Patents Examined by Juan Campos, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9617123
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for lifting and manipulating a load. The system includes a gantry crane having a support rail, a support gantry, and a gantry beam connected to and traversing a space between the support rail and the support gantry. The gantry crane also includes a trolley disposed with the gantry beam. The system further includes a lifting platform secured to a top surface of the gantry beam, and a lifting device disposed with the lifting platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: AMEC FOSTER WHEELER USA CORPORATION
    Inventor: William Meyer
  • Patent number: 9598268
    Abstract: A boom truck with splayed forward stabilizers which permits loads to be lifted over the front of the vehicle without a central front jack and further having a pair of rear stabilizers which are separated from the splayed forward stabilizers along a substantial length of and near the rear end of the vehicle frame. The boom truck being made in a process where the attachment of the rear stabilizers is done in a separate and distinct process from the attachment of the splayed forward stabilizers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Terex USA, LLC
    Inventor: Herbert Larsen
  • Patent number: 9580283
    Abstract: A ballast system for heavy equipment including a ballast weight configured to be removably mounted, proximate to an end of a portion of the horizontal structure of the heavy equipment, at least one actuator mounted on the horizontal structure of the heavy equipment, operable between a first position and a second position, and oriented to actuate horizontally along at least a portion of the horizontal structure, at least one tension member that connects the ballast weight to the actuator and is configured to move the ballast weight vertically in response to the at least one actuator actuating along at least a portion of the horizontal structure; and a locking mechanism configured to removably attach the ballast weight to the end portion of the horizontal structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: TADANO MANTIS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Daniel Copeland
  • Patent number: 9555856
    Abstract: An electric front derailleur is provided with a base member, a movable member, a driving unit and a controller. The base member includes a bicycle mounting portion. The movable member moves with respect to the base member. The controller selectively operates the driving unit with one of a first mode which moves the movable member between a first end position and a second end position, and a second mode which moves the movable member between a third end position and a fourth end position. The controller operates the driving unit to selectively position the movable member at first, second and third stop positions while in the first mode. At least one of the third and fourth end positions differs from the first and second end positions. A first distance between the first and second stop positions differs from a second distance between the second and third stop positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Kazuya Kuwayama, Atsuhiro Emura
  • Patent number: 9550547
    Abstract: An assembly of toothed wheels of a bicycle has at least two toothed wheels of different diameter and at least one support member of at least one toothed wheel of the at least two toothed wheels on a component of a bicycle, like for example a free body of a hub for a rear bicycle wheel. The at least one support member is at least partially housed in at least one cavity of at least one other toothed wheel of the at least two toothed wheels. In this way, the distance between the toothed wheels is lower than the thickness of the support member of the toothed wheels themselves. The support member can thus maintain a strong resistant section at the attachment area to the respective toothed wheel. At the same time, it is possible to mount a greater number of sprockets on a free body of standard size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Campagnolo S.r.l.
    Inventor: Maurizio Valle
  • Patent number: 9527700
    Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a telescopic boom includes a plurality of boom sections, and a sheave assembly disposed between two adjacent boom sections. The sheave assembly includes two sheave assembly sets. Each sheave assembly set includes a plurality of sheaves having different diameters. The plurality of sheaves is arranged abreast along a lengthwise direction of the adjacent boom sections and the diameters of the plurality of sheaves increase successively along the lengthwise direction of the adjacent boom sections. Each sheave is wound with one or more cables. The invention also discloses engineering machinery having the telescopic boom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: SANY AMERICA INC.
    Inventor: Kyle Gerber
  • Patent number: 9523415
    Abstract: A belt tensioning device for a belt drive having at least one apparatus with a housing, a driveshaft and a belt pulley, as well as an infinite belt for driving the belt pulley. The belt tensioning device includes a base that can be or is firmly connected to the apparatus, exactly one tensioning arm that, relative to the base, is supported so as to be pivotable around a pivot axis and that, via a torsion spring, is supported in the circumferential direction against the base. The belt tensioning device also includes a tensioning roller that, at the tensioning arm, is supported so as to be rotatable around an axis of rotation and serves to tension the belt. When the belt tensioning device is mounted at the apparatus, the pivot axis of the tensioning arm is arranged inside the outer diameter of the belt pulley of the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Muhr und Bender KG
    Inventors: Stefan Schauerte, Joachim Jud, Simon Pfeifer, Manfred Jung
  • Patent number: 9522810
    Abstract: One or more overhead cranes are provided. The overhead cranes include a first horizontal rail having a first end and a second end, a second horizontal rail having a third end and a fourth end, a first post connected to the first end of the first horizontal rail, a second post connected to the second end of the first horizontal rail, a third post connected to the third end of the second horizontal rail, a fourth post connected to the fourth end of the second horizontal rail and a cross member extending from the first horizontal rail to the second horizontal rail. The cross member includes a center span section, a first side arm and a second side arm. In some embodiments, the center span section is trapezoidialy shaped. In some embodiments, the overhead crane includes a vacuum system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: You-Hua Chou, Ta-Yung Lee, Chiao-Ping Cheng, Ying Chi Wu
  • Patent number: 9499369
    Abstract: A braking assembly used in a dispenser that dispenses a continuous supply of material such as paper. The braking assembly includes a support structure. A first fixed gear is rotatably connected to the support structure. A movable chassis is also connected to the support structure. A second movable gear is held by the chassis and moves with the chassis. Teeth of the first gear and teeth of the second gear intermesh with each other and allow the paper to pass therethrough. The chassis maintains the teeth of the first and second gears in contact with each other while enabling a distance between gears to be adjustable. The assembly further includes a braking mechanism that varies an amount of force required to rotate the gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: SCA TISSUE NORTH AMERICA LLC
    Inventors: Craig Billman, Jeffrey J. Brickl, Wayne Hansen, Edward A. Raleigh, Rodney Wilson, John W. Grosz
  • Patent number: 9493327
    Abstract: A portable lifting device is provided that includes a pair of telescoping parallel beam assemblies attached on either end to a pair of stanchion assemblies. Each stanchion assembly includes a top and bottom member as well as at least one vertical member. The bottom member of each beam assembly rests on a deck support member, and the height of each vertical member may be adjustable. A sliding guide assembly is slidably mounted on the parallel beam assemblies and includes a cross-member between the parallel beams that acts as the connection point for a lifting medium. This allows for a higher support point for the lifting medium than would be provided by a conventional single-beam device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Huntington Ingalls Incorporated
    Inventors: John W. Ralls, Matthew J. Absi, Charles C. Smith, Randall L. Durham, Kenneth D. Evanson, John C. Vandenberg
  • Patent number: 9480371
    Abstract: A self-securing roll holder for easily exchanging rolls of sheet material. The holder comprises a mounting bracket, an mounting stanchion, a support, and a cap. The cap is pivotally connected to the support with a resilient retaining assembly. The cap has dimensions that allow the cap to act as a retainer in one position and, when moved to a second position, allow rolls of sheet material to be mounted and dismounted from the support. The retaining assembly further comprises a piston, a piston guide, a spring, and a pivot pin all of which are located inside the support. The cap is pivotally connected to the retaining assembly thereby maintaining forcible contact with the support and retaining rolls of sheet material on the support in one position until moved to a second position to exchange rolls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: HARDWARE RESOURCES, INC.
    Inventor: Mark Jeffery Lowe
  • Patent number: 9475677
    Abstract: A method for handling a wind turbine blade and mounting said blade on a wind turbine hub located at a nacelle at the top of a wind turbine tower is described. The wind turbine blade is lifted with a lifting system for handling wind turbine blades, in doing so said wind turbine blade is oriented in a substantially horizontal position. The wind turbine blade is fixed in the substantially horizontal position to the wind turbine hub. The lifting device is released from the blade using a remote control unit. The lifting device is further on removed from the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Henrik Lynderup Hansen, Jesper Moeller
  • Patent number: 9440824
    Abstract: A vehicle crane includes a carbody, a turntable rotatably mounted on the carbody, a jib mounted on the turntable that can be tilted about a horizontal axis, and a counterweight assembly mounted on the turntable and can be moved relative to the turntable. A coupler mechanically couples the position of the counterweight assembly to the tilt angle of the jib. The coupler is embodied such that it can be decoupled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Manitowoc Crane Group France SAS
    Inventors: Dieter Stuehrwoldt, Stephan Maywald
  • Patent number: 9441383
    Abstract: The present invention disclosed a construction apparatus and method for lifting structure integrally over the obstacles in vertical direction to a position with different horizontal projection. The apparatus comprises two platform beams placed each other in parallel, two lifting beams laterally relative to the platform beams and a lifter equipped with the lifting beams. Push instrument kits are installed on the platform beams and the lifting beams respectively, and a plurality of sets of baffles installed on both sides of the platform beams to provide the push instrument kits with a counter-force when the push instrument kits work. When the structure encounters obstacles during the process of lifting the structure by two lifters, the posture of the structure can be altered by operating the push instrument kits and the lifters, such that the horizontal projection of the structure will be reduced and the structure can therefore be lifted over the obstacle in vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignees: GUANGZHOU CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING CO., LTD, SHANGHAI YESHENG MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL CONTROL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
    Inventors: Long Wang, Wei Wei, Junyue Gao, Jianming Wen, Sui Yin, Yuantao Zhao, Yanfeng Jia
  • Patent number: 9440823
    Abstract: A transportable machine includes a frame that may be part of a motorized carriage and a machine for transport. The frame has, for example, one or more gaps defining an interface specially designed for engaging the machine. The machine includes elements adapted to fit within or otherwise engage the gaps of the frame. Fasteners join the machine and the frame, thus creating a transportable machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Manitowoc Crane Companies, LLC
    Inventors: Gary Allan Johnston, John Fremont Benton
  • Patent number: 9415978
    Abstract: A crane includes a double wire guide and anchoring bracket arranged in the nacelle of a wind turbine for hoisting-up and -down of heavy parts of the wind turbine arranged in the nacelle. The crane includes an external winch with wires, located near the base of the tower of the wind turbine, the winch being connected via the wire guide to a pulley block including a crane hook at the end of the crane outrigger arm. The particular by the wire guide is, that it by two set of pivotally mounted wire wheels, mounted respectively on a fixed bracket part of the crane, and the pivotal mounted part of the crane, controls the wires of the crane within an pivot interval between +/?175 degrees from a 0-reference point, so that the wires never touch each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: LIFTRA IP ApS
    Inventor: Per Fenger
  • Patent number: 9415980
    Abstract: A mast-raising mechanism for raising a mast of a mobile lift crane to an operating position includes a hydraulic cylinder extendable to raise the mast. The hydraulic cylinder includes a first end pivotally coupled to a rotating bed of the crane and a second end spaced apart from the first end. A first arm includes a first end pivotably coupled to the second end of the hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic cylinder extends to press the first end against a bearing surface on the mast. The first arm also includes a second end spaced apart from the first end. A second arm includes a first end proximate the second end of the first arm and a second end spaced apart from the first end. The second end of the second arm is pivotably connected to the rotating bed. A biasing mechanism urges the first arm towards the second arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Manitowoc Crane Companies, LLC
    Inventors: Darin J. Geiser, Robert J. Walker
  • Patent number: 9394992
    Abstract: A sheave positioning device is provided. A valve element is arranged on a flow path to close the flow path when pushed in a direction against a pressure from hydraulic chambers, and a valve closing mechanism is also arranged on the flow path to generate a thrust force for pushing the valve element in the direction against a pressure from the hydraulic chambers. The valve closing mechanism is adapted to generate the thrust force, which is larger than a load to be applied to the valve element to push the valve element in a direction to open the valve element in case a predetermined speed change ratio is being set, but smaller than a load to be applied to the valve element to push the valve element in a direction to open the valve element in case the pressure in the hydraulic chambers is raised to the maximum pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinya Fujimura, Takahiro Yokokawa, Takaho Kawakami, Yuji Hattori
  • Patent number: 9377090
    Abstract: A tensioner assembly that includes a base, an arm, an opening spring (i.e., a torsion spring that opens or radially expands with increasing torque applied thereto), a spring reaction member, and a pivot bushing. The tensioner assembly is configured to orient various loads in predetermined directions. For example, a spring load can be oriented to counteract a hub load to reduce a bushing load that acts on the pivot bushing. As another example, a spring reaction force exerted by the spring reaction member can be employed by a damping mechanism to generate a grounding force that is parallel to the spring reaction force and is directed to intersect an axis about which the arm pivots relative to the base. A tensioner assembly having improved assembly characteristics is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Litens Automotive Partnership
    Inventors: Wei Ma, Gerald J. Hamers
  • Patent number: 9370283
    Abstract: A paper product dispenser that includes a motor adapted to dispense a paper product and a controller. A network interlace card is in communication with the controller and is adapted to connect the paper product dispenser to a network. DIP switches are connected to the motor to adjust the length of the paper product and the interval between the activation of the motor. A power roller is connected to the motor and an idle roller is face-to-face with the power roller. The paper product passes between the power roller and the idle roller. A paper sensor is positioned below the power roller to detect the presence or absence of the paper product. A thermopile sensor is also provided to detect the presence of a human being adjacent to the dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Inventor: Scott Fellhoelter