Patents Examined by George E. Halvosa
  • Patent number: 5060765
    Abstract: A one-piece casing (20) comprising a bottom (22) and a shell (24) formed with a cylindrical bore (26) houses a piston (30) for hydraulic actuation of a brake. For mechanical parking brake actuation, a shaft (34) is supported in the bottom (22) of the casing and a ramp arrangement (50) is rotatable by the shaft, thereby being displaceable axially away from a ramp arrangement (40) which is secured to the casing. Two strut members (60,64) which are screwed together constitute an adjustable strut between the axially adjustable ramp arrangement (50) and the piston (30). A return spring (90) is positioned under axial bias between a thrust bearing (92) secured to the casing and a thrust bearing (58) at one of the two strut members (60). The thrust bearing (92) which is secured to the casing is formed at an insert (84) by which one of the strut members (60) is guided non-rotatably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1991
    Assignee: Lucas Industries Public Limited Company
    Inventor: Manfred Meyer
  • Patent number: 5060918
    Abstract: A fluid-filled cylindrical elastic connector having an inner sleeve, an outer sleeve, and an elastic body between the two sleeves. The elastic connector has a main fluid chamber and a first and a second auxiliary fluid chamber, which are formed between the inner and outer sleeves such that the first and second auxiliary fluid chambers are disposed diametrically opposite to the main fluid chamber with respect to the inner sleeve, and such that the first and second auxiliary fluid chambers are spaced from each other in an axial direction of the inner sleeve. The main, first auxiliary, and second auxiliary fluid chambers are filled with a non-compressible fluid. Upon application of a vibrational load, relative pressure changes occur between the main fluid chamber and the first and second auxiliary fluid chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1991
    Assignee: Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Ryouji Kanda
  • Patent number: 5058712
    Abstract: A preloading pivotal pin connection arrangement for interconnecting a swivel bracket to a forked support bracket of a fluid pressure operated caliper disc brake unit. The pivotal pin includes a shoulder portion which fits snugly into a hole formed in one leg of the forked support bracket, and includes a hexagonal nut having a sleeve portion which fits snugly into a hole formed in the other leg of the forked support bracket. The intermediate portion of the pivot pin rotates freely in a bushing carried by the swivel bracket, and a locking plate prevents the backing off of the nut due to vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1991
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventor: Lewis R. Noah
  • Patent number: 5058867
    Abstract: A cylindrical vibration damping bushing is provided which has an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder coaxially disposed within the outer cylinder, and having a radially outwardly expanded portion in its axially central portion, a pair of vibration damping rubber members press-fitted between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder from both ends of the outer cylinder, and a pair of inserts, each being made of a resin material having good slidability and embedded in an inside end portion of each vibration damping rubber member so that an inside end surface thereof abut on each other. Each insert has a concave surface having a configuration conforming to that of the spherical outer surface of the expanded portion of the inner cylinder to enable the inserts to be slid on the spherical outer surface of the expanded portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1991
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuya Hadano, Masato Ueno
  • Patent number: 5058868
    Abstract: A shock absorber for automobile vehicle suspension comprises a cylinder containing a hydraulic fluid, a piston defining a first chamber and a second chamber in the cylinder, and a rod which extends through the second chamber and is connected to the piston. A hydraulic fluid reservoir is able to communicate with the first chamber via a restriction during a rapid compression movement. A control valve is capable of opening a fluid passage between the first and second chambers. The control valve is subject on one hand to the pressure of hydraulic fluid in the first chamber tending to open the valve and, on the other hand, to the actions tending to close the valve, of a return spring and of substantially constant pressure of a fluid contained in a reference chamber, one wall of which is movable with the control valve. An external compensation casing, integral with the rod, grips the shock absorber in sealed manner, and the compensation casing is connected by a pipe to an external source of variable pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1991
    Inventor: Jacques Sirven
  • Patent number: 5056764
    Abstract: A shock absorber for use in toys comprising a rod for supporting a wheel, a retainer slidably along the rod, and a spring interposed between the lower section of the rod and the retainer which forces the retainer upwardly. These members can be pre-assembled as unit kit. When the shock absorber is mounted on a chassis member, the retainer is depressed downwardly against the biasing force of the spring and the rod is inserted into a bore formed on a chassis member through a opening side groove thereon. After that, the retainer is held in a recess on the bottom of the chassis member so that the rod is reciprocable along the retainer and the bore of the chassis member to absorb the vibration or shock from the wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1991
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tamiya Mokei
    Inventor: Takashi Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 5054752
    Abstract: A power unit mount through which a power unit is mounted on a vehicle body. The power unit mount is comprised of an elastic support member securely disposed between inner and outer cylindrical members which are respectively connected to the power unit and the vehicle body. The elastic support member is formed with a hollow a part of which serves as a main fluid chamber. A diaphragm member is secured to the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical member to define an auxiliary fluid chamber which is communicated through an orifice passage to the main fluid chamber. The diaphragm member is disposed separate and independent from the elastic support member, thereby enabling damped vibration frequencies to be tuned within a low frequency region corresponding to engine shake and/or idling vibration, regardless of the rigidity of the elastic support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1991
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Tabata
  • Patent number: 5054587
    Abstract: The present invention provides an eddy-current brake comprising a rotator made of a ferromagnetic material and electromagnets arranged so that the rotator will intercept the magnetic flux, wherein a braking force is produced by the eddy current generated in the rotator. An Ni-Cu-Ni three-layer thin metallic cladding 30 is provided on the inner surface of the cylindrical peripheral wall portion 11 of the rotator 10, and the coils 45 of the electromanets 40 are enclosed by a magnetic pole case 46 made of a ferromagnetic material, thereby to enable development of a large braking torque. This device is suited for use as an auxiliary brake for vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1991
    Assignee: Tokyo-Buhin Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norio Matsui, Isao Sanjo, Shuuichi Chiba
  • Patent number: 5052527
    Abstract: Improvements are disclosed to conventional brake slack adjuster mechanisms of the type which are employed upon heavy equipment such as dump trucks and the like which mechanisms are anchored to the axle of the truck and utilize a worm drive and spline arrangement within an adjuster housing to drive a spline shaft interconnected to the brake assembly to adjust the brakes. The worm drive is driven by a worm drive adjusting bolt which has an adjusting bolt head which interreacts with a spring loaded adjusting bolt head socket lock which may be forced out of disenagagement with the adjusting bolt head to permit adjusting of the brakes by the worm-spline drive arrangement and which adjusting bolt head socket lock upon release engages the adjusting bolt head to lock the adjusting bolt head against misadjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1991
    Inventor: Thomas D. Stump
  • Patent number: 5052525
    Abstract: A tension brake or clutch having a quick release torque post providing in a first position, to which it is resiliently biased, torque transmission between a brake or clutch pad and an actuator plate and providing in a second position, to which the post is easily and quickly slid against the resilient bias, disengagement from the brake pad to permit the pad's quick and easy removal and replacement. A latch pin is optionally provided to latch the torque post in the disengaged position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1991
    Inventor: Kenneth E. Ekola
  • Patent number: 5052662
    Abstract: An ERF (electrorheopectic fluid) filled engine mount has a main working chamber and first and second auxiliary chambers. An orifice passage structure provides fluid communication between the main and first auxiliary chambers. A first set of electrode plates are disposed in the orifice passage structure in a manner which permits the viscosity of the ERF to be selectively controlled. The first auxiliary chamber exhibits a relatively small expansive spring characteristic. A transfer port provides fluid communication between the main working chamber and the second auxiliary chamber. The second auxiliary chamber exhibits a relatively large expansive spring characteristic and functions to attenuate relatively high frequency vibration. An on/off type valve device is disposed in the transfer port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1991
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Doi
  • Patent number: 5050712
    Abstract: A shock-absorbing device (10) includes an inner cylinder (22) surournded by an outer tube (12) whose ends are enclosed by end caps (14, 128). A piston (42) within the cylinder (22) forces hydraulic fluid through holes (106-116). A metering sleeve (130) slidable over the cylinder (22) includes cross-cut openings (132-142) therein defining rectangularly-shaped metering orifices which selectively close off the openings (106-116) in the cylinder (22) to adjust the flow of hydraulic fluid, and thereby alter the shock-absorbing characteristics of the device. The cross-cut openings (132-142) may be formed by passing a cutting element along a straight stroke through a side of the metering sleeve (130) at a depth sufficient to create an orifice in the inner wall of the sleeve (130).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1991
    Assignee: Enertrols, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert J. Heideman
  • Patent number: 5050711
    Abstract: A stationary brake member (45) which is used in an electromagnetic brake apparatus, comprises a first press-worked plate (45h) and a second press-worked plate (45m) which are laminated to each other. The second press-worked plate (45m) has plural hooks (45q), (45s) to grip the first press-worked plate (45h). The first press-worked plate (45h) has plural projections (45k) with spaces (45t) therebetween, and the projections are buried in the cast bracket (31), whereby the first press-worked plate (45h) is firmly fixed to the bracket (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1991
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuya Sawato
  • Patent number: 5048646
    Abstract: An anti-skid device of the type including an arm, carrying in its outer end a chain-provided pulley that is brought in contact with a vehicle wheel so that the chains are thrown in under the vehicle wheel. The arm is, in its inner end, journaled in a U-shaped or fork-shaped bracket via a short axle that, in its ends, rests in bowl-shaped hemispherical bearings that are threaded into the legs of the bracket. The bearing bowls are pretensioned against the axle. At the apex of the shaft's spherical ends, recesses are made that take-up lubrication grease and, in this way, a point-like contact between the bearing shells and the axle is eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Assignee: Onspot AB
    Inventor: Lennart Carlsson
  • Patent number: 5048648
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a piston cap for a disc brake, comprising a brake motor consisting of a piston (24) sliding in a cylinder (26), this cap being composed of a flexible material ensuring sealing between the piston (24) and the cylinder (26) by way of a bead (32) located on its inner periphery and coming to rest in an annular groove (34) made in the head of the piston (2) and of a retention part on its outer periphery, capable of coming in contact with the inner wall of a receptacle formed at the end of the cylinder, this retention part comprising a metal insert (36) in the form of a cylindrical ring. According to the invention, the cap possesses at least one vent allowing the air contained in the volume which it delimits with the piston (24) and the cylinder (26) to escape and preventing the entry of foreign bodies or corrosive agents into this volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Assignee: Bendix France
    Inventor: Gerard Le Deit
  • Patent number: 5048645
    Abstract: A re-usable wear indicator (14) detachably secured to the pad carrier plate (2), especially intended for a disc-type brake shoe (1), which is located at the same point as is a spring (8) precluding rattling from occurring. This measure enables a recess (4) in the brake pad (3), required for fixing the spring, to be used, at the same time, to accommodate the wear indicator (14). The fixation is with the aid of a snap or O-ring (20) secured in an annular groove (19) on an extension (17) of the wear indicator (14), which ring (20) undergrips the constricted first end (21) of a hollow clip (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Assignee: Alfred Teves GmbH
    Inventors: Rudolf Thiel, Ulrich Klimt, Reiner Mueller, Christoph Veith
  • Patent number: 5046590
    Abstract: Braking device for a rotary element such as a vehicle wheel in which is provided at least two distinct braking assemblies for the braking of a single wheel or axle, and which are connected to distinct braking pressure generators which have a ratio between their actuating force by an actuating member and the pressure generated which is such that, for small actuating forces, only the pressing member of the first assembly is actuated, up to a transition point of the actuating force, from which the pressing members of the first and the second assemblies are simultaneously actuated, the device being applied to highly moderable braking of vehicles adapted for high speeds, such as motorcycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1991
    Assignee: Elf France
    Inventor: Daniel Trema
  • Patent number: 5044614
    Abstract: A shock absorber assembly includes a piston/tube shock mechanism provided with adjustment devices permitting variation of the effective length and thus operating parameters, of a coil spring surrounding the shock mechanism. Adjustment is obtained by the vertical displacement of a member surrounding a body sleeve disposed exteriorly of the shock mechanism and wherein this vertical displacement alters the elevation of one end of the coil spring. A lock nut secures the obtained adjustment and both the member and nut may be manipulated with a simple tool cooperating with a specific configuration on the periphery of the member and nut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Inventor: John A. Rau
  • Patent number: RE33696
    Abstract: The spring includes a tubular elastomeric body, preferably rubber, and a coil spring embedded in and bonded to it. The coil spring controls the occurence of symmetric bulging instablity in the body under axial load conditions. This bulging instability occurs sequentially along the length of the body between adjacent coils of the coil spring until it assumes the form of a continuous coil of elastomer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1991
    Assignee: The Paton Corporation
    Inventor: Andrew Stevenson
  • Patent number: RE33715
    Abstract: A shock absorber capable of effectively preventing a gas from leaking from a gas chamber, maintaining an oil seal in a firmly-held state, and preventing the reciprocating movements of a rod from adversely affecting the function of the oil seal, comprising an oil cylinder and a gas tube, which are joined together in a concentrically-arranged state to form a gas chamber therebetween; a rod, which is moved reciprocatingly in the oil cylinder; a bearing having an axially extending cylindrical support portion and fixed to an end portion of the oil cylinder to form an oil chamber in cooperation with the oil cylinder and rod support in such a manner that the rod can be slidingly moved; and an oil seal, which has a main lip sealingly slidable with respect to a circumferential surface of the rod, and a frustoconical check valve lip resiliently contacting an outer surface of the cylindrical support portion and adapted to allow an oil to flow from the oil chamber to the gas chamber and prevent the oil from flowing in th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1991
    Assignee: NOK Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Miura