Patents Examined by Stephen Funk
  • Patent number: 5803736
    Abstract: An improved dental post is provided in an apparatus for forming a pattern of an apical canal comprising:an elongated apical shaft;a transfer head axially attached to one end of the apical shaft; anda thermoplastic encasing the apical shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Inventor: Kenneth L. Merritt, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5582104
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for vacuum printing inks onto a substrate in which the printing screen is mounted in a pivotable screen holder. The substrate is positioned on a printing platen and adhered to the platen during the printing operation by a vacuum hold-down system. The platen rests upon a product carrier which may be moved in a direction normal to the surface of the printing platen in order to adjust the spacing between the substrate and printing screen. The printing screen may be registered with the substrate by adjusting the position of the screen holder along two axes defining the screen plane and about a third axis normal to the screen plane. During printing the screen is deflected into contact with the substrate by a vacuum hold-down system. The system is configured to minimize the volume of air which must be evacuated during the printing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: Printron, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Best, Burt DeVolk
  • Patent number: 5560294
    Abstract: A device for inking a screen roller of a rotary printing machine, with an ink chamber, arranged along side of the screen roller, which has an opening pointing toward the screen roller and which is closed on the front side by side walls and which has at least one ink inlet as well as a chamber body with a circular interior. In order to allow the screen roller to be inked in a manner correct for printing using simple technical devices, the ink inlet into the inking chamber is to allow the creation of an ink roll moved by the screen roller during operation in a rotating fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1996
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Horst Anders, Ulrich Denk
  • Patent number: 5555809
    Abstract: A method for producing an erasable printing form by making the outer layer of the printing form from a material containing strong micro-dipoles, preferably a ferroelectric material, in particular a ferroelectric ceramic. In wet offset printing, the non-printing areas of the printing form are rendered hydrophilic by a hydrophilizing agent and they are maintained during the entire printing process. Plate cleaners can, for example, be used as the hydrophilizing agents. The printing form can be erased by a nonpolar solvent and can be reused again by rendering the non-printing areas hydrophilic again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Alfred Hirt, Barbara N ussel, Robert Weiss
  • Patent number: 5553537
    Abstract: In a stencil printing machine, when a printing drum is set at its operating position in the direction of its axis, a drum switch is turned on, and a locking piece is engaged with a groove formed in an engaging rod integral with the printing drum, so that a lock switch is also turned on, In the case where the printing drum pushed into the printing machine is not at the operating position, the drum presence/absence switch is turned on, and the locking piece is not engaged with the groove, so that the lock switch is off. In this case, the locking piece is reciprocated a predetermined distance in both directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1996
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Hara
  • Patent number: 5551337
    Abstract: A plate making device and method, wherein when a light sensor detects that the stencil plate inserted into the plate making device is provided with the through hole, the controller supplies a current to the thermal head for T1 seconds to control the heat time to be short, so that the perforation energy of the thermal head is reduced. On the other hand, when the light sensor detects that the stencil plate has no through hole, the controller supplies a current to the thermal head for T2 seconds longer than T1 seconds to control the heat time to be long, so that the perforation energy of the thermal head is increased. In this device, even when any type of stencil plate is used, the plate making process providing the best print quality for each stencil plate can be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Miki, Takashi Okumura
  • Patent number: 5551339
    Abstract: A process and a device for register-correct positioning of printing form sleeves on printing cylinders of a rotary printing machine, each with a pressure gas cushion producible for shifting the elastically expandable printing form sleeve on the printing form cylinder. In order to provide quick register-correct positioning of the printing form sleeves without placing particular demands on the operating personnel, the positions of the printing form sleeves fitting tightly onto the printing cylinders are determined and then the printing form sleeves are individually set and released using the pressure gas cushion of the particular printing cylinder. Then the printing cylinder is turned relative to the printing form sleeve by its angular deviation relative to the register-correct position to be realized. Subsequently the printing form sleeve is again released as well as set relative to the printing cylinder by turning off of the pressure gas cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: Man Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Ralf Schadlich, Klaus Reichenbach, Klaus Koblitz, Udo Meier
  • Patent number: 5551419
    Abstract: The invention relates to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) respiratory therapy apparatus for treatment of apnea, hypopnea and other sleep disorders, and particularly to a control for the CPAP apparatus. A blower is connected through a hose and a mask, such as a nasal mask or a nasal cannula, to the patient's respiratory airway. An air flow sensor and an air pressure sensor are located at the blower end of the hose. Optionally, a vent valve also may be located at the blower end of the hose. The sensor outputs are used to estimate the air pressure at the mask and the air flow sensor output is used to determine the gross air flow to the hose, the patient air flow and the occurrence of patient snoring. The air flow sensor output also is used to generate a square wave breathing signal. The breathing signal may be used by a microprocessor to control the optional vent valve to establish different levels in the applied pressure during inspiration and expiration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: DeVilbiss Health Care, Inc.
    Inventors: James P. Froehlich, Joseph N. Mitchell, Stephen M. Jones
  • Patent number: 5549401
    Abstract: A continuous form electrophotographic printer includes a paper feeding apparatus and control system to control a level of tension between two paper feeding elements. A detector is responsive to changes in tension between the two elements, and the speed of one of the elements is adjusted in response to a change in tension if a change is recorded. The detector takes the form of a rotatable lever pressing on the continuous paper and responsive to paper tension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yutaka Ishikawa, Takeru Ito, Tsutomu Sato
  • Patent number: 5549107
    Abstract: An improved second stage regulator employs a pneumatically-activated anti-set poppet and inhalation resistance adjustment control knob accessible externally of the regulator. The anti-set poppet utilizes a pressure-activated compression spring to seal the air inlet during exhalation. When the regulator is stored, the relaxed spring permits the seal to withdraw from the sharp edge orifice of the air inlet thereby avoiding seal wear which would otherwise diminish the performance of the regulator. The adjustment control knob permits the diver to modify the required cracking effort by changing the amount of spring compression when the regulator is pressurized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: Under Sea Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Dean R. Garraffe, Douglas J. Toth
  • Patent number: 5547296
    Abstract: A method of controlling a transportation velocity of a printhead carriage of a serial printer is disclosed. The printhead carriage is driven by a motor via a timing belt. First, a characteristic equation, which includes a motor speed, a current applied to said motor, an equivalent disturbance indicating environmental variations affecting said motor speed, is discreted. Thereafter, the equivalent disturbance is estimated using the characteristic equation which has been discreted. A value of the equivalent disturbance is determined and subsequently, a value of the equivalent disturbance compensating level is calculated using a discrete low pass filter. Finally, a current to be applied to said motor is obtained by adding a compensating level of the controller to the level of the equivalent disturbance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1996
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Naotoshi Iwazawa
  • Patent number: 5547380
    Abstract: Method and tool for fracturing the interface between dental structure that have been cemented together. The method is accomplished by positioning a rapid impacting tool at about 90.degree. against the one side of the lower portion of a cap covering a tooth. The opposite side of the cap is abutted with a kinetic energy absorber. The flexing against the cap is small while the frequency is high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1996
    Inventor: Jack Goodman
  • Patent number: 5546938
    Abstract: A device (10) for attaching and tube (V). The tube inserted in a person's mouth or nose to provide a ventilation and suction passage for the person. One end of the tube is inserted in the person's mouth or the end of a nasal passage and the other end of the tube protrudes out of the mouth or nasal passage. An elongate piece (12) of material has a length sufficient for the device to fit behind the person's head with the ends of the piece reaching across a portion of their face for use in securing the tube in place. Respective ends (14, 16) of the material are perforated so each end can be separated into at least two parallel strips (14a, 14b, 16a, 16b). The separable portions of the ends forming the respective strips extend longitudinally of the piece of material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1996
    Inventor: Shirley T. McKenzie
  • Patent number: 5544584
    Abstract: A process for producing a durable, readily-storable, cylindrically-shaped flexographic printing sleeve having inner and an outer cylindrically-shaped walls and a substantially constant cross-sectional inner and outer diameter is provided. The flexographic printing sleeve is readily axially mountable on and dismountable from a complementary cylindrically-shaped printing cylinder having an outer cylindrically shaped wall. The process comprises providing a sleeve body. A layer of a low temperature curable polymeric material is provided to the outer circumferential surface of the sleeve body. The low temperature curable polymeric material is then cured at a temperature not greater than about 150 degrees F. to form a hardened layer of the polymeric material having a substantially uniform degree of hardness without damaging or distorting the sleeve body. A portion of the hardened layer of the polymeric material is removed to produce a flexographic printing sleeve having a thickness of up to about 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1996
    Assignee: Thompson Urethane Products
    Inventors: William L. Thompson, Mark A. Borski
  • Patent number: 5544580
    Abstract: A mimeographic printing machine including: a pair of first and second sheet supplying rollers, the first sheet supplying roller being movable into and out of contact with the second sheet supplying roller, the first and second sheet supplying rollers clamping a printing sheet when the first sheet supplying roller touches to the second sheet supplying roller, and the first and second sheet supplying rollers being rotatable to convey the printing sheet; a rotary cylindrical drum having a tubular wall on which a stencil paper is wound; a pushing device for pushing the printing sheet conveyed by rotating the first and second sheet supplying rollers against the stencil paper wound on the rotary cylindrical drum in order to perform a mimeographic printing operation; a jamming detector for detecting abnormal conveyance of printing sheets in a printing-sheet conveying path; a preventing device for preventing the first sheet supplying roller from approaching the second sheet supplying roller; and a controller for acti
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1996
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Takahashi
  • Patent number: 5542846
    Abstract: A chuck mechanism for holding rotating tools in gear driven or turbine driven medical/dental devices. The chuck includes a bur tube which releasably receives a shaft of a dental tool, a tilt plate which extends through the bur tube and which has a hole through which the tool extends, and a tilt plate pusher which is moveable axially with respect to the bur tube. The tilt plate is moveable between a first, unlocked, position in which the edges of the tilt plate hole are spaced slightly from the dental tool shaft so that the shaft may be freely moved axially relative to the tilt plate, and a second, locked, position in which the tilt plate edges contact the shaft to prevent axial and rotational movement of the shaft relative to the tilt plate. The tilt plate is preferably spring biased to its locked position, and the tilt plate pusher is preferably operated by a push button to move the tilt plate to its open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1996
    Assignee: Young Dental Manufacturing, Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Quinn, George E. Richmond
  • Patent number: 5540145
    Abstract: An apparatus for continuously providing dampening fluid to a plate cylinder of a lithographic printing press includes a frame operatively connected to the printing press. A dampening fluid reservoir is attached. A pan roller is rotatably mounted in the frame and is disposed in contact with dampening fluid in the dampening fluid reservoir. A transfer roller set tangentially contacts and is parallel to the pan roller. The transfer roller is rotated by friction from the pan roller which is driven at a rotation speed proportional to the speed of the plate cylinder. An ink receptive oscillating roller having a porous and compressible surface is tangentially contacting and parallel to the transfer roller. The oscillating roller is gear driven at a rotational speed proportional to the speed of the plate cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1996
    Inventor: James J. Keller
  • Patent number: 5540150
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for imaging lithographic plates using laser devices that emit in the near-infrared region, and plates suitable for imaging with the apparatus and methods. Laser output either ablates one or more plate layers or physically transforms a surface layer, in either case resulting in an imagewise pattern of features on the plate. The image features exhibit an affinity for ink or an ink-abhesive fluid that differs from that of unexposed areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1996
    Assignee: Presstek, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Lewis, Richard A. Williams, Frank G. Pensavecchia, John F. Kline, John P. Gardiner, Michael T. Nowak, Kenneth T. Robichaud
  • Patent number: 5540147
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for making contoured planarizing or protective layers for color filters for liquid crystal display panels. A transfer layer is formed on a collector device having a contoured surface. A plurality of colored ink patterns is formed on the transfer layer thereby forming the multicolor image that will become the color filter. This multicolored image is then transferred to the substrate so that the transfer layer in effect becomes a top protective layer or planarizing layer. The contoured surface on the collector device is imparted to the planarizing layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1996
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventor: Ronald E. Johnson
  • Patent number: RE35319
    Abstract: A printer which can accommodate both continuous sheets and cut sheets includes both a continuous sheet path and a cut sheet path. A printing section is provided in common for the continuous and cut sheets. A manually .[.slidable.]. .Iadd.movable .Iaddend.continuous sheet guide plate is provided in the upper portion of the printing section. A detector detects .[.operatin.]. .Iadd.operation .Iaddend.of the continuous sheet guide plate. When the guide plate is .[.slid.]. .Iadd.moved .Iaddend.so that the cut sheet path is closed and the continuous sheet path is selected, in response to the output of the detector the continuous sheet is fed to the exit of the continuous sheet path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiko Yamada, Yoshikazu Ito, Naoki Asai