Patents Examined by Gary Estremsky
  • Patent number: 9903406
    Abstract: A low energy wood screw that may be inserted quickly and using less energy than conventional screws. In various embodiments, the screw may include a countersunk head having a recess for accommodating a driving tool, a tapered neck, a plurality of crown ribs extending over the head and neck, a lubricating coating, main threads with a large thread lead, and lower threads having an asymmetrical profile and extending onto a gimlet point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Phillips Screw Company
    Inventor: Barry J. Hughes
  • Patent number: 9890805
    Abstract: Blind rivet sleeve for a blind rivet, having a sleeve head which has a bearing face for bearing against a visible workpiece surface, and having a sleeve shank, wherein the blind rivet sleeve has a through-opening through which a mandrel can be guided, wherein the sleeve shank has a head forming portion which, during the setting of the blind rivet, is designed to form a blind head, and has a folding portion which is arranged between the head forming portion and the sleeve head and which, during the setting of the blind rivet, is designed to form a sleeve fold for the purpose of achieving a clamping thickness compensation. In this arrangement, the sleeve head has in the region of the bearing face an axial recess for receiving at least part of the sleeve fold formed during the setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: NEWFREY LLC
    Inventors: Stephan Schneider, Horst Baumann
  • Patent number: 9887468
    Abstract: A friction-welded ground assembly that includes an alloy substrate with a clearance hole; an aluminum alloy weld nut having a bolt bore and an outer wall; and a grounding bolt. The bore is located substantially within the clearance hole and a portion of the outer wall is joined to the substrate at a friction-welded attachment. Further, the bolt is threaded within the bore. In addition, a method for making a ground includes the steps: rotating an aluminum alloy weld nut having an outer wall at a predetermined speed; lowering the outer wall of the rotating nut into contact with an aluminum alloy substrate to generate a frictional force for a friction time; arresting the rotation of the nut; and applying an axial forging force to the outer wall and the substrate for a forging time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Lawrence J. Dupuis, Michael William Danyo, Kimberly Ann Lazarz, Steven Rewalt
  • Patent number: 9879369
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a screw providing a balance weight to be secured to a household appliance, for example a washing machine, in prestressed manner, having a head providing the screwing operation to be performed by being rotated, mounted with a spring washer on the lower side, and a shank extending under the head having a threaded portion thereon, a cylindrical shoulder disposed on the part of the screw where the shank joins with the head, with a diameter greater than that of the shank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: ARCELIK ANONIM SIRKETI
    Inventors: Gokhan Timac, Sabih Hizal
  • Patent number: 9869337
    Abstract: A ceramic fastener is constructed according to a method where the ceramic fastener has an outer shell of a strong ceramic material such as alumina or zirconia, and the outer shell has an interior bore filled with a glass-ceramic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Julie M. Drexler
  • Patent number: 9863459
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to a fastener lock for engaging a threaded fastener. The fastener lock defines a discontinuous circular opening therethrough with at least one extending tab extending into the discontinuous circular opening. When a threaded fastener is disposed in the discontinuous circular opening, the at least one extending tab engages the threads of the threaded fastener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kelton Gallant, Barry William Spaulding
  • Patent number: 9863457
    Abstract: A direct tension indicating washer including an annular body with a central hole, one or more protuberances, and one or more indentations. The one or more protuberances are integral with the annular body, and struck and partially sheared from the annular body to project from a first face of the annular body and leave the one or more corresponding indentations in a second face of the annular body opposite the first face. The one or more indentations are offset from the one or more protuberances and located farther from the central hole of the annular body than the one or more protuberances. By offsetting the protuberances and indentations, the washer is strengthened and is more suitable for use in joint assemblies having enlarged or oversized holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: TurnaSure LLC
    Inventors: F. Jonathan M. Turner, David L. Sharp
  • Patent number: 9856900
    Abstract: A step bolt connector and bolt assembly creates steps on a structure for accommodating a worker's boot. A first threaded bore is formed in a cylindrical end of a step bolt connector and this first threaded bore is threaded onto an exposed bolt on a structure. A sight hole extends from the exterior of the connector to the inward end of the first threaded bore for visually checking to see if the bolt is adequately attached in the first bore. A recess is formed in the cylindrical end and the recess is dimensioned to fit over fastening nut on the exposed bolt on the structure. When the first threaded bore is screwed onto the exposed bolts on the structure, the recess at least partially surrounds shields and protects the fastening nut on the exposed end of the bolt. A second threaded bore is formed in a second end (a truncated conical end) of the connector, and a step bolt is secured in the second threaded bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Allfasteners USA, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Strange, Bruce A. Carmichael
  • Patent number: 9856902
    Abstract: A metal insert having a body at a base diameter, a plurality of retention regions spaced apart and extending radially from the body, and an end effector at one end, for engaging a mating member. Each retention region consists of a circumferential series of alternating prongs and recesses. The insert is manufactured by selecting or processing a solid raw bar to produce an engineered rod having a plurality of axially continuous protrusions at a protrusion diameter alternating circumferentially with a plurality of axially continuous channels at a channel diameter. At axial intervals, the diameter of the engineered rod is decreased with a form tool to a base diameter smaller than the channel diameter, thereby producing a featured rod having a series of axially alternating spacer regions at the base diameter and radially outwardly extending feature regions consisting of a circumferential series of alternating prongs and recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Spirol International Corporation
    Inventor: Miles H. Mushlin
  • Patent number: 9845820
    Abstract: A thin walled fastener nut of the present invention includes a tapered bell flange extending from one end towards the other. The tapered bell flange provides structural support to the nut when used in aerospace application. The thin walled fastener nut with the tapered bell flange meets the dimensional requirements of the National Aerospace Standard Specification MS21042 (NASM21042) and National Aerospace Standard Specification MS1291 (NAS1291).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Inspect 100 Ltd.
    Inventors: William Dennis Dent, Jeffrey Junior Parker
  • Patent number: 9845819
    Abstract: A screw and method for the mounting of boards/planks, in particular fiber cement planks, on a support of wood. The screw comprises milling wings and a first thread between the milling wings and the tip, and a second, larger thread with smaller pitch between the milling wings and the screw head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Dissing A/S
    Inventor: Claus Hornstrup Dissing
  • Patent number: 9845821
    Abstract: A fastening assembly includes a fastening element extending along a central axis between a first and a second end. The fastening element includes a head section extending from the second end along the central axis and engageable by a tool, such as a hexagonal head. A protruding cylindrically shaped section has a smaller diameter than the head section. A flanged section is arranged between the head section and the protruding cylindrically shaped section. The fastening element on the cylindrically shaped section includes an engaging section. A first portion of the engaging section is positioned at a distance from the surface of the flanged section facing the first end, such that a locking washer will be stopped from reaching the surface of the flanged section if introduced on the cylindrically shaped section with its smaller central diameter in the direction of the engaging section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Nord-Lock AB
    Inventor: Mattias Andersson
  • Patent number: 9828151
    Abstract: A securing mechanism comprises a supporting column, an elastic piece, and a plurality of locking pieces. When the supporting column is inserted into a hole, at least one of the plurality of locking pieces is caught by or brought into pressure-contact with an outlet-side peripheral portion of the hole or an inner circumferential portion of the hole. The plurality of locking pieces form a plurality of arrays extending in a projection direction of the supporting column. The locking pieces included in each array of the plurality of arrays are aligned spaced apart from one another in the projection direction of the supporting column. The plurality of arrays comprise a first array and a second array; positions of the locking pieces in the first array are displaced from positions of the corresponding locking pieces in the second array in the projection direction of the supporting column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Kitagawa Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Aoyama
  • Patent number: 9829024
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fastening element for fastening a component on a carrier component, in particular a carrier component of an automobile, wherein the fastening element comprises a glue surface with which the fastening element can be glued onto the earner component with a glue applicable to the glue surface, and wherein the fastening element comprises fastening means for fastening the component or a further fastening element, wherein a plurality of anchoring ribs are provided on the glue surface, which extend in a radial direction with regard to an imaginary circle around the center of the glue surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Martin Kluge, Floris Somers
  • Patent number: 9829026
    Abstract: An anchor bolt which is surely fixed to, for example, a rock wall and is easy to carry and store is provided. The anchor bolt according to the present invention has expandable devices (5) which are disposed at three locations of a rod (3). When the anchor bolt is inserted into a bore (2), a free end of an abutment part (16) of the expandable device (5) abuts an inner peripheral surface (26) of the bore (2), and expandable members (13) are held in the bore (2). In this state, when a taper member (12) is moved toward a base end of the anchor bolt along with the rod (3), an inclined surface (15) of the taper member (12) surface-contacts an inner surface (19) of the abutment part (16), and an outer peripheral surface (20) of the abutment part (16) is pressed against an inner peripheral surface 26 of the bore (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: HOWA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuaki Andou, Toru Yanai
  • Patent number: 9822808
    Abstract: A penetrated floating nut includes: a first retaining member including a cylindrical first cylindrical section and a first flange section provided at one end portion of the first cylindrical section; a second retaining member including a cylindrical second cylindrical section and a second flange section provided at one end portion of the second cylindrical section, the second cylindrical section being joined to the first cylindrical section of the first retaining member; and a nut housed in the first cylindrical section of the first retaining member with a gap therebetween and including a third flange section at one end portion of the nut and further including rotation stopping means between the nut and the first cylindrical section of the first retaining member, the third flange section being housed in the second cylindrical section of the second retaining member with a gap therebetween and being capable of contacting an end surface of the first cylindrical section of the first retaining member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Bachhao Rajeev
  • Patent number: 9816688
    Abstract: Devices, systems and methods of converting the necks on lamp shades into threadable couplers that allow the shades with the couplers to be screwed onto the exterior threads on light sockets, such as those types of sockets found on wall mounted and ceiling mounted candelabras and ceiling fans. The couplers can include plate members that are fastened in a sandwich configuration on both the inside and outside of the neck portion of the shade with the sandwiched plate members having an interior threaded surface. Modified lamp shades can be screwed to exterior threaded light sockets on candelabra lights, pendant lights, ceiling fan lights, and any other type of lamp sockets that have removable lamp shades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Palm Coast Imports, LLC
    Inventors: Dennis C. Kuykendall, James P. Burns, Brendan P. Byrne, Bruce C. Nemac, Jason Rohr
  • Patent number: 9816545
    Abstract: The present invention relates to headed push-in fasteners of the type produced by Penn Engineering & Manufacturing Corp. known as TackPins and TackScrews. More specifically it relates to a Tack Pin or a Tack Screw with a Belleville head that provides the functionality of a Bellville washer without needing a separate part. When installed, the compression of the Bellville shaped head will cause a permanent loading to be applied under the head of the fastener, essentially creating a clamping force to the members being attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Inventors: Michael J. Maloney, Brian Bentrim, William McDonough
  • Patent number: 9815499
    Abstract: An assembly of vehicle components includes first and second components abutting each other. At least one of the first and second components includes a non-metallic material. The first and second components respectively include overlapping first and second apertures. The assembly further includes a joining component extending through the first and second apertures. The joining component has a support body and an outer body at least partially encasing the support body. The outer body includes a polymeric material. The joining component clamps the first and second components between first and second flanges of the outer body, and the support body extends into at least one of the first and second apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Garret Sankey Huff
  • Patent number: 9803679
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fastener that includes a thread having a groove formed therein to provide a loosening resistance due to a deformation of the thread, the deformation resulting from a threshold axial force applied to the thread by a receiving structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Inventor: Martin Eidinger