Patents by Inventor Robert Wessels

Robert Wessels 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: 6615688
    Abstract: A twist-grip switch for the actuation of bicycle gears is arranged in the grip region of a handlebar is fixed thereto by a clamping clip. The switch components, such as the grip end piece, twist-grip part, winding reel and switch housing, are arranged around the central bearing tube and form a complete grip unit. The bearing tube fits tautly on the handlebar and on one side is rigidly connected to the grip end piece by an overmolding connection and on the other side is fixed to the switch housing by means of a snap connection. The clamping clip prevents the snap connection from being opened in the mounted state. Furthermore, the grip end piece reliably assumes the intended position on the handlebar tube in relation to the switch housing, and it cannot be removed from this position by forces acting on it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: SRAM Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Robert Wessel
  • Patent number: 6604440
    Abstract: A switch for actuating a gear on a bicycle includes a housing with an inner toothing formation, a grip part and a rotary part with a cable drum for a fraction cable. The grip part having an integrally formed section for actuating an elastic element on the rotary part so that when the grip part is rotated in a switching direction which releases the traction cable the elastic element is pretensioned until a disengagement member on the grip part disengages a pawl on the rotary part which interacts with the inner tooting formation in the housing. Both the pawl and the elastic element are connected integrally to the rotary part resulting in advantage in terms of the production and assembly of the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: SRAM Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Wessel, Georg Blaschke
  • Patent number: 6588296
    Abstract: The invention relates to a twist grip shift which is arranged preferably in the grip region of a handle bar, is secured with a clip and has the purpose of activating bicycle transmissions. The shift components such as the grip end part, the twist grip part, the take-up reel and the shift housing are arranged about a central bearing tube and form one complete grip unit. The clip prevents a releasable connection between the bearing tube and the shift housing from opening in the mounted state. The advantage of this shift design lies in the increase in protection against undesired release of the releasable connection. The components which are joined in the premounted state are securely lined up on the bearing tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: SRAM Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Robert Wessel
  • Patent number: 6510757
    Abstract: A shift lever is used to remotely operate the change of gear in a set of bicycle gears. The shift lever comprises a housing part and a cable winder with a cable guide which the bicycle user can operate in a winding rotational direction to wind a cable, or in a releasing rotational direction to release the cable. One end of the cable connects interactively with the cable winder, at least in one of the two rotational directions. The housing part has a bar with a guiding edge which together with the cable guide form a cable channel for the cable, from which the cable cannot deviate, if the cable winder is actuated in the releasing rotational directional this occurs if the other end of the cable is not pulled or taken up by the set of gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: Sram Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Robert Wessel
  • Patent number: 6484603
    Abstract: A selector for a bicycle gear mechanism. The selector has a housing fastened to a portion of a bicycle frame, a cable inlet, and a rotatable drum having a control cable wound onto for effecting cable travel. The selector also includes a rotary bushing for operating the selector and a mechanism for superimposing a correction or overshift travel on the cable travel. The mechanism includes a pivoting lever for guiding the control cable and a correction cam having a profile configured to provide the requisite correction travel for each gear stage as the rotatable drum is rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: SRAM Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Wessel, Markus Arbeiter, Bernhard Johanni
  • Patent number: 6367347
    Abstract: A shift device for actuating at least one gear mechanism on a bicycle, comprising a housing for securing the shift device on the bicycle, a grip element for actuating the shift device, a rotary element and a cable storage device, in particular a spool for winding up a cable to actuate the gear mechanism where the rotary element is connected to the spool and has at least one detent pawl which engages in detent toothing of the housing. It is advantageous that the drive feature on the grip element takes the rotary element along directly in one direction of rotation, whereas the movement of the rotary element in the opposite direction of rotation is effected by release of the detent pawl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Sram Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Georg Blaschke, Robert Wessel
  • Publication number: 20020035884
    Abstract: A switch for actuating a gear on a bicycle includes a housing with an inner toothing formation, a grip part and a rotary part with a cable drum for a traction cable. The grip part having an integrally formed section for actuating an elastic element on the rotary part so that when the grip part is rotated in a switching direction which releases the traction cable, the elastic element is pretensioned until a disengagement means on the grip part disengages a pawl on the rotary part which interacts with the inner toothing formation in the housing. Both the pawl and the elastic element are connected integrally to the rotary part resulting in advantages in terms of the production and assembly of the switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2001
    Publication date: March 28, 2002
    Applicant: SRAM Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Wessel, Georg Blaschke
  • Publication number: 20020002871
    Abstract: The invention relates to a twist grip shift which is arranged preferably in the grip region of a handle bar, is secured with a clip and has the purpose of activating bicycle transmissions. The shift components such as the grip end part, the twist grip part, the take-up reel and the shift housing are arranged about a central bearing tube and form one complete grip unit. The clip prevents a releasable connection between the bearing tube and the shift housing from opening in the mounted state. The advantage of this shift design lies in the increase in protection against undesired release of the releasable connection. The components which are joined in the premounted state are securely lined up on the bearing tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Publication date: January 10, 2002
    Applicant: SRAM Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Robert Wessel
  • Publication number: 20020002872
    Abstract: A twist-grip switch for the actuation of bicycle gears is arranged in the grip region of a handlebar is fixed thereto by a clamping clip. The switch components, such as the grip end piece, twist-grip part, winding reel and switch housing, are arranged around the central bearing tube and form a complete grip unit. The bearing tube fits tautly on the handlebar and on one side is rigidly connected to the grip end piece by an overmolding connection and on the other side is fixed to the switch housing by means of a snap connection. The clamping clip prevents the snap connection from being opened in the mounted state. Furthermore, the grip end piece reliably assumes the intended position on the handlebar tube in relation to the switch housing, and it cannot be removed from this position by forces acting on it.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Publication date: January 10, 2002
    Applicant: SRAM Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Robert Wessel
  • Publication number: 20010009116
    Abstract: A selector for a bicycle gear mechanism. The selector has a housing fastened to a portion of a bicycle frame, a cable inlet, and a rotatable drum having a control cable wound onto for effecting cable travel. The selector also includes a rotary bushing for operating the selector and a mechanism for superimposing a correction or overshift travel on the cable travel. The mechanism includes a pivoting lever for guiding the control cable and a correction cam having a profile configured to provide the requisite correction travel for each gear stage as the rotatable drum is rotated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2001
    Publication date: July 26, 2001
    Applicant: SRAM Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Wessel, Markus Arbeiter, Bernhard Johanni
  • Patent number: 6246006
    Abstract: The present invention provides a non-braided shielded drop cable that can be easily attached to a standard connector. The cable includes a cable core including a center conductor and a dielectric layer surrounding the center conductor, a first electrically conductive shield surrounding the cable core and bonded thereto, a second electrically conductive shield surrounding the first shield, and a cable jacket surrounding the second shield and bonded thereto. An interstitial layer is located between the first and second shields and is composed of axially displaceable elongate strands and is typically composed of helically served yarns or metal wires. The present invention also includes a method of making a shielded cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: CommScope Properties, LLC
    Inventors: Stanley D. Hardin, Christopher A. Story, Robert A. Wessels
  • Patent number: 6216553
    Abstract: A selector for a bicycle gear mechanism. The selector has a housing fastened to a portion of a bicycle frame, a cable inlet, and a rotatable drum having a control cable wound onto for effecting cable travel. The selector also includes a rotary bushing for operating the selector and a mechanism for superimposing a correction or overshift travel on the cable travel. The mechanism includes a pivoting lever for guiding the control cable and a correction cam having a profile configured to provide the requisite correction travel for each gear stage as the rotatable drum is rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: SRAM Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Wessel, Markus Arbeiter, Bernhard Johanni
  • Patent number: 5969295
    Abstract: A communications cable is provided that includes a cable jacket, twisted pairs of insulated conductors, and a spacer separating the twisted pairs of insulated conductors. The spacer extends within the cable jacket and has a longitudinally extending center portion and a plurality of wall portions radiating from the center portion thereby defining a plurality of compartments within the cable jacket. The twisted pairs of insulated conductors are disposed in the compartments thereby reducing cross talk in the communications cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: CommScope, Inc. of North Carolina
    Inventors: Thomas Boucino, Mahesh R. Patel, Robert A. Wessels
  • Patent number: 5199317
    Abstract: A forward and reverse power shift transmission (10) with an enclosed gear se (38) and a torque converter housing (44) is adapted to be connected to an engine bell housing (12). An input shaft (46), a lay shaft (146) an output shaft 36 and a pump driveshaft (280) are rotatably journaled in the gear case. A clutch cylinder and gear (78) secured to the input shaft is in mesh with a clutch cylinder and gear (178) secured to the lay shaft 146. A clutch gear (100) rotatably mounted on the input shaft (46) and a clutch gear (200) rotatably mounted on the lay shaft (146) are both in mesh with an output gear 240 on the output shaft 36 and in the front portion of the gear case (38). A pump drive gear (248) is journaled on the input shaft (46) and is adapted to be driven by the torque converter housing (262). The pump drive gear (248) is in mesh with a driven pump gear (290) on the pump drive shaft. The pump drive shaft (280) drives a lubrication pump (291) and is also a power take off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1993
    Assignee: Borg-Werner Automotive Transmission & Engine Components Corporation
    Inventors: Keith O. Moore, Robert Wessel, Bruce M. Roberts
  • Patent number: 5049721
    Abstract: A laser marking apparatus provides markings of enhanced readability in an outer jacket of repetitively spaced sections along the length of a moving cable which is delivered from a supply source. The cable is advanced under tension and is wound onto a take-up spool. The outer jacket is of a specified color and has an outer surface. The laser marking apparatus includes a first guide roller, a laser marker, an applicator, a coarse brush roller with a first driving mechanism, a fine brush roller with a second driving mechanism and a second guide roller. The first and second guide rollers are disposed adjacent to the supply source before the laser marker and before the take-up spool after the fine brush roller, respectively, in order to guide the cable along a path of travel so that the outer jacket passes adjacent to the laser marker. The laser marker inscribes in the outer jacket markings opening to the outer surface thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Assignees: American Telephone and Telegraph Company, Directed Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Stanley J. Parnas, Leroy V. Sutter, Jr., Randy C. Horne, Robert A. Wessels, Jr., Celestino Rey, Jack E. Andrews
  • Patent number: 4997994
    Abstract: An elongated material such as a cable (20), for example, is provided with a repetitive pattern of a marking (40) which provide information to an observer. Each marking includes intentionally discernible indentations or recesses (33--33) which are formed in plastic material comprising an outer covering (32) of the elongated material. Further, each indentation is filled with a pigmented material (50) which provides a desirable color contrast with the color of the outer covering. The filling material must have a melt viscosity which allows it to be flowed easily into the indentations, yet be retainable in the indentations during handling of the elongated material such as during installation of a cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1991
    Assignee: AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Jack E. Andrews, Celestino Rey, Robert A. Wessels, Jr.