Patents by Inventor James L. Blechschmidt

James L. Blechschmidt 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: 5755824
    Abstract: An assortment of lock washers is produced from a method including the steps of (a) providing a plurality of blanks formed of generally planar resilient metal, some of the blanks having a different configuration from other of the blanks, each of the blanks including a central aperture, an outer periphery, a tab, and two locating holes spaced from the central aperture and spaced from each other a selected distance and at a selected orientation relative to the tab; (b) providing a tool having two locator pins and structure for bending a tab out of the plane of a blank; (c) orientating the two locating pins with the two locating holes of a selected blank; (d) actuating the tool to bend the tab of the selected blank out of the plane of the selected blank; and (e) repeating steps (c)-(d) for each of the blanks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Saint Switch, Inc.
    Inventors: James L. Blechschmidt, James F. L. Blair
  • Patent number: 5562378
    Abstract: Corrosion, loosening and reusability problems incurred with prior art lock washers are eliminated in a lock washer having a planar washer body (10) formed of a thin sheet of resilient metal. A central aperture (18) is locate in the body (10) and is adapted to receive the shank (42) of a bolt to which a nut (40) is to be attached and locked. First and second lock tabs (14), (16) are formed in the body (10) radially outward of the central aperture (18) and are the sole lock tabs on the body (10). Each of the tabs (14), (16), has a radially inwardly facing, straight free edge (30) displaced to one side of the plane of the body (10). Each of the edges (30) is transverse to a radius of the body (10) and the lock tabs (14), (16) are angularly spaced by more than 90.degree. and less than 180.degree. such that when one free edge 30 is engaging the flat (50) of a nut (40), the other free edge (30) will be underlying a point (52) of the nut (40), between two adjacent flats (50) thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Assignee: Saint Switch, Inc.
    Inventors: James L. Blechschmidt, James F. L. Blair
  • Patent number: 5110151
    Abstract: Computerized chart apparatus for selecting a shim to simultaneously adjust the toe-in and camber of the wheel assembly of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1992
    Assignee: Shimco, Inc.
    Inventors: James L. Blechschmidt, Robert D. Johnson, Robert F. Powell
  • Patent number: 5007658
    Abstract: Computerized chart apparatus for selecting a shim to simultaneously adjust the toe-in and camber of the wheel assembly of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1991
    Assignee: Shimco, Inc.
    Inventors: James L. Blechschmidt, Robert D. Johnson, Robert F. Powell
  • Patent number: 4231554
    Abstract: A control valve having a cylinder mounted to a frame of a motor vehicle and a piston rod mounted to an axle of a motor vehicle for controlling the amount of air introduced to or exhausted from an air suspension spring mounted between the axle and frame of the motor vehicle. The piston rod is connected to a piston which is slidable within a cylinder. Three ports, a port leading to an air spring, an exhaust port, and a supply port extend through the side wall of the cylinder. A piston has a passage therethrough with one outlet at the top surface of the piston and a second outlet at a side surface of the piston. The piston is movable to three positions; one position with the supply port in communication through the passage, with the air spring port, a second position which all three ports are sealed from one another, and a third position in which the air spring port is in communication with the exhaust port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1980
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Martin A. Ekonen, James L. Blechschmidt