Patents Examined by James G. Smith
  • Patent number: 6807882
    Abstract: A wrench includes a handle, a head extended from the handle, and a drive member rotatably mounted in a compartment of the head. A cavity is defined in a web between the handle and the head and communicated with the compartment. A transverse hole is defined in the web and includes an inner end communicated with the cavity and an outer end communicated with outside. A pawl is slidably mounted in the cavity and includes a toothed side, an attachment side, and a pressing side. An elastic element includes a first end attached to the attachment side of the pawl and a second end attached to an anchor securely mounted in the transverse hole. The toothed side of the pawl is biased to engage with the drive member and the pressing side of the pawl is biased to press against a wall defining the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Inventor: Bobby Hu
  • Patent number: 6807885
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for a torque limiting wrench used for applying a torque to a medical device to prevent damage to the medical device by providing a predetermined torque limit to indicate when the predetermined torque is reached. The torque limiting wrench comprises a gripping mechanism for engaging a medical device, a handle extending from the gripping mechanism and a torque limiting assembly contained within a length of the handle. A predetermined torque is set by the torque limiting assembly to provide an indicator to prevent damage to the acoustic characteristics of the medical device. The torque limiting wrench comprises a material that can undergo a sterilization process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: OmniSonics Medical Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: James H. Loper
  • Patent number: 6807880
    Abstract: The invention concerns a tool for removing fastening members, such as nuts and studs. The tool comprises an elongate body member (30) with first and second ends, the first end having means (31′) for deforming an end face of the fastening member to provide an area of purchase thereon; and means (44) to cause rotation of the fastening member to unscrew the fastening member from the structure. Also within the scope of the present invention is a locating means (38′) for locating the first end of the body member (30′) with respect to the end face of the fastening member as well as a method for enabling removal of fastening members by action upon an end face of a fastening member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Inventors: Ronnie Brian, David Brian
  • Patent number: 6805268
    Abstract: An ironing device, to be used in ironing machines for ironing trousers by blowing hot air therethrough, comprises a driving construction, supporting a pair of carriages, each of which supports, in turn, at least an ironing block for ironing the trousers pockets, said driving construction being designed for bringing said carriages from an opened position, in which the trousers article is arranged on a tool for tensioning the pelvis region of the trousers article, and a pressing position, in which the pocket ironing blocks press the trousers pockets in the ironing block arranged inside the pelvis region of the pelvis region tensioning tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Inventor: Giovanni Cartabbia
  • Patent number: 6805027
    Abstract: A pawl controlling device for a ratchet tool includes a selection member movably connected to the tool and having a through hole in which a bead, a biasing piece and a spring are received, wherein the spring is located between the bead and the biasing piece. The bead is engaged with one of two positioning recesses defined in the slot in which the selection member is received, and the biasing piece is engaged with one of two concavities defined in a side of the pawl which is matched with the engaging member. The pawl is shifted to have one of two ends thereof contacting against an inside of the recess for receiving the pawl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Inventor: Chih-Ching Hsien
  • Patent number: 6792834
    Abstract: A tool for rotating a cutting head relative to a shaft includes a pair of identical L-shaped shanks. Each shank includes first and second parts oriented transversely to one another, with a shoulder projecting from the first part into a corner formed by the first and second parts. A free end of each first part includes a through-hole receiving the second part of the other shank, wherein the shoulders face one another in order to be able to grip a cutting head. Each second part is slidable in its respective through-hole to enable the distance between the shoulders to be adjusted to accommodate different-size cutting heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Sandvik AB
    Inventor: Henrik Eriksson
  • Patent number: 6792829
    Abstract: A lifting tool has a handle, a lifting tool head, and a means for slidably mounting the lifting tool head on the handle such that the lifting tool head slides with respect to the handle between an extended position and a compressed position. The lifting tool further includes a means for biasing the lifting tool head towards the extended position. Since the lifting tool head can slide against the bias of the means for biasing, the lifting tool can absorb some of the shock if the lifting tool head strikes a hard obstruction, thereby sparing a user from the strain and potentially avoiding an injury that could result from the strain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Inventors: Arturo C. Garcia, David Halstead
  • Patent number: 6789709
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for curling feathers on a bird. The device comprises a base member having a convex surface and a mating member having a concave surface. The base member and the mating member define a space between the convex surface and the concave surface into which a feather to be curled may be placed. The base member and the mating member are configured so as to be squeezable so that the concave surface and the convex surface may be placed into contact with the feather to effect curling thereof. A method for using the curling device is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Van Dyke Taxidermy Supply Co.
    Inventor: Danny Ray Owens
  • Patent number: 6789450
    Abstract: A strap wrench for turning generally cylindrical objects where the strap wrench includes a manually rotatable thumb wheel which is mounted within a handle. Rotation of the thumb wheel produces lineal movement of a strap that attaches to the handle. The strap wrench is firmly mounted about a generally cylindrical object and applying a twisting force to the strap wrench is to result in turning movement of the generally cylindrical object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Inventor: Leon Helfet
  • Patent number: 6782777
    Abstract: A socket connector structure includes a base formed with two drive heads. The two drive heads formed with two circular holes and two ball receiving holes. Two drive rods are each slidably mounted in the circular hole, and are each formed with a bidirectional ball receiving cavity aligning with the ball receiving hole. Two elastic members are each mounted in the circular hole, and are each biased between the drive rod and the wall of the circular hole. Two balls are each received in the ball receiving hole, and locked in a space formed by the ball receiving hole of the drive head and the bi-directional ball receiving cavity of the drive rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Inventor: Chiao Wei
  • Patent number: 6779425
    Abstract: The preferred embodiments relate to a multipurpose hand device especially comprising utensils. A lift and/or release mechansim is assigned to said utensils, enabling them to be placed in a slightly raised position so that they can be grasped easily or locked in a swing-out position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: CTECH AG
    Inventors: Peter Ackeret, Pierre-Alain Jeandupeux, Yves Wira, Rolf Nussbaumer, Claude Kottelat
  • Patent number: 6779423
    Abstract: A kickoff socket assembly includes a socket and an insert member that fits closely inside the socket. The insert member includes a body portion and a projection. The projection integrally extends from the body portion, and has a distal end disposed a predetermined distance from the open end of the socket, and is narrower in diameter than the body portion of the insert member. In use, a nut is placed over the projection such that the projection extends partially through the nut. The nut is engaged with a threaded shaft and the socket is rotated to drive the nut onto the shaft. Rotation of the nut is stopped by engagement of the distal end of the projection with the shaft when the nut is threaded the predetermined distance on the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gary Hammons, Russell Gygi, James Gatchel, Robert Bogard
  • Patent number: 6779212
    Abstract: An adaptor to mate with a hand tool such as a folding multipurpose tool to make use of the multipurpose tool as a handle to turn tool bits of various sizes, such as screwdrivers or small socket wrenches. The adaptor includes a drive plate which mates with the hand tool, and a tool bit-engaging member attached to the drive plate and movable angularly between various positions, with a latch to keep the tool bit-engaging member in a selected position. A pair of arms of the drive plate engage the sides of the jaws of one type of multipurpose tool to locate the adaptor as required with respect to the multipurpose tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Leatherman Tool Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Anderson, Howard G. Berg
  • Patent number: 6775869
    Abstract: A maraca is formed with a handle having a bottle opener therein. A transverse groove is provided in the handle which has a bottom surface, a first side surface, and second side surface. A metal tool is mounted in the handle to extend along the first side surface, and to extend from the first side surface toward the second side surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Inventor: Wayne Cohen
  • Patent number: 6776072
    Abstract: An adjustable pliers wrench including a fixture having a handle and an opposing stationary jaw, a co-acting jaw pivoted to the fixture and a lever pivoted to the co-acting jaw. A guide is attached proximate the handle and a locking element is arranged on the guide for reciprocal and canting movement. At least one attached biasing element urges the locking element toward the stationary jaw. An arm is pivoted to the lever and a cam is pivoted to the arm and to the locking element so as to be movable between a first condition permitting the locking element to reciprocate along the guide and a second condition bearing against the guide and canting the locking element into frictional engagement against the guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Inventors: Daniel L. Poole, Robert N. Poole
  • Patent number: 6772658
    Abstract: An apparatus for temporarily securing an object includes a first jaw that includes a needle-nose shape that is less than three-eight's of an inch thick and an opposite second jaw that includes a shape that resembles a letter “C” and has a throat depth that exceeds one inch. The first jaw includes a plurality of serrations along an inner surface for a predetermined longitudinal length. A clamping embodiment and two non-clamping embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Inventor: Guy Arthur Jasick
  • Patent number: 6772657
    Abstract: A nail-setting claw hammer head includes a main body and a claw. The main body has a top surface and a rear surface with the rear surface including a nail-head receiving recess formed therein. The claw is connected to the rear surface at one end and terminates at an opposite second end with a pair of claw sections that define a V-shaped slot therebetween. The nail-head receiving recess is positioned to face the V-shaped slot and is in a plane defined by horizontal and vertical axes of the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Inventor: Toshiro Nakayama
  • Patent number: 6772923
    Abstract: A molded plastic garment hanger constituted from first and second plastic materials which are fused and mechanically bonded to form a composite garment hanger. A coinjected plastic member formed of the second plastic material is molded into the plastic body member formed of the first plastic material, and is secured thereto by a plume of the second plastic material of the coinjected plastic member which is formed as the second plastic material is coinjected and breaches the surface of the first plastic material of the molded plastic body member which is not completely set and hardened, such that the plume of the second plastic material extends into and is secured and anchored into the first plastic material. A method and apparatus for co-injection molding of plastic materials for the formation of the plastic garment hanger construction are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Spotless Plastics Pty. Ltd.
    Inventors: Olaf Olk, Ralph H. Pena
  • Patent number: 6763747
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a shock absorbing hammer and handle assembly. The shock absorbing hammer includes a hammer head including a striking portion, a shaft connected to the hammer head, and a hand grip. In accordance with aspects of the present invention, a hand grip assembly suitable for use with the shock absorbing hammer includes a shell defining an outer surface and an inner cavity. An inner elastomeric layer lines the inner cavity and defines an opening adapted to receive the shaft of the item. An outer elastomeric layer surrounds the outer surface of the shell. In particular embodiments of the handle grip, the outer elastomeric layer is formed with first and second elastomeric materials, which may define different durometer hardnesses. Still further, the inner elastomeric layer may also be formed with the first elastomeric material. In accordance with another aspects of the present invention, methods of making the novel handle grip are also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: Joseph T. Gierer, David L. Pringle
  • Patent number: 6763982
    Abstract: A hosiery removal and retrieval tool with a notch for shoe removal and a shoehorn, for use by individuals with limited mobility. The tool has a substantially cylindrical elongated shank having a first end and a second end. The first end of the shank terminates in a rounded portion, having a substantially cylindrical prong which extends from the shank at an angle, and also having a notch. The prong is used for pushing socks or stockings off the foot of the user. The notch is used for pushing a shoe off the foot of the user. The prong additionally has a rough strip located on a portion of its surface for aiding a user in retrieving hosiery once it has been removed by use of the prong. The second end of the shank has a shoehorn, for aiding a user in putting the shoe onto the foot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Inventor: George Livornese