Patents by Inventor Michael J. Gardner

Michael J. Gardner 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: 6397453
    Abstract: A system for fabricating muntin bars from sheet material. Sheet material in the form of thin ribbon stock is fed to a first forming station including a punching mechanism that punches the ribbon stock at a precisely predetermined location. The ribbon stock is delivered from the first forming station to a second forming station in the form of a rolling mill. The stock passes through a succession of forming rolls to produce a tube having a desired cross-sectional shape. The tube is delivered from the second forming station to a third forming station including a severing apparatus that severs the tube at a precisely predetermined location to produce a muntin bar. After severing, the muntin bar is engaged by a conveyor and moved to a desired location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Glass Equipment Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Bryan McGlinchy, Mohamed C. Khalfoun, John Louis Grismer, Michael J. Gardner
  • Patent number: 6173484
    Abstract: A system for fabricating muntin bars from sheet material. Sheet material in the form of thin ribbon stock is fed to a first forming station including a punching mechanism that punches the ribbon stock at a precisely predetermined location. The ribbon stock is delivered from the first forming station to a second forming station in the form of a rolling mill. The stock passes through a succession of forming rolls to produce a tube having a desired cross-sectional shape. The tube is delivered from the second forming station to a third forming station including a severing apparatus that severs the tube at a precisely predetermined location to produce a muntin bar. After severing, the muntin bar is engaged by a conveyor and moved to a desired location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2001
    Assignee: Glass Equipment Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Bryan McGlinchy, Mohamed C. Khalfoun, John Louis Grismer, Michael J. Gardner
  • Patent number: 6068504
    Abstract: An improved mass connector termination assembly reduces mistermination errors and gives dual termination capability for simultaneous termination of selected wires to two different terminals. This simultaneous termination also simplifies the isolation of differential signal wire pairs. Three arrays of terminals are held within a terminal housing and include elongated contact portions that extend within a plug or receptacle portion of the connector housing and insulation displacement portions that extend along a terminating face of the connector. The terminal arrays extend through the connector between these two faces. Multiple contact portions of one of the three terminal arrays are bussed together with a single terminal and these single terminals are aligned with the terminals of the other two terminal arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael J. Gardner, David E. Dunham, Gene Whetstone
  • Patent number: 5876248
    Abstract: An electrical connector is provided for mating with a complementary connector. The electrical connector includes a dielectric housing having a mating portion. A cross-shaped ground plate structure is disposed in the mating portion of the housing when the electrical connector is mated with the complementary connector. The cross-shaped ground plate structure defines four plate edges and four quadrants. At least one terminal is mounted in the mating portion of the housing in at least some of the quadrants defined by the cross-shaped ground plate structure. A pair of outboard terminals are mounted in the mating portion of the housing outside a pair of the plate edges of the cross-shaped ground plate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: David L. Brunker, Maxwill P. Bassler, Michael J. Gardner, Russell J. Leonard
  • Patent number: 5876222
    Abstract: An electrical connector is adapted for mounting on a printed circuit board. The connector includes a dielectric housing having at least one row of terminal-receiving passages. A plurality of terminals are received in the passages and include tail portions in a row for connection to appropriate circuit traces on the printed circuit board. The tail portions of some of the terminals in the row are adapted for insertion into holes in the circuit board. The tail portions of other of the terminals in the row are adapted for surface mounting on the circuit board. Tail portions of some of the terminals extend through holes in the tail aligner while enlarged cutout areas in the tail aligner accommodate the surface mount tail portions of the others of the terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael J. Gardner, Alan S. Walse
  • Patent number: 5583506
    Abstract: An avionic digital signal processing system for a plurality of different types of input sensors such as radar, electro-optical, and electronic warfare that comprises a PI bus operating at 12.5 MHz and a data network subbus operating at 20 MHz. A plurality of array processor groups each having a plurality of 1750 CPU's are controlled over the PI-bus and receive their sensor inputs over the subbus data network. A plurality of general purpose 1750A computers are connected to the PI-bus for communicating control and narrow band information. A distributed operating system resides in the 1750A central processing units and includes provision for re-routing the signal paths in the event of failure of modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventors: Susan S. Sinor, Vincent S. Zagardo, David B. Fry, Michael D. Vanous, David L. Mowery, Gary M. Kiselewich, Michael J. Gardner, Alfred B. Fitzgerald, III, William D. Horner, Lynn D. Ferguson
  • Patent number: 5535200
    Abstract: In a telecommunications network using data packets for signaling, network components, such as signal transfer points, service control points, and switches, transfer a signaling packet to the network for transmission to a destination component only if that signaling packet is different from the previous packet sent to the same destination. The signaling packets are transferred over respective virtual channels assigned to respective pairs of network components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventor: Michael J. Gardner
  • Patent number: 5526268
    Abstract: An information display system for representing the condition of an industrial process is dynamically convertible via a control input from presenting information in a first form of output to one or more additional forms of output that are different but equivalent to the first. The system can thereby convert the presentation to display terms and labels in a second language or to use a different diagrammatic representation for process flow conditions and the like. The system has a processor with encoded definitions that may be data type groups or point groups, text groups, symbol groups and the like. A memory stores the different but equivalent definitions applicable to the two forms of output, preferably in one-for-one corresponding lists in memory. A control input such as a pointing device or touch sensitive screen triggers the processor to change from one set of definitions to another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1996
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Dennis P. Tkacs, Jeffrey J. Grott, Michael J. Gardner
  • Patent number: 5478091
    Abstract: Disclosed is a new dynamic sealing device and a related remote control cable. The device, made of a thermoplastic polyurethane, has a pair of sealing ridges of differing diameter which bear against a rod moving with respect to the outer cable portion, i.e., the conduit. The outer ridge excludes airborne contaminants and the inner ridge retains a synthetic lubricant. The jacket of the cable core is made of nylon 12 which, like the thermoplastic polyurethane and the lubricant, has PTFE as a constituent. The "gap" between the core and the conduit is decreased compared to corresponding prior art cable and the core jacket thickness is about three times that of corresponding prior art cable. Core column strength is about doubled and the new device and cable exhibit a number of other performance advantages as explained in the specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1995
    Assignee: IMO Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael J. Gardner
  • Patent number: 5330363
    Abstract: A connector apparatus provides an interconnection between an IC pack and a printed circuit board. The apparatus includes a header connector for mounting on the printed circuit board and into which the IC pack is inserted and from which it is ejected. A plurality of terminals on the header connector are adapted for interconnection of the IC pack to electrical traces on the printed circuit board. An electrical switch is provided on the header connector and is actuated in response to movement of the IC pack therewithin. The switch is interconnected to electrical traces on the printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1994
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael J. Gardner, Jerry D. Kachlic, Paul M. O'Brien
  • Patent number: 5316488
    Abstract: A connector apparatus is disclosed for providing interconnection between two IC packs and a printed circuit board. A header connector is mounted on the printed circuit board and into which the two IC packs are inserted and ejected. Two independent ejector units each have a separate frame to be attached to the header connector and a separate actuator for moving a respective one of the IC packs from its inserted position to its ejected position. Complementary interengaging latches are provided between the separate frames for holding the ejector units in juxtaposition for conjoint attachment to the header connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael J. Gardner, Jerry D. Kachlic, Paul M. O'Brien
  • Patent number: 5213534
    Abstract: An electrical connector assembly is provided for a flat flexible cable having an array of flat conductors arranged thereon at intervals generally parallel to one another and terminating near a distal edge at an end of the cable. A dielectric housing has an elongate recess with a plurality of terminals at intervals along the recess. Each terminal has a contact portion for engaging a respective one of the flat conductors of the flat flexible cable when the cable end is inserted into the recess. An adaptor includes a blade portion insertable into the recess in juxtaposition on one side of the flat flexible cable for biasing the cable conductors into engagement with the contact portions of the terminals on an opposite side of the cable. The adaptor includes at least one wing portion outside of and generally coplanar with the blade portion, with a registration boss projecting from the wing portion. The flat flexible cable includes a registration aperture engageable about the registration boss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael J. Gardner, Bill B. Wilson
  • Patent number: 5076802
    Abstract: A wire dress cover is provided for an electrical connector. The connector includes a channel on the rear face into which the wire dress cover is slidably engagable. The wire dress cover includes a rib for slidable engagement in the channel and a locking projection for lockingly engaging the housing after a full seating thereon. The wire dress cover includes a slot extending centrally therein to enable the cover to be pinched for disengaging the locking prjections from the housing. In certain embodiments the wire dress cover is defined by a pair of wire dress cover shells which are lockingly engagable with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1991
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephen A. Colleran, Michael J. Gardner, Bill B. Wilson
  • Patent number: 4934963
    Abstract: An improved electrical connector includes a housing extending in an axial direction between a rear conductor entry end and a forward mating end. A plurality of terminal receiving recesses extend between the ends of the housing. A plurality of electrical terminals are slideably insertable into the recesses from the conductor entry end. A terminal lock is supported for movement on the housing between a terminal load position in which the terminal lock does not obstruct the recesses and a lock position in which the terminal lock engages terminals in the recesses. The improvement in accordance with which the terminal lock includes a forward portion disposed adjacent the forward end of the housing and permitting mating of the mating end of the housing only when the terminal lock is in the lock position.An electrical connection assembly includes in combination first and second electrical connectors releasably mateable with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 19, 1990
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael J. Gardner, Lawrence E. Geib
  • Patent number: 4718859
    Abstract: A zero insertion force connector is provided for flat cables having conductors on one or both sides. The ZIF connector includes a base having a plurality of generally parallel slots for receiving generally C-shaped portions of contacts with contact arms of unequal lengths. An actuator is slidably urged into contact with an initial fulcrum on the base. The actuator defines a cable channel into which the flat cable can be inserted such that the cable is guided between the arms of the C-shaped contacts. The actuator then is rotated about its initial fulcrum of the base, and the cable is urged into contact with anti-overstress fulcrums on the base. Continued rotation of the actuator urges the cable into the opposed arms of the contacts to make electrical connection. Resilient deflectable locking latches engage the actuator and hold the actuator into a fully seated condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1988
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventor: Michael J. Gardner
  • Patent number: 4580867
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for automatically terminating the end of a flat flexible cable in a reciprocably actuable low insertion force connector having a dielectric housing with a cable receiving cavity and a terminal member disposed in the cavity. The connector also includes a reciprocating cover having a cable receiving aperture and mounting for reciprocable movement between an open position for receiving the cable, and a closed position for terminating the cable within the connector. The apparatus includes an insertion head and an arrangement for automatically positioning the insertion head with respect to the cable receiving aperture of the connector cover. The insertion head further includes a reciprocable cable feeder which inserts the cable end through the cover aperture, and a reciprocable actuator which moves the cover upon insertion of the cable and the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1986
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Steve Wright, Michael J. Gardner
  • Patent number: D412700
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael J. Gardner, Gene Whetstone, David E. Dunham