Patents Examined by Katherine Mitchel
  • Patent number: 6979160
    Abstract: A fixing element comprising a fixing section and a tubular stamped or riveted section in which the stamped or riveted section enable the fixing element to be placed on a metal part and the fixing section enables an object to be placed on the metal part. A bearing surface on a transition region between the fixing section and the stamped or riveted section extends in a radial or conical manner and optionally has torsional fixing features. The tubular stamped or riveted section free front end has a conical cutting surface which is divergent on the radially inner side in the direction of the free front end area and a rounded impact and traction surface on the radially outer side. The cutting, impact and traction surfaces meet at an annular edge on the free front end of the stamped or riveted section and are shaped to prevent shavings from occurring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Profil Verbindungstechnik GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Jiri Babej, Richard Humpert, Ines Rattei
  • Patent number: 6974291
    Abstract: A quick coupling nut includes a body having a bore therethrough and adjacent side holes. A pair of threaded members are disposed in the bore and moveable in a radial direction of the bore and a cap having a bore therethrough, coaxial with the body bore, includes depending guides which are received by the guide holes for enabling axial movement between the cap and the body. Actuators depending from the cap engage the threaded members in order to urge the threaded members radially inward to engage a threaded bolt shank, extending through the cap and body bores, as the cap is moved axially toward the body. This threaded engagements enables tightening of the quick coupling cap by rotation about the threaded bolt shank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Inventor: Feiyu Li
  • Patent number: 6928835
    Abstract: Jewelry items such as rings, bracelets and necklaces are made of pop beads of novel construction. The structure includes a spherical body from which extends an elongate, flexible neck having a ball formed on its distal free end. The neck is sufficiently long to enable it to be formed into a loop so that it can be press fit into a socket formed on the opposite side of the same spherical body, and the neck is adapted to receive a plurality of strung beads. In a second embodiment, the neck is not long enough to enable it to be formed into a loop, but is sufficiently long to receive at least on strung bead so that Jewelry items are made by connecting a plurality of the pop beads together with strung beads being positioned between the respective spherical of the pop beads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Inventors: Michael G. Cousin, Jeffrey Cousin, Michelle Marcott, Deborah Campbell, Mark Pezzuti, John Johnston