Patents Examined by Douglas D. Watts
  • Patent number: 6671969
    Abstract: An adjustable reciprocating saw has the ability to adjust the orientation of the saw blade in relation to the rest of the tool. The saw blade can pivot about two transverse axes, one parallel with and one perpendicular to the reciprocating motion axis of the saw blade. The portions of the saw's housing which rotate relative to one another are attached with a rotating joint comprising a pin and groove design. Rotation locks selectively prevent rotation of the saw blade about each axis. The rotation locks can be released through simply depressing buttons on the saw. A rear internal bearing increases the durability and decreases the size of the saw. A keyless adjustable shoe is mounted to the saw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Porter-Cable/Delta
    Inventors: Alan Gene Phillips, John Walter Schnell, John Michael Beville
  • Patent number: 6671964
    Abstract: The present invention consists of a safety cutter for peeling green bananas or plantains wherein a handle portion is provided adjacent a head portion which carries a peeling element with dual opposing peeling blades. The dual opposing peeling blades are relatively widely spaced apart at approximately {fraction (5/16)}″ to allow the peeling element to cut through the tough, thick skins of a green banana or plantain. The present invention is also provided with an elongate retractable cutting blade which is used to first cut off either end of the green banana or plantain to allow it to be easily peeled. The plantain or green banana peeler is preferably provided into two halves secured by a bolt which allows either, the peeling element and/or the retractable blade to be changed by the user when they become dull or worn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Inventor: Lenscott F. Ruiz
  • Patent number: 6671963
    Abstract: A tree pruner includes a blade portion, a handle portion, and a brace portion for fastening detachably the blade portion and the handle portion. The brace portion is formed of a connection member pivoted at one end with the blade portion by a pivot, and a bracing member pivoted at one end with the other end of the connection member such that the other end of the bracing member detachably fastens the handle portion in conjunction with a control member and a retaining member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Inventor: Yu-Hsin Huang
  • Patent number: 6668463
    Abstract: A cutting and grinding tool for removing grout from between tiles comprises a rotatable cutting disc formed with a plurality of radially extending teeth about the circumference of the disc. A drive gear engagable with the teeth is rotated by a power drill to exert a drive force to rotate the cutting disc. The disc teeth serve a dual function of performing a cutting and grinding operation and transmitting the drive force of the drive gear to rotate to the disc. The tool is simple in construction, reliable in operation and easy to control in order to efficiently remove grout from between tiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Vancouver Tool Corporation
    Inventor: Andrew Terrance Kevin Dewberry
  • Patent number: 6668461
    Abstract: A cutting device is operable with one hand for cutting a circle or an elliptical shape in a sheet of material. In a first embodiment for cutting elliptical shapes, the cutting device includes a first member for placement on the sheet material and a second member for simultaneous pivotal and translatable movement with respect to the base plate. The first member has a first pivot point that is movable along a first axis, while the second member has a second pivot point that is movable along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis. The first and second members are operably connected to each other at the first and second pivot points. A knob is connected to one of the pivot points and is sized to be grasped by one hand and rotated. Rotation of the knob about the one pivot point causes the second member to rotate and slide in an elliptical pattern with respect to the base plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Alterra Holdings Corporation
    Inventor: Mark T. Gardner
  • Patent number: 6668458
    Abstract: The automatic field cable stripper is a three-part device attachable to a hand-held power drill which is used to remove the outer insulation jacket from the end of a cable to a desired length. The three parts of the stripper are: a cylindrically shaped cutter with a plurality of annularly arranged knife edges, a cylindrically shaped cutter shield and an arbor for attaching to the drill. The dimensions of the cutter and shield are preset to match the corresponding dimensions of the inner conductor and the outer insulation jacket. A set of differently sized strippers is also contemplated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Inventor: Paul Schoenleber
  • Patent number: 6665940
    Abstract: A portable tool, such as a trimmer, with an output shaft locking pin disclosed. A gearbox of the portable tool includes a rotating shaft. A rotary member rotatable with the shaft is coupled to the shaft. A locking pin located along the exterior of the gearbox housing is constrained to move between at least two positions: a locking position and an unlocked position. In the locking position the locking pin extends below the gearbox housing to engage the rotary member mounted on the shaft, thereby locking the shaft. In the unlocked position the locking pin is retracted to avoid interference with the rotary member. The locking pin is biased to the unlocked position so that the top of the locking pin must be manually depressed to move and maintain the locking pin in the locking position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Warren Sanders, Ronnie Church
  • Patent number: 6662453
    Abstract: A cutlery center including a support block having at least one knife blade-receiving cavity and a battery charging stand for an electric knife affixed to the support block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Hamilton Beach/Proctor Silex, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Stuckey, Phillip L. Brookshire, Anthony V. Cruz
  • Patent number: 6662450
    Abstract: A tool manipulating device includes a combination of depth setting, length adjusting and workpiece clamp members provided on a longitudinal hand-held handle. The depth setting member has a blade assembly that extends perpendicular to the hand-held handle. The blade assembly is capable of rotating onto itself after penetrating into a workpiece to be stripped from its jacket at a predetermined depth to produce a ring cut and an axial cut of the workpiece upon sequentially rotating and axially pulling the cable relative to the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Inventor: Lucien C. Ducret
  • Patent number: 6658968
    Abstract: A percussive rock drill bit includes a head portion with a forward surface surrounded by a peripheral surface. The peripheral surface supports a wreath of peripheral buttons. Front buttons are mounted to the forward surface inside the wreath of peripheral buttons. The button shave a diameter (D) and a height (H), wherein H/D<1.2. The buttons are welded to an essentially flat part of the forward surface whereby the buttons are metallurgically bound to the head portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Sandvik AB
    Inventors: Johan Lindén, Lars-Gunnar Lundell
  • Patent number: 6658743
    Abstract: A combination game knife having a handle and a blade portion having a tip, a top back edge and a bottom front edge and a rear portion opposite the tip, the blade portion having up to five cutting surfaces. A unique feature is a small gut hook positioned below the forefinger aperture in the rear of the blade portion and above the handle and opening toward the user. Other cutting surfaces are the back cutting edge, a top back large gut hook, a front bottom cutting edge, a front serrated edge to the rear of the front cutting edge, and a bottom edge small gut hook to the rear of the serrated edge and in the vicinity of the handle. A forefinger aperture is spaced toward the back edge from the small gut hook near the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Inventors: Calvin D. Dudley, Jr., Franklin A. Swann
  • Patent number: 6658738
    Abstract: A cutter adapted for cutting a range of different diameter plastic pipe and tubing with a pair of jaw members pivoted on a pivot pin intermediate their ends with the first of the jaw members pivoted within the second of the jaw members. The first of the jaw members having a knife blade and the second jaw member having a cradle with a cutting cage into which the knife extends. The pivot pin being longitudinally adjustable in the second jaw member for changing the pivot axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Inventor: Thomas A. King
  • Patent number: 6651344
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a foldable knife structure, which comprises a handle; a blade pivotably conjoined to a position adjacent to one end of the said handle; a set block adjacent to the pivotable conjoinment position of the blade and the said handle, with the said set block having a detent notch; a spring situated at the other end of the said handle, with the opposite extremity of the said spring extending to a position on the said set block. When the said blade is extended from (or folded into) the said handle, the said spring is against the circumferential edge of the said set block, causing the said set block to produce torsion that rotates the said blade out of (or into) a receiving slot of the said handle, causing the said blade to automatically bound out of (or fold into) the said receiving slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Kantas Products Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yang-Fu Cheng
  • Patent number: 6647630
    Abstract: The present invention provides a novel stud punch tool for punching a stud. The tool includes a first member, a second member, a third member pivotally connected to the first and second members, and a punch assembly. The first member has an opening for receiving the stud and a bore that is in communication with the opening and which allows the punch assembly to move through the bore and the opening to punch the stud. The second member has slots therein to allow the punching assembly to be slidably mounted therein such that a portion of the punch assembly is capable of being positioned at a first end of the slot when the second member is parallel to the first member and such that the portion is capable of being positioned at a second end of the slots when the second member is angled from the first member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Greenlee Textron Inc.
    Inventors: James H. Lucas, William F. Nordlin
  • Patent number: 6643937
    Abstract: A pair of gardening shears includes a fixed handle, a fixed jaw, a movable handle, a movable jaw, and a pivoting member for pivoting the fixed jaw and the movable jaw together. The pivoting member is formed of a bolt, a nut, and a collar for preventing sideward motion of the bolt and for preventing the fixed jaw from turning along with the bolt. The fixed jaw is provided with a recessed portion for reducing the area of mechanical friction between the fixed jaw and the movable jaw. The nut is provided with a serrated portion which is engaged with a serrated portion of a pivoting plate of the movable handle. The fixed handle is provided with a rubber piece serving as a cushion to absorb shock noise when the movable handle is moved toward the fixed handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Jiin Haur Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shih-Piao Wu
  • Patent number: 6643934
    Abstract: A self-sharpening pocket knife is provided that includes a housing having abrasive stone strips or other sharpening means, and additional means for biasing the strips inward so that as the stone wears down there is always enough surface area in contact with the blade to sharpen it. The biasing means may take the form of foam rubber which expands, or multiple coiled springs, with either means being positioned between the walls of the housing and the stone strips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Inventor: Major Harold Pope
  • Patent number: 6643938
    Abstract: A replacement string arrangement for a string trimmer employs a brace in which the string is affixed. The brace has an arcuate member with an annular guide tunnel or guide sleeve at one end. The cutting string has an end affixed at a second end of the arcuate member. The string extends out that one end, then forms a loop or bight, and then passes slidably through the guide tunnel and continues radially outward. A free end of the string projects from the cutting head when the replacement string arrangement is installed in the cutting head. The brace and string can be unitarily formed, or the string can be fused into the one end of the arcuate member. The brace may have a wishbone shape. The string profile or cross section may be shaped for improved aerodynamics or improved cutting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Inventor: Robert J. Livingston
  • Patent number: 6640443
    Abstract: A manually guided implement having an air-cooled internal combustion engine for driving a tool is provided. The engine is disposed in a housing, with cooling air being conveyed by a fan wheel that is fixedly held on the crankshaft of the engine and that is accommodated in a cooling air spiral case that is open toward the engine. Formed in the housing is an air inlet via which ambient air can be drawn into the cooling air spiral case. A base of the spiral case is disposed between the fan wheel and the engine and is provided with a second cooling air inlet that provides communication between the interior of the housing and portions of the cooling air spiral case that convey cooling air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Andreas Stihl AG & Co.
    Inventors: Markus Hüsges, Jochen Kramer
  • Patent number: 6640439
    Abstract: The present invention is a cable preparation tool which allows the preparation of a coaxial cable having a corrugated outer conductor to receive a connector in one step. The tool allows for the control of trim dimensions for each component of the cable without measuring. No matter whether the end of the cable before preparation is at the crest or valley of the outer conductor, the tool provides the correct trim dimensions for each component and stops cutting when these dimensions are reached. The cable preparation tool includes a main body having a cable receiving end, cable receiving area for stripping of the cable such that the crests and valleys are exposed, and a crest and valley locating system as part of the main body for locating the exposed crests and valleys of the corrugated conductor. The crest and valley locating system includes at least one valley locator unit extending into the cable receiving area and a spring that biases the valley locator unit into the cable receiving area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Lemco Tool Corporation
    Inventor: Roger M. Losinger
  • Patent number: RE38354
    Abstract: A circle cutter, particularly a cutting instrument, is adapted for cutting circles on objects. It includes a rotary disc assembly and a cutting tool. The rotary disc assembly is made up of an outer ring board, a rotary disc, a fixing ring cap and a plurality of beads. The rotary disc mounted to the outer ring board is movably limited in place by the fixing ring cap and are rotatably supported by the multiple beads received in a tunnel defined between the outer ring board and the rotary disc. On the rotary disc are disposed a plurality of holes marked with a numeral that is the diameter of a circle to be cut. The cutting tool has a hollow pen stick and a cutting knife attached to a knife clip that is movably engaged with a holding head. The holding head is further secured to the bottom end of the hollow pen stick and is free to rotate with respect to the pen stick so that the cutting knife can be smoothly guided in a cutting operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Welter Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Walter W. Hsu