Patents Examined by Daniel Shanley
  • Patent number: 6502809
    Abstract: A fixture for holding workpieces on a machine tool table includes: a base plate for placement upon table rails and slidable along such rails; a locking plate under the base plate for rotation between a locking position to secure the base plate to the table rails, and an unlocked position clear of the table rails; an upright center block on the base plate; left and right slide blocks on opposite sides of the center block, releasably clamped so as to be slidable along the base plate toward and away from the center block, each slide block including a fluid driven piston movable toward and away from the center block to releasably clamp a workpiece against it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Inventor: Mark S. Gionta
  • Patent number: 6497403
    Abstract: A holder for holding a semiconductor wafer for treatment in wafer treating apparatus including a plurality of supports for generally point support of the wafer at a plurality of points on the wafer. Each support bears a fraction of weight of the wafer and is movable up and down and subject to force biasing it to move upward. The total of the forces exerted on the supports biasing them upward is adapted to counterbalance the weight of the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael J. Ries
  • Patent number: 6494445
    Abstract: A clamp assembly has a separate and independent clamp stand base, such that several clamp stand bases may be mounted on desired surfaces at various locations, and the clamp may be moved from one clamp stand base to another for quick and easy mounting at the different locations, and to minimize the number of clamps required to service of all of these different locations. The assembly permits the position of the clamp to be adjusted relative to the stand by pivoting and by raising and lowering the clamp relative to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Inventor: William B. Bellis, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6491293
    Abstract: A rotatable engine holding assembly for permitting rotation of an engine while the engine is being held above a support surface. The rotatable engine holding assembly includes a support frame having an attachment assembly couplable to an engine block to hold the engine. The assembly includes a rotatable axle coupling the attachment assembly to the support frame to permit rotation of the engine while the engine is being held.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Inventor: Michael L. Brewer
  • Patent number: 6488273
    Abstract: A apparatus includes an arm, a housing having a chamber, a vane rotatably movable within the chamber and an engaging member. The engaging member is slidingly coupled to the arm. The engaging member is selectively positionable in an engaged and a disengaged position with the vane such that the arm rotates in response to rotation of the vane when the engaging member is in the engaged position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: BTM Corporation
    Inventors: Edwin G. Sawdon, Dean J. Kruger, Andrew T. Sanders
  • Patent number: 6481691
    Abstract: A fastener puller capable of removing fasteners embedded in a material having a surface, the puller having a handle, a horn having a wedge, connecting means form mounting the horn to the handle and an elongated ram slidably mounted with respect to the handle. As the ram is moved along a slide path, the ram abuts the horn causing the wedge to be forced underneath the head of a fastener. As the ram continues along the slide path and contacts the surface, the horn and handle are pushed away from the surface causing the fastener to be pulled out of the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Stay Pull Inc.
    Inventor: John R. Irving
  • Patent number: 6474626
    Abstract: A lawn mower rack is formed of a structural base for resting on a support surface. First and second spaced apart longitudinal rails supported by the base and adapted to receive wheels of a lawn mower thereon. A first manually operated lifter is provided for elevationally supporting rearward portions of the longitudinal rails above the base and a second manually operated lifter, independent of the first lifter, is provided for elevationally supporting forward portions of the longitudinal rails above the base so that thereby only approximately one half of the weight of a lawn mower need be lifted at a time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Inventor: Clyde Box
  • Patent number: 6471187
    Abstract: Apparatus for lifting or supporting modular furniture panels having accessory hanging tracks with apertures, including a support having an upright shaft and a lifting jig movable on the shaft. The lifting jig has a support plate for engaging the underside of a panel, and an angle bracket above the support plate has a series of undercut hooks for engagement with apertures of a hanging track so as to positively locate the jig in relation to the panel. The angle bracket has an inner flange parallel to and attached to a front face of the lifting jig and an outer flange projecting perpendicularly from the front face and having the hooks. The inner flange is provided with horizontal slots which are engageable by screws which extend into said front face of the lifting jig and which allow lateral adjustment of the bracket relative to the lifting jig.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Inventors: Jean-Guy Dubé, Kamal Roy Nandram
  • Patent number: 6471199
    Abstract: A gear mechanism has a first gear which is coaxially connected to a drive shaft of a rotary driving source, a second gear which is meshed with the first gear, and a third gear which is meshed with the second gear and which is integrally interlocked with a ball screw nut. Diameters of the first to third gears are set to be smaller than a dimension of an upper body in a widthwise direction and a dimension of a lower body in the widthwise direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Akio Saitoh, Hiroshi Yumiba
  • Patent number: 6467762
    Abstract: A mechanism for a multi-axis flexure positioner includes a fixed part and a movable part (7), the movable part (7) being connected to the fixed part via a plurality of transmission means, one for each axis, for transmitting actuation forces for the respective axes to the movable part (7). The transmission means for each axis includes a flexure member (2,3,8) arranged to transmit actuation forces for that axis to the movable part (7) and to flex between the fixed part and the movable part in response to actuation forces associated with the or each other axis. There are three flexure members (2,3,8) arranged to extend along three mutually-perpendicular axes so that each flexure member (2,3,8) is flexible along the axes of extent of the other two flexure members (2,3,8). Each of the three flexure members (2,3,8) comprises a pair of flexure linkages arranged to extend parallel to each other, the three pairs of linkages thus defining three mutually-perpendicular planes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Nelles Griot Limited
    Inventor: Philip Andrew Davies
  • Patent number: 6464204
    Abstract: A portable vehicle lifting apparatus and method comprising a plurality of ramps having a lifting bar means pivotally connected between each ramp. The apparatus, via the lifting bar meas, raises and lowers a vehicle which has been loaded onto the ramps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Kwiklift, Inc.
    Inventors: Danny L. Johnson, Dave Lewis
  • Patent number: 6460841
    Abstract: A modular cutting/pastry board having a plurality of joinable board sections is disclosed. Each board section, typically of a food grade plastic material, has a keyed tongue disposed along a first edge and a keyhole groove disposed along a second edge such that when engaged, a single, rigid board is formed. Removable handles using the same keyed tongue and keyhole groove provide ease in moving the cutting/pastry board. The board segments can be used individually for smaller cutting/pastry tasks or joined for larger tasks. Disassembled, the board is compact for easy storage or dishwasher cleansing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Inventor: Bruce A. Durr
  • Patent number: 6453531
    Abstract: An assembly tool for setting a lateral position of a rear window panel placed on a window glass support surface of a rear window opening of an automotive vehicle is provided. The tool includes an upper jaw for extending over a C pillar of the automotive vehicle, the upper jaw has a weather strip channel contact member and an adjustable length extending finger with an extreme edge window contacting surface for setting a lateral position of the rear window panel within the window glass support surfaces. A lower jaw pivotally is connected with the upper jaw for contacting and gripping an inboard surface of the vehicle C pillar. A quick connect vice mechanism for closing the upper jaw and the lower jaw toward one another to grip the C pillar is also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Craig R. Krass, Roger A. Johnson, Lisa Fugate, Craig A. Johnson, James C. Shur
  • Patent number: 6450491
    Abstract: A framing clamp for the assembly and construction of multiple sided and multiple-cornered structures employing a ratchet assembly with a multitude of clamp braces to provide constant tension on a object and to also provide a easy mode of adjusting the clamp with a ratchet assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Inventor: Rex McEvoy
  • Patent number: 6446937
    Abstract: A jack assembly for raising and lowering an object such as a trailer. The jack includes telescoping jack tubes which are expanded and contracted through operation of an axial screw. The screw is drivably connected to a gear drive mounted in an upper end of the jack. A crankshaft is supported within the upper end of the jack tube by a pair of end bushings and includes a hexagonal intermediate portion. A first pinion gear having a hexagonal throughbore is drivably mounted to the intermediate portion of the crankshaft. The first gear is in driving engagement with a screw gear connected to the axial screw. At least one of the end bushings is removable to facilitate disassembly of the gear drive. Rotation of the crank transmits rotation to the crankshaft and the first pinion gear in turn transmitting rotation to the screw gear and the axial screw for telescoping movement of the jack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Fulton Performance Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Shane A. Straw, Sr., Christopher M. Morris
  • Patent number: 6443430
    Abstract: The invention describes a spreading tool (1) for widening openings, in particular for use in extricating trapped persons, having a drive (3) to which a pressurised medium (4) is applied and, coupled therewith in order to effect a synchronous counter-pivoting motion in the form of cutting and/or spreading elements, pivotably mounted pivot arms (16, 17) in a housing (15) accommodating the drive (3). The pivot arms (16, 17) are drivingly linked to a pressure ram assembly (48) which is displaceable in the direction of a parallel extending longitudinal central axis (53) substantially parallel with a pivot plane (20) of the pivot arms (16, 17).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Weber-Hydraulik GmbH
    Inventor: Leopold Eisterlehner
  • Patent number: 6443440
    Abstract: A device for holding a semiconductor wafer for unilateral etching has a base plate with a central hole around which a first seal bears against the side of the wafer to be etched along its perimeter. The back is closed by a lid extending beyond the wafer and bearing with a second annular seal against the plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Inventor: Hans Moritz
  • Patent number: 6439543
    Abstract: A leveling device including a plurality of supports each having a bottom wall, a top wall and a peripheral wall that extends between the top and bottom walls. Each of the bottom walls has a generally rectangular shape. Each of the front walls is angled outward and downward from the top walls to the bottom walls. The supports is stacked on each other with the back walls generally aligned and the bottom walls abutting the top walls such that an upper most support and a lower most support is defined. Each of the bottom walls has a size and shape generally equal to an abutting top wall such that the front walls define a ramp. A selected number of the supports are stacked such that a desired height is achieved. The tire is positioned on the supports such that the recreational vehicle is vertically supported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Inventor: Gary D. Peckham
  • Patent number: 6435492
    Abstract: A Die Bonder or Wire Bonder has a suction device for pulling flat and holding down a curved substrate equipped with or to be equipped with a semiconductor chip onto a supporting surface of a plate. The plate contains at least one cavity open towards the supporting surface in which there is a vacuum gripper made out of flexible material, whereby the vacuum gripper is lowerable into the cavity during transport of the substrate and which is raisable above the level of the supporting surface to apply suction to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: ESEC Trading SA
    Inventors: Stefan Behler, Reto Schubiger, Beat Zumbuehl
  • Patent number: 6430795
    Abstract: A composite stripper for use in conjunction with an apparatus for joining multiple pieces of sheet metal or other sheet material is disclosed. The composite stripper is an elongated cylindrical member having a compliant midsection which is compressible to clamp sheet materials tightly together and a pair of relatively hard end portions and to provide an adequate interface between the punch assembly and the material to be joined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: BTM Corporation
    Inventors: Edwin G. Sawdon, Steven J. Sprotberry