Patents Examined by Robert B. Reeves
  • Patent number: 4829908
    Abstract: A railroad hopper car comprising an elongated car body having a plurality of laterally pivoted bottom discharge doors; a door opening and closing elongated beam assembly positioned longitudinal of and along the bottom portion of the car; a plurality of spaced apart door operating levers mounted on a pivot lateral to the car body along and to the bottom of the car; the door operating lever pivot including a lateral shaft to which the operating lever is fixedly joined; a pair of laterally spaced apart supports on the car body beneath the elongated beam assembly with each support carrying a bearing mount for the door operating lever pivot; each bearing mount being fixedly joined to the support at a position determined by the actual position of the beam sections when installed rather than at a predetermined location on the support thereby making it unnecessary to include elements to adjust the length of each beam section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1989
    Assignee: Thrall Car Manufacturing Co.
    Inventor: Keith J. Hallam
  • Patent number: 4830418
    Abstract: These telescopic energy absorber units have outer tubes threaded into connection with vehicle hard bar bumper or fascia support to permit fore and aft adjustment by rotation of the piston tube of the unit in clockwise or counterclockwise direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1989
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: William E. Gest
  • Patent number: 4830742
    Abstract: An apparatus for sorting sheets is disclosed, which comprises a feeder for setting a mixture of different kinds of sheets, the set sheets being fed one by one for sorting, a judging circuit for judging the kind of sheet being transported through the body of the apparatus after having been fed from the feeder, and a sorting/stacking section for sorting and stacking sheets in specified quantities for specified kinds according to the result of judgement in the judging circuit. The apparatus has a plurality of sorting modes for different kinds of sorting and can specify specified quantities for each mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1989
    Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Sumiyoshi Takesako
  • Patent number: 4830193
    Abstract: A gold sorting plant in which the gold content of lumps of ore is measured by means of a neutron activation analytical technique. Separate lumps of gold ore are graded in two sizes which are presented to an irradiator such as to irradiate them uniformly. The energized lumps of ore are conveyed to an analyzer/sorter station where the intensity of .gamma.-rays having an energy of 297 KeV from each lump of ore is measured, and it is accepted or rejected for further processing. Various forms of irradiator and analyzer/sorter are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1989
    Assignee: United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
    Inventors: Colin G. Clayton, Ramon Spackman
  • Patent number: 4830417
    Abstract: An energy absorbing bumper unit attaching a bumper to a vehicle which incorporates a threaded jack screw that varies the distance between the screw and the side rail to accordingly tilt the energy absorber unit and the bumper assembly for effecting a mating of adjacent surfaces of the bumper and the bodywork of the vehicle to obtain a predetermined match line with reduced gap between the bumper and the body work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1989
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph A. Bates, James M. Koontz, Jr., John D. Garner
  • Patent number: 4830425
    Abstract: A latching system for securing the header of a convertible top frame to the windshield frame top piece including a pair of laterally spaced latching mechanisms operated by a central rotary handle, each mechanism having a striker bar reciprocated between a locking and release position by a crank actuated pull bar actuating the striker bar. The striker bar is received into a recess formed in a striker block fixed to the windshield frame top piece when the striker blade is moved to the locking position and these elements coact to draw the header down to be securely latched. As the striker bars are advanced, downwardly inclined guide tangs are inserted in an inclined pocket in the striker block. As the top frame is positioned atop the windshield frame, the tangs draw the header forward into proper forward alignment with the windshield frame top piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1989
    Inventor: Peter P. Muscat
  • Patent number: 4830423
    Abstract: An adjustable windshield for mounting on the front of a motorcycle, or the like, has a clamp late for locking the windshield in its adjusted position with respect to the motorcycle body. A releasable latching mechanism for operating the clamp plate is so disposed on the motorcycle body that it is accessible to the rider while seated astride the vehicle. Consequently, the windshield can be adjusted and locked in its adjusted position by the rider while astride the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1989
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideaki Nebu, Takahisa Suzuki, Yoshiaki Swano
  • Patent number: 4830192
    Abstract: Methods of discriminating between contaminated and uncontaminated containers prior to washing is disclosed characterized by the testing of the residue of the container to determine if the residue is residue of the original product packed in the container. If the residue is not sufficiently similar to the original product, the container is rejected as contaminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1989
    Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
    Inventors: George Plester, Warren E. Leddon, David E. Dalsis
  • Patent number: 4828313
    Abstract: A visor control comprises a U-shaped spring clamp with inwardly converging sides terminating in inwardly projecting rounded tips which circumscribe a portion of the visor rod in all positions of adjustment. The sides of the clamp include alternately staggered slots which cooperate with alternately staggered lobes and flats disposed along the longitudinal axis of the visor pivot rod for selectively camming the visor into a snap-up raised stored position and spreading the sides to frictionally hold the visor rod therebetween when the visor is lowered to a use position. A tang extends from a portion of at least one of the sides of the U-shaped clamp and extends into a recess in the body of the visor to hold the clamp against rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1989
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventors: Michael L. Lanser, Thomas C. VandenBerge
  • Patent number: 4828685
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating at least one superconductive phase from a multiphase material which may contain multiple superconductive phases and a normal phase by the use of diamagnetic force. A material containing multiple phases is pulverized into granules approximately the grain size of a selected superconductive phase and is then subjected to a force to cause movement of the particles in a particular direction. The selected superconductive phase is made superconducting by cooling the material below its transition temperature. Diamagnetic force is then generated by an applied magnetic field which deflects and separates the superconducting granules but has substantially no effect on the nonsuperconducting granules. Conversely, the selected superconductive phase has a magnetic field applied to it and then is made superconducting to cause a separation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1989
    Assignee: General Atomics
    Inventor: Richard B. Stephens
  • Patent number: 4828172
    Abstract: A tie plate rail fastening system for securing rails to wood cross-ties is described comprising a wear plate positioned on the upper surface of each of the cross-ties adjacent the ends thereof. The wear plate has a plurality of teeth extending downwardly therefrom which are embedded in the tie to bond the wear plate to the tie. Each of the wear plates has a plurality of tubular members which extend downwardly therefrom and which are received by openings in the cross-tie. Various embodiments are illustrated and described for securing the tubular members to the cross-ties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1989
    Inventor: Gordon E. Matlock
  • Patent number: 4828303
    Abstract: A body protection apparatus for a behicle such as an automobile is provided for protecting the body from nicks and scratches. The apparatus has a telescoping elongate bar assembly for adjusting the length of the apparatus for overcoming the problem of mounting the apparatus on any size of automobile. The bar assembly has longitudinally slidable suction cups for connecting the bar assembly to a plurality of automobile side panels. The bar assembly is connected to the lower end of an elongate reinforced rubber strap. An upper end of the elongate rubber strap has a bar type member attached to the strap which is locked inside the automobile. The bar type member bears against the window and center post on the inner sides thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1989
    Inventor: Rolando C. Soria
  • Patent number: 4828689
    Abstract: A screen for a purifier or separator, especially for a paper pulp purifier embodied by assembly of parallel bars on crosspieces, the assembly being made without welds on the crosspieces by dovetailed notches being borned by the bars, the lips of the notches fitting in V-shaped lateral grooves borne by each of the crosspieces, characterized in that the bars (6) comprise, laterally, on at least one side (6a6b) at least one recess (10) so that the width of the bar is diminished at the level of the recess (10) by the recessed depth, and in that the bars are mounted in juxtaposition on the crosspieces (7), in contact against one another by their non-recessed parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1989
    Inventor: Pierre Lamort
  • Patent number: 4828328
    Abstract: An accessory spindle for boat trailers or the like for mounting onto a damaged wheel mounting axle spindle of the trailer. The accessory spindle has an exterior surface substantially identical to that of the axle spindle, and has an open end opening into a hollow. The hollow has bores formed therein which mirror the exterior surface of the axle spindle so as to be mounted thereon. Threads on the free end of the axle spindle are threadedly received in a threaded bore within the hollow corresponding to that of the axle spindle free end. Set screws may extend from the exterior of the axle spindle into the hollow adjacent the free end for securely gripping the axle spindle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1989
    Inventor: Dan H. Bowman
  • Patent number: 4826252
    Abstract: A snap-in clip for holding a retainer ring and wheel cover assembly in place on a wheel rim, wherein the clip includes a center strip for abutting against a portion of the retainer ring, three clip extensions formed on one edge of the center strip for extending through openings in a radially outer portion of the retainer ring, and a pair of U-shaped loops formed on the other edge of the center strip for snapping into place around an upturned inner peripheral edge portion of the retainer ring. A pair of retention fingers are also formed on the other edge of the center strip for being resiliently urged into an annular groove in the wheel rim to securely retain the wheel cover concentric thereon. A pair of shock tabs are also formed on the one edge of the center strip with swaged projections formed on the side edges thereof for engaging respective notches in the wheel rim to prevent rotation of the wheel cover assembly relative to the wheel rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1989
    Assignee: Textron Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Tatar
  • Patent number: 4826371
    Abstract: A container support apparatus for supporting cargo containers being transported on railroad container cars the apparatus comprising a pair of pivotal support pedestals spaced opposite from each other along the side sills of the railroad container car and connected to transverse linkage to permit raising or lowering the pedestals from either side of the railroad car.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1989
    Assignee: Bethlehem Steel Corp.
    Inventor: James T. Brown
  • Patent number: 4826233
    Abstract: A vehicular body for hauling materials, comprising an external skeletal frame of metal members forming the primary load-bearing structure of the body; a metal lining supported by the skeletal frame and forming the interior surfaces of the body for containing loads of material, the exterior surface of the lining being exposed to the ambient atmosphere through the openings in the skeletal frame; and coupling means securing the lining to the skeletal frame while permitting relative movement between the lining and the frame so that the lining and the frame can expand and contract differentially without stressing each other. The lining of the vehicular body is preferably detachably coupled to the skeletal frame to facilitate removal of the lining for maintenance of replacement purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1989
    Inventor: Leroy G. Hagenbuch
  • Patent number: 4825987
    Abstract: In lightweight fabricated equipment of an overhead electric traction system, (e.g., section insulators and neutral sections), comprising at least one tension insulator mechanically connected between and electrically insulating from one another two elongate metal members, in at least one mechanical connection between the tension insulator and elongate metal member, an insulating end part of the tension insulator and an end part of the elongate metal member butt or are spaced apart and have a supplementary connecting member connected to them by separate securing bolts. The undersurfaces of the end parts of the tension insulator and elongate metal member and the undersurface of the supplementary connecting member constitute a smooth running surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1989
    Assignee: BICC plc
    Inventor: Alan E. Seddon
  • Patent number: 4825771
    Abstract: The invention provides a lifting device for re-railing railroad vehicles comprising a guide rail which is adapted to be disposed substantially horizontally in use, having an outer surface including a toothed rack, a traveller mounted by rollers for guided movement along the rail, the traveller being adapted to support a lifting jack or the like in use, and a drive engaging the toothed rack for transversely moving the traveller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1989
    Assignee: Deton Engineering (Proprietary) Limited
    Inventors: Hercules P. du Preez, Hermanus Dippenaar
  • Patent number: 4826253
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a wheel cover in use for motor vehicles. The wheel cover includes a circular main body, a plurality of holding claws extending from a rear surface of the main body, and a resilient ring to be mounted on the holding claws so as to urge radially outwardly the holding claws. On the rear surface of the main body at positions between the neighboring holding claws are arranged support members each having a groove for receiving the resilient ring. The groove is defined by a bottom surface and a pair of protrusions aligning along the radial direction of the main body. The radial movement of the ring mounted on the holding claws can be regulated by the pair of protrusions so that the expansion of the ring is restricted, resulting in that the holding claws is prevented from expanding radially outwardly, and the ring is prevented from disengaging from the holding claws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1989
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika
    Inventors: Noboru Shirai, Toshiyuki Isogai