Patents by Inventor Orestes J. Varonis

Orestes J. Varonis 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: 7780357
    Abstract: An antifriction bearing (A) for accommodating rotation about an axis (X) comprises an inner race (2) having a raceway (12), an outer race (4) having a raceway (22), rolling elements (6) positioned between the inner and outer races (2, 4) and contacting the raceways (12, 22) of those races (2, 4) so that when relative rotation occurs between the races (2, 4) the rolling elements (6) roll along the raceways (12, 22), a cage (8) positioned between the inner and outer races (2, 4) and having pockets (40) in which the rolling elements (6) are received with the cage (8) being rotatable between the races (2, 4) as the rolling elements (6) roll along the raceways (12, 22), the outer race (4) having a power transmitting coil (50) and a receiver (60), the cage (8) having a power receiving coil (52), a sensing unit (D) for sensing a condition of the bearing (A), and a transmitter (54) for sending a signal indicative of the sensed condition of the bearing (A) to the receiver (60).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: The Timken Company
    Inventor: Orestes J. Varonis
  • Patent number: 7579827
    Abstract: A device for sensing the input shaft speed of an automotive automatic transmission that is driven by the engine through the fluid coupling of a torque converter. The speed sensor device includes circumferentially spaced markings about the transmission input shaft and a speed sensor that is placed at close proximity to the circumferentially spaced markings through a hole in the torque converter stator shaft. An electronic control unit (ECU) analyzes the sensor output signal and in the case of an active speed sensor it also functions as its power source. During vehicle operation, the transmission input shaft rotates the target wheel in front of the speed sensor causing modulation of its output signal. The electronic control unit analyzes the signal modulation and calculates the input shaft rotational speed. A variety of sensor/target-wheel options and sensor mounting techniques could be used depending on the application constraints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Timken US Corporation
    Inventors: James J. Burns, Wayne V. Denny, Mark A. Joki, Mark E. LaCroix, Brian Thomas Odegard, Alfred John Santos, Orestes J. Varonis
  • Patent number: 7493831
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a device for sensing a torque applied through a shaft (18). The device includes a shaft (18) and a bearing (40) attached to the shaft (18). The bearing (40) includes an inner race (44), an outer race (42) and a plurality of rolling elements (46). A magnetoelastic ring (24) is press-fit onto the inner race (44). An eddy current or a magnetic field sensor (30) is placed in close proximity to the magnetoelastic ring (24). In the case of an eddy current sensor (30), the magnetoelastic ring (24) is not magnetized. In the case of a magnetic field sensor (30), the magnetoelastic ring (24) is magnetically circularly polarized. In either case, the chosen sensor (30) senses the induced changes of the magnetoelastic ring (24) characteristics and its associated electronics provides a measure of the applied torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: The Timken Company
    Inventor: Orestes J. Varonis
  • Patent number: 7478567
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a device for sensing a torque applied through a shaft 18. The device comprises a magnetoelastic ring 24 press-fitted onto the shaft 18 and an excitation coil 2 placed in close proximity to the ring 24 at only a point along the circumference of the ring 24. The coil 2 is driven by an oscillator 4 for inducing eddy currents inside the material of the ring 24. A sensing coil 8 is also placed in close proximity to the magnetoelastic ring 24 at only a point along the circumference of the ring 24 for sensing the magnetic field generated by the induced eddy currents inside the ring 24. An electrical circuit senses any change in the magnetoelastic ring's 24 electrical conductivity and magnetic permeability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: The Timken Company
    Inventors: Orestes J. Varonis, Duane L. Carnahan
  • Publication number: 20080159674
    Abstract: An antifriction bearing (A) for accommodating rotation about an axis (X) comprises an inner race (2) having a raceway (12), an outer race (4) having a raceway (22), rolling elements (6) positioned between the inner and outer races (2, 4) and contacting the raceways (12, 22) of those races (2, 4) so that when relative rotation occurs between the races (2, 4) the rolling elements (6) roll along the raceways (12, 22), a cage (8) positioned between the inner and outer races (2, 4) and having pockets (40) in which the rolling (8) being rotatable between the races (2, 4) as the rolling elements (6) roll along the raceways (12, 22), the outer race (4) having a power transmitting coil (50) and a receiver (60), the cage (8) having a power receiving coil (52), a sensing unit (D) for sensing a condition of the bearing (A), and a transmitter (54) for sending a signal indicative of the sensed condition of the bearing (A) to the receiver (60).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventor: Orestes J Varonis
  • Patent number: 7285949
    Abstract: A device for sensing the input shaft speed of an automotive automatic transmission that is driven by the engine through the fluid coupling of a torque converter. The speed sensor device includes circumferentially spaced markings about the transmission input shaft and a speed sensor that is placed at close proximity to the circumferentially spaced markings through a hole in the torque converter stator shaft. An electronic control unit (ECU) analyzes the sensor output signal and in the case of an active speed sensor it also functions as its power source. During vehicle operation, the transmission input shaft rotates the target wheel in front of the speed sensor causing modulation of its output signal. The electronic control unit analyzes the signal modulation and calculates the input shaft rotational speed. A variety of sensor/target-wheel options and sensor mounting techniques could be used depending on the application constraints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Timken US Corporation
    Inventors: James J. Burns, Wayne V. Denny, Mark A. Joki, Mark E. LaCroix, Brian Thomas Odegard, Alfred John Santos, Orestes J. Varonis
  • Patent number: 7174269
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring the speed of a target object passing a pair of sensor units (12) displaced apart by a predetermined distant L in the direction of motion of the target object (16). Passage of one or more features of the target object (16) past the first sensor unit (12A) results in the generation of a signal (x1), and passage of the same feature of the target object (16) past the second sensor unit (12B) results in the generate of a second signal, (x2). A signal processor (18) is configured to determine a mathematical correlation between signals (x1) and (x2), and an associated time delay (?0). The speed (v) of the target object (16) is calculated by the signal processor (18) as the ratio of the predetermined distance (L) to the time delay (?0).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: The Timken Company
    Inventors: Xiaolan Ai, Orestes J. Varonis, Wen-Ruey Hwang
  • Publication number: 20040017190
    Abstract: An apparatus and process for determining the absolute angular position of a rotating component. One or more linear position sensors, such as, for example, a Hall-Effect sensor, are placed near a degrading surface of a shaft or other rotating component. The rotation of the shaft varies the air gap between the sensor and the degrading surface thereby generating signals than can be processed to determine various operating parameters of the rotating shaft or component such as the absolute angular position of the rotating shaft, the rotation speed of the shaft, and the acceleration of the rotating shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2003
    Publication date: January 29, 2004
    Inventors: Graham F. McDearmon, Orestes J. Varonis, Wayne V. Denny, Raymond A. Severyn
  • Patent number: 5470157
    Abstract: A seal for an antifriction bearing having a fixed inner race and a rotating outer race includes inner and outer seal cases which are pressed over cylindrical mounting surfaces on the inner and outer races, respectively. To this end, the seal cases have extended axial walls which actually fit over the mounting surfaces in the bearing races and radial walls, connected to the extended axial walls. The radial walls of the two cases are spaced apart so that an annular chamber exists between the two radial walls. Each seal case has an elastomeric seal element supported by its radial wall remote from its extended axial wall and that seal element establishes a fluid barrier along the other seal case, so that the two seal elements isolate the chamber from the interior of the bearing and from the environment at the exterior of the bearing. The inner case carries a sensor having a head that is located in the annular chamber between the two axial walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Assignee: The Timken Company
    Inventors: John D. Dougherty, Mark R Moldovan, Dennis L. Otto, Orestes J. Varonis
  • Patent number: 5440184
    Abstract: A bearing fits over the journal of a rail car axle and within an adaptor that is received within a pedestal opening of the side frame of a rail car truck. The bearing includes an outer race in the form of a double cup, an inner race in the form of two cones, and rolling elements in the form of tapered rollers. The cup and cones have raceways, and the tapered rollers are arranged in two rows between the raceways. Seals close the ends of the bearing, establishing dynamic fluid barriers around wear rings that encircle the journal beyond both ends of the bearing. The bearing between its two rows of tapered rollers contains a generator for producing electrical energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignee: The Timken Comapany
    Inventors: Ram P. Samy, Orestes J. Varonis, Michael L. French