Patents Examined by David Fenstermacher
  • Variable position hand control mount for operator controls
    Patent number: 6647820
    Abstract: A mounting system for an operator control implement comprises a manipulation tube which defines a first axis and upon one end of which an operator control implement is adapted to be mounted. The manipulation tube extends through a housing within which a first clutch assembly is disposed, and in conjunction with which there is disposed a first cam member. A first fixed support member defines a second axis, and a second support member is rotatably mounted upon the first support member. The second support member is fixedly mounted upon the housing, and a second clutch assembly is interposed between the first and second support members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: James Edward McKeown, Stephen Paul Foisy
  • Gear
    Patent number: 6647818
    Abstract: A gear includes a gear body which includes a rim integral with a plurality of teeth at an outer peripheral surface thereof, and a boss disposed concentrically inside the rim. The gear further includes at least fitting section which is formed from a material having a low hardness and a low flexural strength as compared with a material for forming the gear body, and which is provided between the rim and the boss, so that the gear with a rotational-power transmitting member fitted into the fitting portion is rotated, whereby the rotational power of the gear body is transmitted to the rotational-power transmitting member, while elastically deforming the fitting section to absorb a predetermined amount of a shock produced with the rotation of the gear body. In such gear, the gear body and the fitting section are formed integrally with each other by a two-color molding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Enplas Corporation
    Inventors: Youichi Takeuchi, Koji Akiyama
  • Bicycle control device
    Patent number: 6647823
    Abstract: A bicycle control device is disclosed having a control lever that is operable in a first direction to operate the brake control mechanism, a second direction to operate the shift control mechanism in the pulling direction and a third direction to operate the shift control mechanism in the release direction. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, when viewed from the perspective of a rider on the bicycle, the first direction is the direction of movement of the lever toward the handlebar. The second direction is the direction of movement of the control lever downward and the third direction is the direction of movement of the control lever upward. In a more preferred embodiment, the second and third directions are perpendicular to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Tsumiyama, Nobukatsu Hara
  • Idler sprocket
    Patent number: 6648784
    Abstract: A belt drive system and toothed idler sprocket having an arcuate pitch to significantly reduce noise. The toothed idler sprocket having a pitch sufficient to cause proper engagement between a belt and the sprocket at a minimal belt wrap angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: The Gates Corporation
    Inventor: John D. Redmond
  • Grip gear-shifter for actuating derailleur of bicycle
    Patent number: 6644143
    Abstract: A grip gear-shifter for being used in actuating a derailleur of a bicycle is provided. The grip gear-shifter includes a return spring, a resilient steel plate having a polyhedron-formed controlling pawl, a guiding ring having a guiding notch for guiding a cable, a first module for lodging and positioning said controlling pawl when the bicycle are in the state of shifting gears, and a second module having a projection and a positioning unit for operating in coordination with the return spring and the resilient steel plate, thereby forming a relative motion of the resilient steel plate and the first module to correctly shift gears when the bicycle are in the state of shifting gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: National Science Council
    Inventors: Chan-Hua Feng, Jen-Ji Wang, I-Chao Yan, Te-Sheng Tseng
  • Speed change control device for a continuously variable transmission
    Patent number: 6645120
    Abstract: A speed change control valve (7) houses a spool (8) of comprising a land (83) which can face a supply port (7P) supplying an oil pressure, and lands (84, 85) which can respectively face a pair of drain ports (7D, 7D) formed on either side of the supply port (7P). Output ports (7L, 7H) which allow a first and second oil chamber of an hydraulic cylinder to communicate selectively with the supply port (7P) or the drain ports (7D) according to the displacement of a spool (8), are provided in the speed change control valve (7). In the neutral position of the spool (8), the lands (84, 85) respectively face the drain ports (7D), a width L1 of the land (83) is set to be equal to or greater than a width L1 of the supply port (7P), and a width L3 of the lands (84, 85) is set to a width at which the drain port (7D) can open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Motoharu Nishio, Toshikazu Oshidari, Jun Sugihara
  • Lubricating structure for output shaft bearing portion in transmission
    Patent number: 6644440
    Abstract: An output shaft bearing portion which is provided in an extension housing to be attached to an outside of an end wall portion of a casing main body of a transmission casing is lubricated by lubrication oil which is supplied to lubricating portions inside the casing main body. In the end wall portion there is formed an oil guide passage which guides the lubrication oil supplied to the lubricating portions inside the casing main body. Inside the extension housing, there is formed a rib which guides the lubrication oil flown from the oil guide passage, into a position in which the lubrication oil can be scraped by a gear wheel provided inside the extension housing. The lubrication oil scraped by the gear wheel is supplied to the output shaft bearing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Isamu Kageyama, Masahiro Imamura, Gaku Ogawa
  • Blade tensioner
    Patent number: 6641496
    Abstract: A blade tensioner includes a blade shoe having a chain slide face, a plurality of blade springs for applying spring force to the blade shoe, and a spacer member interposed between the adjacent blade springs. Each of the blade springs is in the shape of a leaf spring. The blade springs are positioned and layered on the opposite side of the blade shoe from the chain slide face. The spacer member preferably contacts the corresponding blade spring at two contact points apart from each other at a uniform distance. In the blade tensioner of this invention, the blade spring contacts the spacer member at a constant span, which causes the damping coefficient of the whole blade spring to be constant and also causes the damping performance of the blade tensioner to be stable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventor: Naosumi Tada
  • Tilt steering wheel
    Patent number: 6640661
    Abstract: A tilt steering wheel in a vehicle is provided which can be locked in selected positions by a mechanism that includes a rod having pivot connections with stationary and movable components of the steering column. A rotatable locking sleeve encircles the rod to form a rigid connection between the rod and one of the pivot connections. Mesh teeth on the rod and sleeve prevent the sleeve from moving in the elongated direction. By rotating the sleeve on the rod it is possible to shift the teeth out of mesh such that the rod can move longitudinally to set the steering column in a selected position. The sleeve has a slot with major and minor portions and in the locking position the minor portion captures a pivot shaft of the steering column and prevents relative movement of the rod with respect to the pivot shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Scott Duncan, Richard D Zielesch, Jr., Glenn F Syrowik
  • Position depend tilt and telescoping steering column
    Patent number: 6637284
    Abstract: A steering column assembly moveable along an axis to an extended and retracted position and having a hand wheel tiltable about a pivot axis between tilted and untilted positions is provided. A control mechanism limits the degree of tilting movement of the hand wheel so that while the steering column assembly is in the extended position, the steering column is tiltable to the first maximum tilt angle, and while in the retracted position, the steering column is tiltable to the second maximum tilt angle. The second maximum tilt angle is less than the first maximum tilt angle to prevent the steering column assembly from interfering with any portion of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald A. Gaeth
  • Accessory drive and particle trap
    Patent number: 6634459
    Abstract: An accessory drive system to provide engagement between a driving input source and a driven accessory unit includes a housing attachable to the input source. A fluid suction port and a discharge port are defined by the housing and the suction port is in fluid communication with a fluid reservoir of the input source. The fluid discharge port is in fluid communication with the suction port and a gear assembly is rotatably supported by the housing. The accessory unit is operably engaged by the input source through the gear assembly and the gear assembly is structured and arranged within the housing to urge fluid away from the housing in response to movement of the gear assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc
    Inventors: Thaddeus T. Litkenhus, Cornelius N. Opris, Craig R. Rust, William L. Short
  • Process and device for the lubrication of a railroad track with Vignole-type rails
    Patent number: 6631786
    Abstract: A method for the lubrication of Vignole type railroad track, especially preceding a curved portion which is subject to wear by the wheel flanges of railroad cars, by applying lubricant essentially horizontally against the inner side of the Vignole type railroad track by an application device supplied with lubricant, wherein the lubricant is applied to the track through the movement of the application device along the track to be lubricated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Inventor: Richard Gunacker
  • Hydraulic control circuit for a continuously-variable-transmission
    Patent number: 6626793
    Abstract: The present invention provides an hydraulic control circuit for a continuously-variable-ratio transmission An hydraulic control circuit for a CVT transmission includes a first hydraulic pressure control valve V1 for controlling the pressure of hydraulic fluid to be supplied to the roller control pistons of the variator and a second hydraulic pressure control valve V2 for controlling the pressure of hydraulic fluid to be supplied to a clutching arrangement of the transmission. Said valves V1, V2 are connected in flow series and by a first fluid directing valve means V3(S1, S2) for directing flow from each pump PL, PR to a first point P upstream of valve V1 or to a second point P downstream of valve V1 but upstream of valve V2. By adopting such an arrangement it is possible to control the clutches without affecting the roller position and vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Torotrak (Development) Limited
    Inventor: Christopher John Greenwood
  • Toroidal-type continuously variable transmission
    Patent number: 6626795
    Abstract: The toroidal-type continuously variable transmission comprises an input shaft, an input disk, an output disk, a plurality of trunnions, a plurality of power rollers, and power roller bearings, wherein the mutually opposed inner surfaces of the input and output disks are respectively formed as concave surfaces each having an arc-shaped section, the peripheral surfaces of the power rollers are respectively formed as spherical-shaped convex surfaces, and these peripheral surfaces are contacted with the above-mentioned inner surfaces. The retainer of the power roller bearing is formed of high strength brass, and the high strength brass has a micro structure in which the &agr; phase thereof is 40% or more in the area ratio thereof, and the hardness of said retainer is set at HB80 or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomonobu Yoshikawa
  • Motor vehicle torque transfer case pump drive
    Patent number: 6626053
    Abstract: A motor vehicle torque transfer case pump drive which is mounted in the front of a torque transfer case where it mounts to a motor vehicle transmission and includes a drive arrangement, such as a chain drive, a belt drive or a gear drive. This permits an auxiliary hydraulic pump to be driven directly from the torque transfer case, thus eliminating the need for a power take-off (PTO) adapter to drive the auxiliary hydraulic pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Opker Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph W. Baxter, Jr., Wesley M. Dick
  • Toroidal-type continuously variable transmission
    Patent number: 6623400
    Abstract: In the thus structured toroidal-type continuously variable transmission, at least one of the concave surface of the input side disk, the concave surface of the output side disk, the convex surfaces of the power rollers, the raceway surfaces of the inner races of the power roller bearings, and the raceway surfaces of the outer races of the power roller bearings is, after heat treatment, subjected to grinding, superfinishing and shot-peening and then surperfinishing again, and the resultant surface residual compression stress is in the range from −780 to −1800 MPa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomonobu Yoshikawa, Yasuo Murakami
  • Axle driving apparatus
    Patent number: 6622825
    Abstract: A housing cannot be made compact by only securing a space corresponding to a reservoir tank at the upper part of the housing, and the space at the upper part of the housing cannot be utilized if the reservoir tank is integrally provided to the upper part of the housing. An axle driving apparatus comprising a tubular reservoir tank erected on the upper surface of the upper wall surface of the housing for accommodating an HST, wherein, since the reservoir tank is thinly elongated and is freely bendable, it can be disposed in a limited space. The housing is divided into a first room and a second room with which the reservoir tank communicates. Further, a first magnet is disposed at a position where the first and second rooms are connected, and a second magnet is disposed in the proximity of an oil filter connected to a closed circuit of the HST so that impurities can be removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Iida, Hiroaki Shimizu
  • Refrigerant gas buffered seal system
    Patent number: 6619430
    Abstract: Refrigerant gas at a few psi higher than suction is supplied via labyrinth or annular groove type seals located between the suction side bearings and suction and between the suction side motor bearing and the motor. The buffer gas flow divides with part going to suction and part to a drain along the oil flowing from the bearings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Jianping Zhong, Vishnu Sishtla
  • Vehicle pedal attachment
    Patent number: 6619156
    Abstract: A skid resistant cover assembly includes a rigid top plate provided with skid resistant top surface. A support plate below the top plate is clamped to the pedal of a vehicle by a strap clamp that passes over the support plate and past both sides of the pedal. The strap clamp is drawn tightly together under the pedal by mechanisms well known in the art. The top plate is then secured to the support plate by screw fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Quest Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Orion J. Super, Mark W. Ello
  • Toroidal-type continuously variable transmission
    Patent number: 6616568
    Abstract: The trunnion of the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission has a pair of journal portions disposed on a trunnion shaft and spaced from each other, a U-shaped eccentric portion disposed eccentric from the trunnion shaft and having two ends integrally connected to the mutually opposing end portions of the pair of journal portions, and a pivot shaft disposed in the eccentric portion for supporting a power roller in a space enclosed by the eccentric portion and the mutually opposing end portions of the pair of journal portions. The mutually opposing end portions of the pair of journal portions are connected together by a reinforcing member and the power roller is interposed between the eccentric portion of the trunnion and the reinforcing member, thereby being able to prevent the deformation of the trunnion due to a load applied thereto from the input and output disks through the power roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuo Ooyama