Patents Examined by P. W. Echols
  • Patent number: 6463659
    Abstract: An annular groove portion is formed between portions corresponding to groove portions and thereafter the groove portions are formed while the annular groove is pressed. Consequently, since the stress produced due to a plastic deformation in forming the groove portions can be absorbed by the annular groove having a smaller rigidity than the groove portions, no undesirable plastic deformation of the groove portions occurs and hence the accuracy of the finished size of the multi-stage pulley can be improved. Furthermore, the capital investment in groove forming rollers can be reduced and the manufacturing cost of the multi-stage pulley can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shohara, Mitsunori Adachi, Haruo Suzuki, Yasuji Kasuya, Tetuo Ohno, Yasuo Tabuchi, Masahiro Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 6463660
    Abstract: A process for casting or forging a wheel disc upon the end of a metal hoop. The metal hoop is then formed into a wheel rim. The rim and disc are machined to assure concentric tire bead seats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas P. Mason
  • Patent number: 6460249
    Abstract: A method of making a nut harvester in which a plurality of wires are formed into a generally oval and cylindrically shaped chamber having flattened end portions. The shape of the chamber is created by forming the ends of wires into a circular configuration, then clamping the ends of the wires between inner and outer sleeves, pressing the wires and creating a deformation near the ends, then inserting a threaded bolt through the inner sleeve and placing a nut on the end of the bolt within said chamber. Tightening the nut on the bolt deforms the wires further to create substantially flat end portions of the chamber and further bowing the central portion of the wires to enlarge the chamber. The chamber is attached to a handle by a bail to provide a nut harvester having a rolling basket chamber that receives the nuts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Inventor: Cecil Holt, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6460238
    Abstract: An assembly and method for installing sliders and end terminations onto a reclosable zipper for plastic bags is disclosed. The assembly includes a base with a cam path. A rotor is mounted on the base and includes at least one slider installing member and at least one end termination installing member. The rotor includes a cam follower extending into the cam path and secured to one of the slider installing member and end termination installing member which is reciprocally mounted on the rotor and is reciprocated by the interaction of the cam path and cam follower. At a first point in the rotation of the rotor the slider installing member and the termination installing member are supplied with sliders and terminations. At a second point in the rotation of the rotor the slider and terminations are simultaneously installed onto a zipper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Pactiv Corporation
    Inventors: Jon M. LaRue, Craig E. Cappel
  • Patent number: 6457227
    Abstract: A device for producing a thin steel strip, comprising at least one or more continuous-casting machines (1) for casting thin steel slabs, a furnace device (7) which is suitable for heating and/or homogenizing a slab, and at least one rolling device for reducing the thickness of a slab which is conveyed out of the furnace device (7), a welding machine being arranged between the continuous-casting machine (1) or continuous-casting machines (1) and the rolling device (10), for the purpose of joining slabs together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Corus Staal BV
    Inventors: Erik Marco Nijveld, Simon Petrus Anthonium Zuurbier
  • Patent number: 6449847
    Abstract: A method of preventing unauthorized driving of vehicle including providing a steering column and a steering wheel; connecting the steering wheel with the steering column for driving; disconnecting the steering wheel from the steering column when a driving is no longer needed and a driver wants to remove the steering wheel so that it can not be used by an unauthorized person; and forming a connecting unit for connecting the steering wheel to the steering column so that the connecting unit is designed individually for each vehicle, and once the steering wheel of a vehicle is removed from the steering column, any different steering wheel can not be connected with the steering column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Inventors: Gregory Frid, Michael Frid
  • Patent number: 6449845
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the manufacture of a gear part with a transversely directed profile, particularly a timing belt pulley, wherein a substantially rotationally symmetrical workpiece is fixed in a flow-forming device and rotated and wherein at least one profiled flow-forming tool is infed to a circumferential area of the workpiece such that a transversely directed profile is formed. According to the invention, prior to the forming of the transversely directed profile, the circumferential area of the workpiece is provided with at least one circumferentially directed groove and the transversely directed profile is formed axially on either side of the at least one groove. The invention also relates to a gear part, particularly a timing belt pulley, which has a substantially rotationally symmetrical construction and a circumferential area and which is provided with a transversely directed profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Leico GmbH & Co. Werkzeugmaschinenenbau
    Inventors: Gerold Specht, Silke Steinke
  • Patent number: 6442829
    Abstract: A production and/or assembly apparatus for processing workpieces has a stationary frame forming basic unit of the system. A motion device is movably supported on the frame. A plurality of workpiece carriers are moved in an indexed manner relative to processing modules and feeders arranged in a fixed position on the frame. The workpiece carriers and/or the processing modules and/or the feeders are detachably fastenable in their respective positions by fastening devices which have an identical design in each case for the workpiece carriers and/or the processing modules and/or the feeders. The apparatus can be reset or retooled by simply exchanging one or more of the workpiece carriers, one or more of the processing modules, and/or one or more of the feeders. The resetting and retooling thereby does not affect the frame forming the basic unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Feintool International Holding
    Inventor: Sigmund Kumeth
  • Patent number: 6442819
    Abstract: A method for mounting a slider device on a recloseable package includes mounting the slider device by providing a package having a recloseable closure mechanism and providing a slider device for opening and closing the recloseable closure mechanism, the slider device having first and second leg constructions having a first distance therebetween. The slider device is expanded to increase the first distance between the first and second leg constructions to a second distance. The slider is expanded by hooking an end of the first and second leg constructions with an expanding device and moving the first leg construction away from the second leg construction. Next, the slider device is mounted onto the recloseable closure mechanism and then the second distance between the first and second leg constructions is decreased to a third distance. Finally, the slider device is removed from the expanding device. Apparatus are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Reynolds Consumer Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Catherine E. Kettner
  • Patent number: 6442034
    Abstract: In this front face of an electronics card designed to be inserted into a housing through an opening, at least one of the edges of which opening is provided with a notched bar, that portion of said front face which is to be disposed in the vicinity of said bar is provided with at least one abutment surface for abutting against a drive member engaged through the notch when inserting said card into the housing or when extracting it therefrom. The method consists in inserting a drive member through one of the notches in said bar, in causing said member to bear against an abutment surface, and in exerting a pivot force on said drive member to pivot it about the zone via which it bears against an edge of the notch, so that a force is transmitted to the front face, at the abutment surface, in a direction corresponding to inserting the card or to extracting the card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Alstom
    Inventor: Christian Ruque
  • Patent number: 6434827
    Abstract: A method for producing a gear assembly 108 which allows for the relatively efficient transfer of energy. Assembly 108 is created by forming a first member 10 and a second member 40, by placing pinion support members 80 within the second member 40, by placing gear assemblies or pinions 63 upon each of the pinion support members 80, and by coupling the pinion support members 80 to the first member 10, thereby forming gear assembly 108.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Ford Global Tech., Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Thomas Trent, Gregory Dean Gardner
  • Patent number: 6434822
    Abstract: A method of assembly of a fuel injector having a valve plunger reciprocable in a guide tube for movement from a closed position engaging a valve seat to an open position engaging a valve stop by energizing of a solenoid coil to move the plunger against a biasing spring, wherein the method includes setting the valve stop at a position effective to establish the desired valve stroke, and fixing the valve stop to the guide tube by first laser spot welding the valve stop in the guide tube to fix the position of the valve stop without changing the set gap, and then laser seam welding the valve stop in the guide tube at an axial location beyond the spot welds, relative to a plunger-engagable end of the valve stop, to provide a hermetic seal around the valve stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert B. Perry, Karl Jacob Haltiner, Jr., James Robert Molnar
  • Patent number: 6434805
    Abstract: A heart shape diamond and setting therefore including a first diamond section formed by cutting a first pear-shaped diamond along a first cutting plane to define a first mating surface and a first table; and a second diamond section formed by cutting a second pear-shaped diamond along a second cutting plane to define a second mating surface and a second table. A heart-shaped setting is provided having a first seating area and a second seating area separated by a cross bar, wherein the first diamond section is seated in the first seating area and the second diamond section is seated in the second seating area, with the first mating surface engaging the second mating surface to form the heart shape diamond, and with the first table and the second table forming the appearance of a single table of the heart shape diamond. Further, the first pear-shaped diamond has a first culet and the second pear-shaped diamond has a second culet, and wherein the heart shape diamond has both first and second culets therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: L.I.D. Ltd.
    Inventor: Ami Haimoff
  • Patent number: 6430808
    Abstract: A photographic film cassette manufacturing apparatus, has a perforator for providing a long film with perforations and a cutter for cutting the long film into individual filmstrips to be contained in the film cassette driven synchronously with transport of the long film. A magnetic recording head for recording data on a magnetic recording layer of the long film is driven in synchronism with the perforator and the cutter. The long film is transported in a first direction before being cut into the individual filmstrips. In cooperation with the cutting, a trailing end of the individual filmstrip in the first direction is moved in a direction which is reverse to the first direction to secure the trailing end to the spool. A cassette shell consisting of a pair of shell halves is temporarily assembled by mating the shell halves together while containing a spool inside the shell halves, and thereafter opened to an extent that confining elements still confine the position of flanges of the spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Shimizu, Toshiro Esaki, Tadayoshi Shibata, Koichi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6430798
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a zipper includes the step of dividing a label into two halves. The two halves are disposed on a cloth strip. Two banks of continuous chain teeth are pressed against one another and then are sewn to the cloth strip. The width between the sewing portion of two banks is equal to the distance between the two halves of the label. A wedge block expands the two banks of chain teeth outwards, so that a space is formed. The cloth strip is melted and cut, so that the cloth strip is cut adjacent to the two chain teeth. A strip separation wheel feeds out the left and right portions of the cloth strip, sewn with the chain teeth, at the same time. Fittings, such as a chain clip, are attached to the chain teeth to finish the zipper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Inventor: Chih-Wen Ru
  • Patent number: 6427329
    Abstract: A method for forming a hub having blind bore is provided. The blind bore hub is formed integrally with a solid circular disc by displacing metal radially inward from the upper surface toward the center of the disc to form a hub, and then punching a bore opening through the center of the hub to provide a blind bore therein. A blind bore hub formed by the foregoing method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: A. J. Rose Manufacturing Co.
    Inventors: Randy J. Monahan, Ralph Melari, Anthony J. Rose, Sr.
  • Patent number: 6427328
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for producing a one-part vehicle wheel are provided, in which a substantially disk-shaped, undercut-free pre-form is cast. Immediately after casting the pre-form is conveyed to a flow-forming machine, while maintaining a residual heat and is fixed therein. The circumferential area of the fixed pre-form is split and, by subsequent spinning and flow-forming, is constructed as an intermediate form with a rim, which already substantially has the wall thickness of the rim of the finished vehicle wheel. The intermediate form is cooled, sized, and undergoes a final end-working.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Leico GmbH & Co. Werkzeugmaschinenbau
    Inventor: Guenter Pollkoetter
  • Patent number: 6425279
    Abstract: The method includes making a fluid communication channel (44), which has a selectively variable cross-sectional area profile, in the inner face of a gas spring cylinder (32) so as to permit fluid communication at different selective rates bypassing around or across the piston assembly (68) of the gas spring (52)as the piston assembly (68) moves within the cylinder (32). Preferably the cross-sectional area profile of the fluid communication channel (44) is initially substantially the same throughout the length of the channel(44) and is thereafter selectively changed in certain portions of the channel (44) so as to restrict and in some instances block gas or fluid flow through the fluid communication channel (44).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: AVM, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark S. Jeffries
  • Patent number: 6421906
    Abstract: Identical ring-shaped metal blanks are machined whereby each blank forms a plurality of identical components. The blanks are first machined on both sides, and then a stack of the blanks is clamped axially adjacent one another on an arbor. Tools machine the blanks for reshaping the blanks. One of the tools is a slitter which makes axial cuts through the stack to separate each blank into a plurality of components distributed around the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Sandvik Aktiebolag
    Inventor: Ingemar Qvarth
  • Patent number: 6418605
    Abstract: A method for mounting a slider device on a recloseable package includes mounting the slider device by providing a package having a recloseable closure mechanism and providing a slider device for opening and closing the recloseable closure mechanism, the slider device having first and second leg constructions having a first distance therebetween. The method also includes, expanding the slider device to increase the first distance between the first and second leg constructions to a second distance, wherein the expanding includes inserting an expanding device into a slide channel between first and second leg constructions and moving the first leg construction away from the second leg construction. Then removing the slider device from the expanding device and mounting the slider device onto recloseable closure mechanism. Finally, decreasing the second distance between the first and second leg constructions to third distance. Apparatus is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Reynolds Consumer Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Catherine E. Kettner