Patents Examined by Ed Tolan
  • Patent number: 6854312
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing lithium or lithium alloy anodes for electrochemical cells by an extrusion process wherein a lithium or lithium alloy ingot is formed into a thin sheet. The method is adapted to extrude thin sheet having a width exceeding the diameter of the lithium or lithium alloy ingot and enables the extrusion of lithium or lithium alloy thin sheets with more than one lithium or lithium alloy ingot. The invention also provides a die assembly adapted to allow adjustment and fine tuning of a die aperture while the extrusion process of a lithium or lithium alloy ingot is being carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Avestor Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Richard Laliberté, Jonathan Dubé
  • Patent number: 6854673
    Abstract: The present invention provides a food waste disposer having an upper food conveying section, a motor section, a central grinding section and a controller. The upper food conveying section includes a housing forming an inlet to receive food waste. The motor section includes a switched reluctance machine having a rotor and a stator. The rotor imparts rotational movement to a rotatable shaft. The central grinding section is disposed between the food conveying section and the motor section. The food conveying section conveys food waste to the grinding section. The grinding section includes a grinding mechanism where a portion of the grinding mechanism is mounted to the rotatable shaft. The controller is electrically connected to the stator to control the switched reluctance machine. The controller is capable of directing rotational movement to the rotatable shaft and the portion of the grinding mechanism mounted to the rotatable shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: William F. Strutz, Thomas R. Berger
  • Patent number: 6852037
    Abstract: A fastener is described having a head formed with a recess which accommodates a square head driver, symmetrical drivers, such as PHILLIPS™ style drivers, asymmetrical style cross head drivers, such as POZIDRIV® style drivers, and combination square and cross drivers without compromising performance of the drivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Phillips Screw Company
    Inventor: Barry J. Hughes
  • Patent number: 6848638
    Abstract: Improved apparatus and methods for making substantially crisp, clean, uniform cuts or slices from fibrous foodstuffs using a motorized food processing device with a unique cutting assembly, such that the foodstuffs are supported by the cutting assembly in a manner that lessens the potential for pulverization of the foodstuffs upon cutting. The invention can include a rotary cutting assembly having a rotary cutting blade and a blade spacer. The cutting blade can include a first cutting edge extending radially from a central portion of the rotary cutting blade. The blade spacer can include an opening adjacent to the first cutting edge of the blade for cut foodstuffs to pass through. The opening can also include a peripheral edge, a portion of which can be substantially aligned with the first cutting edge. The rotary cutting blade and blade spacer can be coupled to a rotatable hub, which can be adapted to engage a drive motor to rotate the rotary cutting assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Inventors: Paul S. Yin, Tith Im
  • Patent number: 6845932
    Abstract: A plate-shaped insert is removably arranged in the receptacle receiving the processed food of a kitchen appliance or a kitchen device for processing food, and extends with its edge to the inner wall of the receptacle and tightly encloses the drive arbor or spindle of the tool. The drive arbor or spindle of the tool is connected, possibly captively, with the plate-shaped insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Maweva-Holding AG
    Inventor: Max Rüttimann
  • Patent number: 6843729
    Abstract: A fastener is described having a head formed with a recess which accommodates a square head driver, symmetrical drivers, such as PHILLIPS™ style drivers, asymmetrical style cross head drivers, such as POZIDRIV® style drivers, and combination square and cross drivers without compromising performance of the drivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Phillips Screw Company
    Inventor: Barry J. Hughes
  • Patent number: 6843090
    Abstract: A rolling apparatus is capable of rolling a metal ring to an accurate circumferential length and preventing the metal ring from dropping off. The rolling apparatus includes a metal ring support assembly having tension rollers 2a, 2b for supporting a metal ring W, a rolling roller 5 for rolling the metal ring W, a rolling assembly for pressing the rolling roller 5 against the metal ring W, a tension applying assembly having a tension cylinder 23 engaging tension roller support members 8, 10, 25, on which one of the tension rollers 2b is rotatably supported, for displacing the tension roller 2b to apply tension to the metal ring W, and a rolling processing completing assembly 27 for detecting a completion of rolling of the metal ring W and inactivating the rolling assembly and the tension applying assembly. The rolling assembly has a first resilient member 18 interposed between the rolling cylinder 14 and its piston rod 15.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideshi Sato, Katsuyuki Nakajima, Yoriyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6843093
    Abstract: In a method for manufacturing structural components from an extruded section, especially consisting of Al, Mg or their alloys, which after its exit from the die of the extrusion press, is guided by one or a plurality of guide tools for the purpose of forming it as a straight or arc-shaped (rounded) section, an end section is separated by a separating tool and in the hot state, is fed by means of gripping tools to a hot-forming process and successively to one or a plurality of processing stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Erbsloh Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz Lindner, Alf Birkenstock
  • Patent number: 6840074
    Abstract: A cylindrical pipe which is excellent in heat transfer characteristic and has no accumulation of liquid, wherein a flat-shaped portion (2) along the pipe axis (L) is formed inside the cylindrical pipe (1) formed in corrugated shape. As a method for manufacturing said pipe, the present invention provides a pipe manufacturing method, wherein a thin-wall blank cylindrical pipe (P) is fed in increments of a prescribed distance, while being rotated at a definite speed, a roller die (85) being pressed against the outer periphery of the cylindrical pipe, the roller die being advanced and retracted in accordance with the feed of the cylindrical pipe, for forming a spiral corrugation such that the groove depth thereof is gradually increased, starting from the flat portion of the cylindrical pipe, and reaches a maximum in the portion opposed to the flat one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Inventors: Tojo Kamino, Masaji Nukuto
  • Patent number: 6840075
    Abstract: A quick release drive assembly intercouples a reversible hand held motor and a drive screw for mounting blind fasteners in place. A replaceable adaption assembly includes the drive screw, the nosepiece of the unit and a drive adaptor for supplying torque from the motor to the drive screw. An outer housing is coupled to the nosepiece by three ball bearings which extend into a peripheral groove in the nosepiece, and which are held in place by a locking zone of reduced inner diameter in a quick release sleeve. The quick release sleeve has an adjacent release zone of increased inner diameter, into which the ball bearings may shift. A locking spring biases the quick release sleeve to its locked position. An eject spring is operative when the quick release sleeve is shifted to its released position, to eject the adaption assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: AVK Industrial Products, division of SPS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank J Neri, Gordon R. Bussard, John A. Duran
  • Patent number: 6840866
    Abstract: A method of producing a nut having a drive area and a clamping area, and a screw tap for performing the method. A bore hole running through the clamping and drive areas is produced in a cylindrical manner. The screw tap is screwed into the cylindrical bore until a predetermined position is reached. The screw tap is successively provided, when seen in an axial direction from the front side thereof, with a centering/cutting section, an adjoining cutting section which is used to produce a conical internal screw thread section in the clamping area, and a cutting section which is used to produce a cylindrical internal screw thread section in the drive area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Erich Neumayer GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Manfred Vogel
  • Patent number: 6837089
    Abstract: A reforming assembly for simultaneously reforming and reprofiling a bottom portion of a metallic container is provided. The reforming assembly generally includes a roller block having a pair of reform rollers and two pairs of outside reprofile rollers. A biasing means is operably interconnected to the reform rollers, such that the reform rollers extend to contact the inner surface of the bottom portion of the container when contacted by the bottom portion of the container. The outside reprofile rollers engage with an outer surface of the bottom portion of the container. The container reforming assembly is rotated, while maintaining the container body in a static non-rotating position, to create an internal can profile on the inner surface by the pair of reform rollers, and an external can profile on the outer surface by the outside reprofile rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Ball Corporation
    Inventor: K. Reed Jentzsch
  • Patent number: 6837092
    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: February 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy Raymond Ubl, Senthil Balasubramaniam, Hryhory T. Koba
  • Patent number: 6837086
    Abstract: While a workpiece is heated and pressed by one of a pair of high-pressure vessels, a workpiece being pressed by the other high-pressure vessel is placed in a heated state. In the reducing process after termination of heating and pressing treatment of the workpiece by one high-pressure vessel, both the high-pressure vessels are placed in communication, and the pressure medium gas released from one high-pressure vessel is poured into the other high-pressure vessel. After pressures of both the high-pressure vessels have assumed a nearly balanced state, the pressure medium gas is sucked out of one high-pressure vessel by a compressor and pressed, and is poured into the other high-pressure vessel, and the workpiece is heated and pressed by the other high-pressure vessel. By the method as described, considerable shortening of cycle time of HIP treatment is achieved, and the HIP treatment can be carried out with high efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Manabe, Shigeo Kofune, Makoto Yoneda, Takao Fujikawa
  • Patent number: 6834525
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for forming corrugated contours in a sheet are provided. The apparatus includes at least three pairs of elongate dies that extend in a longitudinal direction. Each pair of dies is generally parallel and defines a nip therebetween so that the sheet can be moved successively through the nips. At least one actuator is configured to actuate each pair of dies in successively opposed directions generally perpendicular to a direction of motion of the sheet to thereby form the contours in the sheet. Further, each pair of dies is adjustable in a transverse direction generally parallel to the direction of motion of the sheet so that an offset distance between each successive pair of dies can be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Luis R. Leon, Joseph R. Olivadoti
  • Patent number: 6830207
    Abstract: A comminuting apparatus including a filtering screen member for collecting solids carried by an effluent stream. The filtering screen member has an upstream side and a downstream side. The comminutor apparatus further includes a twin shaft grinder for grinding solids contained in the effluent stream and for cleaning the filtering screen member of solids collected thereon. The comminutor apparatus also includes a mounting member in the form of frame-like structure for mounting the twin shaft grinder at a spaced apart distance from the upstream side of the filtering screen member. Additionally, the comminutor apparatus includes a moving device in the form of a drive motor for moving the twin shaft grinder past the upstream side of the filtering screen member such that the twin shaft grinder is continuously spaced from the filtering screen member during the movement of the twin shaft grinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: Franklin Miller, Inc.
    Inventors: William B. Galanty, Alexander Vilensky
  • Patent number: 6826940
    Abstract: This method refers to a method by which the physical and mechanical properties intrinsic to a fine-grain structure may be formed in metal billets using pressure treatment. The method is designed to treat rods, bars and other particularly long billets. This method is designed to lower the cost of deformational treatment for long rods and large diameter billets and creates a pre-specified microstructure, including micro-crystal structure, and specific physical and mechanical properties. This may be achieved using various treatment techniques, one of which includes the deformation of at least a part of the billet through reduction of the billets cross-section. In this method, a long rod shaped billet is used. Reduction of the cross-section is achieved using tools that permit movement along and across the billet's axis as well as being rolled about its surface, for example, a roller. In this case at least one support stand is employed for correct placement of the billet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Farid Zainullaevich Utyashev, Oscar Akramovich Kaibyshev, Oleg Rayazovich Valiakhmetov
  • Patent number: 6826946
    Abstract: A forming machine according to the invention comprises at least one forming station having a punch and a die as tools and a device for setting the axial position of one of the two tools. The setting device has, as adjusting wedge, a rotary wedge disk which is rotatable about a rotation axis and bears with a bearing surface against a parent body. The rotary wedge disk is provided with an inclined plane on the other disk side. The setting device also comprises a pressure piece which is composed of a pressure part and a rotary part having an end face. The end face bears against the inclined plane in such a way that it is displaced relative to the rotary wedge disk eccentrically to the rotation axis when the rotary wedge disk is rotated, the axial distance between pressure piece and parent body changing in the process. Since the adjusting wedge is a rotary wedge disk, the bearing surface rotates on the parent body and is not displaced longitudinally during an adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Hatebur Umformmaschinen AG
    Inventors: François Muller, Ulrich Steinhauser
  • Patent number: 6826941
    Abstract: A roller assembly for use as a back-up roller for work rolls. The roller assembly comprises an axle, a roller rotatably mounted on the axle, a plurality of bearing elements rotatably positioned between the axle and roller, at least one bushing which is eccentric relative to the axle and which is fixedly mounted on the axle by a dowel which passes through holes in the axle and eccentric bushing, and a housing for the bushing. The eccentric bushing is rotatable for translating the roller in a radial direction thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Inventor: Ronald L. Plesh, Sr.
  • Patent number: 6826942
    Abstract: The apparatus for extrusion of material includes a process chamber provided in front of a die thereby serving to control parameters of the extrusion method. A die hold is provided to serve both as a structure for mounting a die in the front end of a hollow stem and a process chamber in front of a die. Preferably the process chamber is provided with structure for establishing resistance to the material to control the flow of material through the chamber. The control structure is adapted to serve both as a temperature regulating device for achieving an optimum temperature of the metal inside the process chamber and as a position controlling device for controlling the position of the metal inside the process chamber during the loading of a new billet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Alex-Tech ApS
    Inventor: Torben Bredal