Patents Examined by Josh Skroupa
  • Patent number: 11739795
    Abstract: A spline coupling comprises a male spline member having male spline teeth and a female spline member having female spline teeth complementary to and engaged with the male spline teeth. One or more of the female spline teeth has a tooth height lesser than a tooth height of another one or more of the female spline teeth. The tooth height of the one or more of the female spline teeth is defined by a top land surface of the one or more of the female spline teeth. The tooth height of the other one or more of the female spline teeth is defined by a top land surface of the other one or more of the female spline teeth. A drainage hole in the top land surface of the one or more of the female spline teeth passes through the one or more of the female spline teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Daniel Harvey, Roberto Brito
  • Patent number: 11739794
    Abstract: A steering assembly includes a pinion shaft. The steering assembly also includes a yoke defining a space for axially receiving the pinion shaft and defining an access path for receiving a fastener that couples the pinion shaft to the yoke. The steering assembly further includes an error-proofing device fixed to the yoke and having a deflectable portion blocking the access path in an initial position and deflectable upon contact with the pinion shaft to be clear of the access path in a final assembly position to ensure that the pinion shaft is assembled to the yoke at a predetermined axial position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Michael E. Partyka, Sergio R. Molinar, Carl R. Castanier, David G. Matousek
  • Patent number: 11739791
    Abstract: A ball joint and a dust cover in which a stable sealing function can be provided even when a space for disposing the dust cover is small are provided. The dust cover includes a deformable body portion, a fixed portion which is provided on one end side of the body portion and is fixed to a socket, and a seal portion provided on the other end side of the body portion. The seal portion has a main seal part which is provided to be slidable relative to a spherical portion side flange and an opposite side flange while sandwiched therebetween. The maximum length of the main seal part in a central axis direction in a state in which no external force is applied thereto is longer than a distance between opposing surfaces of the spherical portion side flange and the opposite side flange, where the central axis direction is a direction in which a central axis of the dust cover extends in a state in which no external force is applied thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: NOK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keisuke Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 11739790
    Abstract: A ball joint (20) for a vehicle, in particular for an off-road vehicle. The ball joint (20) has a housing (21) and a ball stud (22) which is rotatably and pivotably mounted in the housing (21) and which, with a shaft (23), extends out of an opening of the housing (21). The housing opening is protected against unwanted penetration of dirt and/or moisture by f a seal bellows (25). The seal bellows (25) is surrounded in some areas by a bellows protection (30) in order to prevent damage to the seal bellows (25) due to mechanical influence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Hans-Gerd Brunneke, Ulrich Kalmey, Heinfried Helms
  • Patent number: 11719284
    Abstract: A coupling assembly arranged between an input shaft and a rotor shaft of a supercharger includes a first hub, a second hub, a first side coupling assembly, a second side coupling assembly, a central hub and a plurality of coupler pins. The first hub is mounted for concurrent rotation with the input shaft. The second hub is mounted for concurrent rotation with the rotor shaft. The first side coupling assembly has a first side coupling body and a first side elastomeric insert. The first side coupling body includes an inboard body portion having a first series of pockets and an outboard body portion having a second series of pockets. The first side elastomeric insert has a first and second plurality of lobes. The pockets of the first and second series of pockets are tangentially offset relative to each other and each receive respective first and second plurality of lobes therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
    Inventor: Mark Harold Pratley
  • Patent number: 11713782
    Abstract: An insert for a ball joint (19) in a motor vehicle. The insert having a first part-structure (6) for making at least partial slide-bearing contact with a joint ball (2). The first part-structure (6) can be connected, by over-molding, to a joint socket (17) and/or to a joint housing (18). The insert (1) can be positioned and/or handled to cover a pole surface, to increase the extraction force, the insert (1) has an open part-structure (20) such that a cage-like configuration can be produced for surrounding the joint ball (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Frank Nachbar, Jan Pabst, Volker Grube
  • Patent number: 11713783
    Abstract: A ball joint includes a grease boot having a snap ring at least partially embedded in an elastomeric body. The snap ring has a C-shaped body that defines a compressible radial gap in the elastomeric body. The snap ring can be at least partially embedded in a flange of the grease boot, with a radially outermost edge of the flange including a first elastomeric shoulder, a second elastomeric shoulder, and an exposed outer wall of the snap ring located between the first elastomeric shoulder and the second elastomeric shoulder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: FEDERAL-MOGUL MOTORPARTS LLC
    Inventors: Seth Englebright, Sean Smith
  • Patent number: 11707140
    Abstract: A base unit includes first and fourth connectors that are obliquely positioned relative to each other such that a first connector of a first base unit is engagable to a fourth connector of a second base unit. The present base unit further includes second and third connectors that are obliquely positioned relative to each other such that a second connector of the first base unit is engagable to a third connector of the second base unit. A set of base units may form a self-standing playyard enclosure or one or more of the base units may be clamped by the jaws of a bracket that in turn is pivotably engaged to a wall mount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Regalo International, LLC
    Inventors: Mark A. Flannery, Gary T. Schultze, Matthew A. Willms
  • Patent number: 11698100
    Abstract: A motor vehicle drive shaft has a receptacle tube component with a receptacle internal diameter and a push-fit component with a push-fit external diameter. The push-fit external diameter is smaller than or equal to the receptacle internal diameter. The receptacle tube component and the push-fit component can be rotated about a common drive shaft rotational axis and extend along the latter in a longitudinal direction. The receptacle tube component and the push-fit component are connected to one another for the transmission of torque. A connecting component is provided, wherein the connecting component is connected in a torque-conducting manner to the receptacle tube component by way of a receptacle connection. The connecting component is connected to the push-fit component by way of a push-fit connection. At least one of the two connections is configured as a combined frictionally locking and positively locking shaft/hub connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Marek Cina, Anton Mangold, Wolfgang Streinz, Torsten Wingeleit
  • Patent number: 11698101
    Abstract: The ball socket assembly includes a housing with an inner bore, and a bearing is received in the inner bore. The bearing is made as a monolithic piece of a plastic material and has a curved bearing surface which surrounds a ball cavity. The ball socket assembly also includes a ball stud with a ball portion and a shank portion. The ball portion is received in the ball cavity of the bearing and has an equator. The curved bearing surface of the bearing is in slidable contact with the ball portion on opposite axial sides of the equator. The plastic material of the bearing comprises 8-12 mass percent polytetrafluoroethylene, 2-6 mass percent carbon fibers, and the remainder acetal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul Motorparts LLC
    Inventors: Sidney Paerewyck, Johannes Kankare, Thomas J. Byrnes, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11692586
    Abstract: A self-aligning support incorporates a support attachment fitting and a rotatable pin assembly having a primary load pin coupling the support attachment fitting to an attachment support, and inboard and outboard attachment claws engaged to end portions of the primary load pin. The rotatable pin assembly is configured to rotate relative to the support attachment fitting. At least one fuse pin extends through the primary load pin to limit translation of the primary load pin relative to the inboard and outboard claws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Ths Boeing Company
    Inventors: Bryan J. Gruner, John Thomas B. Homrich
  • Patent number: 11692592
    Abstract: A low surface-roughness part is formed at a first tapered part, and, as a result, the roughness of an opening-edge of a groove part of an internal spline part that opens at the first tapered part is reduced, and surface pressure applied by the opening edge to a tooth of an external spline part can be reduced. As a result, the opening edge of the groove part of the internal spline part can be kept from digging into the tooth, and variation, between products, in the insertion load of a second shaft part can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasushi Akita, Kazuhisa Yokoyama, Kenichiro Ishikura, Tatsuya Shimoda
  • Patent number: 11680607
    Abstract: A shaft and hub connection assembly including a shaft and a hub each extending along and rotatable about an axis. One of the shaft and the hub defines a male connection portion, and the other of the shaft and the hub defines a female connection portion. The female connection portion has a radially inner surface comprised of a plurality of inside faces. The male connection portion has a radially outer surface comprised of a plurality of outside faces that nest within the inside faces. A plurality of outside transition regions are located between the outside faces in a circumferential direction and are blended at an outside radius. A plurality of inside transition regions are located between the inside faces of the female connection portion in the circumferential direction and are blended at an inside radius. A gap is provided between the outside and inside transition regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: NEAPCO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventor: Nick Dubiel
  • Patent number: 11668351
    Abstract: A safety guard support for a power take off shaft, the safety guard support: including a bearing; and a retainer ring. The bearing and the retainer ring including corresponding interlocking formations configured to prevent rotation of the bearing relative the retainer ring about a longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Sparex Limited
    Inventor: Jeremy Burgess
  • Patent number: 11666980
    Abstract: A tube assembly includes at least first and second tubes configured for coupling at respective ends. The first and second tubes each include a base material, and a weld interface at the respective end. The weld interface is proximate to an inner diameter and an outer diameter of the first and second tubes, and includes a weld interface segment extending therebetween. A work hardened weld assembly couples the base material of each of the first and second tubes. The work hardened weld assembly includes a weld fusion zone between the weld interfaces of the first and second tubes and the weld interface segments of the first and second tubes. The weld fusion zone is work hardened and at least the weld interface segments of the first and second tubes are work hardened between the work hardened weld fusion zone and the base material of the first and second tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Webco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Yong Joo Kim, Stephen Douglas Obermark, Brent Michael Summers, Austin Tyler Hanes, William Francis Obermark
  • Patent number: 11661970
    Abstract: A shaft assembly (22, 32) for an aircraft turbine engine (1), comprising a first outer shaft (32) and a second inner shaft (22), the first outer shaft being intended to be engaged axially on the second shaft and comprising inner longitudinal splines (34) for coupling with outer longitudinal splines (24) of the second shaft, characterised in that, when the first and second shafts are in the coupling position, the inner and outer splines are engaged in one another and cooperate with each other in an axial coupling area (Z), the inner and outer teeth being situated outside this coupling area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Arnaud Nicolas Negri, Julien Fabien Patrick Becoulet, Michel Gilbert Roland Brault, Guillaume Patrice Kubiak
  • Patent number: 11661715
    Abstract: A manhole guard, methods of assembling the same, and methods of using the same, are described. The manhole guard generally includes a plurality of sections connected for movement, the sections being capable of being locked into a fixed rigid structure through the use of a first arm and second arm that act independently of each other. The manhole guard may include a safety net attached to one or more sections of the manhole guard. The manhole guard may include attachable mounting brackets designed to facilitate the attachment of a first hoist device and/or first winch and include attachable mounting members designed to facilitate the attachment of a second hoist device and/or second winch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: ButlerBilt L.L.C.
    Inventors: Michael Butler, John Lambert
  • Patent number: 11655855
    Abstract: A coupling is provided that includes a shaft, a hub, a retainer and a fastener. The shaft includes a plurality of shaft splines. The shaft splines are arranged circumferentially about an exterior of the shaft. The hub includes a plurality of hub splines, a hub bore and a hub fastener aperture. The hub splines are arranged circumferentially about the hub bore. The hub splines are mated with the shaft splines. The shaft is within the hub bore. The retainer includes a plurality of retainer splines, a retainer bore and a retainer fastener aperture. The retainer splines are arranged circumferentially about the retainer bore. A first of the retainer splines circumferentially overlaps and is axially next to a first of the shaft splines. The shaft is within the retainer bore. The fastener is within the hub fastener aperture and the retainer fastener aperture. The fastener connects the retainer to the hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Paul J. Marchetti
  • Patent number: 11655651
    Abstract: A method to install a wire fence includes providing horizontal and vertical wires and connecting them to form a wire fence. The method further includes providing a post to form a termination of the wire fence, providing one hole for each horizontal wire in the post, and driving the post into the ground. The method further includes inserting the horizontal wire ends through the holes in the post, attaching wire tensioning devices to some of the horizontal wire ends, and stretching the horizontal wires by the tensioning devices. The method further includes keeping the tensioning devices on the horizontal wire ends. The tensioning devices keep the horizontal wires attached to the pole, and placing a cover plate to the post to cover the tensioning devices and the horizontal wire ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: NV BEKAERT SA
    Inventors: David Aspinwall, Curran Lehr
  • Patent number: 11649841
    Abstract: The tie rod assembly union includes a tube sleeve and a tie rod shaft that extends into the tube sleeve such that the tie rod shaft and the tube sleeve overlap with one another. In the overlapping area, each of the tie rod shaft and the tube sleeve has at least one set of openings. A C-shaped clamp is disposed about the tube sleeve. The clamp has a curved inner surface which engages both tube sleeve halves. The clamp has a first set of apertures which are spaced outwardly from the curved inner surface and a second set of apertures which extend to the curved inner surface. A first fastener extends through the first set of apertures to tighten the clamp onto the tube sleeve. A second fastener extends through the second set of apertures and through aligned openings in the tie rod shaft and tube sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul Motorparts LLC
    Inventor: Trevor G. Seibert