Patents by Inventor Nathaniel L. Field

Nathaniel L. Field 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: 5250880
    Abstract: A linear motor control system and method to increase apparent motor stiffness by providing linear motor resistance to perturbations caused by external forces exerted on a slide mass and a base mass. Primary and secondary sensors detect the accelerations of the slide mass and the base mass relative to ground and generate acceleration signals corresponding thereto. A position detector senses the position of the slide mass relative to the base mass and generates a position signal corresponding thereto. A signal processor processes the first and second acceleration signals and the position signal to determine deviations in the position, velocity and acceleration of the slide mass relative to the base mass from selected values caused by the external forces, and to generate a motor control signal to provide linear motor resistance against such deviations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1993
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: David J. Chesney, Robert C. Petrof, Nathaniel L. Field, Bernard Huang, John W. Grant
  • Patent number: 4979853
    Abstract: A fast tool change holder is provided for holding a tool adapter onto an internally delivered coolant spindle. The holder comprises an expandable split collet which can be inserted into the tool adapter and expanded in order to hold the adapter onto the spindle. The split collet has an expandable bladder therein which receives a coolant fluid from the spindle and expands under the pressure of the coolant fluid radially outwardly for expanding the split collet. The bladder enables the coolant fluid to assist mechanical and centrifugal forces associated with the split collet to hold the tool adapter onto the spindle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1990
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventor: Nathaniel L. Field
  • Patent number: 4938183
    Abstract: A method of making a cast dual-metal monoblock, by (i) casting an iron-based insert to define walls for one or more chambers or passages for each of combustion, piston reciprocation, gaseous induction and gaseous exhaust; (ii) forming a sand core wrapping directly about said insert to cover such insert except for the extremities of the walls defining the passages for gaseous induction and exhaust and the chamber for piston reciprocation, such extremities being remote from the walls defining the combustion chamber; and (iii) die casting an aluminum-based metal jacket about the assembly of said insert and core wrapping to complete the dual-metal monoblock. Advantageously, in step (ii), there is further included the formation of a top sand core assembly for defining one or more oil and/or valve train passages or chambers, the top sand core assembly being stationed to rest on the insert during casting of the jacket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1990
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Nathaniel L. Field, Michael A. Pulick
  • Patent number: 4872429
    Abstract: A low friction finger follower rocker arm is fabricated from flat metal strip sheet stock having a stamped configuration with a centralized opening adapted to be bent later into a channel; the shaping and hardening of the stock section is carried out prior to such bending. The method comprises: (a) (i) shaping the stock to have a pair of aligned journal openings, a pivot surface at one end, a stud contacting surface at the other end, and a pair of grooves aligned with the extremities of the centralized opening and containing the surface therebetween, (ii) locally hardening the surfaces and the edges of the opposed openings; (b) bending the shaped stock along the grooves to form a partial channel having side walls with an included angle of no greater than 40.degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1989
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Anthony T. Anderson, Nathaniel L. Field
  • Patent number: 4872789
    Abstract: Valve seats are machined at the end of an axially deep, narrow cavity of a workpiece having an axially clampable surface within the cavity adjacent one or more valve seats. The method comprehends: (a) supporting a rotary driven spindle assembly of sufficient length to extend through the axial extent of the cavity and reach the valve seat, the spindle carrying a cutting tool at its extremity, the support being in a nonrotatable housing effective to fit closely to the interior of the cavity (within a tolerance of 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1989
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventor: Nathaniel L. Field
  • Patent number: 4858670
    Abstract: A method of making a cast dual-metal monoblock, by (i) casting an iron-based insert to define walls for one or more chambers or passages for each of combustion, piston reciprocation, gaseous induction and gaseous exhaust; (ii) forming a sand core wrapping directly about said insert to cover such insert except for the extremities of the walls defining the passages for gaseous induction and exhaust and the chamber for piston reciprocation, such extremities being remote form the walls defining the combustion chamber; and (iii) die casting an aluminum-based metal jacket about the assembly of said insert and core wrapping to complete the dual-metal monoblock. Advantageously, in step (ii), there is further included the formation of a top sand core assembly for defining one or more oil and/or valve train passages or chambers, the top sand core assembly being stationed to rest on the insert during casting of the jacket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1989
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Nathaniel L. Field, Michael A. Pulick
  • Patent number: 4842450
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for conducting boring of a series of spaced walls on a workpiece using a self-adjusting boring bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1989
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: David A. Donovan, Nathaniel L. Field
  • Patent number: 4836719
    Abstract: Valve seats are machined at the end of an axially deep, narrow cavity of a workpiece having an axially clampable surface within the cavity adjacent one or more valve seats. The method comprehends: (a) supporting a rotary driven spindle assembly of sufficient length to extend through the axial extent of the cavity and reach the valve seat, the spindle carrying a cutting tool at its extremity, the support being in a nonrotatable housing effective to fit closely to the interior of the cavity (within a tolerance of 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1989
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventor: Nathaniel L. Field
  • Patent number: 4829647
    Abstract: A low friction finger follower rocker arm is fabricated by starting with a flat metal strip sheet stock section having a stamped configuration with a centralized opening being adapted to be bent later into a channel for such rocker arm. The shaping and hardening of the stock section is carried out prior to such bending.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1989
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Anthony T. Anderson, Nathaniel L. Field
  • Patent number: 4688528
    Abstract: A balancing mechanism for reducing the vibration of a piston type internal combustion engine having a crankshaft and a camshaft comprises one or more reciprocating balance weights driven by two rotating cams with at least one of said cams being driven by either said crankshaft or said camshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1987
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Hossein Nivi, Nathaniel L. Field, III
  • Patent number: 4573348
    Abstract: A shift lever and throttle lever coaxially mounted on the casing of an automatic transmission are engaged, respectively, by a lever mounted on each of two concentric shafts whose axes are aligned with the axis of the transmission levers. The shafts have torque sensors located between the levers carried by the shafts and bearings that support the shafts in rotation. The outer shaft has a radial positioning actuator which is hydraulically driven from a source of hydraulic pressure through a servo controlled valve that selectively opens and closes hydraulic passages. The actuator includes a vane fixed to the shaft and a stator that divides a cavity into two halves, each of which is pressurized selectively by operation of the servo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1986
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Robert D. Abramson, David A. Donovan, Nathaniel L. Field
  • Patent number: 4102182
    Abstract: A method for measuring the relationship between the angle of rotation of a threaded fastener and the torque applied to the threaded fastener and for detecting variations in the rate of increase of torque with respect to the corresponding angular displacement of the fastener within predetermined torque limits, the first torque limit being the lowest threshold torque that is experienced as the threaded fastener is tightened, the next higher torque limit being a calibrated starting point torque intermediate the lower torque limits for the zone of the desired maximum torque values for the fastener and the threshold torque, the next two higher torque limits defining the torque zone representing the desired maximum torque to be applied to the fastener to assure a quality assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1978
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Lowell R. Brown, Nathaniel L. Field