Patents Examined by Michael Mansen
  • Patent number: 8245818
    Abstract: A method for scavenging oil in a gas turbine engine comprises using a driving fluid flow to drive a flow of a fluid collected in an oil system of the engine to pass through an ejector and then the driven flow of the fluid is directed to be discharged into an oil tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Daniel T. Alecu
  • Patent number: 8241159
    Abstract: A method for mounting a belt on a first pulley and a second pulley is disclosed, wherein a guide member and a fixing member is used. The method includes steps of winding the belt around a pulley groove of the second pulley; fitting the guide member in an inner groove of the first pulley; fixing the guide member on the first pulley using the fixing member; seating the belt in the inner pulley groove of the first pulley using the fixing member; positioning the belt in the outer direction with respect to the axial direction of the first pulley, by the guidance of a belt introduction surface of the guide member; and rotating the first pulley in the rotational direction of the first pulley so as to seat the belt in the inner pulley groove of the first pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidetsugu Iwata
  • Patent number: 8240591
    Abstract: In a webbing retractor, due to operation of a pretensioner mechanism, a stopper wire is moved, and second lock pawls of a second lock base mesh-together with an inner ratchet of a lock ring. In this way, a limit load by a torsion shaft can be switched to a high load. Therefore, immediately after operation of the pretensioner mechanism, the limit load by the torsion shaft can be made to be to the high load, and the limit load can be made to be the high load at an early stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Aihara, Teruhiko Koide
  • Patent number: 8235848
    Abstract: A vehicle transmission with continuously variable transmission ratios, which has a first conical disk pair arranged on a first shaft, and a second conical disk pair arranged on a second shaft, a belt arranged between the conical disk pairs, and an input shaft which has an output wheel mounted rotatably thereon. The input shaft can optionally be rotationally engaged with the first or second shaft and the output wheel can be rotationally engaged with the respectively other shaft. Also, a multi-disk clutch transmits a rotational force between the input shaft and the first or second shaft and the output wheel can be rotationally engaged with the other shaft by way of a dog clutch. The first multi-disk clutch and the first dog clutch can be actuated by a first hydraulically actuated device and the second multi-disk clutch and the second dog clutch can be actuated by a second hydraulically actuated device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Andreas Triller
  • Patent number: 8235179
    Abstract: An elevator includes hoisting ropes and a compensating device. The hoisting ropes include first rope portions under a first rope tension that go upward from an elevator car and second rope portions under a different, second rope tension that go downward from the elevator car. The compensating device acts in substantially opposite directions on the first and second rope portions in order to do one or more of the following: equalize the first, second, or first and second rope tensions; compensate the rope tensions between the first and second rope tensions; equalize rope elongation in the first, second, or first and second rope portions; compensate the rope elongations between the first and second rope portions; and render a ratio of the first rope tension to the second rope tension substantially constant. The compensating device produces an auxiliary force acting substantially in a same direction as the first rope tension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Petteri Valjus, Mikko Orava, Teuvo Väntänen
  • Patent number: 8235176
    Abstract: A lubrication and scavenge system for a gas turbine, capable continued operation in nose-down or nose-up orientations, has a number of oil drainage passages to return oil to one or more collection chambers adjacent a rolling element bearing. A rotary impellor in the chamber forces the oil into a scavenge off-take passageway in the chamber wall leading to a scavenge pump. However, in some orientations windage effects in the chamber can return the oil to the drainage passage rather than permitting the impellor to centrifuge it into the off-take passageway. As a result oil starvation may occur. To avoid this and improve scavenging a shield is located between the drainage path and the off-take passageway adjacent to a face of the impellor. The shield may comprise an additional member, but preferably is formed integrally with a bearing race so as to ease assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Mark Hannaford, John L. Gibbons, John Astley, Hamish Constable
  • Patent number: 8231488
    Abstract: A pulley assembly comprising a hub with an axis and adapted to be rigidly connected to a rotating shaft of an engine assembly, a turning annular pulley of ferromagnetic material supported at least indirectly on the hub, a ring of electrically conducting material rotationally connected to the hub, and at least a pair of magnets rigidly connected to the pulley and facing the ring. The pulley defines a cavity accomodating accommodating said ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Dayco Europe S.r.l. con Unico Socio
    Inventors: Nicola Amati, Giancarlo Genta, Andrea Tonoli
  • Patent number: 8230975
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for feeding lubricating oil to an internal combustion engine. This device comprises a lubricating oil pump and an oil pressure regulating apparatus. The lubricating oil pump is designed as a reciprocating piston valve pump and the oil pressure regulating apparatus is designed as a multistage oil pressure regulating apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Franz Lukas, Volker Verhees, Dieter Böhm
  • Patent number: 8231073
    Abstract: A seat belt retractor incorporating a force limiter to permit the restricted paying out of a seat belt webbing and a control mechanism for controlling the force limiting functions of the retractor. The arrangement includes a two part spindle within a retractor. On a first part of the spindle the safety belt is wound. A second part of the spindle is configured to be locked by a retractor locking device. The two spindle parts are interconnected by a belt load limiting torsion bar. The torsion bar has two sections of different torsional stiffness. The junction between the two torsion bar sections is releasably connected to part of the spindle. When the connection is present one energy absorbing level is provided and when the connection is controlled there is another energy absorbing level. The connection is broken in response to a relative movement between the two spindle parts caused by an initial belt force in excess of a predetermined force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventor: Anders Lenning
  • Patent number: 8230982
    Abstract: New elevator cab construction and reconstruction of old elevator cabs are frequently presented with the problem of increasing the interior size of the elevator cab in an elevator shaft of limited size. This invention relates to an elevator cab design providing a novel way of increasing internal cab size of a standard elevator cab while still retaining decorative design features by having removable decorative panels. The elevator cab is constructed of the normal elements, namely, a platform, a ceiling, cab shell walls, stiffeners and corner stiffener risers. The cab shell walls have a base and transom and shell panels there between designed to overlap one another so as to be readily attached by spot welding or adhesive. The stiffeners are hat-shaped elongated sections typically of stainless steel that are attached to the inside of the shell panels. The stiffeners may also be formed by hat-shaped ribs formed in the shell panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Inventors: Harold S. Friedman, Jeffrey Friedman, Angelo Palmieri
  • Patent number: 8226507
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to avoid unnecessary accumulation of a correction value during feedback control, even when a secondary pressure control valve enters a state of failure. A continuously variable transmission comprises a primary pulley supplied with a primary pressure that has been adjusted via a primary pressure control valve, a secondary pulley supplied with a secondary pressure that has been adjusted via the secondary pressure control valve, and a drive belt wound around the two pulleys. When a failure such as a disconnection occurs in the secondary pressure control valve, a lower limit value Imin of a target gear ratio is raised to a low side by a CVT control unit, and a setting region of the target gear ratio is set in a low region in which control is possible even during a failure. In so doing, divergence between the target gear ratio and an actual gear ratio can be avoided, and therefore unnecessary accumulation of the correction value during feedback control can be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirokazu Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 8225977
    Abstract: A wire feeder for an electric arc welder comprising feed rolls driven by an electric motor for moving a welding wire toward a workpiece for an arc welding process. The motor is rotated at a speed determined by a WFS signal from a controller when energized by actuation of a start switch, a switch network has a first condition allowing the motor to operate at the speed determined by the WFS signal and a second override condition forcing the motor to rotate at a fixed lower speed, a toggle circuit with a first position to shift the switch network into the second condition upon actuation of the motor start switch and a second position to shift the switch network to the first condition upon receipt of a toggle signal, and a device to create the toggle signal when the load current to the motor exceeds a given value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Lincoln Global, Inc.
    Inventor: Andreu P. Meckler
  • Patent number: 8225909
    Abstract: An elevator may include an elevator car, a set of hoisting ropes, a traction sheave, and a compensating device. The set of hoisting ropes may include first and second rope portions. The elevator car may include one or more first diverting pulleys from which the first rope portions extend upward. The elevator car may include one or more second diverting pulleys from which the second rope portions extend downward. The first rope portions may be under a first rope tension. The second rope portions may be under a second rope tension that is different from the first rope tension. The compensating device may act in substantially opposite directions on the first and second rope portions. The compensating device may produce an auxiliary force acting substantially in a same direction as the first rope tension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Esko Aulanko, Jorma Mustalahti, Johannes De Jong
  • Patent number: 8225907
    Abstract: The system includes a grease pump assembly connected to a conduit having a grease outlet adjacent an endless chain of the chainsaw. The method includes pushing the grease toward the grease pump, pumping the grease, and feeding the grease between the endless chain and the guide bar. The pumping of the grease can be done automatically upon detecting an activation of the chain saw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: S.T.L. Lubrifiants Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Soucy, Ghyslain Boulianne
  • Patent number: 8215578
    Abstract: A winder including a frame. The frame includes at least one spindle configured to support at least one package, the spindle rotating about a first axis approximately perpendicular to the diameter of the package so as to draw and wind at least one strand in the form of a package, and at least one positioning and guiding device configured to position and guide at least the strand on the rotating spindle. A keeper is configured to keep the strand in contact with the positioning and guiding device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Technical Fabrics Europe
    Inventors: Christophe Naulet, Jean-Michel Cogniaux, Pascal Frayer
  • Patent number: 8216102
    Abstract: A sprocket having a slot formed therethrough can be disposed about the non-rotating support rod of a given roller door. This sprocket is then attached to the door-supporting frame such that the sprocket is positioned externally to the roller door. A connector can serve to effect this attachment. This connector might comprise a plurality of bolts with support sleeves. By this approach, the sprocket can be maintained at a fixed distance from the door supporting frame. This connector might also comprise an adjustable connector that adjustably and fixedly connects the sprocket with respect to the door-supporting frame. By one approach, the sprocket connects directly to the door-supporting frame. By another approach, if desired, the sprocket connects to a frame interface which connects, in turn, to the door-supporting frame. This frame interface can itself also have a slot formed therethrough to again facilitate placing the frame interface into an installed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott James Nicholson, Chris William Conroy
  • Patent number: 8210462
    Abstract: A winder for winding a web to produce a rolled product is provided. The winder includes a web transport apparatus that is used for conveying the web. Also included in one exemplary embodiment is a plurality of independent winding modules. The winding modules are independently positioned to independently engage the web as the web is conveyed by the web transport apparatus. The winding modules may be configured to wind the web to form a rolled product by center winding, surface winding, and combinations of center and surface winding. The winding modules are structurally and operationally independent of one another where if one module is disabled, another may still operate to produce the rolled product without shutting down the winder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven James Wojcik, Dennis Marvin Jobs, Kenneth Allen Pigsley, James Leo Baggot
  • Patent number: 8210459
    Abstract: A wire winder includes a body configured to anchor a wire and such that the wire extends from the body. The body is at least partially surrounded by a rotatable bobbin journalled on the body. The wire is windable onto the body within the rotatable bobbin from a direction substantially aligned with a bobbin axis. The bobbin rotation is indexed by coaction between at least one projection or depression on the body and at least one depression or projection on the bobbin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignees: Sony EMCS (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mohd Asri Yusof, Yuen Chang Chuah, Toshihide Ooba
  • Patent number: 8210315
    Abstract: A component assembly comprising a sheet metal part and a nut element attached thereto, the nut element being arranged in an opening of the sheet metal part and being adapted to receive a bolt element having a shaft part with a thread and a head part of larger radial dimensions is wherein the sheet metal part has at least one hole adjacent to the nut element which is not covered over by the nut element but can be covered over by the head part of the screwed-in bolt element. A component assembly of this kind is in particular suitable for an oil pan since the oil can flow through the holes. A method is also claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Profil Verbindungstechnik GmbH & Co., KG
    Inventors: Oliver Diehl, Michael Vieth
  • Patent number: 8210460
    Abstract: The disclosed seat belt tensioner for a seat belt system may comprise a seat belt spindle, a gearwheel connected to the seat belt spindle, and a latching pawl for locking the seat belt spindle in the tensioned position by engaging in the teeth of the gearwheel. The latching pawl may be configured to be brought into a first pawl position for blocking the gearwheel in the seat belt unrolling direction and into a second pawl position for blocking the gearwheel in the seat belt-tensioning direction of rotation. The latching pawl may also be configured to perform a first pivot-over operation from the first pawl position into the second pawl position and to perform a second pivot-over operation from the second pawl position into the first pawl position when the gearwheel exerts a force on the latching pawl that exceeds a predetermined force required for the respective pivoting-over operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventors: Walter Scherzinger, Roland Schnabl, Thomas Schwer