Patents Examined by Pamela Lipka
  • Patent number: 5791443
    Abstract: A brake shoe assembly for a drum brake of a vehicle is improved by the addition of a moisture-impervious coating material applied to the brake shoe, and especially the brake shoe table upon which a friction liner will be removably secured. This coating material is effectively bonded to at least the portion of the outer surface of the brake shoe table which will be covered by the friction liner before the friction liner is removably secured. The moisture-impervious coating material is substantially non-adhesively bonded to said friction liner and is preferably a cross-linkable polymeric material, especially an epoxy-based adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Dana Corporation
    Inventor: Ronald T. Manz
  • Patent number: 5752587
    Abstract: An auxiliary braking system including a brake. A hydraulic arm is secured to a frame of the automobile. The hydraulic arm has a free end secured to the brake. The hydraulic arm has an up line and a down line extending outwardly therefrom. A pump is secured within the frame of the automobile. The pump is coupled with free ends of the up line and the down line of the hydraulic arm. The pump has wiring extending outwardly therefrom to couple with existing brake lines of the automobile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Inventor: Fred Darling
  • Patent number: 5746284
    Abstract: A vehicle back-up safety device comprising a sensing system for detecting the presence of an obstruction within a prescribed area behind the vehicle while a user is driving in reverse. In response to a signal from the sensing system signifying the presence of a an obstruction, a control means activates a pair of electrically-motivated plunger assemblies to force fluid into the vehicle's brake line system, thereby activating the vehicle's brakes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Inventor: David Johnson
  • Patent number: 5735368
    Abstract: A disc brake mounting member has a pair of mounts to be secured to a non-rotating part of a vehicle on one side of a disc rotatably provided in the vehicle. The mounting member also has a pair of arms positioned on the outer side of the mounts in a radial direction of the disc for supporting a caliper so that the caliper can slide in the direction of the axis of the disc. The mounts are integrally formed with abutting surfaces, installation holes, and projections. Projections function as stoppers to be engaged by the non-rotating part of the vehicle when the mounting member is inserted between the disc and the non-rotating part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: Tokico Ltd.
    Inventors: Kinzo Kobayashi, Shinji Suzuki, Kouichi Masuko
  • Patent number: 5667283
    Abstract: A variable screw-driven system includes a rotatable drive screw powered by a motor actuator. A nut is disposed about the drive screw and is linearly translatable in response to rotation of the drive screw. The nut carries a cam follower which travels within a cam track. Linear translation of the nut is altered by tracking of the cam following within the cam track such that rotation of the nut is effected simultaneously with rotation of the drive screw resulting in an effective variable pitch of the variable screw-driven system wherein linear translation of the nut results from both rotation of the drive screw and rotation of the nut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: David Bernard Drennen, Ryan Lovell Wright
  • Patent number: 5634592
    Abstract: Flow restrictors are provided with known flow rates at given pressures. A flow restrictor is surrounded by a tubular sleeve having open ends. A fluid such as air is supplied through the restrictor, and the sleeve is simultaneously compressed, until a predetermined pressure across the restrictor is reached, at which time compression is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Assignee: Flow-Rite Controls, Ltd.
    Inventor: Daniel N. Campau
  • Patent number: 5628459
    Abstract: A fire shielding device which is portable and may be positioned adjacent to structures for creating a fluid shield in areas which may be exposed to fire from an adjacent forest, field, building or other source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Inventor: Oliver Bennett, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5590869
    Abstract: An adjustable buffer device is disposed between one end of the rear stay and the central portion of a cross bar. The adjustable buffer device has a hollow main body, a seal ring, a shaft cover, a shaft, a spring, and an adjustable valve. A cover seat is disposed on the upper portion of the main body. A valve seat is disposed beneath the cover seat. The adjustable valve which is inserted in the inner chamber of the valve seat controls the amount of oil in the passage between the oil hole and the communicating hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1997
    Assignee: Taiwan Hodaka Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Paul Cheng