Patents by Inventor Wayne E. Wells

Wayne E. Wells 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: 4801129
    Abstract: An improved leaf spring clamp is provided, particularly for use with composite material leaf springs, to securely fix the position of the leaf spring relative to a wheel axle or other suspension system member, such as in the suspension system of a motor vehicle. The leaf spring clamp comprises a rigid clamp plate. The clamp base forms a channel adapted to receive the wedge insert. The inner surface of at least one side wall of the clamp base fairs from both ends into a channel-widening concavity, preferably at the longitudinal midpoint of the channel. The wedge insert forms an inner channel adapted to laterally jacket the leaf spring. The outer surface of the wedge insert substantially fills the clamp base channel, providing a convexity adapted to register with the channel-widening concavity of the clamp base. The clamp plate attaches to the clamp base to clamp the leaf spring between them under a pre-load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1989
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventor: Wayne E. Wells
  • Patent number: 4684110
    Abstract: An improved leaf spring clamp is provided, particularly for use with composite material leaf springs, to securely fix the position of the leaf spring relative to a wheel axle or other suspension system member, such as in the suspension system of a motor vehicle. The leaf spring clamp comprises a rigid clamp base, a resilient wedge insert, and a rigid clamp plate. The clamp base provides a bottom wall and substantially parallel side walls extending from the bottom wall to form a channel adapted to receive the wedge insert. The inner surface of at leaf one side wall of the clamp base fairs from both ends into a channel-widening concavity, preferably at the longitudinal midpoint of the channel. The wedge insert has a bottom wall and substantially parallel side walls extending from the bottom wall to a top wall and forms an inner channel adapted to laterally jacket the leaf spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1987
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Robert F. Sale, Wayne E. Wells
  • Patent number: 4519590
    Abstract: An improved axle clamp is required, particularly for use with composite material leaf springs, to securely fix the position of the leaf spring relative to the axle or other wheel carrying member such as in the suspension system of an automotive vehicle. The present invention provides an axle clamp comprising a clamp base (1) and a wedge insert (2). The clamp base provides a platform portion (3) and substantially parallel side walls (4A, 4B) extending from the platform portion to form a channel adapted to receive the wedge insert. The inner surface of at least one side wall of the clamp base provides a channel-widening concavity (5A, 5B). The wedge insert has a platform portion (7) and substantially parallel side walls (9A, 9B) extending from the platform portion forming an inner channel adapted to jacket a mid-portion of the leaf spring (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1985
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventor: Wayne E. Wells