Patents Examined by Ed Tolan
  • Patent number: 7065996
    Abstract: A rolling die for a ball screw has: a cylindrical portion including a helical protrusion formed in an outer peripheral surface thereof for forming a helical ball groove in a raw material of a screw shaft of the ball screw; and a conical lead-in portion formed in one end portion of the cylindrical portion, the lead-in portion including a plurality of frustum-cone-shaped portions, wherein the contact angles of the frustum-cone-shaped portions with respect to the raw material of the screw shaft are each set so as to increase sequentially in the order starting at and from the frustum-cone-shaped portion adjoining the cylindrical portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Etsuo Koike, Hitoshi Sannomiya
  • Patent number: 7066000
    Abstract: A tooling assembly for hot stretch-forming of a sheet metal workpiece. A forming tool is attached to a plate and includes a shell having a forming surface, and support walls that extend away from the shell, that terminate in a rearward surface of the forming tool, and that define open cells between the support walls. Heating elements are embedded within the forming tool for integral and uniform heating thereof. To limit conductive thermal losses from the forming surface, through the forming tool, and to the plate and surrounding environment, the open cells are provided in the forming tool and insulative support posts are disposed between the forming tool and the plate within deep counterbores in the rearward surface of the forming tool. To limit radiative and convective thermal losses, thermal insulation is disposed within the cells and between the forming tool and plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Richard Harry Hammar
  • Patent number: 7059161
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for measuring and influencing the strip flatness in the coiler shaft of a hot-strip mill, whereby the coiler shaft has, between a driver and a coiler, moving and stationary strip guides as well as a flatness measuring roll (13). The hot strip (1) is supplied via the coiler shaft to a coiler, which is provided with a coiler mandrel (5), pressure rolls (6) and with deflecting shells (7), over a roller table (2) and the driving rolls (3, 4) of the driver. The flatness measuring roll (13) is displaced out of a working position, in which the hot strip is guided around the flatness measuring roll (13) while maintaining an approximately constant contact angle ?, and into a lowered position. In addition, a strip guide (14), which can swivel inward and protects the flatness measuring roll (13), is placed inside the coiler shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: SMS Demag AG
    Inventors: Jürgen Armenat, Klaus-Jürgen Grosshardt, Martin Braun
  • Patent number: 7059162
    Abstract: A flaring tool for flaring the outer conductors of two different sizes of coaxial cable includes a dome-shaped body and a reversible tool head. The tool head has first and second shafts and first and second flaring heads on opposite sides. Reversing the tool head exposes the shaft and flaring head for the corresponding size coaxial cable. The shafts match the inner diameter of the inner conductor of the coaxial cable to be flared. The flaring heads are shaped as half cones, which allow the outer conductor to be flared without deforming the insulation between the inner and outer conductors of the coaxial cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Capewell Components, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew J. Tarpill, Orelvis Migenes, Tadeusz Zagula
  • Patent number: 7055360
    Abstract: A method of applying a tensile or compressive force to a selected location of a work piece or surface without damaging the work piece or the surface and without leaving adhesive residue thereon includes providing a device including a body member and a force applying member movably connected with the body member, attaching the body member and/or the force applying member to the work piece and/or surface using a double-sided stretch releasing adhesive such that one end of the force applying member is adjacent the selected location, and moving the force applying member toward the work piece or surface to generate a compressive force, or moving the force applying member away from the work piece or surface to generate a tensile force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Michael D. Hamerski, James L. Bries, James F. Pitzen, Ronald C. Johansson
  • Patent number: 7055358
    Abstract: A radius pull clamp for use in pulling vehicle door frames to straighten the same comprising first and second clamp plates which are clamped onto the door frame to assist in the straightening of the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Inventor: William J. Meis
  • Patent number: 7055357
    Abstract: Vehicle repair clamps for grasping curved or non-linear surfaces. One embodiment comprises a hinged clamp comprising at least one jaw formed of a plurality of jaw sections that are hingedly connected and that may be adjusted to grasp surfaces of different angles. The clamp segments may be straight or arcuate. These embodiments facilitate attachment of the hinged jaws to portions of a damaged vehicle which form different angles and/or have various radii of curvature. Vehicle repair clamps comprising jaws with non-linear clamping portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Inventor: Bradley Weschler
  • Patent number: 7047784
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for extruding aluminum into products, wherein aluminum logs are first heated to a predetermined temperature in a furnace, then are cut into billets of predetermined lengths, and then the billets, while still hot, are extruded into predetermined products in an extruder. In the process, the logs are cut into billets with a cross cut circular saw immediately after the logs are heated and before the logs are permitted to cool to a temperature below a suitable extruding temperature. The circular saw is cooled and lubricated during the cutting to as to restrain the saw from sticking in the heated aluminum and so as to maintain the temperature of the log at the cut within a predetermined range wherein the aluminum is relatively easy to cut and waste is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Belco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas F. Kohn
  • Patent number: 7040131
    Abstract: Cold forming tool including at least one penetration zone having teeth and a calibration zone having teeth. The teeth having a tooth height that increases substantially from the at least one penetration zone to the calibration zone. A distance between an outer surface and a forming reference axis decreasing from the at least one penetration zone to the calibration zone. A rate of increase in the tooth height between the at least one penetration zone and the calibration zone being greater than a rate of decrease in the distance between the outer surface and the forming reference axis between the at least one penetration zone and the calibration zone. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Escofier Technologies (SAS)
    Inventor: Philippe Monot
  • Patent number: 7040132
    Abstract: The two-piece upper work tool 20 includes a first body member 22 and a second body member 24 which are generally mirror images of each other. The body members 22, 24 include a plurality of orifices 28 therethrough. One of the body members 22 includes a plurality of elongated slots 26 with a circular shape at one end thereof. The other body member 24 has a plurality of fasteners, posts or dowels 30 extending from a surface thereof which interact and mate with the elongated slots 26 on the opposite body member 22. The body members 22, 24 include a rectangular shaped recess 32 on one end thereof and also include a plurality of pockets or cavities on inner surfaces thereof. One of the pockets includes a diameter for a back-up roller generally encompassing 360° except for a very small top portion thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Lonero Engineering Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Vincent J. Lonero
  • Patent number: 7037204
    Abstract: The novel concept to be patented involves minutely indenting the standard fasteners along the pitch line at various points and utilizing the small material deformations around these indentations to provide substantial engagement to resist loosening of the joint under operational loads. The basic idea is to stamp a typical pattern (two are described below) on the fastener to achieve the advantages of a self-locking mechanism as well as enhance the torque and load carrying capability of the joint. Moreover, the indentations being in the order of few mils would not degrade the strength of the fastener, but would continue to provide sufficient load transfer across the joint without loss of preload. Furthermore, the joint can be disassembled and the fasteners can then be reused for the subsequent operations. These unique indentations on the fasteners can be of varying numbers, depths, geometry (spherical, elliptical etc.) and of various patterns (linear, staggered etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Inventors: Barun Majumdar, Arunabh Bhattacharya
  • Patent number: 7036346
    Abstract: An apparatus for exposing a pipeline to a high internal pressure of the order of 1000 to 15000 bar, having at least a first, substantially stationary receiving device for a first end of the pipeline and a second receiving device for a second end of the pipeline, wherein the second receiving device is arranged so as to be spatially freely adjustable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Felss Burger GmbH
    Inventor: Manuel Burger
  • Patent number: 7036350
    Abstract: A device for producing cut-out and/or shaped workpieces, especially for producing rotors and stators of a generator or electric motor, with at least one cutting device and/or at least one shaping device, at least one gripping device for picking up and setting down raw material and/or finished workpieces and at least one transfer device, at which at least one gripping device can travel and be driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Schuler Pressen GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Hans-Martin Dommer, Helmut Elsaesser, Gerhard Pick, Wolfgang Muehlhaeuser, Joerg Voegele
  • Patent number: 7032421
    Abstract: A knurling tool is provided having a tool head which carries at least one knurling wheel and which is mounted adjustably on a shaft, wherein the tool head is mounted on the shaft linearly displaceably transversely with respect to the axis of the shaft, characterized in that there is provided a fixing device for securing the relative position of the tool head and the shaft, the fixing device being arranged between the tool head and the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Swarovski-Optik KG
    Inventors: Werner Mayr, Hannes Erler
  • Patent number: 7024900
    Abstract: Beading of containers such as two and three piece can bodies by rolling the can body between tools, typically a roll/roll or a roll/rail of a rotary turret system. During beading, a load is applied along the central axis of the can body, whereby axial and panel performance of the beaded can is improved. This load is applied for example by the use of miniature air bags which are fixed to the turret.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Crown Cork & Seal Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Philip John Knight, Alain Presset
  • Patent number: 7024899
    Abstract: A roll shaft assembly especially for a planetary cross roll rolling mill for tubing and the like has the roll shaft and mill roll connected by a conical centering arrangement and a screw, preferably coaxial therewith with the torque transfer being effected by tooth rings on the ends of the shaft and roll and having interdigitating teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: SMS Meer GmbH
    Inventors: Herrmann-Josef Klingen, Thomas Winterfeldt, Lothar Lückhof
  • Patent number: 7024912
    Abstract: A thin walled body such as a container is gripped at a holding station and tooling is engaged to deform the wall of the body at a predetermined zone. The predetermined wall zone is co-aligned with the tooling by means of co-ordinated movement of the tooling (typically by means of rotation about a tooling axis) prior to engagement with the wall zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Envases (UK) Limited
    Inventors: Santiago Garcia Campo, Juan Salz Goiria
  • Patent number: 7021100
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the deep rolling apparatus (8) of a deep rolling machine 1 for crankshafts (3) in which two arms (9, 10) across from each other support a deep rolling head (13) or a support roller head (14). The support roller head (14) has two support rollers (21, 22) with parallel axes and the deep rolling head (13) has two work rollers (23, 24) entering the radii or fillets of the main bearing or crank pin journals or journals of the crankshafts (3). In one embodiment of the deep rolling apparatus (8) in scissor-like construction an axial guide roller (27) is provided on the deep rolling head (13) and is centered relative to the deep rolling head (13), its axis of rotation being perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the crankshaft (3). The axial guide roller (27) has a diameter that is slightly smaller than the distance between two oil collars (25, 26) of a main crank pin journal (5) of the crankshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Hegenscheidt-MFD GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Alfred Heimann
  • Patent number: 7021101
    Abstract: A method and apparatus utilizing a radial rolling process to cold form rings on a lead battery terminal with undercuts or overhangs to improve the sealing properties of the rings. The apparatus includes a fixture configured to securely position the battery terminal beneath a rolling station. The rolling station includes a radial rolling spindle having a plurality of cam shaped rollers configured to transform at least one ring on the battery terminal from having an initial rectangular cross-sectional shape into a desired arrowhead cross-sectional shape when the terminal and cold metal forming member are rotated relative to each other. A drive assembly is configured to rotate the battery terminal and radial rolling head relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Tulip Corporation
    Inventor: Bernard N. Spiegelberg
  • Patent number: 7021097
    Abstract: A method for adjusting the static attitude of a head suspension by scanning a region of the head suspension with a laser. A head suspension having a gimbal region is provided that permits a head slider attached thereto to gimbal about pitch and roll axes in response to fluctuations in an air bearing over which the head slider flies. One or more predetermined regions of the head suspension are irradiated by a laser beam by scanning the laser beam across the head suspension regions to affect the static attitude of the head suspension. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of parallel spaced apart lines are scanned on the leaf spring arms of a flexure with the laser to correct pitch errors in static attitude, and a plurality of parallel spaced apart lines are scanned with the laser in the cross section attached to the leaf spring arms to correct roll errors in static attitude. One or both sides of the head suspension can be scanned to create a desired pitch and/or roll correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy Raymond Ubl, Senthil Balasubramaniam, Hryhory T. Koba