Patents Examined by Sang Kim
  • System for measuring payout length of an elongate member
    Patent number: 9533856
    Abstract: A system for calculating and displaying a length of payout of an elongate member upon a reel is provided. The system includes a rotatable reel wherein rotation causes the member to be either paid out from or withdrawn toward the reel. A motor is provided and is configured to selectively transmit torque to the reel to urge rotation of the reel. A transmission is in operative connection between the motor and reel, the transmission is configured to transfer torque from the motor to the reel. A sensor is operatively engaged with the reel, the sensor being configured to sense movement of the reel and generate a signal representative of the sensed movement of the reel. A controller that is configured to receive the signal from the sensor, and calibrated to determine a length of hose that is paid out from the reel based upon the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Spartan Tool L.L.C.
    Inventors: John Spelich, Ross Wilson, Kevin T. Dineen, Hannah E. Thomas, Matt C. Anderson
  • Nested sheave arrangement for a telescopic boom and applications of same
    Patent number: 9527700
    Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a telescopic boom includes a plurality of boom sections, and a sheave assembly disposed between two adjacent boom sections. The sheave assembly includes two sheave assembly sets. Each sheave assembly set includes a plurality of sheaves having different diameters. The plurality of sheaves is arranged abreast along a lengthwise direction of the adjacent boom sections and the diameters of the plurality of sheaves increase successively along the lengthwise direction of the adjacent boom sections. Each sheave is wound with one or more cables. The invention also discloses engineering machinery having the telescopic boom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: SANY AMERICA INC.
    Inventor: Kyle Gerber
  • Belt retractor, and method for locking a belt retractor
    Patent number: 9527475
    Abstract: A belt retractor (10) includes a frame (12) provided with locking teeth (36). A belt reel (14) is rotatably supported in the frame (12) and provided on at least one axial end with ratchet teeth (38) adapted to engage in the locking teeth (36), when the belt reel (14) is shifted from a home position into a locked position. A locking bearing (32) interacts with the belt reel (14) on the side where the ratchet teeth (38) are arranged and keeps the belt reel in the home position up to a first load threshold. A load bearing (34) interacts with the belt reel on the opposite side and keeps the latter in the home position up to a second load threshold. The first load threshold is lower than the second load threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Nizam Bedak, Thomas Kielwein, Frederic Michel, Juergen Rink, Demal Sehic
  • Monitoring web speed of material web
    Patent number: 9527690
    Abstract: A drive roller, driven by a motor, moves a material web on a set of rollers. The present rotational speed of the motor is detected. A current web speed is determined from the detected rotational speed and a diameter of the drive roller. The current web speed is compared with a specified target speed value and a specified threshold speed value of the web speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Christian Merkel, Wolf-Martin Rasenack, Mathias Rebling
  • Belt retractor with a switchable force-limiting device
    Patent number: 9527476
    Abstract: A vehicle seat belt retractor with a belt shaft (10) and a coupled profile head lockable to a housing. A force-limiting device has at least two elements (11, 12) between profile head and belt shaft (10). Free ends (15, 16) of the force-limiting elements (11, 12) are coupled to each other by a connecting tube (13) via a coupling element (18). The coupling element (18) has a hook-shaped spring element with a locking hook (19) which slides over the connecting tube (13) when the belt shaft (10) rotates and engages in a locking groove (20) to couple the connecting tube (13) to the belt shaft (10). At a preset angle of rotation of the belt shaft (10) is reached, the bridging device releases the coupling element (18) for the locking hook (19) to latch into the connecting tube locking groove (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Fredrik Wigström, Elias Mathiasson, Erik Rydsmo
  • Overhead crane
    Patent number: 9522810
    Abstract: One or more overhead cranes are provided. The overhead cranes include a first horizontal rail having a first end and a second end, a second horizontal rail having a third end and a fourth end, a first post connected to the first end of the first horizontal rail, a second post connected to the second end of the first horizontal rail, a third post connected to the third end of the second horizontal rail, a fourth post connected to the fourth end of the second horizontal rail and a cross member extending from the first horizontal rail to the second horizontal rail. The cross member includes a center span section, a first side arm and a second side arm. In some embodiments, the center span section is trapezoidialy shaped. In some embodiments, the overhead crane includes a vacuum system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: You-Hua Chou, Ta-Yung Lee, Chiao-Ping Cheng, Ying Chi Wu
  • Cable dispenser
    Patent number: 9522804
    Abstract: A cable dispenser for unwinding a cable from a purchased spool of cable wherein the cable dispenser includes a base plate formed from a rigid sheet of material has a top side and a bottom side, the top side having at least one vertically extending hub shaped to receive a central opening in a spool of cable and the base plate further including at least one alignment peg to help orient the central opening of the spool onto the at least one hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Inventor: Douglas C. Hill
  • Medium loading device and image forming system
    Patent number: 9522795
    Abstract: A medium loading device that is arranged adjacent to an image forming apparatus that includes a medium supply roller that carries a medium, includes a medium guide part that has a guide surface along which the medium is guided toward the medium supply roller, and is arranged on an upstream side of the medium supply roller in a medium carrying direction; a medium end contact part that is arranged on an upstream side of the medium guide part in the medium carrying direction, is positioned below the guide surface of the medium guide part in the vertical direction, and is configured to contact an medium upstream end of the medium so that a portion of the medium is upwardly supported when the medium upstream end of the medium contacts the medium end contact part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Masahiro Fukuda
  • Belt tensioning device for a belt drive and apparatus with a belt tensioning device
    Patent number: 9523415
    Abstract: A belt tensioning device for a belt drive having at least one apparatus with a housing, a driveshaft and a belt pulley, as well as an infinite belt for driving the belt pulley. The belt tensioning device includes a base that can be or is firmly connected to the apparatus, exactly one tensioning arm that, relative to the base, is supported so as to be pivotable around a pivot axis and that, via a torsion spring, is supported in the circumferential direction against the base. The belt tensioning device also includes a tensioning roller that, at the tensioning arm, is supported so as to be rotatable around an axis of rotation and serves to tension the belt. When the belt tensioning device is mounted at the apparatus, the pivot axis of the tensioning arm is arranged inside the outer diameter of the belt pulley of the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Muhr und Bender KG
    Inventors: Stefan Schauerte, Joachim Jud, Simon Pfeifer, Manfred Jung
  • Device for winding ribbon-like material onto spools
    Patent number: 9517909
    Abstract: Described is a device for winding ribbon-like material onto spools. Said device comprises at least a first rotating body (10a, 10b) that can rotate around a spool axis (S) and at least a second rotating body (20) that can rotate around the spool axis (S) and can furthermore be moved relative to the spool axis (S) in axial direction from a first end position to a second end position. Thus, the second rotating body (20) when it is in the first end position is located closer to the first rotating body (10a, 10b) than when it is in the second end position. The two rotating bodies (10a, 10b; 20) can rotate jointly around the spool axis, at least when the second rotating body (20) is located in its first end position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: SUBA HOLDING GMBH + CO. KG
    Inventors: Frank Bauer, Thomas Standke, Mirko Lindenmann
  • Ballistic powered inertia reel
    Patent number: 9517841
    Abstract: A ballistic powered inertial reel device comprises an inertia unit and a ballistic powered unit. The inertia unit includes a reel shaft and a webbing wound on the reel shaft. A reel lock has a disengaged orientation with the reel shaft during normal operation and an engaged orientation to prevent rotation of the reel shaft during an emergency. A control dog drives the reel lock. A geared cam rotates to drive a lock rod which operates against the control dog to drive the reel lock into the engaged orientation. The ballistic powered unit comprises a flywheel coupled to the geared cam. A piston drives the flywheel and a rewind spring couples the flywheel to the reel shaft. Actuation of the piston rotates the flywheel to cause the rewind spring to rotate the reel shaft to rewind the webbing and rotate the geared cam to lock the reel lock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Carleton Life Support Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian Ford
  • Spindle and dispenser for roll products and methods for making and using same
    Patent number: 9517908
    Abstract: Spindles (10) adapted to receive a tape roll having a core opening thereof and comprising an elongate body (12) and at least one spacing member (14a, 14b, 14c) comprising a protuberance (18a, 18b, 18c) wherein the protuberance is configured such that it can be configured in a first protruding position and in a second non-protruding position. Also, dispensers comprising such spindles, methods of assembling such dispensers, and methods of dispensing tape from tape rolls mounted on such spindle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventor: Thomas C. Meier
  • Reel-up and a method for winding into a roll a paper web and for starting a new roll
    Patent number: 9511968
    Abstract: The invention relates to a reel-up (1) for receiving and winding into a roll (2) a paper web (W) that arrives from a drying cylinder in a paper making machine and for starting a new roll (2) from a tail (19) formed by cutting the paper web (W). The reel-up (1) comprises a rotatably mounted reel spool (3) onto which a paper web (W) can be wound to create a paper roll (2) of increasing diameter; and an endless flexible belt (4) mounted for rotation along a predetermined path of travel such that the flexible belt (4) forms a loop. The flexible belt (4) is positioned adjacent to the reel spool (3) to engage the paper web (W) against the reel spool (3) during winding such that the flexible belt (4) is deflected from the predetermined path of travel by an amount relative to the amount of paper material wound on the reel spool (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Inventor: Per-Olof Malmqvist
  • Automatic splicing device
    Patent number: 9510494
    Abstract: A control device that moves and positions number one and number two takeup members at number one and number two aperture forming positions until the number one and number two cutting points of number one and number two tapes are positioned at number one and number two cutting positions. By doing this, number one and number two unnecessary sections from number one and number two tapes can be processed by reliably being taken into number one and number two apertures of number one and number two takeup members. Then, after cutting number one and number two unnecessary sections, number one and number two takeup members are moved to number one and number two conveyance positions. By doing this, number one and number two tapes can be smoothly conveyed along number one and number two movable conveyance paths of number one and number two takeup members to a splicing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI MACHINE MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xiao Dong Chi
  • Wire reels, components thereof, and related methods
    Patent number: 9499374
    Abstract: Embodiments provide reels comprising covers, wire hubs, and winding levers. The covers removably attach to casings and close spool apertures of the casings. The hubs spool wire into/out of the apertures via windows of the casings. Moreover, the hubs couple to the covers. Some levers operably couple to the covers. When stowed, the levers are within the perimeters of the covers. When deployed, the levers extend beyond the perimeters. The reels can also comprise the casings. Mounting bases of some reels can removably attach to the casings. Furthermore, some levers can pivot about hinges on the covers. Levers can comprise wind knobs at their ends and the covers can define apertures through which the knobs extend when stowed. Detents which retain the levers in the stowed position can be provided. Moreover, hubs can comprise the detents for engaging the levers when the levers are stowed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Inventors: Roland Wade Hawkins, Cindy Ann Hawkins, Daniel Tagtow, Hugh Melling
  • Continuous feed material dispenser with adjustable brake
    Patent number: 9499369
    Abstract: A braking assembly used in a dispenser that dispenses a continuous supply of material such as paper. The braking assembly includes a support structure. A first fixed gear is rotatably connected to the support structure. A movable chassis is also connected to the support structure. A second movable gear is held by the chassis and moves with the chassis. Teeth of the first gear and teeth of the second gear intermesh with each other and allow the paper to pass therethrough. The chassis maintains the teeth of the first and second gears in contact with each other while enabling a distance between gears to be adjustable. The assembly further includes a braking mechanism that varies an amount of force required to rotate the gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: SCA TISSUE NORTH AMERICA LLC
    Inventors: Craig Billman, Jeffrey J. Brickl, Wayne Hansen, Edward A. Raleigh, Rodney Wilson, John W. Grosz
  • Assembly for a belt retractor
    Patent number: 9499123
    Abstract: An assembly for a belt retractor includes a vehicle-sensitive sensor and a holding fixture (10) for the sensor. The sensor and the holding fixture (10) have geometric designs that interact and are adjusted to each other so that the sensor can be mounted at various spatial orientations in the holding fixture (10). In a belt retractor for a vehicle seat belt comprising such assembly the holding fixture (10) is coupled with the sensor at a fixed position to the frame of the belt retractor in which a belt reel of the belt retractor is rotatably supported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Boris Siebeck, Demal Sehic, Julius Adomeit
  • Portable lifting rig
    Patent number: 9493327
    Abstract: A portable lifting device is provided that includes a pair of telescoping parallel beam assemblies attached on either end to a pair of stanchion assemblies. Each stanchion assembly includes a top and bottom member as well as at least one vertical member. The bottom member of each beam assembly rests on a deck support member, and the height of each vertical member may be adjustable. A sliding guide assembly is slidably mounted on the parallel beam assemblies and includes a cross-member between the parallel beams that acts as the connection point for a lifting medium. This allows for a higher support point for the lifting medium than would be provided by a conventional single-beam device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Huntington Ingalls Incorporated
    Inventors: John W. Ralls, Matthew J. Absi, Charles C. Smith, Randall L. Durham, Kenneth D. Evanson, John C. Vandenberg
  • Detacher for roll and image forming apparatus including same
    Patent number: 9493324
    Abstract: A detacher for detaching from a roll a spool supporting the roll, and the detacher includes a detacher body; and a plurality of hooking parts disposed on a circumference of the detacher body to engage a plurality of projections of a flange disposed at an end of the spool. With the hooking parts engaging the projections of the flange, the roll and the detacher are relatively displaced so that the spool is detached from the roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Koji Hashiuchi
  • Hoist assembly
    Patent number: 9487380
    Abstract: A hoist assembly includes a mount. A plurality of hooks is coupled to the mount. The plurality of hooks engages a ladder. The mount may be coupled to the ladder. A plate is provided. The plate engages the mount. The plate may be positioned above a roof access hatch. A winch is coupled to the plate. A cable is wrapped around the winch. The winch may extend or retract the cable. A hook is coupled to the cable. The hook engages an object. The assembly may lift the object upwardly through the roof access hatch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Inventor: Jeff Hanley