Patents Issued in January 14, 2003
  • Patent number: 6505508
    Abstract: A turbulent layer detecting apparatus in accordance with the present invention is equipped with a transmitting section that transmits beams of electromagnetic waves, sound waves or light waves into the atmosphere, a receiving section that receives the electromagnetic waves, the sound waves, or the light waves that have been transmitted by the transmitting section and scattered by particulates or the like in the atmosphere, a wind velocity measuring section that measures a beam direction component of a wind velocity at two or more observation points on a beam from a received signal received by the receiving section, or a density measuring section that measures a density at two or more observation points on the beam, and a turbulent layer detecting section that detects the presence of a turbulent layer on the basis of the output of either the wind velocity measuring section or the density measuring section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shumpei Kameyama, Yoshihito Hirano, Shusou Wadaka, Hidetoshi Tanaka, Wakasa Kise
  • Patent number: 6505509
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a fluid level is disclosed, which includes a coaxial sensor having a pair of conducting tubes positioned with respect to each other in spaced coaxial arrangement, a coaxial transmission line connected to the sensor, a means for injecting a standing wave into the coaxial sensor, a summer for summing the injected wave and a reflected wave connected to the sensor, a means for adjusting the frequency of the injected wave in response to the voltage and phase of the summed signal, and a processor for processing and displaying the frequency as a representation of the level of the fluid. A method for detecting the fluid level is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Devlin M. Gualtieri
  • Patent number: 6505510
    Abstract: An apparatus for the measurement of centrifugal forces generated by a rotary member such as a vehicle wheel which is out of balance, comprises a rotary member mounting for supporting the rotary member with respect to an apparatus frame structure. The rotary member and the rotary member mounting form a sub-critical oscillating system in measurement of the rotary member which rotates for a measuring procedure. The apparatus further includes a measurement sensor which is in the form of a force pick-up and whose direction of application of force extends approximately tangentially to a circle through the location of the application of force at the measurement sensor, around a virtual mounting location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Snap-On Deutschand Holding GmbH
    Inventor: Eickhart Goebel
  • Patent number: 6505511
    Abstract: A micromachined gyroscope has first and second coplanar bodies suspended over a substrate and movable in their plane relative to the substrate. The first body is dithered along a dither axis and is movable relative to the second body on the dither axis, but is rigidly connected for movement along an axis transverse to the dither axis. The second body is anchored so that it is substantially inhibited from moving along the dither axis, but can move with the first body along the transverse axis. The gyro has stop members and an anti-levitation system for preventing failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Geen, Donald W. Carow
  • Patent number: 6505512
    Abstract: A micromachined gyroscope has first and second coplanar bodies suspended over a substrate and movable in their plane relative to the substrate. The first body is dithered along a dither axis and is movable relative to the second body on the dither axis, but is rigidly connected for movement along an axis transverse to the dither axis. The second body is anchored so that it is substantially inhibited from moving along the dither axis, but can move with the first body along the transverse axis. The gyro has stop members and an anti-levitation system for preventing failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Geen, Donald W. Carow
  • Patent number: 6505513
    Abstract: In an arrangement for measuring the rotational velocity of a rotatable wheel (21) at or in a vehicle (23) by means of a sensor (1) which is manufactured by a thin-film technology, which comprises magnetoresistive sensor elements (11, 12, 13, 14), and which measures a magnetic field modulated by means of a toothed structure (22) of the wheel (21) in dependence on the rotational velocity thereof, an optimized guidance of interference currents which may be induced through radiation from electromagnetic fields is achieved in that an electrically conducting layer (5) is provided at the outside of the sensor (1), which layer (5) reduces a capacitive coupling between the wheel (21) and the sensor elements (11, 12, 13, 14) which would occur without said layer (5), and which layer (5) in its turn is capacitively coupled to the wheel (21), in that the electrically conducting layer (5), which is made of a metal material, is manufactured by a thin-film technique at least at one side of the sensor (1) by means of layer d
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Stephan Linke, Hans-Werner Lütjens, August Petersen, Bernd Seidel
  • Patent number: 6505514
    Abstract: A sensor arrangement for an integrated pressure management apparatus. The sensor arrangement includes a chamber having an interior volume that varies in response to fluid pressure in the chamber. The chamber includes a diaphragm displaceable between a first configuration corresponding to fluid pressure above a certain pressure level and to a second configuration corresponding to fluid pressure below the certain pressure level. A resilient element biases the diaphragm toward the first configuration and a switch is actuated by the diaphragm in the second configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Canada Limited
    Inventor: Paul D. Perry
  • Patent number: 6505515
    Abstract: The acceleration detector for a tire of a motor vehicle comprises an elastically deformable membrane and, fixedly attached to the membrane, a test mass to deform it under the effect of acceleration, and an acceleration strain gauge sensitive to the deformations of the membrane under the effect of an acceleration force exerted by the test mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Sagem SA
    Inventor: Francis Delaporte
  • Patent number: 6505516
    Abstract: A pressure sensor with a diaphragm that has a dielectric portion that moves in a cavity near capacitor plates that are fixed relative to a mounting frame. The diaphragm is supported on the frame and the frame surrounds the cavity. The diaphragm has an outer surface that receives pressure and has an inner surface facing the cavity. The capacitor plates, which are fixed, sense movement of the nearby dielectric portion and generate an electrical output representative of pressure. Creep of metallizations on a flexible diaphragm are avoided. Manufacture is simplified because metallization of the diaphragm is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Rosemount Inc.
    Inventors: Roger L. Frick, Charles R. Willcox
  • Patent number: 6505517
    Abstract: A magnetic flowmeter for measuring flow of a conductive fluid includes a flow tube assembly adapted to receive a fluid flow and a coil configured to apply a magnetic field in the fluid flow through the flow tube. An EMF sensor coupled to the flow tube provides an EMF output related to an EMF generated in the fluid flow due to the applied magnetic field, velocity of the fluid and noise. A signal processor includes a wavelet transformer that performs a wavelet transformation on the EMF output and provides a decomposition signal related to velocity of the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Rosemount Inc.
    Inventors: Evren Eryurek, Rong Gao, Lefteri H. Tsoukalas
  • Patent number: 6505518
    Abstract: A process for activating an oscillator serving to oscillate a Coriolis line of a Coriolis mass flowmeter for moving fluids, and of a power supply circuit system for an oscillator of a mass flowmeter for moving fluids operating by the Coriolis principle. The oscillator is supplied a pulse-width-modulated pulsed sinusoidal signal. The resulting heat-loss reduction in an amplifier circuit leads to a better utilization of the energy available for supplying the oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Krohne AG
    Inventors: Edward P. Jukes, Stephen J. Wood
  • Patent number: 6505519
    Abstract: A flowmeter is disclosed. The flowmeter includes a vibratable conduit, and a driver connected to the conduit that is operable to impart motion to the conduit. A sensor is connected to the conduit and is operable to sense the motion of the conduit and generate a sensor signal. A controller is connected to receive the sensor signal. The controller is operable to detect a single-phase flow condition and process the sensor signal using a first process during the single-phase flow condition to generate a validated mass-flow measurement. The controller is also operable to detect a two-phase flow condition and process the sensor signal using a second process during the two-phase flow condition to generate the validated mass-flow measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Invensys Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Manus P. Henry, Maria Jesus de la Fuente
  • Patent number: 6505520
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for preparing a thermal pulsed micro flow sensor comprising determining positions to allocate a plurality of thermal sensors along a microchannel, relatively to a heater positioned in said microchannel, and positioning said thermal sensors at the determined positions, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chien-Chung Fu, Cheng-Kuo Lee, Ching-Yi Wu
  • Patent number: 6505521
    Abstract: The invention provides a testable foil pressure sensor constructed of two carrier foils which are laminated together. The first carrier foil is coated with a semiconductor material, while the second carrier foil has two adjacent strip conductors which can each be bonded on both ends and which, within spatially bounded areas which form sensor elements, have “comb” structures, with individual fingers which mesh with one another in a no-contact manner. According to the invention, within a sensor element, at least one of the contact fingers of the comb structure is formed by a strip conductor loop and at least one other contact finger is formed by a stub line branching off a strip conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignees: DaimlerChrysler AG, I.E.E. - International Electronics S.a.r.L.
    Inventors: Volker Petri, Reinhold Mickeler, Michael Meyer, Bogdan Serban, Michel Witte
  • Patent number: 6505522
    Abstract: A self-calibrating apparatus and a self-calibrating method for measuring the pressure distribution generated by a three-dimensional object, is described which includes a plurality of first non-linear force sensors arranged in an array; and a second force sensing device (3) having a linear or linearisable output for measuring the total force applied to the first force sensors. The first sensors are dynamically calibrated based on the results of the comparison. The three-dimensional object may be a human foot and the apparatus and method amy be sued for fitting shoes or for determining irregularities or ailments of the human foot or leg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: RS Scan
    Inventor: Jean-Pierre Wilssens
  • Patent number: 6505523
    Abstract: Discloses a system for the analysis and measurement of selected gases such as combustible gases contained in a gaseous sample to be analysed including a mixing manifold arrangement to mix the sample gas with a diluting gas to provide a constant gas output flow rate to a detector system. The mixing manifold arrangement automatically reconfigures itself to provide an optimal concentration ratio of sample and diluting mixed gas to the detector system. A constant sample gas input rate is preferred. Excess sample gas not required to maintain a constant mixed sample output rate is discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Pason Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Brian Taylor, Wiktor Skupinski
  • Patent number: 6505524
    Abstract: A mixing system with proportional dilution gas sampling, and associated proportional dilution gas sampling methods are provided. The mixing system includes a mixing portion, a gaseous inlet, a dilution inlet, and a mixture outlet. A flow meter in flow communication with the dilution inlet has an output indicative of the dilution gas flow rate. A dilution sample line in flow communication with the dilution inlet collects samples of the dilution gas. A dilution sample flow controller along the dilution sample line is applicable to vary the dilution sample flow rate through the dilution sample line. Control logic receives the flow meter output, processes the flow meter output, and operates the dilution sample flow controller to vary the dilution sample flow rate. The dilution sample flow rate is varied in response to variations in the dilution gas flow rate such that the dilution sample flow rate tracks a value which is substantially proportional to the dilution gas flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Horiba Instruments, Inc.
    Inventor: William M. Silvis
  • Patent number: 6505525
    Abstract: A self-propelled lateral inspection apparatus includes a body, a main camera fixed to the body, and a lateral camera movable with respect to the body into a lateral sewer pipe. A low frequency beacon is carried by the lateral camera or may be provided separately from the lateral camera. The beacon may be used to determine the position of the lateral camera in the lateral sewer pipe, or to map the lateral sewer pipe. A picture-in-picture processor is carried by the body, and permits an above-ground user to view video images from both the main and lateral cameras simultaneously on a single monitor screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Aries Industries Incorporated
    Inventor: R. Michael McGrew
  • Patent number: 6505526
    Abstract: An inspection apparatus for water flow testing of cooling passageways in gas turbine buckets provides observable visual determination of whether any blockages were formed during the manufacturing or refurbishing processes. The inspection apparatus includes a manifold block and manifold control valve mounted on a platform and adapted to engage the root end of a turbine bucket and supply fluid therethrough. The turbine bucket is affixed to the platform with a holder. The fluid exiting at the tip of the turbine bucket is visible and any blockages in the passageways will be easily discerned by the absence or paucity of fluid flow at the tip. Fluid is supplied to the manifold block by a pressure regulated fluid supply line with a control valve and a flow meter. An air supply line is also connected to the manifold block to supply air through the passageways to remove residual fluid from the bucket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert John Zabala, Bruce Alan Knudsen
  • Patent number: 6505527
    Abstract: A forward/backward steering control mechanism installed in a toy car and coupled to a power drive and controlled by a remote controller to move the toy car forwards/backwards. The forward/backward steering control mechanism uses a remote controller-controlled server to move a movable gear on the transmission shaft of the toy car between a first transmission gear wheel, which is coupled to the power drive of the toy car, and a second transmission gear wheel, which is coupled to the first transmission gear wheel through two meshed idle gears, so as to control the direction of rotation of the transmission shaft, and to further control forward/backward movement of the toy car.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Inventor: Ke-Way Lu
  • Patent number: 6505528
    Abstract: The invention is a device for fast taking out and putting in, especially the device can fast take out a chip from a wafer to put in another chip receptacle, wherein, the invention includes a gear set, which consists of a first big gear, a second big gear and a small gear; at least two driving device, which consists a first driving device and a second driving device; a link mechanism, which cooperates with the gear set to proceed that the link mechanism moves forth toward a non-horizontal direction and back toward the reverse direction, and moves down toward a non-vertical direction and up toward the reverse direction as well; a lift mechanism, which is driven by the first driving device, and a mold plate with gear set and link mechanism is then driven either to complete the actions of moving down toward a non-vertical direction and up toward the reverse direction as mentioned above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Corp.
    Inventors: Weng-Jung Lu, Chin-Yuan Liu, Yuan-Tsu Wan, Chun-Kuei Lai, Chao-Hsien Huang, Chih-Min Lin, Chun-Hsien Liu
  • Patent number: 6505529
    Abstract: A reversing transmission shiftable under load in which the reversing clutches (1, 2) are automatically evacuated by the flow of pressure medium through the clutch (1, 2) not subjected to pressure wherein bores (9, 24), which in this shifting state, are connected to the oil reservoir (5) are placed at the highest point of the piston chamber. The shifting clutches (1, 2) are configured as negative clutches. For modulating the pressure during a reverse shift, an accumulator (27, 28) is provided from which pressure medium flows out via orifices (25, 29). For inching a valve (30) is provided via which the closed clutch (1, 2) can be subjected to a pressure whose level can be continuously varied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jürgen Legner, Eduard Heilig
  • Patent number: 6505530
    Abstract: An ink application device for tattooing or for making permanent make-up includes a handle, a needle drive, a needle, a needle nozzle and a protective cap. The device further includes at least two modules releasably connected to one another. One of the modules is formed as a reusable base module with an integrated needle drive, and the other module is a sterilized disposable module in which all components of the manual device capable of being infected by bodily fluids of a customer are integrated. The device can be constructively divided into two or three separate modules: a basic module, a disposable or hygienic module and an optional ink module. The basic module corresponds to the handle that includes the needle drive and is designed such that the hygienic module can be safely attached and connected to the integrated needle drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Medium-Tech Medizingeräte GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Adler, Walter Lisec, Gerhard Türk
  • Patent number: 6505531
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a transverse bitbreaker plate, which is attached to the lower surface of a power wrench to effect the coupling or decoupling of downhole tools such as bits or stabilizers. The plate is hinged and provides a generally triangular shaped profile along through its transverse surface which mates with the bit or stabilizer, which is to be connected or disconnected. The hinged plate is removably attached below the power wrench with pins so that it may be used and removed in a minimum of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Access Oil Tools, Inc.
    Inventor: Huey Stogner
  • Patent number: 6505532
    Abstract: A universal drain tool for use with shower and sink drains is provided. A representative drain tool includes a head containing a shaped aperture configured to engage the lock nuts of common shower and sink drains. The tool includes a handle attached to a head part. The handle allows the user to rotate the head part when the head part is engaged with the shower or sink drain. The head part can include an edge piece configured to insert into the internal lock nut slots of commonly available drop-in shower drains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Lawson Industries
    Inventor: Thomas Michael Lawson
  • Patent number: 6505533
    Abstract: A lathe steady rest has a frame adjacent an axis about which a lathe rotates a workpiece, a pair of arms pivotal on the frame about arm axes parallel to the workpiece axis and having outer ends radially displaceable relative to the workpiece axis, and a slide displaceable radially of the workpiece axis on the frame and having an outer end turned toward the workpiece. The outer ends are angularly spaced about the axis. Respective rollers rotatable on the outer ends about roller axes parallel to the workpiece axis radially engage the workpiece. Respective caps mounted on the arm outer ends over the respective rollers have passages with outer ends directed radially inward against the workpiece adjacent the respective rollers. A fluid is supplied under pressure to the passages to flush particles from the workpiece. The chamber allows the respective cap to change position without losing pressure in its passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Rohm GmbH
    Inventor: Kurt Kroisandt
  • Patent number: 6505534
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing mail is provided. Mail is placed into an input bin having a conveyor that conveys the mail towards a feeder. The feeder serially feeds the envelopes by engaging the lead envelope in the stack of mail and displacing the lead envelope transverse the stack of mail. The mail is fed into a shuttle that vertically displaces the envelopes to position the envelopes for entering a justifier. The justifier justifies the top edge of the envelopes and conveys the envelopes to a cutter that severs the top edge of the envelopes. A transport conveys the envelopes from the top cutter to an extractor. The extractor opens the edge-severed mail and presents the contents of the envelopes to an operator who manually extracts the contents. The transport conveys the empty envelopes from the extractor to a verifier that verifies that all of the contents have been removed from the envelope before the envelope is discarded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Opex Corporation
    Inventors: James G. Robertson, Michael E. York, Eric P. Minbiole, Robert R. Dewitt, George L. Hayduchok, Glen J. VanSant
  • Patent number: 6505535
    Abstract: A manufacturing method and a press apparatus improve the productivity of the manufacture of a press-formed object from a sheet blank, such as a nozzle hole plate of a fuel injector. The nozzle hole plate of a fuel injector has a plurality of holes differing, for example, in size and punch direction with respect to the sheet blank. In the case of the manufacture of a nozzle hole plate, a first amount of nozzle holes of equal punch angle and size are formed continuously by a die unit in a bandlike sheet blank workpiece while the workpiece is fed through the die unit one way in its length wise direction. Then, the feed direction is reversed, and the die unit is rotated and a further amount of nozzle holes are formed continuously by the same die unit. As a result, the number of die unit positioning operations involved in forming a quantity of nozzle hole plates is equal only to the number of different nozzle holes formed in each nozzle hole plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Mikiya Kurita, Shouichi Takenouchi, Kouichi Ohta, Katsumi Nagasaka, Motofumi Kuzuno, Hiroyuki Dekita
  • Patent number: 6505536
    Abstract: A cutting device, including a receptacle for containing butter; a push mechanism for pushing the butter or margarine down into the receptacle, the push mechanism sitting atop a stick of butter and inside the receptacle, the push mechanism being in mechanical communication with the receptacle such that movement of the receptacle causes the push mechanism to move butter downward in relation to the receptacle, the push mechanism including a retrieval chain; a cutter, the cutter including a mechanism for knocking-off a piece of cut butter, the knocking off mechanism being a tapered piece; a gear mechanism in mechanical communication with the receptacle such that movement of the receptacle causes movement of the gear mechanism, the gear mechanism including at least one upper flat gear joined to the receptacle, a round gear joined to the frame and at least one lower flat gear joined to the cutter, wherein movement of the receptacle causes the upper flat gear to rotate the round gear, which in turn moves the lower f
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Inventor: Paul F. Wilhelm
  • Patent number: 6505537
    Abstract: A cutting tool for separating and formatting of sheet materials has a rotationally driven support body having cutting teeth arranged about a circumference of the support body. The cutting teeth have a tooth profile with a radially outwardly positioned front-cutting area with a separating cutting edge and a formatting area with main cutting edges determining the cutting width of the cutting tool. The tooth profile further has a transition area located radially between the front-cutting area and the formatting area. The main cutting edges in the formatting area are arranged radially separately from the separating cutting edges of the front-cutting area by the transition area, wherein the transition area has transition cutting edges adjoining the cutting edges and angled relative to the separating cutting edges toward a radial center axis of the cutting tool. The front-cutting area is symmetrical relative to the radial center axis of the cutting tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Ledermann GmbH
    Inventor: Rüdiger Vöge
  • Patent number: 6505538
    Abstract: An improved uniflow engine has a plurality of vertically extending cylinders distributed in-line along a horizontally extending common crankshaft connected to pistons reciprocating in the cylinders. A working fluid vapor is supplied to those cylinders in which the respective pistons are in their working strokes to initiate rotation of the crankshaft in a predetermined direction regardless of where the crankshaft has stopped last. Once rotation is initiated and a predetermined mode change speed attained in a “start-up mode” engine operation, vapor inlet valves are controlled by an inlet valve control mechanism to change engine operation over to a “running mode”. In the start-up mode, incoming vapor is admitted over a substantial portion of the piston working stroke, whereas in the “running mode” vapor inflow is terminated relatively early in the working stroke so that a vapor change does work in expanding against the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Inventor: Barry Johnston
  • Patent number: 6505539
    Abstract: A vacuum brake booster (10) has a vacuum chamber (18) and a working chamber (20) separated from one another in a pressure-proof manner by a movable wall (16). A control valve (22), which comprises a housing (24) workingly coupled to the movable wall (16), has a first valve seat (50), which is disposed in the housing (24) and to achieve a pressure difference at the movable wall (16) is capable of controlling the supply of at least atmospheric pressure to the working chamber (20) in dependence upon the displacement of an input element (26) coupled to the first valve seat (50). For improved boosting of the brake force during emergency braking operations, an armature (38), which cooperates with a permanent magnet (40), is provided in the control valve housing (24) and is rigidly coupled on the one hand to the actuating element (26) in actuating direction and on the other hand to the first valve seat (50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Lucas Industries plc
    Inventor: Peter Schlüter
  • Patent number: 6505540
    Abstract: A control valve retaining element (22) for a brake booster (10) has a hollow cylindrical base member (28) and a first retaining collar (30), which is connected to the base member (28) and has at least one side wall for supporting a bellows end (20). To enable such a retaining element to be manufactured less expensively and positioned easily and securely on an actuating rod (16) of a brake booster (10), a second retaining collar (36) extends radially inwards from a first end of the base member (28) and in peripheral direction, wherein the second retaining collar (36) comprises a first lateral face (38) for cooperation with a stop (44) of the actuating rod (16) and a second lateral face (40) lying opposite the first lateral face (38) for cooperation with a compression spring (46).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Lucas Industries plc
    Inventors: Peter Ortel, Ludwig Friedsam
  • Patent number: 6505541
    Abstract: An inclined-axis variable displacement unit has an output shaft (1), mounted in a housing (4), and a cylinder block (10), the cylinder block (10) being connected to the output shaft (1) via a synchronizing articulation (13), and via working pistons (11) which can be displaced in the cylinder block (10), and the cylinder block (10) being mounted in a pivoting body (5) which can be pivoted in relation to the axis of the output shaft, it being the case that the pivoting body (5) is in the form of an open vessel, and the cylinder block (10) is arranged in the opening of the pivoting body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Sauer-Danfoss, Inc.
    Inventors: Eckhard Skirde, Vladimir Galba
  • Patent number: 6505542
    Abstract: A piston rod-less linear drive whose housing is provided with a linear guide on which a guide slide runs. The guide slide is drivingly connected by way of a dog with a drive part within the housing. The dog extends through a longitudinal slot in the housing, such slot being so arranged that its plane extends obliquely in relation to a guide plane, which is defined by the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction of the linear guide. Furthermore, a housing is proposed which is particularly suitable for the linear drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Festo AG & Co.
    Inventors: Rolf Weberruss, Eric Angué, Thomas Wagner
  • Patent number: 6505543
    Abstract: A pneumatic linear actuator has a body (10), a chamber (14) in the body that is closed by the end heads (15), a piston (11) that is arranged in the chamber and moved by a fluid sent alternately to the ends of the piston, and a slide or carriage (13) that is movable on the body driven by the piston. A belt (20) is driven on pulleys (19, 21, 22) and connects the piston to the slide, so that a stroke and a velocity at least twice that of the slide correspond to the stroke of the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Gimatic S.p.A.
    Inventor: Giuseppe Maffeis
  • Patent number: 6505544
    Abstract: Device for the extraction of coffee, includes an extraction chamber supplied by the vertical introduction of tablets or premeasured small quantities of ground coffee. The extraction chamber includes two movable portions for horizontal movement so as to move toward or away from each other, one of the movable portions including a hot water inlet, the other having a coffee extract outlet. The movable portions are each mounted on an eccentric shaft adapted to transmit to them oscillatory movements of opposite directions. A braked pivotal connection between each eccentric shaft and each movable portion, combines a horizontal movement and an oscillatory movement for sequencing the phases of opening and closing the extraction chamber. The device is useful in coffee machines of the espresso type usable with tablets or premeasured small quantities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Compagnie Mediterraneenne des Cafes
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Blanc, Christian Ferrier
  • Patent number: 6505545
    Abstract: A food preparation system and method, including a base housing, a container detachably engagable with the base housing in which the container is adapted to receive food products. The system also includes a heater within the base housing and/or the container for converting a liquid into a cooking vapor, and a blade rotatably mounted in the container in which the blade supports the food products during a cooking step and processes the food products during a processing step. The system can also have positioning structure within the base housing and/or the container for positioning the blade in a cooking position during the cooking step, and for positioning the blade in a processing position during the processing step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Inventors: Melvin R. Kennedy, Jose Longoria, Robert G. Robbins
  • Patent number: 6505546
    Abstract: A vessel for cooking food under pressure wherein the shape of a bottom surface of the vessel and the position of heating elements which heat cooking fluid contained within the vessel act to form a cool zone in a region near the bottom surface. Within the cool zone, the temperature of the cooking fluid is maintained below the cooking temperature so that food particles dislodged from the food being cooked do not burn and contaminate the cooking fluid. In addition, the temperature in the cool zone is maintained above the boiling point of water so that moisture contained within the food particles is continuously evaporated during the cooking cycle, preventing boil over conditions. A novel pressure release system is provided for intermittently operating a pressure release valve near the end of the cooking cycle. A computer controller controls operation of the release valve based upon the temperature of the cooking fluid to eliminate sudden drops in temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Technology Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Bernard G. Koether, William Doherty Motherway
  • Patent number: 6505547
    Abstract: A mobile table for batter dipping and breading food products such as chicken pieces, shrimp, fish pieces and other food products prior to cooking such as by deep frying. The table includes a batter pan and a breading pan oriented adjacent to each other and supported in a table top. A self-contained refrigeration system is provided in a cabinet underneath the table top to cool the batter pan, the breading pan and to chill water in a refrigerated water reservoir to supply prechilled water to the batter pan. The refrigeration system maintains the batter material in the batter pan and breading material in the breading pan at a temperature to retard or substantially reduce bacteria growth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Giles Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig D. Burnett, Johnny R. Lewis, William T. McNeal
  • Patent number: 6505548
    Abstract: A garlic press including a pivotally joined base and handle with an intermediate press plate pivoted therebetween and cooperating with the base in defining a receiving chamber selectively receiving an enlarged pressure block formed on the handle. The press plate includes a bladed cutter assembly engageable with the upper surface of the base for the severing of a base supported item, the base itself having an elongate hand receiving opening formed therein to define an upper hand grip functioning in conjunction with the handle to manipulate the press, and a lower base support, below the opening, for a direct supporting engagement of the base on a support surface allowing operation of the press by a direct downward pressure on the handle against a surface supported base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Dart Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Stig Lillelund, Jakob Heiberg
  • Patent number: 6505549
    Abstract: In a roll nip (5) formed between a shoe press roll (1) having a concave, plane or slightly convex press shoe (11), a flexible jacket (15) and a hot counter roll (3), the jacket (15) may be damaged by the heat from the counter roll (3) upon a web break. To avoid this, the roll nip (5) is opened by removing one of the press shoe (11) and the hot counter roll (3) from the other, so that the jacket (15) resumes a generally cylindrical shape having an arched portion located across the shoe (11). Then, a force is applied inside the roll jacket (15), directed away from the roll nip (5), to tension the roll jacket (15) over the leading edge and the trailing edge of the press shoe (11), so as to reduce the height of arch of the arched portion over the shoe (11) sufficiently to ensure removal of the jacket (15) from contact with the hot counter roll (3). Preferably, the force against the inside of the jacket is applied by means of a tensioning shoe (61).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Metso Paper Karlstad AB
    Inventor: Erik Brox
  • Patent number: 6505550
    Abstract: Waste compaction apparatus has a screw conveyor which conveys material along a passage toward an exit nozzle which constricts the flow, to cause compaction. The screw conveyor is slidably mounted on a shaft, biased toward the nozzle. This allows the screw conveyor to move axially during compaction to help remove or avoid blockages within the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Inventor: Robin Hamilton
  • Patent number: 6505551
    Abstract: A stencil printing machine includes a printing drum for receiving a perforated stencil sheet around an outer peripheral surface thereof. The printing drum is rotatable about a central axis thereof. The printing machine further includes a first holding device provided to the outer peripheral surface of the printing drum for holding a leading end of the stencil sheet, and a second holding device provided to the outer peripheral surface of the printing drum for holding a trailing end of the stencil sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Takao Kawabe, Yasuhiro Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6505552
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for placing a predetermined tension on a silk screen, including a workstation where more than one screen may be stretched without the necessity of removing the previous screen or necessitating a physical movement of the operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Inventor: James D. Larson
  • Patent number: 6505553
    Abstract: A screen-printing method, including the steps of filling, in a state in which a screen having through-holes is contacted with a print surface of a substrate, the through-holes with a print material, and thereby applying the print material to the print surface of the substrate, moving, after the filling step, one of the screen and the substrate relative to the other of the screen and the substrate, in one or more cycles, on a plane parallel to the print surface of the substrate, in one or more directions parallel to one or more straight lines, and separating, after the moving step, the screen and the substrate from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Fuji Machine Mfg. Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Nobumichi Ishida, Toshinori Shimizu, Manabu Mizuno
  • Patent number: 6505554
    Abstract: A process of screen printing images on a substrate which effectively diminishes the Moire effect and other screen printing process distortions. The process utilizes specific screen angles for printing each process ink color, the application of UV light to set the ink on the substrate and the automated transfer of the substrate between printing and drying stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Inventor: Ralph Rhein
  • Patent number: 6505555
    Abstract: In the present invention, a blanket cylinder for a printing press is made up of a shaft roller and a cylindrical blanket capable of being attached and detached freely to and from the shaft roller. The cylindrical blanket comprises an elastic layer formed integrally with a cylindrical sleeve by winding and bonding a sheet-form elastic member on and to the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve, the elastic layer having a gap extending in the axial direction formed between both ends in the circumferential direction of the sheet-form elastic member; and a separation preventive member for preventing both ends in the circumferential direction of the sheet-form elastic member from being separated from the sleeve, the separation preventive member being embedded in the gap so as to be thinner than the thickness of the sheet-form elastic member to form a groove in the outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Kanda
  • Patent number: 6505556
    Abstract: A printing press for newspaper production comprises several printing units each having two plate cylinders for concurrently printing on both sides of a web, each plate cylinder having several predefined plate-mounting positions. The control system includes an assignment controller for putting out ASSIGNMENT INFO indicative of how all the printing plates to made for each newspaper issue are assigned to the plate-mounting positions on the plate cylinders. A plate-maker controller provides CONTENTS INFO indicative of at least the page number of each printing plate being made. In response to the ASSIGNMENT INFO and CONTENTS INFO a printer controller produces POSITION INFO indicative of the desired plate-mounting positions on each plate cylinder to which the printing plates are to be mounted, causing a printer to print the POSITION INFO on each printing plate that has been made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokyo Kikai Seisakusho
    Inventor: Chuuji Miyauti
  • Patent number: 6505557
    Abstract: A system for controlling a temperature of a rotary machine having a hollow roller chain with ink vibratory rollers and a plate cylinders such as used in a printing head, the system comprising a heat transfer fluid, a device for cooling the heat transfer fluid, a closed loop conduit, a device for passing the heat transfer fluid through the ink vibratory rollers, a solenoid valve mounted on the conduit, the solenoid valve being either fully opened or fully closed, temperature sensors to sense the temperature of the ink vibratory rollers, and a reservoir for the heat transfer fluid. The solenoid valves being either fully opened or fully closed allows for quick and precise temperature adjustments in real-time within a very narrow range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Inventors: Ted Desaulniers, John Lovaghy