Patents by Inventor Douglas S. Pfautz

Douglas S. Pfautz 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).

  • Apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture for a terminator positioning system
    Patent number: 6900610
    Abstract: The invention is a system for controlling the position of a movable member moved by a prime mover by monitoring the position of the movable member; generating position information based upon this monitoring; and controlling the prime mover based upon the position information by providing a counter force to the movable member substantially equal to an opposing force opposing the movement of the movable member. The invention may include a movable member, such as a ram used for fastening a terminal to a wire; a spring; a DC planetary gear motor for providing a force to the movable member opposing the spring; a position detector, such as an linear voltage displacement transducer, to detect the position of the movable member and generate position information; and a controller, which may include a logic board or microprocessor and memory, for controlling the force from the motor in response to the position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Gary L. Deck, Douglas S. Pfautz, Keith L. Nicholas
  • Apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture for a terminator positioning system
    Publication number: 20040232871
    Abstract: The invention is a system for controlling the position of a movable member moved by a prime mover by monitoring the position of the movable member; generating position information based upon this monitoring; and controlling the prime mover based upon the position information by providing a counter force to the movable member substantially equal to an opposing force opposing the movement of the movable member. The invention may include a movable member, such as a ram used for fastening a terminal to a wire; a spring; a DC planetary gear motor for providing a force to the movable member opposing the spring; a position detector, such as an linear voltage displacement transducer, to detect the position of the movable member and generate position information; and a controller, which may include a logic board or microprocessor and memory, for controlling the force from the motor in response to the position information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2003
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Applicant: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Gary L. Deck, Douglas S. Pfautz, Keith L. Nicholas
  • Wire positioning device apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture
    Patent number: 6782607
    Abstract: The present invention comprises apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture for processing and/or stripping wire comprising a wire processing or wire termination machine with a processing or stripping sub assembly actuated by a start sensor plate, where the start sensor plate has a textured surface, so as to retain the wires being stripped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas S. Pfautz, Christopher J. Karrasch, David J. Erb
  • Wire positioning device apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture
    Publication number: 20030196322
    Abstract: The present invention comprises apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture for processing and/or stripping wire comprising a wire processing or wire termination machine with a processing or stripping sub assembly actuated by a start sensor plate, where the start sensor plate has a textured surface, so as to retain the wires being stripped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Inventors: Douglas S. Pfautz, Christopher J. Karrasch, David J. Erb