Sliding Patents (Class 16/327)
  • Patent number: 5926917
    Abstract: A hinge assembly for the door of a motor vehicle is disclosed, the hinge assembly having a body half strap having a top flange and a bottom flange, with the top flange having at least one slot, a door half strap pivotable with respect to the body half strap and having a top flange and a bottom flange, the top flange having an external profile having at least a pair of detents. A linearly slidable profile follower assembly is biased by a compression spring and can travel along the slot toward and away from the door half strap in response to pivoting of the door half strap. The linearly slidable profile follower assembly comprises a spring retainer clip, a roller retainer clip and a roller. The roller is mounted on the roller retainer clip, and is in continuous direct engagement with the external profile of the door half strap as the door half strap pivots with respect to the body half strap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Dura Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin L. Gantz
  • Patent number: 5639174
    Abstract: A collapsible, stackable cargo unit for carrying one or more vehicles has a wingable ramp by which vehicles roll on or off the unit. The ramp swings to a fixed upright position during vehicle shipment. After the vehicles are unloaded, the ramp swings down and inwardly relative to the unit so that the ramp lies flat upon a lower frame of the unit. The connection between the ramp and the lower frame includes a terminus fixed to the lower frame. The terminus has opposed upright walls defining slots, the slots having major diameters normal to the lower frame. The connection also has a floating block whose pins rotatably and slidably fit in the slots of the terminus. The connection also has an ear fixed to a post forming one side of the ramp. The ear has a slot aligned with the longitudinal axis of the post. The ear faces on the floating block, and a stud on the floating block fits in this slot. The stud and slot let the post rotate and slide on the floating block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: David G. Gonska
  • Patent number: 5319817
    Abstract: A patient lift apparatus is provided with a U-shaped base that folds to enable convenient reduced width storage of the unit when not in use. Accordingly, the U-shaped base of the unit has a hinge with a vertical axis in each leg of the "U". These hinges are located midway of each of the vertical legs. Typically, these hinges provide for a pivotal movement of the casters at the ends of each leg of the "U" from a caster extended position for patient lifting and transport to a caster folded position parallel to and spaced apart from the base of the "U". A releasable lock mechanism is provided to each leg for locking the hinge in either the caster extended position or the caster folded position. The lock includes an outer moving sleeve with a spring biased inner key connected to the spring biased sleeve. The key moves with the sleeve and fits into and out of paired apertures in the hinge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1994
    Assignee: Andermac, Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammed R. Hay, Gary A. Schaal
  • Patent number: 5193249
    Abstract: There is provided a hardware fitting of the type having a mounting and one or more movable components. There is provided a movable element with the mounting and one or more of the movable components of the fitting can engage with the movable element during at least part of the movement of the movable component(s). The or one of the movable components becomes locked as a result of interengagement of the engagement mechanism with the movable element during such part of the movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: Interlock Industries Limited
    Inventor: Albert G. Bucher
  • Patent number: 5022118
    Abstract: A ladder joint with an engagement spring member on it for locking/unlocking the ladder joint into position. The ladder joint has a fixed member and a movable member. The movable member has a circular portion with fixing slots on its outer circumference. The fixed member has an annular track which slidably receives the circular portion of the movable member. Both the fixed and the movable members have a straight portion for connecting with the ladder pieces. The engagement spring member is a rounded flat spring which has an extended edge on one of its ends which normally spring loads the rectangular slug into one of the fixing slots as set by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1991
    Assignee: Wan Dean Industry Co.
    Inventor: Chang Wan-Li
  • Patent number: 4987640
    Abstract: A super-thin hinge with a resiliently biased catch capable of opening 120 degrees to be used on a thin walled door of an article of furniture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 29, 1991
    Assignee: Hu Lin Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tsong-Chi Lin
  • Patent number: 4821373
    Abstract: There is described a hinged structure comprising two supports and one or more hinges hinging the supports together so that they are parallel and closely adjacent, the or each hinge comprising two hinge members, each hinge member being made of resilient strip material, each hinge member being S-shaped, passing partially round each support and together with the other hinge member forming a letter .chi. or FIG. 8 configuration as seen in a direction along the supports, wherein a releasable catch is provided for holding the supports in a predetermined relative angular position, the catch comprising two cam members each associated with a respective suport and the two being resiliently urged into engagement and so shaped and arranged that rotation away from the said predetermined relative angular position of the supports urges the cam members apart against the resilient urging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1989
    Assignee: Courier Products Limited
    Inventors: Robert A. M. Maidment, Michael T. Smith
  • Patent number: 4819300
    Abstract: A strut assembly having first and second sections pivotally linked together. An overlying sleeve is extendable to lock the sections together in the extended position and retractable to allow folding of the sections relative to one another. A member is arranged at the joint between sections and biased to extend outwardly into interference with the path of extension of the sleeve. A link linking the first and second sections cooperates with the member to retract same when the strut assembly is collapsed in order that the sleeve will automatically lock the sections together when the assembly is again extended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1989
    Assignee: Hartwell Corporation
    Inventor: Frank T. Jackson
  • Patent number: 4799290
    Abstract: Cabinet hinge whose mounting plate serving for the adjustable attachment of the carcase-related part of the hinge to the carcase of a cabinet is composed of two parts, i.e., of a bottom plate and a top plate. The bottom plate has in its outer end adjacent the door at least one hook rising from the plane in which it is fastened to the carcase and pointing outwardly, which can engage an associated eye in the bottom of the upper plate. The confronting surfaces of engagement between the hook and the eye are of complementary configuration and at least approximately arcuate with the centers of the arcs coinciding approximately with the center of the angular displacement described by the hinge in the first part of its closing movement relative to the door-related part of the hinge. A spring catch mechanism with a handle is provided in the bottom plate for the purpose of the releasable attachment of the top and bottom plates to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1989
    Assignee: Karl Lautenschlager GmbH & Co. KG Mobelbeschlagfabrik
    Inventor: Karl Lautenschlager, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4673373
    Abstract: A toy block constructed into one geometrically regular block formed from at least two nestingly interengagingly configured three-dimensional components having adjacent pairs of couplers interconnected by a generally H-shaped unitary hinge, the hinge having first and second opposing sides with an interconnecting web and a transversely extending plate portion. The sides are provided with axially aligned pairs of inwardly extending pivot stub projections. The plate portion includes a pair of oppositely extending, generally resilient, aligned catch arms with depending tangs which engage detents formed between the couplers for retaining the components in preferred position. The blocks may form humanoid objects, quadrupeds, or articles such as vehicles or furniture, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1987
    Assignee: Mattel Inc.
    Inventors: Donald E. Herring, Lawrence C. Wang
  • Patent number: 4670921
    Abstract: A portable, collapsible stretcher has frame poles, each of which have a medial joint which folds in one direction and two outer joints which fold in the opposite direction. A wedge is insertable into the medial joint to support the weight when the stretcher is extended. The outer joints have a locking mechanism which is operated by a linkage interconnecting the spreader bars and the folding legs. As the stretcher is extended, the outer joints are locked and the legs are unfolded from their normal position against the frame poles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1987
    Assignee: Action Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Yoav Avni, Ervin Leshner
  • Patent number: 4645905
    Abstract: A small foldable household appliance having an elevated body supported by a stand, and having a safety hinge by which the appliance can be locked in an unfolded operating position, and by which the appliance can be folded for storage by depressing small buttons on either side of the appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1987
    Assignee: Dart Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Wong K. Ming
  • Patent number: 4509229
    Abstract: A concealed hinge assembly for use with doors, hinged plates or the like comprises a mounting plate and a projecting base member connected to the mounting plate. A hinge bracket is screw-connected to said base member adjacent to one end of said hinge bracket and at its other end is so connected to one side of a pot-shaped member that the one end of the hinge bracket enters the pot-shaped member during the closing movement. A slider which is biased by two parallel coiled compression springs is guided in the pot-shaped member in a radial plane and carries a cam, which during the closing movement cooperates with a projection or the like carried by the hinge bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1985
    Assignee: Arturo Salice, S.p.A.
    Inventor: Luciano Salice
  • Patent number: 4435013
    Abstract: A recliner mechanism including an arm which is pivotally mounted to a base plate, and includes toothed locking mechanism that permits positive and smooth tilting of the arm with the user feeling a clicking motion and that also protects the teeth of retaining members of the locking mechanism from damage durng the tilting operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1984
    Assignee: Ikeda Bussan Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takumi Arihara
  • Patent number: 4407045
    Abstract: An improved hinge for a collapsible ladder includes a pivot pin which has a sufficiently simple construction to permit it to be fabricated by die-casting on a cost-competitive basis. The simple construction is made possible by an improved axial detent arrangement for a shaft which rotates and slides within the hub and to which the hinge locking pins are secured. The detent arrangement includes a detent bore extending radially biased against the shaft. A suitable detent recess in the shaft is angularly aligned with the detent bore for each locking position of the shaft. Axial alignment of the bore and a recess is achieved by fully extending the shaft out of the hub against the restoring force of a bias spring in the hub. The recess and bias member are contoured to permit disengagement of the detent by rotation of the shaft but not by axially applied forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1983
    Inventor: Leland H. Boothe
  • Patent number: 4403373
    Abstract: A hinge fitting for a foldable ladder having two fitting parts connected to each other by a hollow hinge pin, an interlocking device with openings in the two fitting parts to the openings in one fitting part respectively there is associated one of each of positions of swing permitting interlocking, a guide pin mounted turnably and longitudinally displaceably in the hinge pin, at least one locking bolt spaced radially from the hinge pin and arranged parallel to it, the locking bolt being movable by means of a handle connecting it to the guide pin against the force of a return spring from an interlocking position (with the locking bolt engaging into aligned of the openings of the two fitting parts) into an unlocked position with the locking bolt being located outside the opening of the one fitting part, and a locking device which secures the guide pin towards the end of its displacement from the interlocking positions into the unlocked position and without impairing its turnability against return into the inter
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1983
    Inventor: Walter Kummerlin
  • Patent number: 4384744
    Abstract: Recliner mechanism for a vehicle seat has a combination cam and bearing member operated by a manual control member positioned at the end of a rotatable support shaft for lifting one toothed locking segment carried by the seatback frame out of contact with another carried by the seat base, thus permitting the seatback to be tilted to any desired angle. Release of the control member in any position of adjustment permits the cooperating toothed locking segments to move together into locking engagement. A seatback return spring biases the seatback forwardly, while a torsion spring biases the control member and cam member toward their locked position. Where desired, a recliner mechanism can be provided for each side of the seatback with the two mechanisms being mounted at the opposite ends of the rotatable support shaft and operated by a single control member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Geoffrey W. Barley
  • Patent number: 4380848
    Abstract: Pivotally mounted on the door is an arm which has a stop recess in which there may be retained a fixed roller which is mounted in a bracket member fixed to the fixed post of the door. The arm is applied against the roller under the effect of a movable roller which is mounted on the bracket member and is biased into contact with the arm by a torsion spring which has two windings which are disposed symmetrically on each side of branches of the bracket member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1983
    Assignee: Paumellerie Electrique
    Inventors: Paul Guionie, Rene Roudier