Patents by Inventor Ralph A. Woodward

Ralph A. Woodward 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: 7534193
    Abstract: A coupling assembly comprises an input shaft driven by a prime mover, at least one output shaft drivingly coupled to the input shaft, a fluid pump selectively driven by the input shaft through an auxiliary clutch, a friction clutch for selectively frictionally coupling the input shaft with the at least one output shaft, and a fluid clutch actuator for operating the friction clutch between a disengaged condition and an engaged condition. The fluid pump selectively communicates with the fluid clutch actuator for setting the friction clutch assembly in the engaged condition. The fluid pump is mounted to the input shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Dana Automotive Systems, Group, LLC
    Inventors: Ralph Woodward Baxter, Jr., William Gordon Hunt, Randy L. Sommer
  • Publication number: 20080064569
    Abstract: A coupling assembly comprises an input shaft driven by a prime mover, at least one output shaft drivingly coupled to the input shaft, a fluid pump selectively driven by the input shaft through an auxiliary clutch, a friction clutch for selectively frictionally coupling the input shaft with the at least one output shaft, and a fluid clutch actuator for operating the friction clutch between a disengaged condition and an engaged condition. The fluid pump selectively communicates with the fluid clutch actuator for setting the friction clutch assembly in the engaged condition. The fluid pump is mounted to the input shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Inventors: Ralph Woodward Baxter, William Gordon Hunt, Randy L. Sommer
  • Patent number: 7210566
    Abstract: A friction coupling assembly for a gear drive unit. The friction clutch assembly comprises an input member and at least one output member, a friction clutch for selectively coupling the input member with the at least one output member and an actuator assembly for selectively engaging the friction clutch. The actuator assembly includes a fluid pump operatively connected to the input member or the at least one output member through an auxiliary clutch, a fluid pressure accumulator in fluid communication with the fluid pump for storing a pressurized fluid generated by the fluid pump, and a fluid clutch actuator in fluid communication with the pressure accumulator for loading the friction clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Torque-Traction Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Ralph Woodward Baxter, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7186199
    Abstract: A torque vectoring gear drive apparatus for controlling drive torque distribution. The gear drive apparatus comprises an input shaft, first and second output shafts, a planetary interaxle differential unit for transmitting torque from the input shaft to the first and second output shafts, and a speed gear assembly provided for overriding said planetary interaxle differential unit. The planetary differential unit includes a planet carrier drivingly coupled to the input shaft and rotatably supporting at least one planet gear, a sun gear drivingly coupled to the at least one planet gear and a ring gear drivingly coupled the first output shaft, the sun gear drivingly coupled to the second output shaft. The speed gear assembly selectively couples the input shaft to the sun gear to define a first drive mode in which the sun gear is driven at a first speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Torque-Traction Technologies. LLC.
    Inventor: Ralph Woodward Baxter, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6837820
    Abstract: A differential drive gear assembly including a differential case driven by a transmission allowing differential rotation between a pair of output axle shafts and facilitating a driving connection to a power take-off unit. The differential case has gear teeth directly formed thereon along an outer peripheral surface. The differential case gear teeth engage a power take off gear to drive an auxiliary device. In the preferred embodiment, the power take of device is a second drive shaft for driving a second axle assembly. Such an arrangement facilitates a simple conversion from an existing two-wheel drive design to a four-wheel drive assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Torque-Traction Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph Woodward Baxter
  • Patent number: 5337408
    Abstract: Disclosed is a computer having a display controller for controlling a display where the display provides an image with different selectable gray scale levels. The display controller includes a pattern unit for providing modulation patterns. The modulation patterns include patterns each formed of sequences of different numbers of both 1's and 0's that are not phase related. The display controller additionally includes a modulation unit, operable over the sequential frames, for modulating the data values of pixels with the patterns whereby the intensity level of the pixels over the sequential frames is controlled as a function of the data value of the pixels and as a function of the patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1994
    Assignee: Vadem Corporation
    Inventors: Henry T. Fung, Siu K. Tsang, Ralph A. Woodward