Patents Examined by Tamara L. Finlay
  • Patent number: 4955454
    Abstract: A modular bolt assembly in an anti-theft steering shaft lock in an automotive steering column includes a support tube, a bolt in the support tube, a plastic retainer in an open end of the support tube and a spring between the bolt and the retainer. The retainer has three trunnions symmetrically arrayed around the its center which are received in slots in the support tube. The spring seats at the center of the retainer and biases the retainer opposite the bolt until the trunnions seat at closed ends of the slots in the support tube whereby the retainer is captured on the support tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 11, 1990
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Karl A. Reinert, Edmund L. Rendon, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4955637
    Abstract: The application relates to an anchoring of end points of safety belts or safety belt buckle attachments for rear seats of motor vehicles with rear-wheel drive, especially passenger vehicles or estate cars, in the vehicle floor region. In order to stiffen such an anchoring so that the mounting points cannot travel in the direction of the tensile forces occuring in the case of stressing as a result of an accident, the invention provides for the end points, together with a bridge passing under a drive shaft, to be fixed to the vehicle floor on both sides of the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 11, 1990
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG
    Inventors: Guntram Huber, Walter Jahn
  • Patent number: 4953894
    Abstract: An adjustable fastening of a ball joint to a track rod (1) for steering rods of motor vehicles, in which the ball joint has a ball stud (12) supported movable in all directions around a central axis (17) in a joint housing (16), and the central axis (17) can be pushed along by adjusting the ball joint (2) in relation to the track rod (1), is said, in particular, to be possible to use even with U-shaped profiled track rods. For this purpose, the ball joint (2) has a fastening plate (16) which has a bearing bore (18) arranged eccentric to the axis (17) of movement of the ball stud (12). The fastening plate (16) is supported swingable by its bearing bore (18) on a fastening element (22), and the track rod (1) has fixing elements (23) gripping against the fastening plate (16) for fixing the ball joint (2) in a definite swinging position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 4, 1990
    Assignee: TRW Ehrenreich GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Lothar Broszat, Michael Servos, Dieter Schnitzler
  • Patent number: 4953888
    Abstract: A luggage cart including a pair of spaced wheels mounted on an axle. An upright frame and bracket means mounting the upright frame on the axle. The improvement comprising a luggage platform swingably supported on the axle in operative assembly therewith. A synthetic plastic latch bar pivotally mounted at one end on the luggage platform enabling the latch bar to be moved from a horizontal position to an upright position and vice-versa. A pivot structure between one end of the latch bar and the luggage platform enabling the latch bar to be swung from its horizontal platform latching position to its upright inoperative storage position. A latch structure adjacent a free end of the latch bar remotely located from the pivot structure for latched engagement with the frame when the latch bar is in its horizontal position for securing the swingable luggage platform in its horizontal luggage receiving position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 4, 1990
    Assignee: Stebco Products Corporation
    Inventor: Edward B. Stein
  • Patent number: 4953881
    Abstract: A mechanical steering device for the rear wheels of motor cars with four-wheel steering, including a front steering unit (4) and a rear steering unit (5) coupled for rotation with each other by a longitudinal transmission shaft (6), in which the rear steering unit (5) includes a transverse bar (11) connected to the rear wheels (2) by respective steering joints and tie rods (9, 10). The rotation of the longitudinal shaft (6) is transformed into translation of the transverse bar (11) by a positive cam (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 4, 1990
    Assignee: Fiat Auto S.p.A.
    Inventors: Giorgio Lupo, Pier C. Capra
  • Patent number: 4953884
    Abstract: A ski comprises a longitudinally extending body having a central region interposed between anterior and posterior segments. The body has a lower sliding surface whose width is defined by a pair of opposed lower edges connected to two lateral side surfaces that are inclined relative to the lower sliding surface. An upper surface is connected to the laterally side surfaces and has a width defined by opposed lateral edges which converge towards the front of the ski.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 4, 1990
    Assignee: Salomon S.A.
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Diard, Francois Guers
  • Patent number: 4951960
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a board 1 suitable for use in descending a snow slope. The board 1 has a generally flat elongate base 15, a forward portion 2 with an upturned leading edge portion 12, a user support portion 4 and a rearward portion 3 comprising at least partly independently movable left and right support portions 18, 19 extending generally alongside each other rearwardly from said forward portion 2.The base 15 has outer side edges 7, 8 of generally angular cross-sectional shape for biting into the surface of a snow slope during turning in use of the board 1. The side edges are furthermore concavely arcuate, in plan view, so that the board 1 is substantially waisted intermediate its ends 12 and 14 so that the board can proceed along an arcuate path when one of its side edges 8 is weighted and the other 7 unweighted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1990
    Inventor: Stanley Sadler
  • Patent number: 4951964
    Abstract: In a vehicle, a power plant is disposed in an engine room formed at the front of the vehicle body with the center of gravity of the power plant positioned behind the wheel center of front wheels. A structure for supporting a suspension system for the vehicle includes a pair of front side frames which extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body respectively along the left and right side walls of the engine room, and a pair of lower frame members provided on the respective front side frames so as to extend downward from the front side frames at intermediate portions thereof. Each of the lower frame members is provided with a suspension supporting portion on which the suspension system for supporting the corresponding front wheel is supported, and an opening for permitting the drive shaft for the corresponding front wheel to project outside and beyond the front side frame is formed between the lower frame member and the front side frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1990
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinori Sakamoto, Hideki Ono
  • Patent number: 4951767
    Abstract: A vehicle suspension lock system for a tree feller-buncher comprising a pair of pivot arms extending transversely from a vehicle frame. Track pods are mounted on the outer end of each pivot arm and a hydraulic cylinder is extensibly disposed between the frame and the pivot arm. A pilot-operated check valve in each cylinder prevents upward movement of the rod in its associated cylinder when the check valve is closed. The pilot port of each check valve is pressurized responsive to hydraulic fluid pressure used to drive the vehicle track pods thereby permitting fluid flow into and between the cylinders when the vehicle is moving and checking the flow from each cylinder when the vehicle is stationary to effect locking of the pivot arms for logging operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1990
    Assignee: Allied Systems Company
    Inventor: Francis R. Keagbine
  • Patent number: 4951958
    Abstract: A swingable skateboard includes a base board, and a handle assembly retained firmly on the leading end portion of the base board. The base board has a movable tail end. The front rollers are mounted on the crank arm of a crank member which is journalled on the base board. The handle assembly rotates synchronously with the crankshaft of the crank member to swing the front rollers. A rubber cushion is attached to the bottom surface of the base board for braking purposes. A linkage is connected between the movable tail end of the base board and brake shoes so that when the movable tail end is depressed, the linkage moves the brake shoes so as to engage with the rear rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1990
    Inventor: Jung H. Chao
  • Patent number: 4949988
    Abstract: A cross-country ski binding member for releasably attaching the toe of a boot member to a ski includes cam elements on the members cooperable during downward movement of the boot member relative to the binding member in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the ski for effecting forward displacement of the boot member relative to the binding member until the sole of the boot member seats on the ski. A movable stirrup on the binding member is resiliently biased to a neutral position. Mutual engagement elements are provided on the stirrup and on the boot member. During cooperation of the cam elements, the engagement elements engage for affecting resilient displacement of the stirrup from its neutral position during initial forward displacement of the boot member. During final displacement of the boot member, the stirrup is resiliently displaced towards its neutral position and serves to retain the boot member to the ski.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: Salomon S.A.
    Inventors: Didier Rousset, Marc Provence, Josiane Dunand
  • Patent number: 4949994
    Abstract: A mounting bracket is mounted on the vehicle and has a plurality of teeth displayed in an arcuate path about a pivot. The mounting bracket also has a vertically extending guide slot interposed between the pivot and the teeth. An arm is mounted on the pivot and has teeth thereon engageable with the teeth of the mounting bracket to lock the arm against pivotal movement. The arm also has a guide slot extending radially with respect to the pivot. A guide loop having the belt slidable therethrough is connected to a guide pin which is slidably guided in both the vertical guide slot of the mounting bracket and the radial slot of the arm so that pivotal movement of the arm about the pivot moves the guide loop vertically along the vertical guide slot of the mounting bracket to adjust the height of the shoulder belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Kenneth M. Zawisa
  • Patent number: 4948171
    Abstract: An acceleration sensor for safety systems such as seat belt systems in motor vehicles, particularly so-called buckle-connected tighteners, comprises a sensor mass which is generally held in a position of rest but is capable of displacement in response to a predetermined critical acceleration to activate the safety system. In one embodiment, an inertial force sensor consists of a sensor lever pivoted to a part fixed in the vehicle, said sensor lever carries at its upwardly protruding free end an inertial mass, preferably in the form of an enlarged head, the sensor lever being held by a spring which urges said sensor lever toward its vertical stand-by position, and being connected by levers and/or links to a release mechanism for releasing a spring-loaded tie rod or the like or a blocking device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1990
    Assignee: Autoliv-Kolb, GmbH. & Co.
    Inventors: Walter Knabel, Josef Mayer, Stephan Wentker, Walter Notar
  • Patent number: 4947953
    Abstract: A control system for a motor vehicle has a continuously variable transmission, a transmission ratio control system for controlling the transmission ratio, and a cruise control system for controlling speed of the vehicle to a desired cruising speed. A coasting switch is provided for producting a coasting signal during cruising of the vehicle. In response to the coasting signal, a throttle valve of the engine is closed, and the transmission ratio is downshifted by a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1990
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Morimoto
  • Patent number: 4948162
    Abstract: A mechanism for connecting a trailing wheel to an implement, incorporates a spring arm which will absorb shock. The tension on the spring is adjustable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1990
    Assignee: M & W Gear Company
    Inventor: James E. McCanse
  • Patent number: 4948158
    Abstract: A ski binding comprises rest pins (1) mounted on a ski (2) for fitting in corresponding holes (4) in a boot sole (5) toe and a lock restraining the boot vertical movement designed as a blade bracket-shaped spring (3), one end thereof being rigidly attached to the ski (2). The spring (3) has a stop limiting vertical movement of its free end, which is designed as a recess (8) in the front surface of the boot sole (5) toe, a plate mounted on the welt of the boot sole toe, a hinged bail, a plate mounted on the spring, a flange disposed on the boot sole toe, or a tenon on the spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1990
    Inventor: Vladimir S. Makarenko
  • Patent number: 4946180
    Abstract: A child support apparatus for use as a safety car seat, stroller, highchair and crib. The apparatus has telescoping legs with retractable wheels and pivotable handles which may be extended to function as a stroller or retracted and pivoted to become a safety car seat. The apparatus has a restraining tray assembly adapted to receive a safety harness to provide an auxiliary safety feature that may be utilized if the harness is not fastened or accidentally comes loose from its normal male-female mating machanism. The trays associated with the restraining tray assembly are adjustable and rotatable to provide access to the unit's seat or as an extension for the apparatus' side arms when the unit is used as a crib. The retractable wheels are adapted with telescoping legs which may be extended to allow the unit to function as a highchair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1990
    Inventor: Luke Baer
  • Patent number: 4943086
    Abstract: A vehicle inflatable crash protection bag inflator. The inflator housing comprises two structural components which are welded together by only two welded joints to define an inner or combustion chamber containing gas generant material and an outer or diffuser chamber. An igniter tube is disposed in the combustion chamber free of attachment to one of the structural components and is press fit or otherwise suitably attached to a mounting post on the other structural component. The igniter tube is perforated and wrapped with a foil whereby the igniter material is disposed in direct contact with a squib to better ensure ignition thereof. Alternatively, the igniter tube and igniter material may be eliminated and the gas generant material disposed in direct closely surrounding relation to the squib. The housing is composed of aluminum, and the inflator has a minimum weight and size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 24, 1990
    Assignee: Morton Thiokol, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald J. Cunningham
  • Patent number: 4943092
    Abstract: A structure for mounting a suspension member for supporting suspension control arms to the vehicle body with high resiliency in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle but high rigidity in the lateral direction as well as in turning as viewed from a top of the vehicle or as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the structure including substantially cylindrical elastic bushes disposed between the suspension member and the vehicle body to extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and assist links restricting lateral shifting of longitudinal end portions of the suspension member relative to the vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 24, 1990
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsunori Haraguchi
  • Patent number: 4940253
    Abstract: A safety binding for a ski boot which includes a jaw adapted to retain a portion of the boot and to release under the effects of a force greater than a predetermined release threshold wherein the jaw is moveable between a stable equilibrium position and a release position in which the jaw releases the boot. The binding further includes an energization assembly which includes an elastic return device, such as a spring, for exerting a force on the jaw to bias the jaw into the stable equilibrium position; a shock absorber; and a compensation mechanism for varying the release threshold as a function of the intensity and duration of force whereby under the effect of a soft force. The release threshold is defined mainly by (1) the initial energization of the elastic return such that the shock absorber will not substantially change the compression of the spring, and (2) under the effect of a violet force, i.e.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1990
    Assignee: Salomon S.A.
    Inventor: Jean-Claude Brischoux