Patents by Inventor Frederick E. Brooks

Frederick E. Brooks 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: 6406356
    Abstract: A wheel finishing apparatus for abrasively finishing the front faces of automobile wheels. The apparatus has a rotating carousel hub and multiple arms connected to the carousel hub which extend out to wheel mounting ends. A wheel is rotatably mounted to each wheel mounting end such that the front face of each wheel faces a known direction of carousel rotation and forms an impingement with an orbital path traversed by the wheel mounting end. Each wheel may be independently pivoted about a respective pivot axis at each wheel mounting end for variably adjusting the impingement angle. By adjusting the impingement angle to less than ninety degrees, partially submerging the wheels in a media bath, and rotating the carousel drive structure about a central axis of rotation, the abrasive polishing media impinges the submerged portions of the front faces and rotates the wheels about their respective wheel rotational axes to abrasively finish all areas of the front faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Inventor: Frederick E. Brooks