Patents by Inventor Mark A. Forster

Mark A. Forster 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: 7607954
    Abstract: A dead cable end distributes holding force over a length of a cable end to reduce or eliminate damage to cables. The dead cable end includes a housing containing a plurality of collets each residing in a collet receptacle. Each collet includes a conical exterior and a lengthwise collet gap, and each collet receptacle includes a conical interior. The collets and collet receptacle are held inside the housing by a screw-in retaining nut, and the collet and collet receptacle pairs are compressed between the retaining nut and a spring inside the housing. The cable end resides inside the collets, and axial compressive forces on each collet and collet receptacle pair cause each collet to compress radially and hold the cable end. Anti-rotation pins are inserted through the housing into slots in the collet receptacle next to the screw-in retainer to prevent internal rotation during tightening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Inventors: Joseph Byrne, Mark A. Forster
  • Publication number: 20080318471
    Abstract: A dead cable end distributes holding force over a length of a cable end to reduce or eliminate damage to cables. The dead cable end includes a housing containing a plurality of collets each residing in a collet receptacle. Each collet includes a conical exterior and a lengthwise collet gap, and each collet receptacle includes a conical interior. The collets and collet receptacle are held inside the housing by a screw-in retaining nut, and the collet and collet receptacle pairs are compressed between the retaining nut and a spring inside the housing. The cable end resides inside the collets, and axial compressive forces on each collet and collet receptacle pair cause each collet to compress radially and hold the cable end. Anti-rotation pins are inserted through the housing into slots in the collet receptacle next to the screw-in retainer to prevent internal rotation during tightening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Inventors: Joseph Byrne, Mark A. Forster
  • Patent number: 7413247
    Abstract: An Occupant Retraction System (ORS) retracts a partially exposed occupant into a vehicle. The system responds to a trigger, wherein an occupant support retracts and actively pulls the occupant into the vehicle interior. The triggering event may be initiated by a manual switch, a rollover sensor, a crash sensor, a hostile ordnance sensor, or the like. A belt, harness, or foot strap may be connected to the occupant support to pull the occupant into the vehicle interior. A forcing means may be provided by a spring, hydraulic, pneumatic, or electro-mechanical actuator. The system further includes a damper for limiting acceleration to a safe maximum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: H. Koch & Sons Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Charles E. Van Druff, Christopher C. Culbertson, Mark W. Emory, Mark A. Forster
  • Patent number: 7407411
    Abstract: A dead cable end distributes holding force over a length of a cable end to reduce or eliminate damage to cables. The dead cable end includes a housing containing a plurality of collets each residing in a collet receptacle. Each collet includes a conical exterior and a lengthwise collet gap and each collet receptacle includes a conical interior. The collets and collet receptacle are held inside the housing by a retaining nut, and the collet and collet receptacle pairs are compressed between the retaining nut and a spring inside the housing. The cable end resides inside the collets, and compressive force on each collet and collet receptacle pair causes each collet to compress radially and hold the cable end. The holding force is thereby distributed over the length of each collet and over the plurality of collet and receptacle pairs to avoid damage to the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Inventors: Joseph Byrne, Mark A. Forster