Patents Examined by Leonard Smith
  • Patent number: 4037412
    Abstract: A supercharged rotary combustion engine which at low operating speeds and/or power functions as a spark-ignited, Otto cycle, engine which at higher speeds and/or power functions as a diesel engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1975
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1977
    Assignee: Curtiss-Wright Corporation
    Inventor: Charles Jones
  • Patent number: 4037999
    Abstract: Liquid-cooled rotary piston internal combustion engine with a housing consisting of at least one annular shell with interior guideway and two parallel end pieces, and bounding an interior space. The shell and end pieces containing cavities for circulation of two cooling circuits completely separate from each other. One of the circuits cools the region of the housing in the hot arc of the shell, where the ignition, expansion and exhaust strokes take place in the interior space. A liquid-cooled piston revolves in the housing. The cooling circuit of the piston and the shell cooling circuit traversing the region of the hot arc are connected in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1977
    Assignee: Audi NSU Auto Union Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Bauder Armin, Lechler Rolf, Steinwart Johannes, Wilmers Gottlieb
  • Patent number: 4036078
    Abstract: A vehicle parking brake pedal positioning mechanism of the disclosure positions a parking brake pedal in an actuated condition against pivotal movement toward a released position by an infinite position locking action. A frame of the mechanism rotatably supports the brake pedal and a locking member about a common pivotal axis so as to be rotatable with respect to the frame and each other. The frame and the locking member respectively include first and second cam surfaces extending about the pivotal axis and having portions with increasing radii from the axis in a direction corresponding to the brake pedal movement from the released position to the actuated condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1977
    Inventor: Anthony A. Muehling
  • Patent number: 4036564
    Abstract: A concrete hopper has a plurality of arcuate channels in its bottom portion, preferably lined with a resilient material, such as rubber. The hopper includes a discharge end with discharge outlets formed therein in communication with the channels. A sliding sleeve-piston combination is associated with each channel for segregating and discharging a portion of the concrete through its associated discharge outlet. In other words, the sleeves are alternately filled by moving them through the hopper, and the pistons are operated to force the concrete out of the sleeves. A slide valve assembly including a discharge nozzle for connecting to a discharge hose and a pair of wear plates controls the discharge of pumped concrete from the discharge outlets. Hydraulic control means are included which automatically program the sequential operation of the sliding sleeve-piston combinations and the sliding valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1971
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1977
    Inventor: John A. Richards
  • Patent number: 4035111
    Abstract: A rotary engine having a toroidal chamber which is stationary, and in which the pistons convey power to a common crankshaft under the control of a four-bar linkage including novel means for preventing reverse motion of any piston in the chamber. Inlet and exhaust valves to control the flow of energizing fluid are provided, and are actuated directly from the crankshaft. Novel sub-components include the four-bar linkage, the valving mechanism, and the arrangement by which rotary movement of the pistons in the chamber is eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1975
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1977
    Inventor: Peter J. Cronen, Sr.
  • Patent number: 4035105
    Abstract: A variable-output pump has an output-adjusting element which is acted upon by a differential piston arrangement having oppositely facing active surfaces of a smaller and of a larger active area. Control fluid is permanently admitted to the smaller active area of the differential piston arrangement to act on the same and urge the output-adjusting element of the pump toward a low-output position. A biasing spring acts against the force of the fluid acting on the smaller surface, and the control fluid is also selectively admitted to the larger surface to urge the adjusting element toward higher outputs. A control slide controls the admission of the control fluid to the larger surface of the differential piston arrangement and has a housing provided with a bore in which a slide is mounted for movement longitudinally of the bore. The slide has an end face acted upon by the control fluid and another end face acted upon by a spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1977
    Assignee: G. L. Rexroth GmbH
    Inventor: Jorg Dantlgraber
  • Patent number: 4035115
    Abstract: A vane pump having a rotor with a plurality of vanes movably carried in slots in the rotor and having their positions controlled by a cam ring surrounding the rotor and with port means for supplying fluid to the spaces between the vanes and withdrawing fluid under pressure from said spaces with additional port means coacting with a selected number of a plurality of passages in the rotor and associated one with each of the spaces between successive vanes whereby the spaces between vanes are filled in the conventional manner together with the additional filling action through the passages in the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1975
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1977
    Assignee: Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Lowell D. Hansen
  • Patent number: 4034718
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine having a fixed casing or housing defining a cavity of circular cross section, and cam mechanism within the cavity near the center thereof. A rotor rotates in the annular space between the casing and the cam, and carries flaps which are moved by the cam mechanism as the rotor rotates, to form, in conjunction with the end walls and cross members of the rotor and the interior surface of the casing, combustion chambers of varying size. At one point in the cycle of rotation, the flaps of one chamber move to a position forming a rather large intake chamber, which receives a combustible mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1977
    Inventor: Ray S. Snider
  • Patent number: 4033708
    Abstract: A rotary compressor having a pair of rotatable impellers in mating engagement in working chambers, each impeller having a plurality of constant cross-sectional profiles, each profile having a plurality of lobes and wells, the trailing well region of each profile communicating with the working chambers and an outlet located out of the plane of at least one of the profiles on each impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1977
    Assignee: Calspan Corporation
    Inventor: Roger C. Weatherston
  • Patent number: 4032270
    Abstract: A rotary sliding vane compressor having means for biasing the vanes outwardly. Such means include a resilient element located in the lower portion of the vane slot and engaging a convexly shaped edge on the vane. An improved wear surface on the resilient element at the area of contact with the vane slot provides enhanced service life. The flexing action of the resilient member ensures that the vanes will be moved outwardly during the expansion phase of rotor travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1977
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Corporation
    Inventors: Rajesh N. Sheth, Raymond L. Guzy
  • Patent number: 4032269
    Abstract: A rotary sliding vane compressor having means for biasing the vanes outwardly. Such means include a resilient element of improved design located in the lower portion of the vane slot and engaging a convexly shaped edge on the vane. The flexing action of the resilient member ensures that the vanes will be moved outwardly during the expansion phase of rotor travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1977
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Corporation
    Inventor: Rajesh N. Sheth
  • Patent number: 4030861
    Abstract: A pressure compensated, variable volume, rotary piston device has a housing with an elongated cavity and inlet and exhaust ports; a reaction ring movable within the cavity and defining a cylindrical bore; a lenticular rotary piston rotatable and reciprocable radially within the bore and dividing it into first and second variable volume chambers; a shaft rotatably journalled in the housing and carrying a crankarm which constitutes the sole force transmitting means between shaft and piston and is operatively coupled to the piston so that shaft and piston rotate in a one-to-one ratio while the piston rocks relative to the crankarm and, without the use of phasing gears, the apices of the rotary piston remain in continuous contact with the bore in all positions of the rotary piston and in all positions of the reaction ring within the cavity and so cam the piston that it reciprocates within the bore as it rotates and varies the volume of the first and second chambers inversely from minimum to maximum and back to mi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1977
    Inventor: A. Frank Putz
  • Patent number: 4029444
    Abstract: A rotary piston machine of the type having a slant or precessing rotor or the type having a parallel axis rotor, such as a Wankel engine, having a rotor seal grid formed from peripheral and apex seals which are connected together at their adjacent ends by connectors, often called bolts, located in sockets in the rotor. An arcuate seal extends peripherally around each bolt in the manner of a piston ring between the peripheral surface of the bolt and the adjacent peripheral wall of the socket in which the bolt is located, to effect sealing between the peripheral walls of the bolt and the socket without inhibiting relative movement of the bolt in the socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1977
    Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.
    Inventor: John Michael Clarke
  • Patent number: 4028020
    Abstract: An improved slant axis rotary mechanism such as an engine, a compressor, a pump, or the like. The mechanism includes a housing, a shaft journalled in the housing having an angularly offset portion within the housing, and a rotor journalled within the housing on the angularly offset portion. The rotor hub has a pair of opposed grooves, each of which is adapted to receive a closed unitary annular seal which can be inserted therein to a predetermined depth. Additionally situated within each groove is a back-up spring urging the seal to bear against the housing and an O-ring providing a static seal between the seal and the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1977
    Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.
    Inventor: James A. Ritchie
  • Patent number: 4028027
    Abstract: A screw housing with a wearing insert for a two-shafted screw machine wherein the wearing insert has two spaced parallel bores to accommodate screw shafts located with their mutually parallel longitudinal axes in the principal plane of symmetry of the wearing insert. These shafts are spaced apart so as to form saddles at the connecting point of the bores. The insert housing has an external cross-section which is substantially constant along its axial length and is arranged in a cavity of the screw housing having the same cross-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1977
    Assignee: Werner & Pfleiderer
    Inventor: Wolfgang Worz
  • Patent number: 4028028
    Abstract: A reversible fluid device (motor/pump) of the sliding vane type, in which the vanes slide in radial slots formed through the cylindrical periphery of a rotor from side to side in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor. Sliding of the vanes is effected by opposed complementary cam surfaces at either end of a cylindrical chamber within which the rotor rotates. The periphery of the rotor and a top edge of each vane, are maintained in constant sliding contact with the cylindrical chamber wall. Opposed edges of the vanes are in constant contact with the cam surfaces. Thus, as the rotor rotates, the vanes, rotor, chamber and cam surfaces define varying volume pressure cells. Selective pressurization of these cells via fluid conductors rotates the rotor (motor operation); rotation of the rotor selectively pressurizes the conductors (pump operation).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1977
    Assignee: Western Electric Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Francis Joseph Fuchs, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4026165
    Abstract: A novel bicycle neck has two sleeves disposed one over the other. A round handle-bar is rotatably mounted in each sleeve. The novel neck is placed into the front wheel fork of the bicycle after the standard prior art gooseneck has been removed. A flexible cable is attached by one end to the handle-bar in the upper sleeve so that the cable could be wound thereon by turning the handle-bar. The cable is then wound around the lower handle-bar and attached thereto to prevent slippage therebetween. The cable terminates at a whiffletree. Also attached to the whiffletree are two more cables disposed on opposite sides of the cable depending from the handle-bars. One of these other cables actuates the front wheel brakes, and the other actuates the rear wheel brakes when the cables are in tension. Tension is placed on the cables by rotating any one of the handle-bars within its respective sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1977
    Inventor: Joseph Papp
  • Patent number: 4025244
    Abstract: A rotary compressor of the liquid-cooled type including means for injecting a cooling, lubricating and sealing liquid into gas compression chambers, means for adjusting the volume of gas compressed by shifting the sucking and shutting position in said compression chambers and means for adjusting the amount of the liquid to be injected into said compression chambers in conformity with the adjustment made by said gas volume adjusting means, said liquid amount-adjusting means being interlocked with said gas volume adjusting means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1975
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1977
    Assignee: Hokuetsu Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Goro Sato
  • Patent number: 4025247
    Abstract: A corner seal member for use in a rotary internal combustion engine is constructed with an apex seal groove and an elongated cavity. The elongated cavity forms a thin wall having a substantially semicircular cross-section in the opposite side of the apex seal groove. The gas pressure delivered into the elongated cavity is advantageously used for urging the corner seal towards the inner surface of the corner seal groove, thereby preventing the gas pressure from leaking into an adjacent working chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1977
    Assignees: Toyo Kogyo Co., Ltd., Nippon Piston Ring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kurio, Tadashi Ebihara
  • Patent number: 4024841
    Abstract: This invention relates to an internal-combustion engine of generally spherical configuration having a generally spherical rotor mounted on a rotor shaft in a generally spherical shell. Combustion chambers are formed in appropriate recesses in the rotor and the inside of the spherical shell. The recesses are bounded by fixed partitions and movable pistons between the fixed partitions so that a series of combustion chambers are formed one on each side of each piston. The pistons are each connected to a central hub at the center of the rotor, and the hub is rotatable to a limited extent in a direction perpendicular to the rotor shaft. The pistons are therefore able to sweep through limited angular motion and during each motion increase the volume of one series of combustion chambers and decrease the volume of the other series of combustion chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1975
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1977
    Inventor: David B. Smith