Patents Examined by Jori Schiffman
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Patent number: 6702536Abstract: A nut fastener is formed with anti-cross threading features that include a rounded or chamfered edge at the entry end to the nut, followed by an unthreaded cylindrical counterbore that extends axially from the entry end to the threaded section of the bore. The rounded or chamfered entry end prevents cross threading and the unthreaded section is of sufficient length to ensure substantially collinear alignment between the threaded fastener and the correspondingly threaded nut before threaded engagement occurs. An optional radiused portion is formed between the unthreaded and threaded sections of the nut to further prevent cross threading. In a preferred embodiment, the anti-cross threading nut is a weld nut formed with weld protrusions which enable the nut to be welded to a large structural member before mating engagement with a threaded fastener occurs.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2001Date of Patent: March 9, 2004Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.Inventor: Martin J. Nilsen
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Patent number: 6702506Abstract: In a belt clip for portable electronic equipment by use of rewind urging force of a torsion coil spring, a detachment preventing mechanism of a guide shaft, serving as a shaft center of a rotational mechanism, is implemented with a simple structure so as to improve a reduction in the number of parts and yield. The respective shaft support portions 11a and 12a of a hang stopper plate 1 and both side plates 13a and 14a of a bracket 4 are combined with each other, a torsion coil spring 3 is twisted from a natural state and interposed therebetween in such a manner that a guide rod 21 is passed through a space formed therebetween, but movement of the torsion coil spring 3 to an axial direction and a change in a coil length are restrained by a groove 15 of the hang stopper plate 1 and the side plate 13a of the bracket 4.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2001Date of Patent: March 9, 2004Assignee: Vertex Standard Co., Ltd.Inventor: Yoshitune Iitsuka
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Patent number: 6695557Abstract: A security seal assembly is designed to provide detection of tampering with or the removal of a wheel lug nut, particularly on a truck tire. The Security Seal is designed as an indicative seal rather than theft seal. When the seal is fitted onto the wheel lug nut, it prohibits access to the nut unless the cover is broken.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2002Date of Patent: February 24, 2004Inventors: John Hove, Jim Nelson
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Patent number: 6692179Abstract: A ball sleeve joint with a joint housing has a ball sleeve provided with a preferably spherically designed bearing surface. A bearing shell surrounds the bearing surface and is accommadated in a recess of the joint housing. The joint housing is formed from at least two housing parts. The housing parts have corresponding elastic toothed elements. The toothed elements are locked with one another in the assembled state of the joint housing.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2001Date of Patent: February 17, 2004Assignee: ZF Lemförder Metallwaren AGInventors: Manfred Bohne, Klaus Lampe, Stefan Husmann, Franz-Josef Wehri, Stefan Klumpe
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Patent number: 6688830Abstract: A device f or the bracing connection of spaced-apart components (1, 2) by a connecting screw (5), comprising a supporting part (3), which can be secured on the first component (1) by fastening elements (8), and a spacer part (4), which can be displaced axially in relation to the supporting part (3) by rotation and, as the connecting screw (5), fitted into an opening of the spacer part, is screwed in, is carried along, as a result of friction-fitting engagement of the lateral surface of the screw shank against resilient elements (9) projecting into the opening, until it strikes against the second component (2) Both the supporting part (3) and the spacer part (4) are threaded bushings (6, 7) formed in one piece, the fastening elements (8) and the resilient elements (9) forming parts of the respective shaped member.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2002Date of Patent: February 10, 2004Assignee: Witte-Velbert GmbH & Co. KGInventor: Bernd Klüting
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Patent number: 6685411Abstract: The object of the present invention is to dissolve effectively the problems of the encroaching, the seizure, and the racing. To attain said object, a bolt having a threaded shank portion wherein a notch slanting toward the end of said threaded shank portion at an angle in the range between 15° to 80° for the axis of said threaded shank portion is formed at the beginning of the complete thread part to expand the width of the entrance of the thread part of said thread shank portion is provided in the invention.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2001Date of Patent: February 3, 2004Assignee: Meidoh Co., Ltd.Inventor: Takashi Kato
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Patent number: 6682283Abstract: A sidewalk bolt is provided. The bolt includes a head portion, a threaded shaft portion extending perpendicularly outward from a first side of the head portion, and a socket head recess well formed within a second side of the head portion for use in driving the bolt. A depth of the recess well is greater than the width of the head portion between the first side and the second side.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2002Date of Patent: January 27, 2004Inventors: Gregory Steven Mann, Gabrielle Marder Mann
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Patent number: 6682284Abstract: A nut includes base portion forming an inner threaded bore and a first sun gear. cap forms a second sun gear of which the teeth is different from that of the first sun gear. The cap is rotatably mounted to the base with the first and second sun gears opposing and coaxial with each other. A control ring carries planetary gears engaging both the first and second sun gears. The nut secures a rotatable member of a rotary machine to a threaded driving axle. The nut is initially and loosely tightened on the axle by manually rotating the control ring. The cap has a high friction surface engaging the rotatable member. When the axle starts to rotate, a relative rotation occurs between the rotatable member and the axle which causes the cap to rotate with respect to the base. The rotation of the cap is transmitted to the base by the planetary gears to securely and completely tighten the nut.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2002Date of Patent: January 27, 2004Assignee: Power Network Industry Co., LTDInventor: Ting-Kuang Chen
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Patent number: 6679644Abstract: A modular elongated element (1), an intramodule tensile device (11), a pair of securing and linking devices (12), and an intermodule connector device (13), interconnected using the devices and methods disclosed herein, are used to construct a virtually limitless variety of inherently-tensile constructs. In the most elemental module, the intramodule tensile device (11) connects a pair of securing and linking devices (12) which are in turn secured to two ends (14) of the modular elongated element (1).Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2002Date of Patent: January 20, 2004Inventor: Eric Heller
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Patent number: 6679664Abstract: A plate nut assembly is provided in which a protrusion provided on a nut has a centering guide function relative to a circular hole so that the protrusion reliably fits in the circular hole to prevent displacement of the nut assembly, even if an external force is applied in a direction perpendicular to an axis of a bolt threaded to the nut. Around an entrance of a threaded hole on one side of the nut, of such a dimension so as to be received within a circular hole formed beforehand in a wall or the like, at a position where the nut is inserted into the hole, the protrusion is formed so that height of the protrusion decreases in a direction away from the threaded hole. A recess having substantially the same outer shape as that of the protrusion is formed around the threaded hole on another side of the nut. The recess has opposed end walls that are inclined such that a distance between the opposed end walls decreases in a direction toward a bottom of the recess.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2002Date of Patent: January 20, 2004Assignee: Wakai & Co., Ltd.Inventor: Kazuichi Ikuta
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Patent number: 6676345Abstract: A system for attaching a structural member to a supporting member, the supporting member having at least one stud which extends through an opening of the structural member, the system comprising a sleeve having as radial flange at one end adapted to be introduced into the opening, an annular sealing element positioned on the sleeve and adapted to engage the associated surface of the structural member, an integral nut arrangement, preferably of spring steel, which has a nut portion adapted to be threaded onto the stud, a fastening portion adapted to be secured to the flange, the fastening portion being rotatable with the flange and engages axially the radial flange of the sleeve, and a deformable portion between the nut portion and fastening portion which allows a certain axial deformation if the nut arrangement is threaded onto the stud with a predetermined torque into engagement with the radial flange, the deformable portion and the fastening portion forming a passage for the stud.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2002Date of Patent: January 13, 2004Assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KGInventors: Adi Szczukowski, Stefan Lafeld, Thomas Bieber
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Patent number: 6676346Abstract: The invention relates to a fastening element made from metal, having an expansion sleeve (2) and an expansion member (3), which expansion member (3) is axially displaceable on the shank of a threaded bolt (8), the threaded bolt (8) having on its forward end an end-stop in the form of an expander (9). On the threaded bolt (8), between the expander (9) and the expansion member (3), there is arranged a spacing element (10). In the event of a tensile load, the expander (9) enters the spacing element (10) and forms a deformation zone that corresponds to the length of the spacing element (10). As a result of the friction and deformation occurring in the deformation zone, overloads are absorbed and, consequently, the fastening element is prevented from coming out or the threaded bolt from breaking off.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2002Date of Patent: January 13, 2004Assignee: fischerwerke Artur Fischer GmbH & Co. KGInventors: Albert Frischmann, Marc Schaeffer
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Patent number: 6672813Abstract: The present invention is directed to provide a tapping screw for a soft material having a sufficiently large stripping torque compared to a driving torque and an increased tolerance of a fastening torque, and characterized in that it has threads each having a leading flank and a following flank, the leading flank being designed to be steeper than the following flank, that an R is imparted to a crest of each thread on the following flank side, that an R is also imparted to each flank at a portion contiguous to a root thereof and that the former R and the latter R being designed to connect smoothly to each other at the root.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2001Date of Patent: January 6, 2004Assignee: Aoyama Seisakusho Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hirohisa Kajita, Kazunori Kouketsu, Naoki Hoshino
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Patent number: 6672792Abstract: A fastener connects an insert to a hollow tube. The fastener is formed to have a yoke portion extending between a pair of arm portions, all of which are formed arcuately to conform to the shape of tube. Arm portions have arcuate free ends with horizontally oriented seams. Arm portions include protuberances which then may be cammed between an engagement position with edges of openings in the tube and edges of a cavity space in insert and a disengageable position between the edges. The fastener includes a lifting handle that is spaced away from the tubes surface to form an access gap.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2002Date of Patent: January 6, 2004Assignee: Interlock Structures Internatioal Inc.Inventors: Ralph L. Schipani, Richard K. Strayer, Michael B. Lasky, Lee T. Egbert
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Patent number: 6669398Abstract: A lock portion for a connector which is adapted to disengageably lock connector housings which are adapted to be engaged with each other by locking an engaging portion provided on the male housing with a latch portion provided on the female housing, characterized in that flexible lock arms which are fixed on a horizontal wall of the female housing so as to extend in an engaging direction includes the latch portion at an opposite side, and a disengaging lever portion which is connected at its one end to the latch portion so as to extend along the lock arms, and which rotates with the latch portion around a support portion which is abutted movably against the horizontal wall by pushing a finger touch portion for lock disengaging operation in a backward end, whereby a locked condition will be disengaged.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2001Date of Patent: December 30, 2003Assignee: Yazaki CorporationInventors: Yoshimi Wada, Kazuto Ohtaka, Shigeru Tanaka, Naoto Sugie, Toshinori Yamamoto
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Patent number: 6669425Abstract: A fastener that cuts into or self-threads into an article upon movement of the article towards the fastener and a method of securing the article via the fastener. The fastener includes a connecting member having a first end which is adapted to be secured to a surface and a second end, a member rotatably mounted on the connecting member and being substantially axially retained with respect to the connecting member. The member includes at least one of an external thread, a spline and a row of teeth. A stop surface is arranged between the first end and the second end, and the stop surface is adapted to engage the surface. Wherein, when the article is moved into engagement with the member of the fastener, the member is caused to at least one of rotate with respect to the connecting member and cut into the article. The method provides for attaching the first end of connecting member to the surface, and moving the article towards the member.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2002Date of Patent: December 30, 2003Inventor: John Preta
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Patent number: 6666636Abstract: A drop-in anchor includes a sleeve having a threaded region having an internal thread formed therein and a split region having at least two longitudinal channels formed therein. The channels define sections. The split region has inwardly tapered inner walls. A plug is configured for engagement with the sleeve at the split region. The plug has a top surface and defines a tapered shape. A bolt having a threaded portion and a through-bore extending longitudinally therethrough, is configured for threaded engagement with the sleeve threaded region. A setting member is configured for insertion into the bolt bore. The setting member engages the plug top surface and a force exerted on the setting member drives the plug into the sleeve split region so as to urge the split region sections axially outwardly. A method for securing the anchor in the opening in the structure is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2002Date of Patent: December 23, 2003Assignee: Illinois Tool Works, Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey C. Warmolts, Timothy M. Moran
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Patent number: 6666613Abstract: A lamp rod comprises a retaining seat and an inserting rod. A wire connecting box has a via hole at a periphery thereof. A lateral side of the retaining seat extends with an inserting portion exactly passing through the via hole of the wire connecting box. A positioning ring is positioned at an interior of the wire connecting box for locking the inserting portion. One end of the retaining seat far away from the wire connecting box has two sliding grooves. One end of the inserting rod coupled to the retaining seat is installed with an inserting seat. Two sides of the inserting seat have stepped guide blocks. The guide blocks are exactly engaged with the two sliding grooves of the retaining seat. Thereby, in transfer and storage, the inserting rod can be pulled out from the wire connecting box so as to occupy a smaller space.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2002Date of Patent: December 23, 2003Inventor: Wen-Chang Wu
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Patent number: 6663313Abstract: A mounting system for a speed reducer having a housing with a rotatable input drive coupled with the housing and a gear train coupled with the input to drive an output. The mounting system has a cylinder having an inner and outer surface and two ends. The outer surface includes a portion adapted to couple with the drive train. The outer surface at both ends may have a threaded portion or another securement portion. The inner surface may be tapered from both the ends such that the tapers are substantially symmetrical about the cylinder. A bushing ring, with an internal diameter, may include threads to threadily connect with either threaded end of the output cylinder, or another type of securement may be used. A bushing, which includes a flange and a cylindrical portion, is adapted to couple with the bushing ring. The flange portion couples with the bushing ring on either side of the output cylinder.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2001Date of Patent: December 16, 2003Assignee: Emerson Power Transmission Manufacturing, L.P.Inventors: Michael L. Lewis, Erwin R. Carrigan, Christopher A. Carrigan, Steven H. Griggs
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Patent number: 6648541Abstract: The invention relates to a joining element (VE), consisting of a fixing component (FT) and a closing component (VT), for the ends (DE1, DE2) of a divided seal (D) in sealing systems in cable fittings.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2001Date of Patent: November 18, 2003Assignee: CCS Technology, Inc.Inventors: Thorsten Müller, Rainer Zimmer