Patents by Inventor Donald L. Ray
Donald L. Ray 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).
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Patent number: 5321219Abstract: A pedal operated switch assembly has a plunger that operates blade switches and is mounted on a brake pedal in a manner providing self-adjustment. The pedal operated switch assembly has a pivoting lever with a portion that contacts the brake pedal and a portion that contacts a plunger creating a mechanical advantage for actuating the plunger. The mechanical advantage of the pivoting lever reduces the amount of brake pedal travel necessary operate the pedal operated switch assembly.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 1993Date of Patent: June 14, 1994Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.Inventors: James P. Meagher, Donald L. Ray
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Patent number: 4967044Abstract: An electromechanical switch having a manually operable lever with a long lever arm, a low power circuit on a circuit board, low pressure contacts and a force decoupling assembly for connecting the lever and contacts while decoupling the forces associated with the operation of the lever from the forces associated with contacting the circuit. The force decoupling assembly includes a contact carriage pivotable in a first direction to move the contacts across traces on the circuit board to activate the switch and springs for biasing the contacts against the traces in a direction perpendicular to the pivot plane.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 1988Date of Patent: October 30, 1990Assignee: Emhart Industries, Inc.Inventors: Gregg V. Speer, Donald L. Ray, Mark L. Petre
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Patent number: 4904828Abstract: A housing has a flat side and an open end opposite the flat side, which open end is closed by a circuit board, sandwiching a slidable contact carrier between it and the flat side. Normal power terminals are carried by the flat side and low power traces by the circuit board. Contacts carried on both sides of the carrier open and close circuits on the flat side and the circuit board as the carrier is slid in the housing. The carrier slides on a stabilizing bar with a highly finished surface, thereby smoothing out force irregularities that could be caused by the small size and differing characteristics of the two sides of the switch.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 1988Date of Patent: February 27, 1990Assignee: Emhart Industries, Inc.Inventors: Ellis P. Lipp, Donald L. Ray
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Patent number: 4868354Abstract: A contact is attached to a carrier and the carrier-contact assembly encapsulated in a chamber in a light guide, the chamber having an open end closed by a circuit board having traces on it. A lever fitting into a lever housing in the carrier passes through a slot in the light guide permitting the carrier to be manually slid within the chamber parallel to the circuit board, thereby moving the contact over the traces. The carrier contacts the light guide wholly along narrow ribs which are greased with a viscous grease. An opaque cover, having a slot through which the lever extends, encloses the light guide. An opaque tape located between the cover and the light guide and having an opening through which the lever extends, slides with the lever to prevent light from escaping through the slot in the cover as the lever is moved. A rim on the lever housing prevents light from escaping around the opening in the tape.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 1988Date of Patent: September 19, 1989Assignee: Emhart Industries, Inc.Inventors: Donald L. Ray, Ellis P. Lipp
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Patent number: 4855543Abstract: An electromechanical switch includes a lever movable between neutral and activate positions, a first cam comprising a cylinder having oppositely disposed flat sides, a pair of elongated leaf springs, and a housing supporting the first cam sandwiched between the leaf springs, with the leaf springs bent a first non-zero amount when the lever is in neutral position and a second amount larger than the first amount when the lever is in the activate position, the leaf spring thereby acting to return the lever to neutral position whenever it is moved to activate position. There is also a detent which includes a second cam and a stop integrally formed with the second cam which is located between the lever and the first cam.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 1938Date of Patent: August 8, 1989Assignee: Emhart Industries, Inc.Inventors: Gregg V. Speer, Donald L. Ray
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Patent number: 4611103Abstract: An intermittent drive includes a pair of reciprocating drive pawls which individually and alternately drive a camstack in a step by step maneuver. Electrical switches open and close in response to the camstack. One of the drive pawls includes a lost motion connection between it and a rotating member. There is a sub-interval switch having a cam disposed within the intermittent drive and a cam follower which operates a switch.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 1985Date of Patent: September 9, 1986Assignee: Emhart Industries, Inc.Inventors: Robert L. Eder, Donald L. Ray
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Patent number: 4531028Abstract: Switches are fixed relative to a camstack for cam actuation and include two individual blades the free ends of which are biased toward the camstack. One of the blades engages the cams to actuate it relative to the other. The free end of the other blade rides on a pivotally mounted carriage which is biased by the hub of the camstack to reference the blade to the hub. The carriage includes individual cam followers which are flexible and which engage the hub to be flexed by the hub. Walls extend from the individual followers between adjacent sets of blades to prevent arcing between adjacent sets of electrical contacts. A third blade also rides on the carriage to be biased by the hub. The third blade provides another switching function.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 1983Date of Patent: July 23, 1985Assignee: Emhart Industries, Inc.Inventors: Garry A. Stout, Donald L. Ray
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Patent number: 4348560Abstract: A cam is axially displaced so that a pair of cam followers sequentially drop from the cam's outer periphery to sequentially close a pair of electrical switches which are responsive to the cam followers. Upon completion of a program, the cam is permitted to displace to its original position. A clip ring clutch is used to provide a two-way manual rotation of a ring which carries a ramp that axially indexes the cam.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 1980Date of Patent: September 7, 1982Assignee: Emhart Industries, Inc.Inventors: Donald L. Ray, Elmo Voland
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Patent number: 4346270Abstract: A digital clock is coupled to a cam means of a timing mechanism so that the clock can indicate the time remaining of a cycle provided by the cam means. One of the display wheels of the clock is intermittently rotated through the stored energy of a torsion spring, the energy being stored when the wheel is prevented from rotating by a slider which engages the wheel. A second display wheel is intermittently rotated as the first wheel is rotated through a geneva gear system which couples the two wheels together.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 1980Date of Patent: August 24, 1982Assignee: Emhart Industries, Inc.Inventors: Garry A. Stout, Donald L. Ray
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Patent number: 4246454Abstract: A cam is axially displaced so that a pair of cam followers sequentially drop from the cam's outer periphery to sequentially close a pair of electrical switches which are responsive to the cam followers. Upon completion of a program, the cam is permitted to displace to its original position. A coil spring clutch permits an actuator to be located in a predetermined position for axial displacement of the cam.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 1978Date of Patent: January 20, 1981Assignee: Emhart Industries, Inc.Inventor: Donald L. Ray