Patents Examined by David F. Hubbuch
  • Patent number: 4449876
    Abstract: An extendible brace or dunnage bar for stabilizing cargo items within the interior of a cargo transport vehicle, the invention provides a simple, reliable and inexpensive device capable of rapid positioning relative to an object which is to be braced against movement. In a first embodiment, an elongate bar is received within a rectangular casing and is provided with spur-like elements on the free end of the bar for engaging an interior wall of a freight car. The rectangular casing is provided with a threaded collar which receives a threaded rod displaceable longitudinally of the elongate bar to cause extension or contraction of the brace on rotation of the rod. The rod terminates at its free end with a freely mounted foot plate adapted to engage a freight car wall opposite the first-mentioned wall or a surface of a cargo item itself, the rod being rotated to mount the brace therebetween through use of a tool such as a wrench in engagement with a nut permanently joined to the rod adjacent to the foot plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1984
    Assignee: Guelda Gene Glanton
    Inventor: Thomas J. Glanton
  • Patent number: 4441430
    Abstract: Aerial monocable chairlift or gondola lift having detachable grips for coupling the chairs or gondolas to the continuously moving cable. Each grip, in the form of a plier, has a pair of jaws, the outer profile of the jaws being so designed that the grip passes on support sheaves, hold down sheaves and horizontal wheels in the station. The clamping coil spring is inserted between the ends of the plier levers and extends substantially parallel to the hanger bar articulated on the grip body. A grip operating roller opens the jaws at a platform in the station and the speed of the chair is reduced for loading and/or unloading of the passengers before the grip is again coupled to the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1984
    Assignee: Pomagalski S.A.
    Inventor: Max Brochand
  • Patent number: 4440090
    Abstract: Storage arrangement for truck conveyor trolleys is provided wherein trolley units are designed to run within a conveyance path defined by a trolley rail. The trolley units are engageable with a truck for receiving articles to be carried and can be attached and detached from the truck by positioning the trolley units on segmented rail portions integrally formed as part of the trolley running rail. By raising or lowering the scissioned rail segments with the trolley units positioned thereon, the trolley units will automatically engage with and disengage from the truck. Once disconnected from the truck, the trolley units can be stored in large numbers in a storage place, either on the rail segments or on separate storage rails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1984
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Company
    Inventors: Masasumi Murai, Hirokazu Kondo, Shigekatzu Takino
  • Patent number: 4438854
    Abstract: A railway coupler housing includes a bottom wall section with a thrower hole extending therethrough and spaced from a side wall diverging outwardly from the horn line at the knuckle side of the housing. The side wall continues vertically from the bottom wall section at a rearwardly-spaced relation from the thrower hole along a sufficient height to permit a generally vertical dropping of the thrower within the interior of the coupler head for engaging a trunnion of the thrower in the thrower hole. The thrower in one embodiment has an extended trunnion provided with a diametrically-extending bore to receive a cotter used to retain the thrower in the coupler head. In another embodiment, the end surface of the trunnion includes a tapped hole for receiving a threaded shank of a stop piece. The stop piece includes projecting wing portions that engage with the outer surface of the bottom wall to prevent inadvertent dislodgement of the thrower in the coupler head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1984
    Assignee: McConway & Torley Corporation
    Inventors: Donald L. Baughman, William O. Elliott
  • Patent number: 4439076
    Abstract: A movable device for restraining freight in a cargo area in a freight transporting vehicle, for use with a track extending along the cargo area at the top side portions of the vehicle. The device includes an upright stanchion having a vertically extending cargo restraining surface on one side normal to the track. A carriage rolls along the track to permit moving the restraining device to a desired position, and locking pins secure the stanchion in that position. A yoke connects the carriage with the stanchion, to provide a support framework for the stanchion that is rigid throughout its entire extent, in the vertical plane that passes through the center of gravity of the stanchion and is normal to the track, from the rollers of the carriage, along the roller axle and any supporting structure, along the yoke member, and across the stanchion to the vertical plane that passes through the center of gravity of the stanchion and is parallel to the track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1984
    Assignee: Unarco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Russell M. Loomis, Michael D. Gaikowski, Denis R. Brzezinski
  • Patent number: 4433628
    Abstract: In an apparatus for preventing runaway of carriers in a power-and-free conveyor, each of the carriers has a runaway preventing stopper rotatable about its center portion in a substantially vertical plane parallel with the direction of advance of the conveyor, and a restraining member engageable with one end of the stopper for usually preventing the other end thereof from turning forward. The stopper is biased always by weighted arm to turn the other end forward. Runaway preventing contact members are arranged at a spacing in each of rising and falling gradient sections of the conveyor along the path of movement of the stopper other end. When the carrier runs out of control in the falling gradient section, the stopper other end collides with one of the contact members and is thereby turned rearward into engagement with the restraining member against the weighted arm while bringing the one end of the stopper into engagement with another contact member to prevent the carrier from running away.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1982
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1984
    Assignee: 501 Nakanishi Metals Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takao Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 4433629
    Abstract: The bearing housing of a railway vehicle includes a pair of stop members spaced from respective pedestals of the truck frame and engageable with such pedestals to absorb lateral thrust loads upon relative movement between the bearing housings and truck frame. Each stop member includes an elastomer pad mounted to the bearing housing and a wear plate engageable with the pedestal of the truck frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Roy W. Roush, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4429637
    Abstract: A radial axle railway truck has separate depressed center beam-type side frames mounted at their ends on journal bearing assemblies by means of elastomeric pad devices between downwardly facing surfaces on the side frames and upwardly facing surfaces on the bearing assemblies, the pad devices near the ends of the side frames being at a level higher than the axle centers and laterally inboard of the side frames and those remote from the ends of the side frames being at a level lower than the axle centers and laterally outboard of the side frames, thereby conforming with sloping end portions of the side frames and stabilizing the side frames against tipping transversely. The main frame of the truck has longitudinally extending side members and the side frames mount vertically acting resilient means for supporting the main frame on the side frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1984
    Assignee: Lukens General Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith L. Jackson, Dallas L. Schmitt, John L. Schauster
  • Patent number: 4428303
    Abstract: A clip-on wear plate for protecting the downwardly facing surface in the pedestal opening of a side frame of a railway truck. The wear plate is especially adapted to be used on worn pedestal surfaces and comprises either a pair of separate plates or a plate with a central portion removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1984
    Assignee: TransDyne, Inc.
    Inventor: Carl E. Tack
  • Patent number: 4426934
    Abstract: A railroad car truck bolster has a plurality of pockets each of which will position a friction wedge for use in damping motion between the bolster and the side frame. Each pocket has a slanted rear wall and adjoining side walls perpendicular thereto, the side walls being generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bolster. One of the side walls is designated the inboard side wall and the other is designated the outboard side wall. The present invention is specifically concerned with a wear plate which is positioned within the friction wedge pocket and has a main portion formed and adapted to substantially conform to the pocket slanted wall and at least one wall portion integral therewith and formed and adapted to substantially conform to the pocket outboard side wall, an area subject to substantially greater wear than the inboard pocket side wall. Further, there are elements on the wear plate for cooperative attachment of the wear plate to the pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1984
    Assignee: Standard Car Truck Company
    Inventor: Robert P. Geyer
  • Patent number: 4424964
    Abstract: The retard roll in a paper transport mechanism is rotated by the feed roll to transport manually supplied paper when a photodetector indicates that manually supplied paper is present, the retard roll is substantially stationary and serves its normal purpose of preventing more than one sheet at a time from being transported by the feed roll as it rotates in an opposite direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1984
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiki Kikuchi, Tomio Murayama
  • Patent number: 4425069
    Abstract: A transport for loading semitrailers and other similar cargo carrying vehicles includes a portable conveyor shaped to extend into a trailer, and load the same from front to rear. The portable conveyor is preferably self-propelled, and has steerable front wheels at the downstream end of the conveyor, with a steering arm to manually pilot the conveyor into the trailer, and around the loading dock area. A guidance mechanism positions the portable conveyor in a selected storage position in the loading area, and comprises a pair of guides which depend from the upstream end of the conveyor, and matingly receive a floor mounted guide rail therebetween. Ramp blocks are located at the base end of the guide rail to positively and safely stop the conveyor in the storage position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1984
    Assignee: Lear Siegler, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Saur, Samuel J. DeMan
  • Patent number: 4422549
    Abstract: A separator sheet for disposition between layers of newspaper bundles on a movable pallet, for stabilizing the newspaper bundles as the pallet is moved. The separator sheet has a central portion and an outer portion circumscribing the central portion. The outer portion includes inclined sections extending at acute angles to, and in both directions from, the central portion. The inclined sections engage, and exert pressure against the peripheral edges of the layers of newspaper bundles both above and below the separator sheet for stabilizing the layers of newspaper bundles on the pallet. The separator sheet is preferably a unitary structure, formed of a resilient plastic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1983
    Assignee: Harris Graphics Corporation
    Inventor: James S. Werkheiser
  • Patent number: 4422631
    Abstract: A copier machine is provided with two or more paper feeder racks loaded with special recording paper cassettes, cooperating with a paper feeding device. The cassettes may contain paper of respectively different sizes. The paper feeding device is provided with a manual lever which not only selects the desired cassette to be fed but permits accurate and quick loading and unloading of one selected cassette while preventing the feeding of the nonselected cassette or cassettes. The manual lever is locked in its selected position but a sensor provides for unlocking the same and return of the manual lever to a neutral position when a paper feeding rack is completely loaded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1983
    Assignee: Konishiroku Photo Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tsugio Sugizaki
  • Patent number: 4418907
    Abstract: Modular automatic paper handling apparatus wherein a vertically movable paper item tray is incrementally elevatable into a paper feeding position adjacent a feeding device. A cable drive including an electromagnetic impulse clutch and solenoid escapement provide control for elevating the item tray. A pivotally movable reload tray is adapted to be positioned over the main item tray such that finger-like projections integral therewith are interfitted with upstanding projections on the main item tray enabling the main item tray to be raised into a position to automatically unload paper from the reload tray after which the reload tray is automatically snapped out of the way of the main item tray. A cable counter weight permits the main tray to retract downwardly to feeding position without overrunning or bouncing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1983
    Assignee: Burroughs Corporation
    Inventors: Richard E. Shultz, William E. Voecks, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4418450
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a cargo control fitting utilizing webs wherein an identical pair of fittings are used in conjunction with a web loop, and the fittings include locking tabs received within an opening defined in an anchoring support member. The fittings include an outer edge located within the web loop and to protect the web loop from being crushed against this outer edge protecting extensions are defined on the fitting which extend beyond the outer edge a distance at least equal to the web thickness. Further, the extensions are obliquely disposed to the plane of the fitting to laterally extend a distance from the fitting side equal to the web thickness to protect the web from also being crushed against the fitting lateral side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1983
    Assignee: Aeroquip Corporation
    Inventor: Roger Nelson
  • Patent number: 4417839
    Abstract: An apparatus for automatically dumping a hatchery tray is disclosed. The apparatus comprises: a lifting platform suitably fitted with a tray sensing limit switch to control a double acting air cylinder which lifts the hatchery tray on the platform up and through a 100.degree. arc past vertical onto the open top of a hopper which receives the waste from the tray. Initial spring loaded starting and stopping devices are included as well as kick-off-arms to remove the hatchery tray from the hopper after dumping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
    Inventors: William F. Whitehead, Jr., James A. Dickens, Benjamin C. Haynes, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4418251
    Abstract: The electrical collector unit (41) and the overhead conductor entrance (26) are designed so that four collectors (63, 64, 66, 67) can properly enter the conductor slots (18, 19, 21, 22) without manual assistance and with the vehicle, not shown, carrying the collection unit (41) traveling at near a walking speed. Two collector subassemblies (42, 43) are mounted on the vehicle, not shown, each of which carries two collectors and includes spring biased parallel links (73, 74, 76, 77) between a pair of pivot posts (71, 86), a guide roller (61) engageable with side walls (28, 29, 36, 67) of the entrance chute (26) and equalizer beams (134, 136) supporting the collectors (63, 64 or 66, 67).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1983
    Assignee: Allis-Chalmers Corporation
    Inventors: Peter W. Hartman, Keith E. Hanford, Stephen L. Markle, Elmer C. Hartman
  • Patent number: 4416579
    Abstract: A cargo guide assembly includes a base which is mountable to the floor of a cargo hold in a transport vehicle such as an aircraft. A guide rail is pivotally attached to the base for swinging movement between a first position in which the guide rail contacts the side of a cargo container in the cargo hold, thereby restraining movement of the cargo and a second position in which the guide rail lies below the cargo floor, thereby permitting cargo to pass over it. A powered actuator is mounted on the base and is coupled to the guide rail by actuation linkage operable to move the guide rail from its first to its second position. Preferably, the assembly includes a latch for latching the guide rail in its second position and a biasing device associated with the base to bias the guide rail toward its first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1983
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: John Alberti
  • Patent number: 4408947
    Abstract: A combine conveyor arrangement for transferring clean grain from a cleaning shoe to a grain tank above the shoe comprises two drivably connected screw conveyor legs whose axes lie in a common vertical plane. A unitary housing at their junction provides bearing support for the respective screw conveyors, an enclosure for a pair of bevel gears transmitting power between the two, and a transfer passage for receiving the discharged material from the first leg and conducting it to the second leg. The first leg is substantially horizontal and the second is inclined upwardly and inwardly so that the included angle between the two conveyor legs is substantially less than ninety-degrees, and the transfer passage is offset inwardly and upwardly from the intersection of the conveyor axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1983
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Ralph Lenski, Rolf W. Peiler, Klaus H. Pauli