Patents by Inventor John L. Wickham

John L. Wickham 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: 7513720
    Abstract: A device gaging, tapping and/or re-chasing threaded devices which automatically accommodates and corrects for both lateral offset and angular offset between the longitudinal axis of the threaded member of the device and the threaded member being tested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Inventor: John L. Wickham
  • Publication number: 20070297868
    Abstract: A device gaging, tapping and/or re-chasing threaded devices which automatically accommodates and corrects for both lateral offset and angular offset between the longitudinal axis of the threaded member of the device and the threaded member being tested.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Inventor: John L. Wickham
  • Patent number: 7059055
    Abstract: A device for confirming the presence of thread in nuts and other threaded parts has a threaded gage mounted on a holder which is connected through a clutch to a motor. The motor drives the holder to rotate the threaded gage to engage the threaded part. Switches are provided to stop and reverse the motor. The device identifies parts without threads and also damaged and incomplete threads. The device does not impart undue force levels to unthreaded, undersized parts or defective parts. The device confirms threads in threaded blind bores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: New Vista Corporation
    Inventors: John L. Wickham, James L. Brun, Robert K. Paquin
  • Patent number: 6729111
    Abstract: A machine for palletizing elements having a head, a shank and a tip. An auger has a first portion having a variable pitch and a second portion having a constant pitch. A plurality of the elements are directed onto the auger and retained on the auger. A transfer arm moves the plurality of elements from the auger and introduces the plurality of elements to a tray having rows of holes therein. Several embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Inventor: John L. Wickham
  • Publication number: 20030035706
    Abstract: A machine for palletizing elements having a head, a shank and a tip. An auger has a first portion having a variable pitch and a second portion having a constant pitch. A plurality of the elements are directed onto the auger and retained on the auger. A transfer arm moves the plurality of elements from the auger and introduces the plurality of elements to a tray having rows of holes therein. Several embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2002
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Inventor: John L. Wickham
  • Patent number: 6209431
    Abstract: A general purpose molding and casting machine which will run unmanned to receive a casting assemblage and then separate the runners and sprue from the casting. Once the separation has taken place the casting is carried to the finished parts area and runners and sprue remnants are delivered to the scrap area for reuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Inventor: John L. Wickham
  • Patent number: 5969267
    Abstract: A system for monitoring the flow of water through a pipe. A pipe section is adapted to be located in a water line which includes a metering device having a target displaceable at a rate representative of the rate of flow through the pipe section. A telemetering unit includes a sensor for sensing a target and a receiver for receiving the output of the sensor and transmitting data representative of the flow to a remote receiver. A housing houses the telemetering unit and is releasably secured to the pipe section so that the sensor will sense the metering device target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Emhart Glass S.A.
    Inventors: Wade W. Smith, John L. Wickham, David A. Saar
  • Patent number: 5597521
    Abstract: An unloader-separator attached to a die casting machine which includes a swing arm having grippers to hold the gate having components thereon. The swing arm holding the gate is rotated to a second position. A punch platen pushes the components through openings in the window platen which corresponds with the components on the gate. The swing arm releases the gate remnants for recycling, rotates to the first position and the cycle repeats. A link arm connects the swing arm to a cam unit which controls the rotation of the swing arm to a cam unit which controls the rotation of the swing arm. The cam unit also provides overload protection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1997
    Inventor: John L. Wickham
  • Patent number: 5195227
    Abstract: A quick change mounting system for machine tools provides tool-carrying fixtures having a system-standard dimensional referencing system and fluidically controlled tooling to effect the desired machining operations. The tool-carrying fixtures are mounted to and dismounted from a system-standard tooling plate that carries fluidic supply conduits and mutually operative connectors that effect connection and disconnection of the fluidic system in response to the mounting or dismounting of the tool-carrying fixtures on its mounting plate. A change from one tool-carrying fixture to another can be accomplished by dismounting the former tool-carrying fixture from its mounting plate and mounting a replacement tool-carrying fixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1993
    Assignee: The J. L. Wickham Co., Inc.
    Inventor: John L. Wickham
  • Patent number: 4890514
    Abstract: A rotary indexing mechanism for indexing a shaft or shaft mounted member in precise rotary increments and with precise end-of-movement positioning includes a reciprocable rack and pinion mechanism coupled to a rotatably mounted shaft. The pinion is coupled to the shaft through a one-way clutch so that movement of the rack in a first direction is coupled through the clutch to cause a corresponding rotation of the shaft with the clutch uncoupling the shaft during movement of the rack in the opposite direction. A first stop member(s) is carried by the shaft for movement along a path that orbits the shaft axis. A second stop member is carried by the rack along a linear path that intersects the orbit of the first stop member. As the rack rotates the shaft through a rotary increment, the rack-carried second member is positioned in the orbit of the first stop member with the two members engaging to halt further rotary movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1990
    Assignee: The J. L. Wickham Co., Inc.
    Inventor: John L. Wickham
  • Patent number: 4787128
    Abstract: A modularly expandable integrated process machine system incorporating a rotary indexing mechanism therefor. The machine system is made up of a support platform with predefined work station positions which each have the same dimension tool mounting configuration. Pallets are advanced between workstations by an endless chain incremented by a precision rotary indexing mechanism capable of precise end-of-movement positioning and variable force advancing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1988
    Assignee: J. L. Wickham Co.
    Inventor: John L. Wickham
  • Patent number: 4740120
    Abstract: A thread cutting work station includes a carriage assembly mounted on guideways for guided movement under the control of a linear actuator between an initial, home position and a forward position for cutting threads in or upon a workpiece. A collet is connected to a drive motor and carries a tap for thread cutting. In operation, the linear actuator accelerates the carriage assembly from the initial, home position along the guideways towards the workpiece with the rotating tap entering the to-be-threaded bore to initiate the thread cutting operation with the subsequent feed rate controlled by the rotating tap. After completion of the thread cutting step, the drive motor is reversed to withdraw the tap from the threaded bore, and the linear actuator is controlled to rapidly move the carriage assembly to its initial position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1988
    Assignee: The J. L. Wickham Company, Inc.
    Inventors: John L. Wickham, Ross C. Miller
  • Patent number: 4715113
    Abstract: A machine component installer for installing bearings, pins, bushings, and the like into a machine casting or similar component includes a reloadable carousel for accepting plural component stacks, a pivotally mounted claw-arm for grasping a bearing presented by the carousel and for swinging the grasped bearing into a pre-installation position, and a press for determining that all components are properly positioned and for pressing the bearing into a bore. The carousel includes a rotatably mounted turntable with guides for accepting plural stacks of bearings. The bearings drop, on a one-by-one basis, through an opening in the turntable plate to a presentation position. The claw-arm includes opposed spring biased fingers for grasping each bearing presented by the carousel and for swinging the bearing into position above a ram. The claw-arm is designed to self-tighten about the grasped bearing as the arm is rotated to present the bearing to the ram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1987
    Assignee: The J. L. Wickham Company, Inc.
    Inventor: John L. Wickham
  • Patent number: 4697318
    Abstract: An adaptable machining system includes a plurality of transport units mounted on a machine base with each transport unit carrying a system-standard mounting plate that receives a tool-carrying module. Each tool-carrying module includes a machining tool and associated motor mounted on a system-standard tooling plate which, with the mounting plate of the transport unit, define a system-standard tooling interface. The transport units, under the coordinated control of a system controller, advance their respective tooling modules to and from a work piece to accomplish their machining function. The mounting plate of each transport unit establishes an orthogonal reference system relative to the operating axes of the machine so that the position of each tool carried on a tooling module is known relative to the operating axes of the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1987
    Assignee: The J. L. Wickham Company, Incorporated
    Inventors: John L. Wickham, Jeffrey D. Fox, Ross C. Miller
  • Patent number: 4697799
    Abstract: A support for sensing the proper positioning of a workpiece and holding the workpiece for a machining operation in response to the proper positioning includes elements for sensing the position of the workpiece at a plurality of locations on the workpiece and a power drive mechanism for operating a clamp to secure the workpiece in the proper position. The sensing elements are connected in series to a power source and are actuated by engagement with predetermined locations on the workpiece when the workpiece is in the proper position. The clamp includes clamp arms which swing laterally away from seats for the workpiece as the clamp arms are moved forward to release one workpiece and accept another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1987
    Assignee: The J. L. Wickham Company, Inc.
    Inventors: John L. Wickham, Jeffrey D. Fox