibrations of the respective knife cylinders. A digital signal processor implementing a state space control system controls the electromagnetic actuators to actively cancel vibration energy in the knife cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Marquip, LLC
    Inventor: James R. Michler
  • Patent number: 6389943
    Abstract: An adjustable product guide assembly for a product saw device includes a product guide plate mounted to a first bracket which is slidable on a bar; a handle mounted on top of a second bracket in an ergonomic location, the handle being connected to a shaft and which rotates a first worm gear pinned to the shaft; a second worm gear which is turned by the first worm gear, the second worm gear which is pinned to a pinion gear; a gear rack on the bar, the gear rack having gear rack teeth which are engaged with the pinion gear; a biasing member disposed between the second bracket that houses the first worm gear and the second worm gear and the first bracket; wherein when the handle is pressed down, in a gear releasing mechanism, the second bracket pivots and compresses the biasing member such that the gear rack teeth disengage from the pinion gear via the first worm gear and the second worm gear, and the product guide plate can be moved along the gear rack teeth of the bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Hollymatic Corporation
    Inventors: Richard C. Wagner, Ronald R. Davis