Patents Examined by Christopher Koehler
  • Patent number: 8312622
    Abstract: The invention relates to a novel machining tool and a punching head for use in one such tool. An internal feed channel is formed between the connection for the external feed of components and the readiness position on the joining channel at least over a partial length of a deformable or flexible internal feed, so that the run of this feed within the tool and/or the correction of the feed to the external supply can be optimally matched to the respective tool execution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Inventor: Heiko Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8307531
    Abstract: There is a dry test strip holder having a test port and a retainer defining a well about the test port, and a sheet of test strip material. A test element that is 50% or less greater than the size of the test port is cut from the sheet using a die and punch. The punch drives the test element through a channel in the die while the cone-shaped outer surface of the die spreads the retainer, allowing the test element to drop into the well. A cap is snapped over the retainer to capture the test element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Polymer Technology Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory M. Lawrence
  • Patent number: 8302275
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing an iron core comprising: a plate thickness measurement unit for measuring a thickness of the strip as an intermediate product of the iron core; an inlet guide for positioning the strip in a widthwise direction thereof; a mil roll unit for performing a rolling-bending process to the strip fed out of the inlet guide; a restraint jig for shaping the strip fed out of the mil unit and holding a curvature thereof constant; and a curvature measurement unit for measuring a curvature of the strip to which the rolling-bending process has been performed by using said mill roll. Position control of the inlet guide, the pressure roll unit, and the restraint jig is performed based on at least one of the plate thickness and the curvature of the strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Koshizaka, Toshiaki Ueda, Yuichi Kirihara, Keiji Kawahara, Susumu Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8297420
    Abstract: Rollers and springs are installed in notch portions of a clutch outer (S104), an inscribed circle diameter of the rollers is measured in a state in which the rollers are placed in contact with stopping portions by pressure from the springs (S105), and an outside diameter of a cylindrical portion is determined from the inscribed circle diameter measured value such that a predetermined amount of roller bite is achieved (S106). Then, the outside diameter of the cylindrical portion is finished so as to have the determined value of the outside diameter (S108). An overrunning clutch is assembled by pairing together the clutch outer, rollers, and springs and the clutch inner (S110).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Koichiro Kamei, Kazuhiro Odahara, Hidekazu Katayama, Jiro Hirao
  • Patent number: 8272122
    Abstract: A tube mill apparatus and process for continuously forming and coating a tube with a braze alloy. The apparatus and process produce a continuously moving welded tube by continuously forming and welding a tubing material, after which the welded tube is passed through a sizing station to establish a desired outer shape and desired outer dimensions for the welded tube. The braze alloy is then deposited on a roughened surface of the welded tube that is clean and free of oils and coolants. The braze alloy is deposited with a wire arc spray gun that heats a wire of a metallic material and causes the heated metallic material to travel in a direction transverse to the direction of tube travel and deposit on the roughened surface of the tube to form an adherent layer of the braze alloy. Finally, any bow in the welded tube is removed as the tube travels away from the spray gun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Mill Masters, Inc.
    Inventors: William E. Panthofer, Yoram Leon Shabtay
  • Patent number: 8261425
    Abstract: A telescoping steering column assembly includes upper and lower jackets having inner and outer surfaces and telescoping ends, respectively, and two sleeves disposed therebetween and having an annular cavity defined within each of the sleeves to hold bearings therewithin. One bearing is connected to the outer jacket and the other bearing is connected to the inner jacket. A method of making the assembly includes the steps of disposing the inner jacket within the outer jacket followed by disposing the sleeves therebetween and injecting a plastic material therethrough to form bearings. The plastic material is extracted from one of the apertures in each of the jackets to provide a sliding engagement between one of the bearing and the inner jacket and another bearing and the outer jacket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: William D. Cymbal, Richard K. Riefe
  • Patent number: 8245376
    Abstract: A device for cleaning supporting strips of workpiece supports includes a motor feed drive assembly having a feed drive motor and a feed member. The feed member is configured to engage the supporting strip and to be driven by the feed drive motor to provide relative motion between the feed member and the supporting strip along a longitudinal direction of the supporting strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: TRUMPF Gruesch AG
    Inventors: Patrik Graf, Andreas Janutin, Peter Dubler, Joos Luck
  • Patent number: 8225476
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing a catalytic converter is described where the catalytic converter is comprised of an outer tube member having a monolith substrate internally compressed therein with a wrapped mat material surrounding the monolith substrate and intermediate the outer tube. One or more monolith members can be applied within the outer tube and heat shields may also be applied internal to the outer tube and adjacent to the monolith substrate. The assembly of the catalytic converter includes measuring the sequence of compression of the mat material to the monolith substrate in order to understand the possible force characteristics that can be applied during the assembly thereof. The mat material is therefore compressed within the outer tube by way of compression jaws, by compression rollers, by spinning and/or by a shrinker including compression members. The compression of the mat material can be in single or multiple steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Hess Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: David Mayfield
  • Patent number: 8209843
    Abstract: A method of making a non-porous tubular graft is disclosed. The method includes the step of securing a plurality of fastening elements extending through an outer layer of knitted, woven, or braided material along a length of the outer layer, wherein the fastening elements extend outwardly from the outer layer. The method further includes the steps of placing an inner layer of non-porous material within the outer layer such that an underside of each fastening element is positioned between the inner layer and the outer layer and laminating the outer layer to the inner layer to form the non-porous tubular graft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert C. Thistle
  • Patent number: 8201314
    Abstract: A hypodermic needle extraction device for removing a hypodermic needle from a syringe having a syringe body and a luer, the device including at least one guide rod disposed with the device, a carriage assembly having a carriage slidably mounted on the guide rod, and a needle extraction assembly configured to grasp the needle such that the needle is separated from the syringe body as the syringe body and needle are urged apart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Inventors: Gary E. Miller, Scott Aaron Miller
  • Patent number: 8201323
    Abstract: A hypodermic needle extraction device for removing a hypodermic needle from a syringe having a syringe body and a luer, the device including at least one guide rod disposed with the device, a carriage assembly having a carriage slidably mounted on the guide rod, and a needle extraction assembly configured to grasp the needle such that the needle is separated from the syringe body as the syringe body and needle are urged apart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Inventors: Gary E. Miller, Scott Aaron Miller
  • Patent number: 8191219
    Abstract: An assembly mechanism for an external box includes a casing body, a cover body, and a retaining body. The casing body has an opening formed on one side thereof. The cover body is assembled on the casing body. The retaining body is used for sliding the cover body to approach the opening in order to retain the cover body and the casing body together or for sliding the cover body out from the opening in order to separate the cover body from the casing body. Hence, it is easy for users to assemble or detach the external box of the present invention and the cost of the present invention is less than that of the prior art. Therefore, the present invention can solve the problem of needing to use a number of screws to assemble the external box of the prior art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC
    Inventor: Jen-Hung Wang
  • Patent number: 8186034
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for drawing cables having a connector shroud at a distal end thereof through a back of an automobile seat in the installation of an automobile entertainment system. The apparatus includes an eyelet shaped and dimensioned for selective attachment to the connector shroud. The eyelet includes a housing shaped and dimensioned to fit over the connector shroud. The housing includes a coupling member shaped and dimensioned for engagement with a wire puller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Audiovox Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher J. Vitito
  • Patent number: 8171613
    Abstract: An electrically-insulative threaded connection includes a pin member having a pin thread and a box member having a box thread. An insulating composite layer is disposed between the pin thread and the box thread. The insulating composite layer includes an insulating fiber and insulating resin. The pin thread and the box thread are wedge threads. A method of making an electrically-insulative threaded connection includes forming a pin wedge thread on a pin member and winding a filament over the pin wedge thread. The filament is wetted with a resin, thereby forming a composite layer. The composite layer is cured and machined to mate with a box wedge thread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Hydril Company
    Inventor: Harris A. Reynolds, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8161621
    Abstract: Fastening plastic drivers in a washing machine drum having at least two domes on the inside, which comprise a cavity extending along its center line, and are oriented perpendicular to the sheet casing of the drum and which serve to fasten the driver. A hole pattern corresponding to the arrangement of the domes of a driver is punched into the sheet casing of the drum. The driver is placed with its dome ends, which project beyond the contact surface of the driver with the sheet casing, onto the sheet casing so that the dome ends pass through the holes of the hole pattern. Counter holders are inserted from the opposite side into the cavities of the domes. From the fastening side, hold-down elements are driven against the sheet casing. Heated form punches are driven against the dome ends until the dome ends have mushroom-shape ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Ratfisch
  • Patent number: 8161613
    Abstract: The invention is based on a method for producing a screw connection by means of a cutout screwdriver (10) that terminates a screw driving operation when a predetermined torque is achieved. According to the invention, data relating to an operation are detected in the cutout screwdriver (10) and transmitted to an external monitoring unit (20). The invention also discloses a device for executing the method as well as a cutout screwdriver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Schuele, Mike Voigt
  • Patent number: 8161619
    Abstract: A torque tube includes a composite body and an end fitting. The composite tube includes a body having a body interior diameter, wall thickness, an end having an edge, and a set of grooves. Each groove of the set of grooves passes through the wall thickness. Each groove of the set of grooves begins at the edge and ends in the body. The end fitting includes a sleeve configured to mate with the body interior diameter and a set of ribs configured to mate with the set of grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Steven P. Wanthal
  • Patent number: 8151430
    Abstract: A circular sheet metal duct having a sealant applied across the longitudinal seam. The sealant will improve the efficiency and will reduce or eliminate air leakage from the longitudinal seam. The sealant is applied during the manufacturing processes so that an installer does not have to seal the duct work. The method of manufacturing the sealant is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Ductmate Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas G. Gudenburr, Vincent L. Bloom
  • Patent number: 8151454
    Abstract: In the invention, a joining means having a ram tool, a countertool and a holder with an opening to accommodate the ram tool or the countertool, is described. The two tools are arranged coaxial with each other at different ends of a C-bracket. The invention is distinguished in that the holder comprises at least one plane contact surface arranged on the outer surface of the holder, resting in contact with at least one plane face of the corresponding end of the C-bracket and detachably fastened thereto. Between the contact surface and the face, at least one interlay is arranged, determining the information and/or the distance of the contact surface from the face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Newfrey LLC
    Inventors: Reinhold Opper, Ruben Guiterrez Romero, Georg Hüfner, Leonhard Will
  • Patent number: 8146242
    Abstract: Methods and systems for manufacturing composite aircraft wings and other structures are disclosed herein. A tool assembly for use in manufacturing composite laminates in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes a tool plate carried by a movable support system. The tool plate includes a tool surface configured to support fiber-reinforced resin material and define an outer mold line (OML) of the fiber-reinforced resin material. The movable support system is configured to respond to signals from a controller to automatically change the shape of the tool surface and alter the OML of the finished part to suit the particular application. In one embodiment, the movable support system can include a plurality of telescoping actuators operably coupled to the tool plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Alan K. Prichard, Victor K. Stuhr, Joseph R. Olivadoti