Abstract: Radio noise in an automotive vehicle is suppressed by grounding the hood of the automotive vehicle with a conductive washer. The conductive washer is concave and is disposed around a rivet used to pivot a hood hinge component to a body hinge component. When the rivet is set, the hinge components compress the washer so as to permanently load the washer to thereby ensure continuous grounding of the hood to the body. Preferably, the rivet is coated with a dry lubricant, such as TEFLON.RTM., which does not flow away from the rivet to interfere with electrical contact between the washer and hinge components.

Abstract: A bifold door comprises door panels and a center section, with a hinge construction between each panel and the center section. Each door panel and center section comprises an extruded metal section. First and second hinge elements of synthetic plastic material have key formations which engage with key-ways in the extruded sections. One hinge element has a pintle and the other hinge element has a bore in which the pintle is received.

Abstract: The self-closing hinge assembly has a pair of cam members which are biased against each other by a pair of coil springs. The outer coil spring serves to bias the cam members together under a first restoring force and is effective during an initial opening of a door, for example to a 90.degree. position. The second inner spring becomes compressed only after the outer coil spring has been compressed. Compression of the second coil spring occurs as a door is opened beyond the 90.degree. position. The door may be held in one of two dwell positions corresponding to the cam surfaces on the movable cam member.

Abstract: A detent device is provided for securing a door to a frame having an opening therein. The detent device includes a sleeve having a cavity therein, an elongated plunger mounted within the cavity of the sleeve, and a spring mechanism connected to the sleeve and the plunger. The spring mechanism yieldably urges the plunger to an extended position from a retracted position. When a door is inserted into a door opening, the plunger of the detent device moves into the retracted position and then returns to the extended position in a detent receptacle.

Abstract: A pivotal sliding bi-fold door structure mounted in a door frame having a track slidably accommodating the bi-fold door structure. The bi-fold door structure comprising at least two door panels pivotally connected by a hinge member. The improvement comprising a bi-fold door safety wedge including a main body structure. A pair of non-parallel edges on opposite sides of the main body structure facing away from each other and extending along the main body structure and nearly intersect to form a vertex at a front portion of the main body structure. Another edge extending between the non-parallel edges at a back portion of the main body structure. An elastic strap for removably elastically securing the main body structure to the hinge member, where the removable elastic securing strap has the characteristic of adjustably positioning the vertex of the main body structure in adjacency with the hinge member when the bi-fold door structure is in an open position.

Abstract: A composite handle for a household appliance having a hollow metal core and an outer covering of a thermoplastic which covering may be soft or hard. The hollow metal core includes a hollow tubular center portion and flattened, channel-shaped legs and feet extending from opposite ends of the center portion. The thermoplastic outer covering forms a relatively thin coating on the front face of the tubular center portion of the core and thicker coatings on the rear face of the tubular center portion of the core and the front face of the legs and feet.

Abstract: A caster includes a support to be secured to a mobile structure. An inverted U-shaped wheel frame has an upper portion and two legs which extend downward from the upper portion. A bearing unit is disposed between the upper portion and the support. A pinion is disposed between the legs beneath the upper portion. A rivet has a shank portion which extends non-rotatably through the support and the pinion and which extends rotatably through the upper portion. A pedal assembly includes two arms and a platform which interconnects front ends of the arms. Each of the arms has a generally S-shaped guide slot that crosses a horizontal guide slot of a corresponding one of the legs. The pedal assembly is flanked by the wheel frame and is mounted pivotally on the latter. A shaft extends into and is movable in the guide slots. A wheel is mounted on the shaft. A brake has two ends which extend through engagement slots in the arms of the pedal assembly.

Abstract: A hinge with a hinge cup and a hinge arm is described which inserts in a cabinet/furniture component. The hinge cup has a recess located on the outer side of the side which is opposite the hinge arm, so that a step is formed in the inner space of the hinge cup.

Abstract: A composite knob having a core formed of a hard plastic material and an outer covering of a softer plastic material. The core includes a front wall with an integral bent around skirt, a hub and an axially rearwardly extending stanchion. The softer plastic material covers the outer surface of the front wall and integral bent around skirt of the core. A narrow passage extends through the front wall, the bent around skirt and the outer covering and leads to the stanchion. A position indicator of contrasting color relative to the softer plastic material is inserted in the narrow passage and has a detent to engage the end of the stanchion to lock the position indicator in place with a portion thereof extending above the outer covering of the knob.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a hinge strap assembly including a torque rod spring assembly having a torque rod. The torque rod has a pair of end portions connected by a convoluted portion. The convoluted portion has a plurality of legs connected by at least one U-shaped bight portion. A slider block and/or pivot block may be clampingly mounted on the convoluted portion to vary the stiffness of the torque rod spring assembly. The hinge strap assembly may include a hinge box, a hinge strap and a single convoluted torque rod which connects therebetween. Alternatively, the hinge strap may be boxless having a hinge strap and a torque rod upon which the hinge strap is pivotally mounted. An end of the torque rod may be directly affixed to the rear shelf thereby eliminating the conventional hinge box. An insert may be used to pivotally mount the torque rod within the hinge strap.

Abstract: A door handle device including a handle body which is manipulated when a vehicle door is opened and closed, a case for receiving the handle body and mounted on the vehicle door, and a spring disposed between the case and the handle body and adapted to exert a return force to the handle body. The handle body includes a handle portion and a lever, the lever being provided at one end thereof with a cylindrical projection served as a hinge pin. The handle body thus constructed is integrally formed of a plastic material. The case, in which the handle body is received, includes a base mounted on the side of the vehicle door, a column-like stay mounted on the base and a spring retainer portion for retaining the spring, the stay is provided with a part thereof with an engaging portion into which the projection of the lever is fitted for engagement. A cut-out groove is continuous with the engaging portion and has an overhang portion with respect to a configuration of the engaging portion.

Abstract: New technology for fabricating a one-piece cup-shaped can body is formed free of side wall ironing from can stock comprising flat-rolled sheet metal substrate precoated with protective organic coating and forming lubricant. A plurality of successive diameter-reduction operations are carried out a planar blank and cup-shaped work product during which side wall height is increased and side wall substrate is decreased in thickness to provide controlled uniformity in side wall substrate thickness over about 85% to about 95% of side wall height for such can body. The fabricating tooling provides for a preselected clearance between a punch peripheral wall and a die cavity internal wall in each of such plurality of diameter-reduction operations to achieve a desired decrease in side wall thickness as the precoated substrate is moved into a die cavity by relative movement of its respective punch.

Abstract: A retractable handle positioning mechanism including a base frame fixed to the shell of a wheeled suitcase and having two axle housings disposed in a parallel relation a retractable handle mounted in the axle housings and moved between an extended position and a retracted position, spring-supported retainer rods mounted in the retractable handle for locking it in the extended position or the retracted position, a trapezoidal press button mounted in a top button slot on the base frame, and two spring-supported bolts mounted inside the base frame and controlled by the trapezoidal press button to release the spring-supported retainer rods for permitting the retractable handle to be moved between the extended position and the retracted position.

Abstract: A handle structure of a power tool comprises a handle portion continuously formed with the main body of the power tool and a gutter-like soft grip for covering the handle portion, the soft grip having two first engaging projections on its inner surface and two second engaging pieces provided on each edge of the soft grip, the handle portion having two first receiving recesses provided on an arched receiving surface for receiving the soft grip to detachably engage the two first engaging projections and the second receiving grooves provided between the receiving surface and an outer front side surface of the handle portion for detachably receiving the second engaging pieces, the first engaging recesses and the second engaging grooves being completely separated from a space provided in the front portion of the handle portion for accommodating wires and the like.

Abstract: A door knob lever is described, for use primarily by disabled persons, as including a rotatable hook at one end thereof for hooking around the base of a common door knob. A right angle or arcuate shaped bracket is also included, with the rotation of the hook taking place with respect to the bracket. The other end of the lever provides a handle for enabling the gripping of the lever, so that the user grips the handle of the lever, swings it to cause the hook to encircle the door knob at its base, rotates the bracket to engage the door knob gripping surface and then rotates the lever to cause the door knob to rotate.

Abstract: An assist strap including an elongated handle-shaped body having opposite ends with inwardly projecting locking flanges formed on a tapered locking member. The locking flange is spaced from an opposed support surface a distance to compressibly engage the vehicle's sheet metal roof and surrounding headliner material. The tapered locking member includes a spring mounted on a side of the locking member opposite the locking flange for urging the flange into continued contact with the supporting sheet metal thereby holding the assist strap in secure engagement within an aperture formed in the vehicle sheet metal structure.

Abstract: A radio telephone (100) has a hinge (301) for joining a body (101) a cover (103) along an axis. The hinge (301) contains the axial force generated by an urging mechanism (403,404,405) by locating the urging mechanism (403,404,405) in a can (303) and attaching a cap (305) to the can (303).

Abstract: A hinge for mounting a door on a frame of an article of furniture includes a mounting plate mountable to the frame, a hinge arm mounted on the mounting plate, and a hinge case mountable to the door end connected to the hinge arm by at least one hinge axle. The mounting plate is fastenable to the frame by at least one fastening screw. The mounting plate is provided with a key hole or a T-shaped hole having a broad first part and a narrow second part. An adjustment screw is mounted in a female thread of the hinge arm and has a head part and a neck part, the neck part being of smaller diameter than a threaded part of the screw. The width of the broad first part of the hole is broader than the diameter of the head part of the adjustment screw and the width of the narrow second part of the hole is less than the diameter of the head part and of the threaded part. The neck part of the adjustment screw is held in the narrow second part of the hole, and the head part abuts a rear side of the mounting plate.

Abstract: A furniture hinge (10) comprises a first cup-shaped element (11) and a second arm-shaped element (12) pivoted together to rotate reciprocally from an open position to a closed position. The arm-shaped element (12) is made of sheet metal with one end (20) bent to wind round a hinge pin (21) supported in the cup (11). The bent end of the arm-shaped element (12) also defines bearing surfaces (22) for a double twist pressure spring (23) which pushes the first and second element towards the closed position starting from a position close to the latter. A U-bolt forms the hinge pin (21) and a pin (26) supporting the spring.

Abstract: A connection for adjustably holding two window hardware members in pivotally connected relationship, including a first hardware member with a first cylindrical opening, a second hardware member with a second cylindrical opening, and a stud. The stud has a flange having two substantially parallel faces and a peripheral surface therebetween, with a rivet portion projecting from one face and a pivot portion projecting from the other face. The rivet portion includes a cylindrical neck extending through the first cylindrical opening and a head on the end of the neck, the flange and the head engaging opposite sides of the first hardware member to frictionally secure the stud against freely pivoting relative to the track. The pivot portion includes a cylindrical shaft eccentric from the cylindrical neck and extending through the second cylindrical opening. A C-ring is disposed in an external peripheral groove in the pivot portion to secure the second hardware member thereto for pivoting about the cylindrical shaft.