Patents Examined by James B. Marbert
  • Trailer and tailgate
    Patent number: 4767150
    Abstract: There is provided an improved trailer and tailgate therefore. The means for attaching the tailgate to the remainder of the trailer is independent of the inside surfaces of the sidewalls of the trailer. Thus the sidewalls are free from obstructions permitting a free flow of material out of a trailer when it is being dumped. A pair of cane shaped rods are received through the top and bottom of the tailgate and are connected to the floor and to the tops of the sidewalls of the trailer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1988
    Assignee: Peco, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Hall
  • Lifting hook
    Patent number: 4765667
    Abstract: A lifting hook for automatic releases of a load held by a lifting hook comprises a hook member (1) with a hooking portion (2) and a suspension portion (3) as well as an intermediate portion (4) between said portions, a suspension means (5) which at least when the hooking portion (2) is loaded is pivoted in the suspension portion (3) and suspended by a traction element, e.g. a chain or the like. The intermediate portion (4) comprises a slot along substantially its whole length, which slot receives the bearing (8) of the suspension means (5), so that this bearing is displaceable in said slot (7). The hook member (1) is arranged to, when the traction element is unloaded followed by a lifting of the hook member (1), be turned from an ordinary load-carrying position to a load-releasing position, preferably 180.degree., by displacement of the center of gravity of the lifting hook.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1988
    Inventor: Torbjorn Hamrin
  • Reinforced resilient wheel
    Patent number: 4765382
    Abstract: A reinforced resilient wheel having a rim (4), a hub (12), a shock absorbing air space (18), formed between a channel (10), and an elastomeric member (16) with flange means (26) clamping the elastomeric member to the rim, and reinforcing means (60, 62) for securing the elastomeric member to the rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1988
    Inventor: Edward H. Sahagian
  • Adaptable robotic gripper assembly
    Patent number: 4765669
    Abstract: A robotic gripper assembly having a pair of gripping fingers inserted through a slotted disk, each of which is coupled to a cam groove formed within a cam disk wherein longitudinal finger movement is effectuated along the slotted disk. The closing rate and resolution of the finger movement with respect to cam disk movement are easily changed by interchanging the cam disk. In another embodiment, a three finger configuration is provided wherein the gripping fingers move longitudinally through intersecting planes for handling irregularly shaped objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1988
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventor: Raymond C. Meier
  • Gambrel
    Patent number: 4763942
    Abstract: A game holding gambrel is formed from a pair of plastic tubes attachable together by the use of a threaded coupling. Loops are provided at opposed ends of the assembled tubes with these loops being designed to receive the feet of the animal to be butchered. A plastic chain extends upwardly from the ends of the tube assembly and is attachable to a tree limb, or the like, so that the animal can be held in a suspended position. The gambrel may be disassembled into a compact package for storage and transportation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1988
    Inventor: Jesse J. Lyon
  • Automatic vacuum gripper
    Patent number: 4763941
    Abstract: The automatic vacuum gripper comprises a gripper member with a resilient seal coupled to a hollow piston and shaft. The piston is spring loaded downward in a cylinder coupled to a vacuum source. With vacuum applied, the piston does not move until the gripped part is completely sealed to the gripper member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1988
    Assignee: Unisys Corporation
    Inventor: Albert Sniderman
  • Self equalizing lifting device
    Patent number: 4762355
    Abstract: The invention is a lifting device for use in lifting a load. The device is used for example between a crane hook and the lifting chains attached to the load. The device hooks onto the crane hook and the chain passes over a guide wheel which in one position, when the chain does not take the weight of the load, the wheel can turn freely enabling the device to be moved horizontally relative to the load to any desired location, and when the chain does take the load, the wheel is placed in a locked position so that it cannot turn and by this means the device can be positioned so as to ensure that when the load is lifted it will be in a predetermined position e.g. level. The wheel is carried by a spindle, the ends of which pass through slots in a pair of side plates of the device and when the device is loaded, the spindles rest on the bottoms of the slots ensuring that the plates take the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1988
    Inventor: John P. C. Hogg
  • Mattress construction for pneumatic mattress track system
    Patent number: 4762377
    Abstract: A mattress construction for a pneumatic mattress track system, through which the mattress can withstand higher pulling forces, the transmission between drive wheels and mattress be made more efficient and the whole system made lighter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1988
    Inventor: Fredrik K. Burmeister
  • Wheel cover assembly
    Patent number: 4762374
    Abstract: A vehicle wheel cover assembly includes a lightweight molded plastic cover member having a series of axial inwardly extending flanges which are apertured. The wire ring assembly includes cantilevered loops having bight portions which extend outwardly through the openings of the flanges to retain the wire ring assembly to the wheel. Additional bight portions of the loops engage the flanges of the cover member to clamp these flanges to the wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1988
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Trevor J. Brown
  • Device for picking up flexible and/or porous and/or sticky flat articles or shapes
    Patent number: 4761027
    Abstract: The device for picking up flat articles or shapes has a gripping mechanism secured to the end of a moving arm, which is for example part of a robot. The gripping mechanism consists of at least two grippers that face each other in a plane on a frame and have gripper pins mounted on them. To allow gripping procedures to be carried out automatically the grippers are mounted in such a way that they can rotate, so that, during an appropriate rotation, the pins, which are in the shape of the arc of a circle and oriented in the form of a multiple screw thread, will be inserted into and extracted from the flat articles or shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1988
    Assignee: Hoesch Maschinenfabrik Deutschland AG
    Inventor: Heinz Gehrig
  • Single-piece tweezers
    Patent number: 4761028
    Abstract: A means and method for forming tweezers and tweezers handles out of a single piece of material. The tweezers consist of unitary body including two parallel spaced apart arms which extend from an integrally formed heel end portion The ends of the arms opposite the heel end portion comprise tweezer tips or can be connected to replaceable tweezer tips. In a preferred embodiment, the single piece tweezers are produced by electrical discharge machine process which produces very accurate and precise cuts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1988
    Assignee: Andrew Tool Company
    Inventor: David H. Dulebohn
  • Wheel with pivotable ground pads
    Patent number: 4759638
    Abstract: A wheel comprises a hub 11 and a plurality of ground-engaging pads 16 disposed around and coupled to the periphery of the hub by radial studs 17. Each pad is capable of at least a limited degree of angular displacement about the axis of its stud 17 whereby the hub may turn through such angle relative to any pad currently in ground contact. A resilient stop 30 is associated with each pad to return each pad to its undisplaced position when the pad has moved out of contact with the ground. In an alternative embodiment a resilient member between the hub and the pad serves to both limit angular displacement and return the pad to its undisplaced position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1988
    Inventor: Hugh R. McLaughlin
  • Hand-held article carrier
    Patent number: 4759578
    Abstract: A hand-held load-carrying apparatus for use by one or two persons includes a length adjustable carrier frame mounting opposed, handle-equipped end assemblies. The apparatus is particularly advantageous for carrying relatively heavy objects up and down stairs or ramps, around corners in stairwells, and along spiral staircases. The ready adjustment of the pivotally mounted handles to a selected position assures that a user maintains the most comfortable upright posture that is physiologically preferred to support the spine in a position intended to minimize backstrain and other injury.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1988
    Inventor: Celestino Gonzalez
  • Automatic grabbing device for handling articles and robot equipped with such a grabbing device
    Patent number: 4758036
    Abstract: A grabbing device intended to be mounted on the end of the arm of a robot and comprising a plate equipped with a pair of claws mounted in facing relation on the plate, with one claw being slidably mounted on the plate and the other claw being pivotably mounted thereon. The fastening between the robot arm and the plate comprises first and second mutually parallel pivot axes (Y.sub.1, Y.sub.2), the pivot axes being perpendicular to the surface of the plate. The grabbing device of the present invention also includes a mechanism for pivoting the plate about at least one of the axes, a mechanism for blocking or releasing the plate relative to the other of the axes, and a sensor for measuring the pivoting angle of the plate about each of the axes (Y.sub.1, Y.sub.2). The grabbing device is particularly well suited for handling refractory bricks in a robotized apparatus for repairing a metallurigical convertor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1988
    Assignee: Paul Wurth S.A.
    Inventors: Edouard Legille, Emile Lonardi, Victor Kremer
  • Self-gripping reacher
    Patent number: 4758035
    Abstract: A gripping and reaching device for persons with wrist or grip disabilities comprising a one-piece forearm brace which pivotally mounts an axially aligned extension arm having a pair of opposed object engaging gripping elements at its end. The gripper elements are brought into initial contact with the object located therebetween by hand operation of a trigger mounted to the brace. Upon lifting of the object, the gripping elements are further tightened about the object by a cable linkage which is tensioned in response to pivotal movement of the extension arm with a force corresponding to the weight of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1988
    Assignee: Harrington Arthritis Research Center
    Inventor: Kevin W. Shimasaki
  • Scuba tank holder and carrier
    Patent number: 4754996
    Abstract: A tank mount and carrier comprises a holder in the form of a cradle for receiving the tank and having outward extending legs for stable support of the tank, a band at each end of the cradle extends around the tank to attach it to the mount, with a pair of flexible straps extending along each side and for coming together above the tank for attachment and for forming a handle for carrying the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1988
    Inventors: Frank G. Tecca, Jonathan N. Weeks
  • Apparatus for classifying objects according to their lengths
    Patent number: 4754881
    Abstract: Apparatus for classifying elongated tablets, pills and similar objects according to their lengths has a rotary wheel-shaped conveyor with a peripheral groove which receives a succession of objects and advances them past a testing station where the objects are monitored by an optical reflection type detector which generates signals denoting the lengths of the objects. Such signals are used to expel by jets of compressed air those objects whose lengths are unsatisfactory ahead of the location where satisfactory objects leave the groove by gravity. The objects which approach and move past the testing station are attracted to the conveyor by suction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1988
    Inventor: Lorenz Bohle
  • Vehicle wheel and pneumatic tire assembly having a counter-weight
    Patent number: 4754791
    Abstract: A vehicle wheel and pneumatic tire assembly having a counter-weight. The assembly includes a rigid rim having essentially radially inwardly extending rim flanges, a pneumatic vehicle tire, the beads of which are mounted on the radially inner side of the rim next to the rim flanges, and respective cover rings that occupy any space disposed axially inwardly of each tire bead. In order after a counter-weight has been mounted to prevent dirt or water from penetrating between the tire bead and the cover ring, a mounting element, which serves to support the counter-weight, extends into a slot of the cover ring. The base of this slot is disposed within the cover ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1988
    Assignee: Continental Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Werner Flebbe
  • Dynamic wheel balancing device
    Patent number: 4755006
    Abstract: A dynamic balancing device for the wheel of a motor vehicle, the device comprising flexibly mounted weighting members which are driven outward by the increased centrifugal forces diametrically opposite the nonconcentric mass center to produce the desired balancing effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1988
    Inventors: Sean S. C. Clay, Robert A. Clay, deceased
  • Apparatus and system for carrying, storing and connecting scuba tanks together
    Patent number: 4753474
    Abstract: A plastic body having a cylindrical hole through its center has a handle for hand-carrying the body. The hole is at least partially lined with an elastomer. The elastomer lined hole has a diameter approximately 1/8 to 1/4 inch larger than the cylindrical tank to be carried. After sliding the plastic body over a cylindrical tank, by tilting the body, the elastomer lined body surrounding the hole makes a two-point contact with the tank to be carried, thus allowing the lifting and carrying of the tank. The body has three T-shaped slots, each one of which is designed to mate with an external fixture for storing the tanks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1988
    Assignee: Tank Tote, Inc.
    Inventor: James T. Radford