Patents by Inventor Dennis E. Toby

Dennis E. Toby has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Disk brake rotor with visual wear indicator
    Patent number: 6457566
    Abstract: A brake rotor for a vehicle is provided with one or more visual wear indicators on brake contact surfaces to allow easy visual inspection of brake rotor condition without the need for measurement tools. The inventive visual wear indicator system is not obtrusive and as such removes only a relatively small amount of brake contact surface to form a recessed surface at a depth of a predetermined minimum useable rotor thickness. With this inventive rotor, one can visually inspect the condition of a brake rotor and readily determine whether the rotor requires replacement or remachining. The visual wear indicator is provided on a brake contact surface of the rotor solely within a brake contact region so as to provide an accurate reflection of the condition of the rotor in areas where wear will occur. The visual indicator may be provided on only one, but preferably both, sides of the rotor and may take numerous forms, such as a cylindrical bore, a more complex shape, an annular groove or even an eccentric groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Brake Parts Inc.
    Inventor: Dennis E. Toby
  • DISK BRAKE ROTOR WITH VISUAL WEAR INDICATOR
    Publication number: 20020117360
    Abstract: A brake rotor for a vehicle is provided with one or more visual wear indicators on brake contact surfaces to allow easy visual inspection of brake rotor condition without the need for measurement tools. The inventive visual wear indicator system is not obtrusive and as such removes only a relatively small amount of brake contact surface to form a recessed surface at a depth of a predetermined minimum useable rotor thickness. With this inventive rotor, one can visually inspect the condition of a brake rotor and readily determine whether the rotor requires replacement or remachining. The visual wear indicator is provided on a brake contact surface of the rotor solely within a brake contact region so as to provide an accurate reflection of the condition of the rotor in areas where wear will occur. The visual indicator may be provided on only one, but preferably both, sides of the rotor and may take numerous forms, such as a cylindrical bore, a more complex shape, an annular groove or even an eccentric groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2001
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Applicant: BRAKE PARTS INC.
    Inventor: Dennis E. Toby