Patents Examined by G. M. Reid
  • Patent number: 4763384
    Abstract: In a door closer, there are provided a vertical rotatable shaft associated with the rotation of a door through an arm, two cams installed integral with the shaft, an urging device for rotating the door in the closing direction through one of the cams and a cylinder device for braking the door during door closing operation through the other of the cams. Thus, the opening of the door is effected by overcoming the force of the urging device and hence the door can be opened lightly. When the door is released, the force of the urging device is transmitted to the one cam and then to the arm, so that the door can be automatically closed. During door closing operation, the cam surface of the other cam pushes the piston rod of the cylinder device, whereby the rotation of the other cam and hence the rotation of the shaft connected with the other cam are braked, avoiding severe shocks to the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1988
    Assignee: Santo Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takaji Watabe
  • Patent number: 4749116
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming a pipe frame for use in a vehicle seat is disclosed in which spring clamps are welded to a rectilinear pipe material of a predetermined length at the predetermined positions thereof, the pipe material is then bent into a required configuration, one of two ends of the pipe material is then compressed to form such a smaller diameter portion as to be insertable into the inside diameter portion of the other end, and the compressed smaller diameter portion of the one end is forcibly inserted into the other end so that the inserted portion of the pipe material is welded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1988
    Assignee: Tachikawa Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yutaka Yajima
  • Patent number: 4738003
    Abstract: A vehicle door opening/closing hinge device comprises an outer link having one end connected to a first pillar pin and the other end connected to a first door pin, an inner link disposed longitudinally apart from the outer link and having one end connected to a second pillar pin, and a connecting link having one end connected to the other end of the inner link and the other end connected to a second door pin, so as to form a five joint link mechanism. The inner link is formed with a guide member having a slot engageable with a third door pin to control door opening positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1988
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keiji Mori, Nozomu Torii, Ryoichi Fukumoto
  • Patent number: 4736491
    Abstract: A flush mounted hinge assembly for use in applications where the hinges are to be fully concealed and where the doors abut one another or an adjacent structural member, includes a cabinet mounted bracket, a door mounted bracket, and a housing pivotally mounted to the cabinet bracket. The movement of the door accomplished in two stages, with initial pivoting being handled by a parallelogram-type linkage interconnecting the housing with the door mounted bracket, and permitting initial outward movement of the door to clear the adjacent door or abutting cabinet structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1988
    Inventor: Paul M. Mertes
  • Patent number: 4733716
    Abstract: There is disclosed a bushing for use in an apparatus for continuously passing a core wire through a crucible holding molten metal to accrete the molten metal on the core wire to form a cast rod. The bushing is connected to the crucible for passing the core wire therethrough into the crucible. The bushing is tubular and has an engaging portion for engaging with the core wire passing therethrough. The engaging portion is made of ceramics material containing a major proportion of at least one selected from the group consisting of zirconia, silicon carbide and silicon nitride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1988
    Assignee: Fujikura Ltd.
    Inventors: Haruo Tominaga, Teruyuji Takayama, Tetsuo Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 4731905
    Abstract: A torsion spring assembly for counterbalancing overhead doors which includes an elongated helical torsion spring with coils that are normally spaced apart (when the spring is untensioned), a shaft extending through the spring, and a pair of spring-mounting collars carried by the shaft and provided with slotted neck portions operatively connected to pre-formed hooks at the ends of the spring. One of the collars is fixed against both rotational and axial movement upon the shaft; the other is rotatably mounted upon the shaft; and at least one of the collars is removable from the shaft for field disassembly and reassembly of the parts. The method for constructing the assembly, either during manufacture or in the field, is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1988
    Assignee: Raynor Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Richard J. Milano, Coy H. Burgess, William F. Wadsworth
  • Patent number: 4731900
    Abstract: A tubular metal chair leg is formed by a die to provide on its end an integral socket for the direct reception of the pintle of a caster or shank of a glide. The construction enables the use of identical casters and glides on tubular as well as cast legs. The necessity for stocking two sizes of glides for tubular and cast legs plus inserts for casters for tubular legs is eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1988
    Assignee: Ajusto Equipment Limited Partnership
    Inventor: James W. Frobose
  • Patent number: 4730411
    Abstract: A collapsible trap is disclosed characterized by a net member and a folding frame member, the frame being disposed within the net member and adapted to be erected to form an enclosure therewith. The net member has an entrance including an opening to permit water creatures to enter the trap and to hinder leaving the trap. The folding frame member disposed within the net member comprises first and second annular members attached to the net member in spaced parallel relationship. A plurality of folding longitudinal members join the first and second annular members together. Each of the longitudinal members comprises a pair of arms having disatal and proximal ends. The distal ends of the arms are pivotally attached to annular members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1988
    Inventor: Peter Katis
  • Patent number: 4729148
    Abstract: A wheeled track-mounted carrier in one use mode supports a shower curtain through a color-coordinated button having a shank received through a grommet on the shower curtain. The button is removably connected with the body of the carrier which is suspended removably from the axle of a dual wheel track follower. In a second use mode, the color-coordinated button is separated from the body of the carrier and a pair of spring arms previously held in inactive positions on the body are released and are inserted upwardly through tubular pockets of a tape which is stitched at intervals to a drapery whereby the drapery is conveniently suspended from the track-mounted carrier. Multiple carriers are employed along a length of shower curtain, drapery or other hanging flexible closure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 8, 1988
    Inventor: James F. Levy
  • Patent number: 4724577
    Abstract: The invention is a force compensation device for use in a spring balanced sash holder for a jamb liner extruded from a durable resin such as polyvinyl chloride, and having a vertical track for containing the sash. Within the vertical track in the sash plow region and running the entire length of the jamb liner is a vertical slotted channel. The lower half of the slotted channel is used to develop frictional force for compensation of spring balance forces. The invention produces its compensating force by frictionally engaging the surfaces of the slotted channel. It comprises two parts, a carrier and a clapper. The carrier supports the weight of the sash, and is supported by the balance spring. The clapper is attached to the carrier. Both the carrier and clapper have braking elements which frictionally engage the surfaces of the slotted channel of the jamb liner track. The carrier and clapper are fastened together at their lower ends but their upper ends are free to move relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1988
    Inventor: Lawrence W. Langley
  • Patent number: 4724579
    Abstract: A hinge structure is formed by at least two ears projecting from one side edge of a panel with each of the ears being provided with a lobe extending in the same direction from its respective ear and spaced from the edge of the panel to provide an undercut. The ears are adapted to be projected through cooperating slots in a second panel to which the first panel is to be hinged and slid laterally in the slots to position each ear on the opposite side of the second panel and out of alignment with its slot so that a portion of the second panel is received in the undercut or space between the adjacent lobe and the edge of the first panel. A tab moveable from an open position permitting insertion of the ear into one of the slots to a locked position to engage each ear in that one slot and prevent reverse movement of the first panel to move the lobes from behind the second panel is provided to lock the hinge parts together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1988
    Assignee: Camco Inc.
    Inventor: W. S. Dominc Ng
  • Patent number: 4720896
    Abstract: Hinge for hanging a door on the facing of a cabinet. The carcase-related part of the hinge, in the form of an elongated door-supporting arm, can be adjustably fastened on a mounting plate preinstalled on the inside surface of the facing, while its free end, which is angled toward the door, is coupled to a door-related member in the form of a hollow cup by means of a four-joint mechanism. The door-supporting arm is fastened to the mounting plate through an intermediate piece which is disposed in its rearward end portion between the supporting arm and the mounting plate and is mounted releasably on the mounting plate and on the supporting arm of adjustment by a certain amount lengthwise of the supporting arm. The intermediate piece and the supporting arm are coupled together by a threaded spindle (84) which is in threaded engagement with one of the coupled parts while it is connected to the other part in such a way that it is rotatable, but non-displaceable lengthwise relative thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1988
    Assignee: Karl Lautenschlager GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Horst Lautenschlager, Gerhard Lautenschlager
  • Patent number: 4719964
    Abstract: In the method for producing a round metal wire from a melt by using a cooling substrate, the cooling substrate is provided with a groove and melt streams are ejected toward the groove and successively impinge upon a wire while it is in an unsolidified state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1988
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Sato, Tsutomu Ozawa, Toshio Yamada
  • Patent number: 4718127
    Abstract: A locking hinge assembly for mounting a visor on a helmet includes a cylindrical body which is fixed in an opening in the helmet and is loosely received through an aligned opening in the visor. The body has an annular detent flange with detent recesses therein in which are received detent studs carried by the visor for accommodating movement of the visor among a plurality of discrete detent positions. The locking assembly includes a shaft extending through an axial bore in the body and having an enlarged cam head at the outer end thereof. A cam disk is disposed between the head and the visor and has cam studs which cammingly engage cam recesses in the head. A spring washer is disposed between the cam disk and the visor for urging the detent studs into the recesses to resiliently hold the visor in each detent position and for urging the cam disk against the head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1988
    Assignee: Snap-on Tools Corporation
    Inventors: Nancy C. Rittmann, Richard S. Stever, Steven R. Wente
  • Patent number: 4715423
    Abstract: A method of forming a break ring by providing a frame having a cross-section complementary to the exterior portion of the break ring, and the frame having an interior base of the cross-section of the break ring which will be in contact with the molten metal in the continuous caster is disclosed. The frame is thereafter filled with plasma sprayed boron nitride, silicon nitride, or whatever material is to immediately contact the metal in the horizontal continuous caster. This is subsequently followed by the spraying of a substrate onto the skin of the break ring, whereafter the body portion is finally filled. Detonation gun-type spraying is also contemplated, but a plasma gun forms a superior coating and gives more flexibility. Finally, the body is formed interiorly of the break ring further by plasma application or by casting. In one option, a cooling tube is laid into the body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1987
    Assignee: Flo-Con Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick D. King
  • Patent number: 4709845
    Abstract: An apparatus for continuously producing electric-welded steel pipes by continuously supplying coiled strips as connected to one another by welding, progressively forming the strip into a tubular shape and high-frequency welding the opposed edges of the strip to form a seam. To produce required small quantities of steel pipes having varying diameters and wall thicknesses, a group of roll assemblies is replaceable by another group within a short period of time. Groups of forming, welding or sizing rolls are mountable on a polygonal bed which is lockable in position after rotation. For replacement, the bed is rotated by a hydraulic motor to bring the desired group of rolls to the proper position quickly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1987
    Assignee: Kusakabe Electric & Machinery Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Akiyama, Yasuo Tagashira
  • Patent number: 4709844
    Abstract: The bonding apparatus has a holding device, a pressing device for pressure welding substances to be bonded to each other, and a superhigh vacuum bonding chamber provided with the holding device and the pressing device. A superhigh vacuum bonding preparatory chamber is connected with the superhigh vacuum bonding chamber through a gate valve and a conveyor is arranged for conveying the substances to be bonded between the superhigh vacuum bonding preparatory chamber and the superhigh vacuum bonding chamber. The preparatory chamber is provided with a rotary preparatory table having a plurality of stages for releasably supporting holders for holding the substances to be bonded, the preparatory table being moved to successive positions to register with the conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1987
    Assignees: Life Technology Research Found., Hiroyasu Funakubo & Sumitomo Elec. Ind., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Sekiguchi, Hiroyasu Funakubo, Hitoyuki Sakanoue, Osamu Komura
  • Patent number: 4708193
    Abstract: During continuous casting, in order to avoid a cessation of the casting operation which is caused by a narrowing of the flow channel of a tundish equipped with a sliding gate, two processes are utilized. A first process enables an automatic rinsing so as to flush away any obstructions causing the narrowing, and, if the rinsing process is unsuccessful, a second process is effected in which the obstructions are manually removed by an operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1987
    Assignee: Metacon AG
    Inventor: Bernhard Tinnes
  • Patent number: 4706333
    Abstract: In an arrangement of gas springs as weight counter-balance and retaining device for a part pivotable substantially about a horizontal axis such as a flap, lid or door, a simple construction is required which guarantees two stable open positions for the pivotable part. This is guaranteed in that two gas springs are arranged where the first of the two gas springs possesses an outward thrust force acting over the entire range of displacement of the pivotable part, while the second gas spring possesses an outward thrust force acting over a part of the displacement range and an additional force-free displacement range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1987
    Assignee: Stabilus GmbH
    Inventor: Leo Lauderbach
  • Patent number: 4706331
    Abstract: The invention relates to a hinge for pivotally mounting flood lamps. The hinge includes a first and second knuckle. The first knuckle has an internally threaded socket. The second knuckle includes a first part and a second part, and the parts are interlocked for simultaneous rotation. The first part further has a rotation resisting surface facing the first knuckle. The hinge further includes a pair of shroud members, which each have counterbored aperatures therethrough and are arrange on each side of the second knuckle. There is a pair of threaded hinge pins, one each passing through a shourd member and a part of the second knuckle and threadably received in the first knuckles threaded socket. Loosening the threaded hinge pins permits relative rotation of the knuckles while tightening of the threaded hinge pins fixer the angular orientation of the hinge. The counterbores of the shrouds make difficult uninvited (i.e. vandalism) tampering of the hinge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1987
    Assignee: Kidde Consumer Durables Corporation
    Inventor: Wayne W. Compton