Patents Examined by Gregory M. Vidovich
  • Patent number: 6553644
    Abstract: A device for processing workpieces utilizes a frame and a fixture. The frame has a perimeter with an opening, and inner and outer side walls. A pair of shelves are located in the opening for supporting a workpiece and a spring retains the workpiece on the frame. The fixture has work locations with elevators that are moved by an elevator handle. The fixture also has an engagement handle for actuating the springs. The workpieces may be simultaneously mounted to or removed from the frames with the fixture. The frames are loaded into the locations and both handles are rotated to raise the elevators and bend the springs. The workpieces are then placed on top of the elevators, and the elevator handle is rotated to lower the workpieces. Next, the engagement handle is rotated to release the springs to form assemblies that can be removed from the fixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Nick Karmaniolas, Wesley Hiroshi Tao, Li Zheng
  • Patent number: 6553643
    Abstract: A method of loading a clutch pack into a clutch drum. The clutch pack includes a plurality of friction plates between a plurality of reaction plates. Each reaction plate has a plurality of outside spline teeth slidably received in a corresponding plurality of straight spline grooves in a cylindrical wall of the drum. The method of loading the clutch pack into the drum includes the steps of forming annular seat on an outboard end of the cylindrical wall of the drum interrupted by a plurality of notches where the spline grooves intersect the annular seat, supporting the drum on a platform with the outboard end of the drum opening upward, supporting the clutch pack in a sleeve above the annular seat, releasing the clutch pack for vertical descent toward the sleeve until the outside spline teeth on the bottom one of the reaction plates engage the annular seat, and vibrating the drum at high frequency and low amplitude to induce rotation of the clutch pack within the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Krishna K. Relan, Sungchin Hong
  • Patent number: 6553645
    Abstract: A motor stator is fixed to a body shell by shrinkage fit with a large fitting margin, and a compression mechanism is then shrinkage fit with a small fitting margin, and welded thereafter. Afterwards, an auxiliary bearing assembly is fixed in position with reference to the compression mechanism by shrinkage fit with a small fitting margin, followed further by welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideshi Nakamura, Masahiro Tsubokawa, Satoshi Hakamada
  • Patent number: 6553656
    Abstract: An automatic assembly or production machine and workstation for such a machine which has a rotor that is rotatable around a vertical machine access, and has several receptacles on the periphery of the rotor for components or work pieces to be assembled or for subassemblies. The machine has a central drive means for the rotor for moving the receptacles in a cyclic movement from one work position to the next. Each work position has primary functional elements with a common control unit for them driven by a central drive assembly and producing controlled movements of the element in at least one axial direction in synchronization with the cyclic rotary movement of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Feintool International Holding
    Inventor: Siegmund Kumeth
  • Patent number: 6550120
    Abstract: An aftermarket retrofit kit is used to prepare control arm bosses of automotive suspension systems to receive new, replacement ball joints. The kit includes a special cutting tool for forming obtuse threads in the apertures of aluminum suspension system mounting bosses for replacement of spent or used steel ball joints originally pressed-fit into forged aluminum control and steering arms. Since unthreaded apertures of bosses of control and steering arm joints in which the original pressed fitted equipment ball joints may be threaded to receive the new joints, avoidance of having to replace expensive original control and steering arms is made possible by the reuse of such arm parts normally discarded. A separate alignment block is included to assure accurate piloting of the cutting tool. Threading of the control arm bosses can be done on or off of the vehicle, and separate kits are provided for upper and lower control arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Dana Corporation
    Inventors: Garth B. Maughan, Wayne M. Winkler, Anthony S. Szumiesz
  • Patent number: 6550125
    Abstract: A panel fastener strike comprises a unitary casing formed with two substantially parallel face plates unitarily bridged together by a strap at one end and formed with two substantially coplanar flanges at an opposite end, and a pin mounted to the two face plates spaced from the casing strap. In manufacturing the strike the face plates are bent from a coplanar orientation to a parallel orientation while simultaneously seating opposite ends of the pin in the face plate mounting holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Kason Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Burl Finkelstein, John A. Fry
  • Patent number: 6550122
    Abstract: A cylindrical drum is prepared by welding opposite ends of a thin sheet of maraging steel. A first solution treatment is effected on the cylindrical drum, and then the cylindrical drum is severed into a plurality of rings each having a predetermined width. After the rings are rolled, a second solution treatment is effected on the rings which have been rolled, and then the circumferential length of each of the rings is corrected. The rings are aged and nitrided, and then stacked into a laminated ring. The first solution treatment and the second solution treatment are effected using the same heating furnace in the same atmosphere in the same temperature range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hitoshi Imai, Hitoshi Karasawa, Katsuyuki Nakajima
  • Patent number: 6550123
    Abstract: A process comprising taking a plurality of wire rods, laying them out together, side-by-side, ganging them together with a strapping means to form a flat, rectangular shaped array or panel, placing the array into a metal forming press and bending one end of all of the rods together, uniformly and simultaneously. The bound array can then be rotated 180 degrees, if desired, and the other end of the panel inserted to bend that end of all the rods, uniformly and simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Inventor: Lionel Freeman
  • Patent number: 6550140
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the finishing of ball cages (1) destined for constant-velocity joints which are provided with spherical annular inner and outer bearing surfaces (3, 2) and ball pockets (4) for the accommodation of torque-transmitting balls. In order that the finishing of such ball cages (1) can be carried out rapidly, at low cost and in as fully automated a manner as possible it is proposed according to the invention that the finishing both of the inner and outer spherical annular bearing surfaces (3, 2) as well as the contact surfaces (5) of the ball pockets (4) located opposite one another in the axial direction and each for one ball ensues by means of lathe machining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: IPROTEC Maschinen-und Edelstahlprodukte GmbH
    Inventor: Guido Kochsiek
  • Patent number: 6550129
    Abstract: A workpiece is assembled by removably mounting an alignment tool to a conventional wing structure so that the alignment tool holds multiple conventional strut fittings to the wing structure. A frame of a CNC manufacturing machine is moved to and removably mounted to the workpiece. The orientation of the workpiece with respect to the frame mounted thereto is quantified. A predetermined pattern of operations to be performed by the CNC manufacturing machine to form attachment holes for use in attaching the strut fittings to the wing structure is adjusted to compensate for the orientation of the workpiece relative to the frame. Thereafter, the CNC manufacturing machine automatically forms the attachment holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: James N. Buttrick, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6546616
    Abstract: A six-axis alignment and installation tool having a multi-component base unit and a plurality of multi-component interchangeable units. Some of the degrees of freedom are provided by the components of the base unit, and the remaining degrees of freedom are provided by the components of each interchangeable units. The alignment and installation tool has two modes of transportation: levitation by air bearings, and rolling by removable casters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventor: Dennis G. Radowick
  • Patent number: 6546611
    Abstract: An anti-spin and drift device and installation method for railway plug type car doors that prevents unintentional rapid rotation of the center door operation handle caused by accidental movement of the door. The anti-spin device rapid rotation in both directions and replaces existing pinion gear assemblies and one-directional anti-spin assemblies that interlink the operational handle with the door operating mechanism that activates multiple crank rod assemblies for opening and closing the doors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Pennsylvania Rail Car Company
    Inventor: Walter S. Ryan
  • Patent number: 6543113
    Abstract: A kit of tooling components for use in facilitating the removal as well as the installation of a crankshaft seal includes a housing assembly which is constructed and arranged for attachment to a crankshaft seal during the removal procedure and for pushing the crankshaft seal into position during the installation procedure. The kit further includes a guide pin which is constructed and arranged for insertion through the crankshaft seal and into one of the crankshaft seal mounting holes in order to establish proper alignment for the crankshaft seal as it is pulled off during the removal procedure and as it is pushed on during the installation procedure. The kit further includes a plurality of self-tapping screws which are used during the removal procedure for attaching the housing assembly to the crankshaft seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Ram B. Khurana
  • Patent number: 6543116
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of using an apparatus for restricting access to ports that may be disposed in a bonnet that houses valves on a railcar. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method of using a template that may be lowered over the bonnet of the railcar wherein the template has a plurality of differently-sized holes to allow access to specially-sized nozzles. In addition, the valves may be eduction valves and/or vapor valves, and the apertures may allow a specific-sized nozzle to have access to the eduction valves, the vapor valves or both. The template may lower onto the bonnet via a frame that may be pivotally attached to a structure. Further, joints and bearings may be provided to allow the template to be movable so as to precisely fit over the bonnet of the railcar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Raymond Blaine Vermette, Tom O'Connell, Jim Ried
  • Patent number: 6543137
    Abstract: A method of assembling a valve module of a fuel injector for fuel injection systems of internal combustion engines is described. The fuel injector includes an electromagnetic actuating element having a magnet coil, an internal pole, an external magnetic circuit part and a movable valve closing body which works together with a valve seat assigned to a valve seating body. The valve seating body and the internal pole are arranged in an internal opening in a thin-walled valve sleeve, and the magnet coil and the external magnetic circuit part are arranged on the outer periphery of the valve sleeve. First, the magnetic circuit part is pushed onto the valve sleeve, then the valve seating body is pressed into the internal opening in the valve sleeve, so that a fixed connection between the valve sleeve and the magnetic circuit part is achieved by simply pressing the valve seating body into position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Noller, Hans Weidler
  • Patent number: 6543636
    Abstract: Process for manufacturing a metal can with a threaded neck on which a removable head can be fitted, includes the steps of forming a can with a closed bottom end, a cylindrical wall and an open top end, forming a neck at the open top end, obtaining a ring with a spindle hole of known diameter and a threaded external surface, sleeve fitting the ring by driving the spindle hole over the neck, and plastically expanding the neck by an amount sufficient that its outer diameter exceeds the diameter of the spindle hole when unstressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Cebal, S.A.
    Inventors: Franck Flecheux, Jacques Granger, Bernard Schneider
  • Patent number: 6543139
    Abstract: A machining tool for manufacturing a radial bearing, and a manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method using the machining tool are provided. The machining tool includes an inner surface finishing tool to finish an inner circumference surface of a bearing hole provided on a radial bearing. The inner surface finishing tool includes a tool shaft main body member that defines a hollow storage section provided within the tool shaft main body member, a rotatable core piece member mounted inside the hollow storage section in a manner to be rotatable within the tool shaft main body member, and a plurality of roll machining members each with a circular cross-sectional roll machining surface. The plurality of roll machining members rollably abut against the outer circumference surface of the rotatable core piece member. The plurality of roll machining members are in contact under pressure with the inner circumference surface of the bearing hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Sankyo Seiki Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Motonori Usui
  • Patent number: 6543138
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for assembling a drip irrigation system includes a drip irrigation member with a connector and includes a length of tubing. The tubing has an end. A securing member is mounted on the end of the tubing. The end is slidably forced over the connector. The securing member is rolled along the tubing to a position at which the securing member elastically circumferentially compresses the tubing against the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Inventor: Robert J. Berry
  • Patent number: 6544157
    Abstract: Cigarette sticks are carried through a filter tip attachment on a train of rollers, each comprising a fixed first tubular body rigidly associated with a vertical bulkhead and a rotatable second-tubular body placed coaxially over the fixed tubular body and centered on an axis common to both bodies. Each roller incorporates a stator rigidly associated with the first tubular body and a rotor rigidly associated with the second tubular body, coinciding respectively with the primary and the secondary of an electric motor of which the winding is connected to a power source governed by a master controller; the controller receives signals from individual transducers capable at any given moment of sensing the angular position and velocity of the single rollers, in such a way as to select a predetermined timing for each roller relative to the others of the train, which is maintained throughout each operating cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: G. D S.p.A.
    Inventor: Mario Spatafora
  • Patent number: RE38061
    Abstract: The method of attaching a fastening element to a metal panel within a panel opening using a die member having an annular concave die cavity. The fastening element includes a tubular riveting portion and a radial flange portion and a fastening portion. The internal and external surfaces of the tubular riveting portion are relatively uniformly inclined toward the radial flange portion such that the thickness of the tubular riveting portion at the free end is less than the thickness adjacent the radial flange portion. In the preferred embodiment, the internal surface of the tubular riveting portion is cylindrical and the external surface is slightly conical tapering inwardly toward the free end to reduce the force required to radially deform the free end of the tubular portion radially outwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: FabriSteel Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Harold A. Ladouceur