Patents Examined by Clifford D. Crowder
  • Patent number: 5431118
    Abstract: A dry sewing machine, or a sewing machine which can be operated without oiling. The machine of the preferred embodiment is particularly adapted for making a type 401 two thread chain stitch, used in commercial sewing operations. In addition to employing sealed bearings, novel spreader and rocker frame assemblies are employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Assignee: James Cash Machine Co., Inc.
    Inventor: David R. Cash
  • Patent number: 5430915
    Abstract: In a cloth piece spreading apparatus which carries out a process in which, after a corner C.sub.1 of a rectangular cloth piece 15 and a position Ya on the side of the cloth piece which includes this corner C.sub.1 are gripped by a movable gripper 16 to which there are attached two clips 17, and the cloth piece 15 is suspended naturally, the cloth piece 15 is pulled by the gripper 16 and is moved horizontally to the upper surface of a bench 35, which consists of a belt conveyor and the like, while undergoing contact resistance with a convex shaped front edge portion 36 of the bench 35, and is then pulled up onto the bench 35, there is provided a suction duct 47 having numerous suction holes 48 in the half the surface of the cloth edge side of the cloth pulling path on bench 35.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Ueda, Hidetoshi Ishihara, Koichi Jinno, Kazuo Kitajima, Toshio Hattori, Kimiharu Fujihashi
  • Patent number: 5431119
    Abstract: A thread end holding device for a sewing machine comprises a needle thread catching puller which is swingably supported on the side of a sewing machine arm and is driven to swing between a thread catching position and a home position, and which comprises a hook portion at the tip end thereof for catching a needle thread extending from a needle when said needle thread catching puller is at its thread catching position and holds the needle thread at its home position and first and a second holding members which are respectively mounted on the side of the sewing machine arm and is disengaged from the both clamping portions when the needle thread catching puller is at its thread catching position and enters a gap between the both clamping portions at the hook portion thereof so as to elastically clamp the end of the needle thread between the clamping portions when the needle thread catching puller is at its home position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Assignee: The Singer Company N.V.
    Inventors: Shuichi Sato, Yoshiharu Kobayashi, Norio Komori, Shirou Ayusawa
  • Patent number: 5430963
    Abstract: A steam iron is provided with a vaporization chamber, an electric heater, a steam emitting chamber and a soleplate, which are made integrally. The vaporization chamber is provided therein with a pressure accumulating container for stabilizing and rectifying the pressure of steam before the steam is emitted onto the material or garment being pressed. The vaporization chamber and the steam emitting chamber are provided respectively with a detachable cover so that the vaporization chamber and the steam emitting chamber can be cleaned and washed easily for removing the impurities clogging the steam emitting holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Inventor: Chien Kuo-Chu
  • Patent number: 5430917
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for piecing lap sheets in a textile machine, such as a comber or ribbon lap machine. The machine is stopped when a lap roll EL is nearly emptied. A pressing member 53 at a rest position C1 is moved to an operating position C2, and a breaking comb 32 is moved from a rest position A1 to an operating position A2 so that the lap sheet LP2 is broken. A full lap FL is then rolled onto a pair of feed rollers 10 and 11. A suction pipe 43 is then moved to an operating position B1, so as to engage with an end S1 of a new lap sheet LP1 from the full lap roll FL. The suction pipe 43 is then moved to a position B3 located at a distance from a nip line N1 longer the length of the lap sheet LP1 from the nip line N1 to its edge, causing the ends of the old and new lap sheets to be superimposed. A reverse rotation of the feed rollers 10 and 11 then occurs, so that the fibers of the new lap sheet LP1 at the superimposed portion are stretched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Assignee: Howa Machinery, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Inagaki, Osamu Terao, Katsutoshi Kishi
  • Patent number: 5428910
    Abstract: A steam iron including a vaporization chamber (2) connected by a water/steam supply device (8,11) to a flexible hose (9) extending from an external large-capacity reservoir(13). A device (5) regulates the water discharge that is also connected to the vaporization chamber (2), this discharge regulating device (5) being connected to an internal reservoir (4) incorporated in the iron (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: SEB S.A.
    Inventors: Jacques Gudefin, Denis Daulasim, Jean-Pierre Debourg
  • Patent number: 5429284
    Abstract: A garment hanger is comprised of a one-piece body having a hook portion for the receipt of a display rod, a central portion depending from the hook portion and having first and second openings therein, and a lower portion defining a fold line segment depending from the central portion with a third opening disposed in the fold line segment and a flap segment depending from the fold line segment. The central portion and the flap segment define coactive structure for retaining the flap segment against the central portion on folding of the flap segment about the fold line segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: B&G Plastics, Inc.
    Inventors: Chester Kolton, Stuart S. Spater
  • Patent number: 5428842
    Abstract: A cap being formed of thin flexible self supporting material cut to shape and assembled, having a band portion, overlapped lobes to form a crown, and a visor and a blank thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Inventor: Herbert H. Wise
  • Patent number: 5428878
    Abstract: The thread monitor serves to detect the passage in a textile machine of a thread (F) moving in a direction transverse to the thread length. The monitor contains a pivoting member (B) which can be actuated by the thread and a sensor (7) monitoring the actuation of this pivoting member. The pivoting member (B) is designed in such a way that, during the passage of the thread, the pivoting member (B) is deflected from its rest position and then returned into its rest position, the sensor (7) being designed for detecting this return. The pivoting member (B) is elastic and in one-piece and the sensor (7) is sensitive to pressure. The monitor may be used in thread storage means and thread-transfer devices, particularly those in weaving and in warp-thread preparation apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: Zellweger Luwa AG
    Inventor: Peter Mueller
  • Patent number: 5428843
    Abstract: A cap which is self-adjusting within a predetermined range of hat sizes, includes a crown having a dome and a continuous lower rim formed of a flexible substantially inelastic material. The crown has a front portion and a rear portion together having a fully expanded size corresponding to a maximum size at least as large as a largest hat size within the predetermined range of hat sizes. An elastic strip having a rear portion is attached to the front portion of the rim so that an unstretched rear portion produces an elastic loop. The size of the loop and the front portion of the rim combine to form an unstretched size which is at least as small as a minimum hat size within the predetermined range of hat sizes. The elastic strip has a partially stretched length resulting in a size together with the front rim portion, which corresponds to the maximum size of the lower rim which is at least as large as the largest hat size within the range of hat sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Inventors: J. Michael Clowers, L. Don Hutson, Steven J. Morose
  • Patent number: 5428870
    Abstract: A drawing unit contains two drawing zones, one of which is variable and driven by two motors. The desired draw is set by means of a control of the speed of one of the motors, preferably of the motor for the predrawing zone. This control of the speed is carried out by way of a draw correction value which is calculated from the deviation between the desired draw and the actual draw calculated from the speed of the fibre sliver at the entrance and at the exit of the drawing unit. This draw regulation allows a rapid reaction to fluctuations in the draw, simple correcting measures and drift-free operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: Zellweger Luwa AG
    Inventors: Hansjorg Rutz, Francois Baechler
  • Patent number: 5428845
    Abstract: A helmet removal device for removing a helmet from a head of a wearer without applying tensile forces on the neck of the wearer. The removal device includes a bladder disposed between the helmet and the top of the head with the bladder so constructed and arranged that upon inflation from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration, the bladder at least partially displaces the head from within the helmet. The removal device may also include an inserting tool for inserting the bladder between the helmet and head while the helmet is being worn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: Safesport, Inc.
    Inventor: John C. Deagan
  • Patent number: 5428844
    Abstract: A cushioning, sweat-absorbing, advertising sweatband which is easily attached and removed from an existing hat or headgear that has an exposed headband. The band is a piece of material that has a foam cushion inserted inside the material and sewn in such a way as to form three distinct rectangles which are wrapped around each other and mate together through hook and loop fasteners over the exposed headband of a hat, such as an adjustable baseball cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: Lee's Sweat, Inc.
    Inventor: Gary L. Dougherty
  • Patent number: 5428841
    Abstract: An improved surgical glove is provided having reinforcing pads formed over the distal finger and thumb pulps and over the metacarpal-phalangeal joints. The fingertips and thumb tips are the most likely region of a surgical glove to be accidentally penetrated by a needle during a surgical procedure. Furthermore, the fingertips, thumb tips, and metacarpal-phalangeal region of the surgical glove are the most likely portions of the glove to become abraded and possibly torn during a surgical procedure. Thus, the reinforcing pads are optimally located for minimizing the possibility of a tear or a needle penetration. The remaining portions of the surgical glove are of conventional thickness and flexibility, thereby assuring adequate mobility of the fingers and hand, such that precise surgical procedures may be performed while using the improved glove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Inventor: Daniel T. Stein
  • Patent number: 5428869
    Abstract: A device for filling a series of non-circular cans, which are disposed on a conveyor, with sliver from a sliver producing textile machine. A coiler for delivering sliver to the cans is supported on an ancillary frame which is, in turn, supported for movement on a main frame. The cans are supported on the conveyor that moves past the coiler in a direction perpendicular to the long axis direction of the respective cans. A double acting piston cylinder arrangement moves the coiler and a cover over the can in which the coiler is disposed along the path of movement of the conveyor for moving the coiler over the can to be filled. The cover and can coiler together are moveable along the long axis plane of each of the cans by a drive for moving the coiler to deliver the sliver into the can.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignees: Elitex Usti Nad Orlici s.p., Vyzkumny Ustav Textilnich Strou A.S.
    Inventors: Leos Holubec, Josef Vitak
  • Patent number: 5426786
    Abstract: An energy-absorbing pad-type device is configured and sized to be inserted within the pants of the wearer adjacent to the wearer's hip and buttocks area, so as to provide an energy-absorbing barrier between the lower extremity of the spine, pelvic girdle, and bottom of the hip bone region, and thereby protect the wearer's hip and buttocks area against injury in the event the person wearing the pad should fall on a hard surface such as a sidewalk or street surface. The protective device comprises a generally flat pad made of elastically deformable multi closed cell polymer material. The pad has a top edge portion, a pair of tapered first and second side edge portions that extend from the top edge portion, and a bottom portion to which the first and second side edge portions extend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Assignee: Calvin Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy D. Calvin
  • Patent number: 5426790
    Abstract: Apparatus for protecting a person's ears from the damaging ultra-violet rays of the sun is presented. The ear protector apparatus conveniently clips to the outside of a cap, typically, a baseball cap. The protective ear apparatus is positionable along the headband of the cap in accordance with the anatomical configuration of a person's head. Furthermore, the protective ear apparatus is removable and may be applied from one cap to another. Ornamental designs may be applied to the outside surface of the ear protector to display the logo of a sports team or even to advertise an organization or business entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Inventor: Stanley Robertson
  • Patent number: 5427041
    Abstract: In an overlock sewing machine for an overedge stitch and at least one kind of chain stitch other than the overedge stitch, an upper knife releasing device according to the invention comprises: an upper knife rocking arm 26 to which an cloth cutting upper knife 30 is secured; an upper knife rocking shaft 28 which is fixedly secured to the upper knife rocking arm and is rotatably supported relative to a frame; a controller shaft 50; and a controller 52 having a guide groove 52a, the controller being rotatable about the controller shaft, a link mechanism (38 and 34) having one end which is linearly reciprocated along the guide groove, and the other end which is fixedly secured to the upper knife rocking shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Assignee: Juki Corporation
    Inventor: Shiro Satoma
  • Patent number: 5426788
    Abstract: An ornament, e.g., a hair band, headband, hat band, etc., and method of making it. The ornament comprises a plurality of looped links and a looped connecting member. Each of the looped links is formed of an flexible, somewhat elastic, e.g., knitted, material in the nominal shape of a toroidal loop, but bent into a shape having a bridging midsection and a pair of openings on each side of the bridging midsection. The looped connecting member is in the form of a loop of the same material and has a central opening. The looped links are interconnected with one another so that the bridging midsection of one looped link extends through the openings in the immediately adjacent looped link to form an elongated chain-link strip having a pair of ends. One of the ends of the chain-linked strip comprising the looped connecting member and the other end comprises the looped link forming that end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Assignee: U.S.A. Knitting Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Faith M. L. Meltzer
  • Patent number: 5426835
    Abstract: Tenter for an endless fabric, especially for use by heat treatment as a part process in connection with manufacturing of fabric for a paper machine comprising several carriages (1) for guiding the rims of the fabric material by means of a carrier (2) for each carriage (1) which is connected with a drive chain. Each carriage (1) comprises at least one spring (4) arranged between the carrier (2) and an abutment in the carriage (1) such that the velocity of each carriage (1) substantially corresponds with the speed of the fabric rim. It also includes a mechanism for registering and monitoring the tension force in the material based on which the velocity of the drive chain and the carrier (2) is adjusted to maintain a desired velocity for the fabric through the heat treatment zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Assignee: ABB Alfsen & Gunderson AS
    Inventors: Karsten T. Neset, Helge Knutzen, Bart T. Boon