Patents Examined by Robert J. Oberleitner
  • Patent number: 6273219
    Abstract: A brake beam assembly of the present invention includes an elongated beam disposed between railroad car truck sidewalls which carries brake pads at its ends, and is guided under power of an actuator between a standby and a braking position by a pair of pivot arms which swing in a pendulum-like fashion from pins mounted to the truck sidewalls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Inventor: Robert G. Jackson
  • Patent number: 6273527
    Abstract: In the rotary pump, a sealing member is provided at a clearance between a casing and axial end surfaces of the inner and outer rotors, the sealing member extending from an outer circumference of the outer rotor, via the inner rotor between a drive shaft and a discharge port, to another circumference of the outer rotor so that brake fluid communication from the discharge port to an intake port may be prevented, but the brake fluid communication between the outer circumference of the outer rotor and almost all of teeth gap portions on a discharge port side and, further, between almost all of teeth gap portions on an intake port side and a clearance between the drive shaft and the inner rotor may be allowed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Yamaguchi, Tomoo Harada, Takashi Satou, Takeshi Fuchida, Hiroyuki Shinkai, Toshiya Morikawa
  • Patent number: 6273221
    Abstract: A brake (10) for a servo-motor (96) includes a housing (28) having first and second housing portions (30, 32) and in which an input (12) is rotatably mounted by a bearing (60). The pilot (98) of the servo-motor (96) is received in an enlarged recess (40) while the shaft (21) passes through an axial opening (38) and is secured in an axial bore (20) of the input (12) by a coupling (106) to align the brake (10) with the servo-motor (96). The brake (10) is secured to the servo-motor (96) by screws (108) which extend through elongated, radially elongated slots (46). A wedge shaped friction facing (82) is biased to engage an interface surface (26) of the input (12) and a friction surface portion (70) of the housing (28) by a spring (94) extending between a radial surface (92) and the first housing portion (30). The friction facing (82) is moved to a disengaged position by a piston (100) slideable under fluid pressure in a chamber (62) of the second housing portion (32).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Nexen Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Allan Schmidt
  • Patent number: 6273526
    Abstract: In a fluid pressure booster, an input rod 7 and a valve member 6 are stroked forward during the operation so as to cause a control valve to be switched over. The atmosphere is introduced into a working pressure chamber 30 via the control valve 41 and a power piston 19 then operates to make a negative pressure booster 1 produces an output from a output rod 13. As the atmosphere in the working pressure chamber 30 acts backward on a control piston 25 at this time, the valve member 6 will not be stroke further. However, the output rod 13 is continuously stroked forward and kept producing the output. Due to the stop of stroke of the valve member 6, the stroke of the input rod 7 is suppressed and set at an extremely short stroke. When the negative pressure falls, the negative pressure booster 12 produces an output from the output rod 13 since the input rod 7, the valve member 6 and the output rod 13 integrally give a stroke forward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Jidosha Kiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuzi Wachi, Toshiaki Fukushima
  • Patent number: 6269898
    Abstract: A wheeled vehicle comprises a frame having a steerable front wheel having an axle affixed to a front portion of said frame, and a hub rear wheel having an axle affixed to a rear portion of said frame. A unitary power module is used as a propulsion system, which includes a target sprocket and a mounting frame, with the target sprocket comprising a disk shaped assembly having an center opening to allow the unitary member to be placed about the wheel axle. The target sprocket mates to the hub (or axle) of either of the wheels to enable target sprocket to be concentrically attached to the wheel by engagement with the wheel by securing elements. The mounting frame may be aligned with and rotatably attached to the target sprocket to allow for aligned rotation of the target sprocket about the wheel axle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Currie Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard A. Mayer, Bruce S. Widmann, Seth A. Terr, Devin S. Bank, Malcolm R. Currie
  • Patent number: 6270168
    Abstract: A pneumatically-operated braking system for a tractor-trailer combination incorporates a trailer control valve (4) for providing braking pressure for the trailer. The control valve (4) is adapted to be actuated by a pressure differential acting across it to limit the flow of air in the supply line (2) when a leak is present in the trailer control line (12), and the pressure differential is generated between the pressure in the supply line (2) and pressure supply from another independent source (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Denis John McCann
  • Patent number: 6270110
    Abstract: A snowboard binding for securing a snowboard boot to a snowboard. According to one aspect of the invention, the binding comprises a base, a first engagement member that is movably mounted to the base and is adapted to engage a first lateral side of the boot, and a second engagement member that is movably mounted to the base and is adapted to engage a second lateral side of the boot opposite the first lateral side of the boot. According to another aspect of the invention, the snowboard binding includes a high-back leg support mounted to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: The Burton Corporation
    Inventors: James Laughlin, David J. Dodge
  • Patent number: 6269921
    Abstract: A one-time bleed valve with reset capability for an anti-lock hydraulic control unit comprises a piston adapted to be sealingly installed in a bore made in a body of the hydraulic control unit in response to a brake pressure. The bore is located in a portion of the body that is immediately under a recessed part of the body that accommodates a normally open electromagnet valve. On its one end, the bore is in communication with a primary hydraulic pressure circuit, whereas on another its end it is connected with a low-pressure line. Owing to such a structure, when the piston sits loosely in the bore, an air communication is established between the primary hydraulic pressure circuit and the low-pressure line, and air can evacuate from the low-pressure brake circuit on exposure to a vacuum applied to the primary hydraulic pressure circuit. To provide the bleed valve with a reset capability, an access hole is made between outside of the body and the bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Continental Teves, Inc.
    Inventors: David L. Agnew, Dalibor Zaviska
  • Patent number: 6270170
    Abstract: A motor, installed on a first surface of a housing, has a drive shaft normal to the first surface. Two pumps are installed in the housing and driven by the motor for introducing and discharging operation fluid. Two reservoirs are provided in the housing for storing the operation fluid released from a wheel cylinder and supplied to the pump. Each reservoir has an opening at a second surface of the housing and an axis normal to the second surface. Two dampers are provided in the housing for suppressing pulsation flow of the operation fluid discharged from the pump. Each damper has an opening at a third surface of the housing and an axis normal to the third surface. The third surface faces to the second surface so that the drive shaft of the motor is interposed between the second surface and the third surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kimiyoshi Isogai, Fumitoshi Koyama
  • Patent number: 6270105
    Abstract: A method of constructing a wheelchair that is durable, lightweight, economical and fully adaptable to any end user's requirements, such as sizing, convertibility, environment and lifestyle, and the resulting wheelchair, is disclosed, made possible by the utilization of specially designed weld-free connector fittings with any desirable or available tubular materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: DA International, Ltd.
    Inventor: Paul Friedrich
  • Patent number: 6270065
    Abstract: A seat suspension assembly for a bicycle has a movable and cushioning intermediate section between a lower seat post part and an upper seat attachment part. The intermediate section comprises parallel bars journalled to a head on top of the seat post, and to the seat attachment part. A springing mechanism is equipped with a system for adjusting the effective spring rate of the springing mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Cato Hals Design AS
    Inventor: Cato Hals
  • Patent number: 6269920
    Abstract: A tension stop limit holder for a vibration damper in a vehicle suspension, comprises a U-shaped base section with a base plate and two opposing side walls. The base plate has a cutout which is adapted to the outer contour of a container tube of the vibration damper so that the tension stop limit holder contacts the container tube and the side walls can be welded with the container tube. At least one of the side walls has a receptacle for a connection with a stabilizer link of the vehicle length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventor: Günther Handke
  • Patent number: 6269917
    Abstract: For an electromagnetically actuated brake, in particular a stopping brake, having a high stopping moment and short braking paths and consisting of a cam disc (3) which is guided in a torsion-proof manner, a spring (4) which presses the cam disc axially into the locking position, and an electromagnet (5, 6, 7) which unlocks the cam disc against the spring (4), it is proposed that the axially movable cam disc (3) be of ferromagnetic construction and that a number of cams (31) be provided which engage, in a form-locking manner, in the recesses (11) in the rotatable part (1) to be braked, the cams (31) and recesses having flanks standing perpendicularly to the direction of rotation and the spring being constructed as a leaf spring (4) with three bending arms which act upon the face of the cam disc (3) at an equal distance from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Harting KGaA
    Inventors: Dietmar Harting, Wilhelm Niermann, Wolfgang Neuhaus
  • Patent number: 6270064
    Abstract: In a self-pumping type hydraulic shock absorber, an outer cylinder is provided to cover an outer circumferential surface of a cylinder. The outer cylinder is formed to have a small-diameter portion, a mid-diameter portion and a large-diameter portion. A reservoir is formed between the large-diameter portion and the cylinder to communicate with upper and lower cylinder chambers. A cylinder member is fitted onto the mid-diameter portion and the large-diameter portion of the outer cylinder to form an oil tank between the cylinder member and the outer cylinder. A suspension spring (a coil spring) is provided between a spring seat attached to the small-diameter portion of the outer cylinder and a spring seat connected to a piston rod. Thus, the reservoir and the oil tank are provided inside the coil spring, so that each of the reservoir and the oil tank can be made to have a sufficiently large volume and the hydraulic shock absorber requires less space for mounting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Tokico Ltd
    Inventor: Junya Tachikawa
  • Patent number: 6269916
    Abstract: A brake cylinder for use in a railway vehicle braking system is provided. The brake cylinder comprises a cylindrical casing engageable with the railway vehicle braking system, a hollow piston assembly which is mounted for reciprocal movement within the cylindrical casing and having a hollow portion defined by a back wall and at least one sidewall. A small piston assembly is positioned within this hollow portion and includes a first surface facing the back wall of the hollow portion and a peripheral edge portion for sealingly engaging an inner surface of the sidewall of the hollow portion. A first space is defined by the back wall of the hollow portion, at least a portion of the inner surface of the at least one sidewall and the first surface of the small piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Company
    Inventor: David W. Daugherty, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6270169
    Abstract: In a rotary pump, an outer rotor and an inner rotor are assembled in a casing such that, when a clearance between an inner teeth portion of the outer rotor and an outer teeth portion of the inner rotor is substantially nullified at a first closed gap portion having a maximum volume formed between the inner teeth portion and the outer teeth portion, a clearance between the outer rotor and the casing on a side of the first closed gap portion and a clearance between the outer rotor and the casing on a side of a second closed gap portion having a minimum volume, become substantially an equivalent interval. As a result, the outer rotor and the casing can be brought into contact with each other on the side of the second closed gap portion rather than the central axis of the inner rotor. Even in a high pressure discharge operation, the outer rotor is not locked by being squeezed between the inner rotor and the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoo Harada, Takahiro Yamaguchi, Toshiya Morikawa
  • Patent number: 6269918
    Abstract: The flow of a hydraulic fluid caused by sliding movement of a piston in a cylinder is controlled by a disk valve and extension- and contraction-side main valves, thereby generating damping force. By controlling the valve opening pressures of the disk valve as a pressure control valve with respect to extension- and compression-side valve seats with a proportional solenoid actuator, damping force can be directly controlled independently of the piston speed. Moreover, the pressures in pilot chambers are changed to control the valve opening pressures of the extension- and compression-side main valves. Because the disk valve is placed between the extension- and compression-side valve seats, it is possible to simultaneously select different damping force characteristics for the extension and compression sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Tokico Ltd.
    Inventors: Akinori Kurusu, Takashi Nezu
  • Patent number: 6267208
    Abstract: A brake pedal path simulator, with a restoring device which exerts a restoring force with a progressive force-path characteristic curve on a pedal. The restoring device includes at least two permanent magnets, whose mutually repelling poles are oriented toward each other, one of which magnets is connected to the pedal and is guided in a direction of the resultant repelling magnetic force of the other magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Georg Koepff
  • Patent number: 6267454
    Abstract: A method of controlling a brake force in a brake system including a front wheel system and a rear wheel system, includes the steps of: operating a brake in the front wheel system by using a hydraulic pressure corresponding to an amount of brake pedal operation; and controlling a wheel speed of the rear wheel system via a feedback mechanism to match a wheel speed of the front wheel system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Akebono Brake Inudstry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kimio Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6267363
    Abstract: A flexible pivot with internal pivoting axis comprises two stages that are symmetrical with respect to a median plane perpendicular to the pivoting axis and separated by an external circular recess containing the median plane, each stage comprising an outer annular interface connected by a plurality of radial, flexible guiding arms to a common intermediate cylinder having an axis that is the same as the internal pivoting axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA
    Inventors: Pierre-Marcel Genequand, Philippe Schwab