Patents Issued in February 24, 2004
  • Patent number: 6695561
    Abstract: A dock or railway has a length of parallel track-driveway spaced along side for rail mounted tractor-trailers or truck-bus chassis-cab to guide on and travel to transfer cargo or people containers between the dock or cars in a train stopped for these transfers. The truck bed, chassis, or dock has one or more parallel oblique channels extensible or with roller bars extensible obliquely from a side to engage transfer rollers added on the container or oblique channels in the bottom of the container to move the container between the truck bed and the dock or car according to the direction the truck is driven or moved along parallel past the dock or car or the container is extended to initiate transfer. Various actuators can initiate and complete the transfer between the truck and standing train car or dock. Passenger and freight containers are interchangeable on the same bus-truck chassis and railway car container berth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Inventor: Leonard D. Barry
  • Patent number: 6695562
    Abstract: Two receptacles open at the top (15, 16), one of which contains objects (17) are put onto a rotating tray (3) under a convex cover (5). They are held in place by an appropriate device (11, 12). The tray and the cover are rotated by one complete turn such that the objects (17) come out of the first receptacle (15), roll under the cover (5) and finally drop into the other receptacle (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Matieres Nucleaires
    Inventors: Jacques Heyraud, Denis Gremeaux, Daniel Brulard, Jean-Jacques Margueron, Serge Chabrol
  • Patent number: 6695563
    Abstract: A racked glass inverter which may be used alone or in combination with a processing system for preparing and filling beverage containers with ice and liquid. The beverage processing system simplifies the task of filling multiple glasses, cups or like containers with ice and a beverage, in a short time period, which is required with large crowds at restaurants and banquets. The system features three components including an ice tray, a glass inverter, and a glass filler, which in the best mode combine to the task of filling such beverage containers. The glass inverter is adapted to cooperatively engage with conventonal glass racks and allow two mated racks to be rotated thereby transferring the glasses from one to the other and inverting them in there position in the second rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Inventor: Jose Guzman
  • Patent number: 6695564
    Abstract: A self-loading cart for a greens mower including a wheel-supported mobile frame with a tilting bed pivotally mounted to the frame for movement between a rearwardly and downwardly inclined loading position and an upwardly pivoted substantially horizontal loaded position. As the bed moves to the loaded position, a locking tongue on the mobile platform projects through the bed and engages the loaded mower for a retention of the mower. Simultaneously, a latch automatically engages between a support beam of the bed and the mobile platform to lock the bed in the loaded position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Inventor: James W. Pfisterer
  • Patent number: 6695565
    Abstract: A motorcycle loading and support assembly for a truck for a single user to load and unload a motorcycle from a truck box. The motorcycle loading and support assembly for a truck includes a ramp assembly including a plurality of channel members being detachably attached end-to-end for loading and supporting a motorcycle upon a truck box; and also includes a ramp support member being adapted to be attached to a hitch receiver of a truck for supporting the channel members; and further includes a winch assembly being adapted to be securely mounted to the truck for pulling the motorcycle upon the truck box; and also includes tie-downs for securing a motorcycle upon the truck box; and further includes an assembly of fueling a motorcycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Inventor: Ken R. Franchuk
  • Patent number: 6695566
    Abstract: The vehicle is provided with a loading platform (5) behind the driver's position, and with longitudinal structures which may be raised and retracted, on which are provided a number of rollers (8) with horizontal, parallel shafts which are transverse to the vehicle, on which loads may slide when these rollers are raised. It is also provided with a pair of multi-purpose plates (11), which when not needed are placed in the rear, lower area of the vehicle or behind the roll bar, and which may be coupled to either of the vehicle's sides or to its rear, so that they rest on the ground and provide loading and unloading ramps, while when they are placed on top of the platform they can increase its useful surface, or a lateral wall, depending on the position of these plates. In the center of the loading platform is also provided a large receptacle (16), closed by a pair of doors which have padding (27) on their inner surface, thereby providing seats for when persons must be carried.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Equipos Industriales de Manutencion S.A. (EINSA)
    Inventor: Carlos Javier Rodriguez Navio
  • Patent number: 6695567
    Abstract: A hydraulic device for industrial vehicles. A first motor drives a first hydraulic pump and a second hydraulic pump. The first hydraulic pump supplies hydraulic fluid to a power steering device and a brake device. The second hydraulic pump supplies hydraulic fluid to a carriage device. If an increased amount of hydraulic fluid need be supplied to the carriage device, a second motor drives a third hydraulic pump. Thus, together with the second hydraulic pump, the third hydraulic pump supplies hydraulic fluid to the carriage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Hisao Nagata, Seiji Nakashima
  • Patent number: 6695568
    Abstract: A small loader has a frame, and drive tracks on opposite sides of the frame. The, drive tracks are mounted over drive sprockets and idler wheels to establish lengths of track at upper sides. The frame includes upright members at a rear portion for mounting a lift arm assembly made of two lift arms joined together. Each lift arm has a rear portion pivotally mounted on the upright portion of the frame and extending downwardly and forwardly to join side portions of the lift arms that are substantially parallel to the upper lengths of the respective tracks in a lowered position of the lift arm assembly. Actuators for pivoting the lift arm assembly are mounted on the frame, below the side portions and above the tracks, and extend generally parallel to both the side portions and the upper length of the tracks when the lift arm assembly is in a lowered position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Clark Equipment Company
    Inventors: Mark F. Bares, James H. Page
  • Patent number: 6695569
    Abstract: A process and a device for collecting and palletizing bottles 3 is provided, especially empty plastic bottles, which are fed from a bottle producer 36 or a bottle conveyor 8 in one or more rows one behind the other to a collecting device 4. They are transferred there to one or more intermediate carriers 6, forming bottle layers 25, wherein the loaded intermediate carriers 6 are subsequently conveyed to a palletizing device 7. The intermediate carriers 6 move in a circle in the collecting and palletizing unit 2 and can also be transferred into a storage facility 7 for intermediate storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Certus Maschinenbau GmbH
    Inventor: Gunter Höfer
  • Patent number: 6695570
    Abstract: A carton loader for automatically loading stacks of cartons onto a mass feeder for supplying cartons to a packaging machine includes a loader in which stacks of cartons are received and held, and a carriage on which the loader is pivotally mounted. After the stacks of cartons are received, the loader is pivoted from a loading position to a stacking position. The carriage is then moved along the mass feeder for the packaging machine toward a magazine or supply of previously stacked cartons, whereupon the stack of cartons within the loader is moved in engagement and stacked against the previously loaded cartons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Graphic Packaging International, Inc.
    Inventors: Colin P. Ford, Thomas A. Rice
  • Patent number: 6695571
    Abstract: A method for dispensing, receiving, storing, testing or binning packaged integrated circuit devices using at least one vertically oriented, removable, tubular magazine disposed above a controllably driven, rod-like indexing element extending from a drive below the magazine. A magazine, with an associated indexing element and drive, is configurable as an individual magazine module. The indexing element, under power of the drive, raises or lowers a vertical stack of devices to a desired level adjacent the top of the magazine to dispense or receive an individual device from a feed mechanism, such as a pick-and-place mechanism. A number of magazine modules may be assembled in a multi-module array, which is particularly suitable for binning tested devices, with a sort category being directed to each magazine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert L. Canella
  • Patent number: 6695572
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for minimizing the surface contamination of semiconductor wafers (11) during the semiconductor device manufacturing process. Semiconductor wafers (11) are stored in a storage cassette (12) with their face sides (17) facing downward and their back sides (16) facing upward. Particulate contamination present on the back sides of the wafers is thereby secured to the wafers by the force of gravity, and the faces of the wafers are shielded from falling debris. An automated wafer handling device (19) is provided with a rotary joint (22) to accomplish the wafer flipping motion before inserting a wafer into a cassette and after removing the wafer from the cassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Antonell, Erik Cho Houge, Larry E. Plew, Catherine Vartuli, Jennifer Juszczak
  • Patent number: 6695573
    Abstract: A turbine tool design with a number of innovative aspects which may be incorporated into the tool individually or as a group. One aspect relates to improved speed control, based on an elastically deformable governor member disposed within the rotating impeller assembly and having a substantially uniform cross-section. Another aspect relates to a overspeed safety configuration that employs secondary, or “retro”, nozzles that are enabled when the elastically deformable governor member is removed from the impeller assembly. Another aspect relates to routing the motive fluid exhaust through the operator-adjustable throttle assembly. Still another aspect relates to an approach to axially preloading the bearings supporting the rotating shaft of the impeller assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company
    Inventor: Philip Arnold Snider
  • Patent number: 6695574
    Abstract: An energy absorber and deflection device for deflecting engine debris fragments from their tangential trajectory from a core of a gas turbine engine. The device includes a deflection plate radially spaced from a protected portion of the periphery of the rotor, adapted to cover the protected portion in a closed position, and to swing open about a fore edge of the deflection plate to a deployed position. A flexible joint secures the fore edge of the deflection plate to the engine and a frangible joint secures an aft edge of the deflection plate to the engine. In the case of a turbofan engine, the deflector plate may form part of the inner bypass duct surface to deflect debris to exit aft through the bypass duct, and in turboshaft and turboprop engines the deflector plate serves to deflect debris and reduce debris velocity to contain debris within the engine cowling or nacelle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Robert Mather
  • Patent number: 6695575
    Abstract: The invention relates to a turbine (1) having a rotor (2), which has a bladed area (3) for rotor blades (4) and a thrust compensation piston (5). The thrust compensation piston (5) has a hot side (6), which faces the bladed area (3), and a cold side (7), which is remote from the bladed area (3). On one side, a feed (14) for sealing fluid (15), which is assigned to the cold side (7), and a leakage fluid feed (12), which is flow-connected to the bladed area (3), open out into a mixing area (13), and on the other side a discharge line (16) branches off from the mixing area. The invention also relates to a method for discharging hot leakage fluid (17). In a turbine (1), the leakage fluid (17) passes through a radial gap (12) between a thrust compensation piston (5) of a rotor (2) and a stationary turbine part (11) and is mixed with a cooler sealing fluid (15) and discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Stefan Sasse, Rainer Tamme
  • Patent number: 6695576
    Abstract: A pump is disclosed that comprises: (1) a support structure including a body having an annular end in which an opening is defined, and a volute connected to the said end of the body so as to define a pumping chamber therewith; (2) a bladed rotor disposed in the chamber and connected to a shaft which is mounted rotatably in the body and extends through the opening; and (3) a first and a second annular sealing member which are carried by the structure and which encircle the shaft in a leaktight manner. A lubrication chamber containing a lubricating grease is defined between the sealing members and the shaft. A first sealing ring, closer to the rotor, has an inner portion which forms at least one sealing lip which bears on the shaft, and a circular portion disposed outside the lip and having a substantially U-shaped cross-section with its convex side facing the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Plaset S.p.A.
    Inventors: Sergio Rosso, Giorgio Morra
  • Patent number: 6695577
    Abstract: A fan grill for use with a fan associated with an inlet ring is configured to flush mount in an inlet ring and to serve as a safety guard to help prevent finger insertion into, and to help inhibit debris from entering a fan. The fan grill can impede and disturb gas flow to a fan less than by using a non-flush mounted grill or guard. The fan grill includes radial ribs, concentric circular ribs and radial support ribs to form a grate, and tabs. The tabs and the radial support ribs are configured to bias the fan grill against a wall of an inlet ring to securely connect the fan grill in the inlet ring. The fan grill can be readily installed and securely connected to inlet rings or housings of existing fans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: American Power Conversion
    Inventor: David N. Susek
  • Patent number: 6695578
    Abstract: A bleed valve assembly includes a valve poppet having a bleed portion and a base portion separated by a radially extending flange. The radially extending flange is located about the perimeter of the valve poppet to engage the valve seat on one side and receive a biasing member on the other. The flange engages the valve seat such that initial valve performance is similar to a disk valve, i.e., soft seating and very low leakage when closed. A plurality of openings extend through the bleed portion such that partial open operation of the bleed valve assembly is particularly tailored for a desired flow. As the valve poppet of the present invention moves off the valve seat, the initial gain is very low and then the gain increases steadily as more openings are exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher L. Winslow, Alejandro Anduze
  • Patent number: 6695579
    Abstract: A diffuser for converting high velocity fluid into high pressure fluid. The diffuser includes a pair of spaced opposing walls between which extend a plurality of blades. Each of the blades has a pressure side and a suction side, wherein the pressure side of one of the blades is adjacent the suction side of another one of the blades. Each pair of adjacent blades and spaced walls define a channel that extends from an inlet end to an outlet end with a generally increasing cross-sectional area. The suction side of each blade has a height greater than the pressure side of the adjacent blade defining the channel whereby the fluid is less likely to stall due to separation from the suction side. Each blade has a leading edge positioned at a 10° angle further minimizing the incidence of stall and increasing the operating range of the diffuser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Sen Yih Meng
  • Patent number: 6695580
    Abstract: A bypass motor assembly includes a motor having a rotatable shaft, a working air fan secured to the rotatable shaft and a shroud having an intake eyelet and at least one exhaust apertures. The assembly includes an end bracket having a shaft hole through which the shaft extends. The end bracket and the shroud partially enclose the working air fan, wherein rotation of the working air fan draws air in through the intake eyelet and pushes the air through the plurality of exhaust apertures, the end bracket having a plurality of vanes that form a fan chamber that receives the working air fan such that air expelled by the working air fan is efficiently re-directed by the vanes toward the exhaust aperture. An air intake seal can be disposed between the shroud and the working air fan to further enhance the working air flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Ametek, Inc.
    Inventor: David B. Finkenbinder
  • Patent number: 6695581
    Abstract: A fan-flywheel-pulley assembly for use in conjunction with an electric motor. The assembly may include a pulley positioned about a central axis. The assembly may also include a flywheel coupled to the pulley and positioned about the central axis, the flywheel including an outer circumferential flywheel surface partially forming a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings. The flywheel may also include a baffle that extends circumferentially in close proximity to a cylindrical wall unit of the motor from an inner diameter to an outer diameter to limit a gap between the baffle and the cylindrical wall unit. Further, the assembly may also include a radial fan disposed within the flywheel including a plurality of blades extending at least from the flywheel inner diameter to the outer diameter each opening is positioned between each adjacent fan blade. The pulley, the flywheel, and the radial fan may be integrally formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: McMillan Electric Company
    Inventors: Dewain L. Wasson, William B. Sinykin
  • Patent number: 6695582
    Abstract: A turbine blade comprises an external pressure side plate comprising a plurality of external pressure ribs, an internal pressure side plate comprising a plurality of internal pressure ribs, and a plurality of pressure flow redirection areas. The external pressure side plate is disposed over the internal pressure side plate to form a pressure side double wall. The external pressure ribs are disposed at a first angle with respect to a blade span reference line and the internal pressure ribs are disposed at a second angle with respect to the blade span reference line to form the pressure flow redirection areas. The pressure side double wall is configured to pass a coolant through the pressure side double wall. A fabrication method aligns the external pressure side plate and the internal pressure side plate to form the pressure flow redirection areas between the external pressure side plate and the internal pressure side plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Frederic Joseph Klug, Shyh-Chin Huang
  • Patent number: 6695583
    Abstract: A flexbeam rotor system includes an intermediate tube and a torque tube that envelopes a flexbeam in spaced relation thereto. The torque tube is connected to the flexbeam at its radially outer end and articulately connected to the intermediate tube through a snubber-vibration damper system. The torque tube is connected with an aerodynamic rotor blade member. The snubber vibration damper system includes a snubber bearing and an independent lead/lag bearing. The snubber bearing is located between the flexbeam and the intermediate tube along a pitch change axis. A lead/lag bearing is mounted between the intermediate tube and the torque tube on both the leading and trailing portion of blade assembly. Pitch/lag coupling complications are minimized as lead/lag motion takes place between the torque tube and the intermediate tube. As lead/lag motion is accommodated in the independent lead/lag bearing, the snubber bearing is of a greatly reduced height in relation to conventional design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: David N. Schmaling, Robert Milne
  • Patent number: 6695584
    Abstract: A turbo fan comprises: a hub coupled to a rotational shaft of a driving device; a plurality of blades installed on an outer circumference of the hub in a radial direction; and a shroud connected to the plurality of blades on opposite side of the hub centering around the blades; wherein a leading edge of the blade comprises: a connection part which is connected to the shroud; an extension part which is extended as a straight line parallelly with the rotational shaft from the hub; and a curved surface part which is formed as a convex curved surface between the extension part and the connection part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Seong Chun Kim, Young Min Park, Jong Han Park, Jun Sei Lee, Sung Oh Choi
  • Patent number: 6695585
    Abstract: A fan blade frame includes a frame member defining a closed fan blade frame. The fan blade frame has a base end that includes first and second base frame members. A connection member is attached to at least one of the first or second base frame members. At least one support member may further be attached between the first or second base frame members and the portion of the fan blade frame opposite thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: John F. Moody, Edward M. Springer, Maria Livits
  • Patent number: 6695586
    Abstract: A downrod of a ceiling fan is provided with a decorative covering which may be utilized for various sizes of downrods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Prime Home Impressions, LLC
    Inventor: Robert W. Lackey
  • Patent number: 6695587
    Abstract: A gas turbine component article has an airfoil section and is formed of a nickel-base superalloy. An unmasked region of the airfoil section has a platinum aluminide protective coating, and a masked region of the airfoil section has an aluminide coating. The platinum aluminide preferably is deposited at a trailing edge of the airfoil section that is susceptible to low-cycle fatigue damage when a platinum aluminide coating is present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Roger D. Wustman, Antonio F. Maricocchi, Jonathan P. Clarke
  • Patent number: 6695588
    Abstract: Damping of oscillations of the first bending mode of a wind turbine is performed means of one or more containers partly filled with a liquid for damping oscillations of the first natural bending frequency of the wind turbine. The damping means comprises a plurality of box shaped containers having a square cross section and being partly filled with liquid so as to provide a unidirectional damping with a logarithmic decrement of oscillations of the first natural bending frequency of the wind turbine of at least 4-8%. For off-shore wind turbines, the combined excitation of the wind and sea waves requires more damping, the damping is preferably equivalent to a logarithmic decrement of 10-15%. Furthermore, the invention relates to damping of oscillation of the second bending mode of a wind turbine and to the combined damping of oscillations of the first as well as the second bending mode of the wind turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Neg Micon A/S
    Inventor: Thomas Steiniche Bjertrup Nielsen
  • Patent number: 6695589
    Abstract: An electric motor driven pump has a regulator valve for establishing a system pressure within a predetermined pressure range. The regulator valve has three bias pressures and a spring force imposed thereon. One of the bias pressures assists the spring to increase the system pressure and the other two bias pressures either balance the spring and one bias pressure or lower the system pressure. The one bias pressure is established by an electro-hydraulic control mechanism as a function of operating parameters in a powertrain which uses the fluid pressure from the pump. One of the other bias pressures is equal to system pressure and the last bias pressure is available when a predetermined drive condition is requested in the powertrain. A first electrical switch is activated by fluid pressure from the regulator valve if the system pressure is below the demanded pressure and a second electrical switch is activated by fluid pressure from the regulator valve if the system pressure is above the demanded pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin Michael Dougan, Charles Wayne Lewis, Richard Francis Olenzek
  • Patent number: 6695590
    Abstract: A lubricant pump having a housing equipped with outlets and a lubricant chamber, and having a piston axially displaceable in an axial cylinder bore in the housing by means of an electrical drive arrangement. The piston is at a first end and has an axial outlet. A first portion of the axial outlet is connected to a through-opening arranged radially on the piston position and adapted in a predetermined piston position to connect the axial outlet to a predetermined outlet of the outlets. A second portion of the axial outlet of the piston is connected to the lubricant chamber by way of an inlet and a non-return valve to allow the bore to be filled with lubricant. The outlets are arranged essentially in succession to one another. The position sensor is adapted to signal the position of the piston in the event the piston stops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: SKF Engineering & Research Centre B.V.
    Inventors: Per Uno Magnus Rydin, Pär Piof Funck, Niklas Rehn, Hans Erik Alveling
  • Patent number: 6695591
    Abstract: A multi-stage compressor comprises a gas compressor, a centrifugal blower having an input connected with a gas source and an output connected with the gas compressor and providing a flow of compressed gas as a first stage of compression to the gas compressor, and a power source mechanically connected with and driving both the centrifugal blower and gas compressor to provide multi-stage compression of said gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Grimmer Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. Grimmer, Edward T. Ketcham
  • Patent number: 6695592
    Abstract: A compressor has a high-pressure relief valve and a low-pressure relief valve. The high-pressure relief valve in use for a discharge region opens when the pressure of gas in the discharge region is more than a first predetermined pressure. The high-pressure relief valve is provided with a first shim. The low-pressure relief valve in use for a suction region opens when the pressure of gas in the suction region is more than a second predetermined pressure which is lower than the first predetermined pressure. The low-pressure relief valve is provided with a second shim. The high-pressure relief valve and the low-pressure relief valve have similar structure to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Naoya Yokomachi, Kiyoshi Yagi
  • Patent number: 6695593
    Abstract: A pump for ultra-pure fluids comprises a flexible diaphragm separating a fluid chamber from an air chamber. The diaphragm creates an airtight seal between the fluid chamber and the air chamber. Any leak from the fluid chamber into the air chamber is detected by a fiber optic system comprising an element and two optical fibers that are disposed such that light is detected by the second optical fiber only when the element is not in contact with liquid. A second fiber optic system can also be used to determine the stroke of an oscillating member by disposing the fiber optic lines at an angle calculated to reflect light off of the oscillating member when the member arrives at a predetermined location. The fiber optics are adapted to be resistant to corrosion, non-igniting, and non-contaminating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Trebor International, Inc.
    Inventors: Ricky B. Steck, Michael Dunn, Troy Orr, Matthew Stillings, David Kingsbury
  • Patent number: 6695594
    Abstract: A vibratory pump has a frame, a solenoid located in the frame, a moving transmission including a transmission member, a pumping set cooperating including an oscillating cover, an auxiliary pumping chamber between the oscillating cover and the frame, a cupping arranged at an end of the transmission member, an admission chamber, an auxiliary chamber, a vane-type valve for opening and closing inlets of the admission chamber, a pass in which water circulates and a inverted tubular cup in which the solenolid enclosed constitute means for heat exchange that provide cooling of the solenoid, and the pump can be used without auxiliary accessories or with auxiliary accessories, so that the inlets for opening and closing of the admission chamber are exposed to provide a water collection, or the pump is connected to a base for operating as a suction pump, or an adaptor is provided for connecting the inlets to an outlet of another pump to provide a series of pumps located vertically or horizontally near one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Industria de Motores Anauger LTDA
    Inventor: Aurélio Antonio Pastori
  • Patent number: 6695595
    Abstract: A pump includes a cylinder, a piston assembly, a first nozzle, a valve, a controller, a ring and a second nozzle. The cylinder defines first and second chambers and first and second channels for communication between the chambers. The piston assembly is received in the first chamber. The first nozzle defines a channel. The valve is received in the first chamber. The controller defines an axial channel and a radial channel communicated with the axial channel, and is received in the second chamber and linked to the valve through the second channel. The controller is movable between a first position for allowing the valve to seal the second channel and a second position for driving the valve to open the second channel. The ring is mounted on the controller so as to divide the second chamber into a first portion for communication between the first channel and the channel of the first nozzle and a second portion for communication between the second channel and the radial channel of the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Inventor: Scott Wu
  • Patent number: 6695596
    Abstract: In a suction valve apparatus of a reciprocating compressor including a piston having a gas passage at which gas flows inside its body portion, a valve seat formed at an end of a piston body to open the gas passage and a step face formed so as to have a thickness inward from the valve seat and have a plurality of gas through holes and a mounting through hole, and a valve cone having a detachable coupling portion formed extendely from a cone portion corresponded to the valve seat of the piston and inserted into the mounting through hole of the step face of the piston so as to be movable, a re-expansion loss can be reduced by minimizing a dead volume of a suction gas valve, an efficiency of a reciprocating compressor can improve by reducing a heat transmission loss by sucking refrigerant gas through the plurality of gas through holes of the step face from the gas passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Won-Sik Oh, Jung-Sik Park
  • Patent number: 6695597
    Abstract: A scroll fluid machine has a stationary scroll and a revolving scroll, each of which has a spiral scroll wrap spiraling from the center side to the outer side. One of the scrolls has an annular outermost wrap having a radius larger than that at the outer end of the spiral wrap of the other scroll. The annular, outermost wrap is the outermost wall, and the scrolls are assembled so that the wrap of the other scroll is disposed in the inner side of the wrap of the one of the scrolls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Anest Iwata Corporation
    Inventors: Hideyuki Kimura, Atushi Fukui, Ken Yanagisawa, Toshihiro Honma
  • Patent number: 6695598
    Abstract: A scroll compressor comprises a fixed scroll member and a revolving scroll member that engage with each other with their centrifugal walls, wherein the revolving scroll member is supported to revolve with respect to the fixed scroll member, but to avoid self-rotation thereof. The spiral-starting portion of the centrifugal wall comprises non-stepped portions formed along curves of &bgr;1-&bgr;1′ and &bgr;2-&bgr;2′ respectively, and a stepped portion formed along a curve &bgr;1′-&bgr;2′ that provides a thickness increase area encompassed by its upper-side curved surface and its lower-side curved surface. The discharge port is located on the end board of the fixed scroll member to partly overlap with the thickness increase area by partly hollowing the lower side of the stepped portion with the prescribed height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Fujita, Takahide Itoh, Makoto Takeuchi, Tetsuzou Ukai, Hiroshi Ogawa, Shigeki Miura, Yasuhiro Wada, Yasuharu Maruiwa, Kou Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6695599
    Abstract: A scroll compressor providing a ring-shaped groove in an end plate of a movable scroll to form a backpressure chamber with a surface of a middle housing supporting the end plate and introducing a high-pressure fluid through the same so as to cancel out a thrust load generated by the compression reaction force. Inner and outer seal rings are provided to prevent leakage of the high-pressure fluid from the backpressure chamber. In this case, the seal rings are designed to be able to incline in the ring-shaped groove or O-rings are made joint use of to form a ring-shaped region of a higher contact pressure at a portion contacting the opposing surface, so a high sealing effect is obtained while suppressing mechanical loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignees: Nippon Soken, Inc., Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhide Uchida, Yoshitaka Akiyama, Haruo Kamiya
  • Patent number: 6695600
    Abstract: A scroll compressor properly copes with a volume variation of a compressing chamber due to an inflow of an incompressible fluid by installing a radial moving apparatus between an eccentric part of a crankshaft and an orbiting scroll which enables the orbiting scroll to move radially so as to prevent the breakage of the scroll and improve a reliance of the compressor. The present invention includes a casing, a driving unit arranged at a lower side of the casing and connected to a crankshaft so as to generate a driving force, a compressing unit having an orbiting scroll eccentrically connected to the crankshaft and a fixed scroll to form a compressing chamber between the orbiting and fixed scrolls, and a compliance device installed between the compressing unit and the crankshaft for retreating the orbiting scroll in a radial direction when an incompressible material flows in the compressing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: In-Hwe Koo, Yuong-Il Chang
  • Patent number: 6695601
    Abstract: A hermetic compressor assembly including a compressor housing, a compression mechanism disposed in the housing, a motor disposed in the housing; and a crankshaft operatively coupling the compression mechanism and the motor and having an axis of rotation. The crankshaft includes a cylindrical eccentric and a counter eccentric lobe. The cylindrical eccentric has a central axis, defines a circular axial profile, and is located on one radial side of the axis of rotation. The counter eccentric lobe is integrally formed with the crankshaft on the opposite side of the crankshaft from the eccentric, is axially adjacent the eccentric, and is located within the circular axial profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Tecumseh Products Company
    Inventor: Donald L. Coffey
  • Patent number: 6695602
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a compressor (1) that has an associated coolant circulation system (1, 4, 6, 8, 11, 13), and also to a method of maintaining a low bacteria content in the coolant circulating system (1, 4, 6, 8, 11, 13), in which method gas and coolant are supplied to the compressor (1) during running of the system and the gas is compressed in the compressor (1) to an outlet pressure, the gas and the coolant are removed together from the compressor (1) and then separated into a respective gas and a liquid phase, whereafter the gas is passed to a recipient and the liquid is cooled before being returned to the compressor as coolant. The method is characterized by creating bacteria-killing conditions intermittently in the system by appropriating the heat-generating capacity of the compressor (1) to raise the temperature of the circulating coolant to at least 55° C. for a duration of at least 15 seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Svenska Rotor Maskiner AB
    Inventors: Mats Sundström, Karlis Timuska, Henrik Öhman
  • Patent number: 6695603
    Abstract: The invention is related to a toothed rotor set for a pump or engine consisting of a rotating outer rotor, which has an approximately star-shaped bore. The bore has a fine inner tooth system and an inner rotor aligned eccentrically inside it. The inner rotor has oil pockets for planetary gears. The planetary gears also have a fine tooth system with the help of which they roll on the fine teeth of the outer rotor. The planetary gears thus build a tooth system that translates into an outer tooth system. The outer tooth system has one tooth less than the inner tooth system of the outer rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: GKN Sinter Metals GmbH
    Inventors: Josef Bachmann, Eberhard Ernst
  • Patent number: 6695604
    Abstract: The present invention involves a gear assembly having a lifting feature for a fuel pump for supplying fuel to an automotive engine from a fuel tank. The gear assembly comprises an inner gear and an outer gear in mating relationship with the inner gear. The inner gear has a substantially disc shape with an outside camming surface and having an inner cover face and an inner body face. The inner gear has a center aperture formed therethrough defining an axis of rotation perpendicular to the inner cover and inner body faces. The inner cover face has a plurality of inner concave grooves radially formed thereon and spaced apart from each other to provide lifting of the inner gear when rotating about the axis. The outer gear has a substantially planar shape. The outer gear includes an annular wall having an inside camming surface slideably engaging about the outside camming surface to matingly cooperate with the inner gear for rotation about the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: DeQuan Yu
  • Patent number: 6695605
    Abstract: Forming station with a metering or dosing hopper, out of which flowable materials, especially chip and/or fiber-form materials are delivered to a spreading apparatus, by which a material fleece is spreadable onto a forming belt, characterized in that a compartmentalized chute (2, 51) is provided vertically and longitudinally in the transport flow between the dosing hopper (1) and the forming belt (4, 53), wherein the compartmentalized chute consists of plural guide plates (9, 39, 40, 41, 54, 56, 57) which are arranged next to one another in the transport direction (36) and which divide the transport flow into plural partial flows (38, 55, 56) in the transport direction (36, 62, 76).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Dieffenbacher Schenck Panel GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Wirthel, Walter Henschel, Ekkehard Brommer, Guenther Denuel, Mario Seidel
  • Patent number: 6695606
    Abstract: An extrusion apparatus for extruding visco-elastic materials includes an extruder head for preliminary shaping of a visco-elastic melt and a splice bar die assembly for final shaping of the visco-elastic melt. Both the extruder head and the die assembly have flow channels that include low elongational flow zones where elongational flow is reduced and controlled, thereby reducing and controlling the resulting shrinkage of the extrudate. Extrudate shrinkage can also be reduced and controlled by controlling the die swell of the visco-elastic melt by rotating the roller at a selected roller speed less than the melt speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Gary Robert Burg, Steven John Deren, Richard David Vargo
  • Patent number: 6695607
    Abstract: A mold half-block possesses at least one mold recess defined transversely by the working face of a shell provided with heat-transfer parts that are intrinsic and both-way (both heating and cooling), the shell including a base that receives all of the heat-transfer parts and a removable insert fitted on the base and carrying the working face, the insert having no intrinsic heat-transfer parts and being thermally regulated solely by heat transfer with the base. The insert is in the form of a cap which fits over at least a head portion of the base, and the heat-transfer parts of the base are allocated to the head portion of the base having the insert fitted thereover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Essilor International (Compagnie Generale d'Optique)
    Inventors: Hao-Wen Chiu, Hsinjin Yang
  • Patent number: 6695608
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing a preform component for a golf club head composed of a plurality of plies of pre-preg material is disclosed herein. The preform component is preferably a face component, a crown component or a sole component, composed of a plurality of plies of pre-preg material. The apparatus preferably has a plunger head attached to a pneumatic cylinder for compressing the plies of pre-preg sheets within a mold cavity configured to define a preform component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: James M. Murphy, Herbert Reyes, Robert S. Gonczi, Donald A. Bistline, Andrew J. Goodjohn, James C. Wenck, James A. Nycum
  • Patent number: 6695609
    Abstract: Compact low NOx gas burner apparatus and methods for discharging fuel gas and air mixtures into furnace spaces wherein the mixture is burned in folded flame patterns and flue gases having low NOx content are formed are provided. A burner apparatus of the invention is basically comprised of a housing having a burner tile attached thereto and means for introducing air therein. The burner tile has an opening therein with a wall surrounding the opening which extends into a furnace space. The exterior sides of the wall are divided into sections by radially positioned baffles with alternate sections having the same or different heights and slanting towards the opening at the same or different angles. Primary fuel gas mixed with flue gases and air is discharged through the burner tile. Secondary fuel gas is discharged adjacent to the external slanted wall sections whereby the secondary fuel gas mixes with flue gases in the furnace space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: John Zink Company, LLC
    Inventors: I-Ping Chung, Jesse Steven Chambers, Carol Ann Schnepper, Roger L. Poe, Jaiwant D. Jayakaran, Richard T. Waibel, Michael G. Claxton, Marianne Zimola, Darin Robert Foote
  • Patent number: 6695610
    Abstract: The present invention involves a lighter for preventing unintended use. In one aspect, a striker wheel including a rotation limiting means is provided, where an arc formed by the rotation limiting means is preferably greater than about 100° and less than or equal to about 220°. The rotation limiting means may comprise a single or multiple protrusions, a shield extending from one or more outer grip wheels, or a cover attached to a periphery of the striking wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Trend & Aim International Limited
    Inventor: Kelvin Chiu Yuet Tsang