Patents by Inventor John M. LOUIS

John M. LOUIS 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: 11209062
    Abstract: A clearance sensing vehicle brake slack adjuster includes a housing coupled to a brake actuator and supporting a driving worm wheel engaging the brake cam shaft and a driving worm screw having a threaded portion meshed with the driving worm wheel and transferring a brake actuating force, imparted by the brake actuator to the housing, to the driving worm wheel and cam shaft. A wear adjustment mechanism for the adjuster includes a control worm wheel and a clutch ring disposed about the driving worm screw and a wrap spring engaging surfaces of the control worm wheel and the clutch ring. The control worm wheel is in mesh with a control worm screw. The clutch ring is disposed on a side of the control worm wheel opposite the threaded portion of the driving worm screw and includes teeth engaging corresponding teeth on the driving worm screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
    Inventors: Madhav Deshpande, Raosaheb Tambe, Lawrence F. Gilboy, John M. Louis
  • Publication number: 20200362930
    Abstract: A clearance sensing vehicle brake slack adjuster includes a housing coupled to a brake actuator and supporting a driving worm wheel engaging the brake cam shaft and a driving worm screw having a threaded portion meshed with the driving worm wheel and transferring a brake actuating force, imparted by the brake actuator to the housing, to the driving worm wheel and cam shaft. A wear adjustment mechanism for the adjuster includes a control worm wheel and a clutch ring disposed about the driving worm screw and a wrap spring engaging surfaces of the control worm wheel and the clutch ring. The control worm wheel is in mesh with a control worm screw. The clutch ring is disposed on a side of the control worm wheel opposite the threaded portion of the driving worm screw and includes teeth engaging corresponding teeth on the driving worm screw.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventors: Madhav Deshpande, Raosaheb Tambe, Lawrence F. Gilboy, John M. Louis
  • Patent number: 10704630
    Abstract: A vehicle brake slack adjuster includes a housing coupled to a brake actuator and supporting a driving worm wheel engaging the brake cam shaft and a driving worm screw meshed with the driving worm wheel and transferring a brake actuating force, imparted by the brake actuator to the housing, to the driving worm wheel and cam shaft. The adjuster further includes a wear adjustment mechanism including a reference arm fixed against movement and including a control ring gear, a pinion gear meshed with the control ring gear and configured for rotation about an axis, a clutch ring disposed about the axis and configured for rotation with the pinion gear, a control worm screw disposed about the axis, a wrap spring engaging surfaces of the clutch ring and control worm screw and a control worm wheel meshed with the control worm screw and configured for rotation with the driving worm screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC
    Inventor: John M. Louis
  • Publication number: 20190345998
    Abstract: A vehicle brake slack adjuster includes a housing coupled to a brake actuator and supporting a driving worm wheel engaging the brake cam shaft and a driving worm screw meshed with the driving worm wheel and transferring a brake actuating force, imparted by the brake actuator to the housing, to the driving worm wheel and cam shaft. The adjuster further includes a wear adjustment mechanism including a reference arm fixed against movement and including a control ring gear, a pinion gear meshed with the control ring gear and configured for rotation about an axis, a clutch ring disposed about the axis and configured for rotation with the pinion gear, a control worm screw disposed about the axis, a wrap spring engaging surfaces of the clutch ring and control worm screw and a control worm wheel meshed with the control worm screw and configured for rotation with the driving worm screw.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventor: John M. Louis
  • Patent number: 9360069
    Abstract: An automatic slack adjuster for a vehicle brake includes a one-way clutch having first and second parts rotatable about an axis. The first part is rotatable in both a drive direction and a slip direction opposite to the drive direction, while the second part is driven about the axis by the first part when the first part rotates in the drive direction, but not driven when the first part rotates in the slip direction. Movable elements are carried within receptacles distributed circumferentially about and projecting into one of the parts, and are displaceable so as to move within the receptacles in radial directions relative to the axis. The movable elements engage corresponding surfaces of teeth that are immovably fixed on or form part of a circumferential surface of the other of the parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC
    Inventor: John M. Louis
  • Publication number: 20160017945
    Abstract: An automatic slack adjuster for a vehicle brake includes a one-way clutch having first and second parts rotatable about an axis. The first part is rotatable in both a drive direction and a slip direction opposite to the drive direction, while the second part is driven about the axis by the first part when the first part rotates in the drive direction, but not driven when the first part rotates in the slip direction. Movable elements are carried within receptacles distributed circumferentially about and projecting into one of the parts, and are displaceable so as to move within the receptacles in radial directions relative to the axis. The movable elements engage corresponding surfaces of teeth that are immovably fixed on or form part of a circumferential surface of the other of the parts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventor: John M. LOUIS
  • Patent number: 8602188
    Abstract: An automatic slack adjuster one-way clutch includes a first part, which is rotatable about an axis in both a drive direction and a slip direction opposite to the drive direction, and a second part, which is driven about the axis by the first part only when the first part rotates in the drive direction. The second part is not driven by the first part when the first part rotates in the slip direction. Multiple movable teeth, carried by one of the parts, are displaceable axially relative to both of the parts and engage between teeth immovably fixed on the other of the parts. The first part may be either an input part or an output part of the clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC
    Inventor: John M Louis
  • Publication number: 20120043175
    Abstract: An automatic slack adjuster one-way clutch includes a first part, which is rotatable about an axis in both a drive direction and a slip direction opposite to the drive direction, and a second part, which is driven about the axis by the first part only when the first part rotates in the drive direction. The second part is not driven by the first part when the first part rotates in the slip direction. Multiple movable teeth, carried by one of the parts, are displaceable axially relative to both of the parts and engage between teeth immovably fixed on the other of the parts. The first part may be either an input part or an output part of the clutch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC
    Inventor: John M. LOUIS