Patents by Inventor Edwin E. Thompson

Edwin E. Thompson 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).

  • Patent number: 7266876
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming rivet joints with a desired amount of clearance to allow pivotal motion of the parts interconnected by such joints. Parts to be riveted together are aligned with each other, and a rivet is placed into aligned holes. A parts clamp urges the parts and a preformed head of the rivet against a rivet support anvil to establish an initial condition. A parts support anvil is placed in a required position with respect to the rivet support anvil prior to formation of the second head on the opposite end of the rivet, to provide the desired amount of clearance. The parts support anvil is moved by pushing against a set of arched leaf springs to adjust their effective length, using a hydraulic motor controlled in response to an electrical signal from a transducer that measures movement of parts by the parts support anvil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Leatherman Tool Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Edwin E. Thompson
  • Patent number: 7100272
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming rivet joints with a desired amount of clearance to allow pivotal motion of the parts interconnected by such joints. Parts to be riveted together are aligned with each other, and a rivet is placed into aligned holes. A parts clamp urges the parts and a preformed head of the rivet against a rivet support anvil to establish an initial condition. A parts support anvil is placed in a required position with respect to the rivet support anvil prior to formation of the second head on the opposite end of the rivet, to provide the desired amount of clearance. The parts support anvil is moved by pushing against a set of arched leaf springs to adjust their effective length, using a hydraulic motor controlled in response to an electrical signal from a transducer that measures movement of parts by the parts support anvil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Leatherman Tool Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Edwin E. Thompson
  • Patent number: 6796020
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming rivet joints with a desired amount of clearance to allow pivotal motion of the parts interconnected by such joints. Parts to be riveted together are aligned with each other, and a rivet is placed into aligned holes. A parts clamp urges the parts and a preformed head of the rivet against a rivet support anvil to establish an initial condition. A parts support anvil is placed in a required position with respect to the rivet support anvil prior to formation of the second head on the opposite end of the rivet, to provide the desired amount of clearance. The parts support anvil is moved by pushing against a set of arched leaf springs to adjust their effective length, using a hydraulic motor controlled in response to an electrical signal from a transducer that measures movement of parts by the parts support anvil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Leatherman Tool Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Edwin E. Thompson
  • Publication number: 20020174536
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming rivet joints with a desired amount of clearance to allow pivotal motion of the parts interconnected by such joints. Parts to be riveted together are aligned with each other, and a rivet is placed into aligned holes. A parts clamp urges the parts and a preformed head of the rivet against a rivet support anvil to establish an initial condition. A parts support anvil is placed in a required position with respect to the rivet support anvil prior to formation of the second head on the opposite end of the rivet, to provide the desired amount of clearance. The parts support anvil is moved by pushing against a set of arched leaf springs to adjust their effective length, using a hydraulic motor controlled in response to an electrical signal from a transducer that measures movement of parts by the parts support anvil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2002
    Publication date: November 28, 2002
    Inventor: Edwin E. Thompson
  • Patent number: 6442823
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming rivet joints with a desired amount of clearance to allow pivotal motion of the parts interconnected by such joints. Parts to be riveted together are aligned with each other, and a rivet is placed into aligned holes. A parts clamp urges the parts and a preformed head of the rivet against a rivet support anvil to establish an initial condition. A parts support anvil is placed in a required position with respect to the rivet support anvil prior to formation of the second head on the opposite end of the rivet, to provide the desired amount of clearance. The parts support anvil is moved by pushing against a set of arched leaf springs to adjust their effective length, using a hydraulic motor controlled in response to an electrical signal from a transducer that measures movement of parts by the parts support anvil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Leatherman Tool Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Edwin E. Thompson
  • Patent number: 6161273
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming rivet joints that allow pivotal motion of the parts interconnected by such joints with a desired amount of clearance. Parts to be riveted together are aligned with each other and held in place on a parts support anvil, and a rivet is placed into aligned holes. A rivet support anvil is positioned against the head of the rivet to establish an initial condition. The rivet support is adjusted a required amount with respect to the parts support anvil prior to formation of the second head on the opposite end of the rivet. The rivet is allowed to move a controlled amount prior to formation of the second head, to provide the desired amount of clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2000
    Assignee: Leatherman Tool Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin C. Rivera, Edwin E. Thompson
  • Patent number: 5855054
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming rivet joints that allow pivotal motion of the parts interconnected by such joints with a desired amount of clearance. Parts to be riveted together are aligned with each other and held in place on a parts support anvil, and a rivet is placed into aligned holes. A rivet support anvil is positioned against the head of the rivet to establish an initial condition. The rivet support is adjusted a required amount with respect to the parts support anvil prior to formation of the second head on the opposite end of the rivet. The rivet is allowed to move a controlled amount prior to formation of the second head, to provide the desired amount of clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Assignee: Leatherman Tool Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin C. Rivera, Edwin E. Thompson
  • Patent number: 5425826
    Abstract: An automated applicator (120) for forming a welded identification sleeve (34) around an elongate object, such as a conductor (16), includes a base (124, 146, 148) defining a receiving surface (186) for receiving the conductor. A reversible line-feed printer (18) for feeding a weldable material strip (24) is positioned adjacent the receiving surface of the base. The printer is capable of selective operation in an advance mode to advance the leading end portion (22) of the material strip toward a first end of the base and transversely past the conductor, and a reverse mode in which the material strip is retracted away from the first end of the base. The applicator includes a guide member (151) mounted on the base and positionable adjacent the receiving surface for guiding the lead portion of the material strip, when advanced by the printer, around the elongate object. When so advanced, the leading end portion of the material strip overlaps the material strip in order to wrap the conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1995
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Babak Sayyadi, Dennis W. Fritz, Edwin E. Thompson, Gregory E. Jansen
  • Patent number: 5134931
    Abstract: A cylinder press converted to printing foil embossed images onto a printing stock. A supply roll of foil bearing ribbon is mounted forward on the reciprocating chase and the ribbon is extended over the chase through a pair of adjusting guide rollers to a stationary take-up mechanism. In the take-up mechanism, the ribbon is wrapped around a puller roller and onto a rewind roller. One of the guide rollers is stationary and the other reciprocates in a parallel path in at least half the speed of the reciprocating chase. The ribbon is wound in a serpentine configuration around the reciprocating guide roller forward to the stationary guide roller and back to the take-up mechanism to thereby retain a fixed pathway length regardless of the position of the chase. The ribbon is wrapped around the puller roller having a friction gripping surface for non-slip pulling of the ribbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1992
    Assignee: Liepelt & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Edwin E. Thompson, Gregory E. Jansen