Did You Know...
...that power steering was invented by independent inventor Francis W. Davis? As chief engineer in the 1920s of the truck division of the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company, he saw how hard it was to steer heavy vehicles. So that he would be able to keep the profits from his future invention, Davis left his job, rented a small engineering shop in Waltham, Mass., and developed a hydraulic power steering system that led to power steering.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7328596 | Steering lock A steering lock that is easy to assemble but difficult for an automobile thief to dismantle. The steering lock includes a cover on which a support structure for supporting a lock mechanism is integrally formed. The lock mechanism is attached to the cover to assemble... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7316141 | Electronic locking mechanism and lock containing it A mechanism for an electro-mechanical lock. The mechanism comprises a shackle or strike moveable in a bore. A cam is rotatable between a first cam position in which movement of the shackle or strike in the bore is prevented and a second cam position in which movemen... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7149419 | Position control device, image blur correction device, and optical apparatus A position control device having first and second movable members. A first detector outputs a position signal when the first movable member is looked in a first predetermined position in a first region. A second detector outputs a first signal when the second movabl... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7097212 | Mechanism A mechanism for selectively locking and unlocking a vehicle door latch, comprising a rheological fluid in operable connection with an output and an input, the fluid acting so as to in a first state prevent actuation of the output upon actuation of the input and in a... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7073359 | Rotary locking mechanism, which is preferably intended for lock cylinders The invention relates to a rotary locking mechanism which is preferably intended for lock cylinders. The inventive mechanism includes an electric motor, a locking bolt, an inertial rotating mechanism which converts the rotation of the motor into a rectilinear moveme... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7030510 | Power-supply control apparatus A power-supply apparatus is disclosed, which comprises an input terminal, a signal-detecting circuit which receives a drive power from a battery and which detects a signal input to the input terminal, a constant-current-source circuit which receives a drive power fr... | 04/18/2006 |
| 7004517 | Latching device The present invention relates to a latching device for securing two panels together such as those of storage structures in which an enclosure is secured by means of a door or panel which will remain in a closed position until released. The present latching system is... | 02/28/2006 |
| 7000956 | Last assembly and vehicle including such a latch assembly A latch assembly includes a latch bolt, a retaining member and an actuator. The latch bolt is moveable between a closed position at which it is capable of retaining a striker and an open position at which the striker is released. The retaining member is moveable bet... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6918276 | Control device for a lock mechanism The present invention concerns a control device for a lock mechanism, in particular a lock mechanism comprising a housing; a hollow hand knob to be pressed on which is mounted on the housing such that it can rotate and which has a far end with teeth inside this hous... | 07/19/2005 |
| 6851291 | Motorized locking mechanism A motorized locking mechanism for locking and unlocking a device having a hub rotatable by a handle about a hub axis. A reversible motor turns a threaded spring screw to move a locking spring and vertically drive a connecting arm between locked and unlocked position... | 02/08/2005 |
| 6845641 | Remote-controlled door lock A remote-controlled door lock includes a housing provided inside with a lock base, a deadbolt, a battery base, a circuit board and an actuating device. The deadbolt is fixed with a stopper on the center portion. The locking button of a remote controller is pressed t... | 01/25/2005 |
| 6810702 | Device for locking the steering spindle of a vehicle A lock for irrotationally locking a motor-vehicle steering column enclosed by a tubular housing, the lock including a lock element displaceable to-and-fro between a locked and a released position and further a drive motor driving the locking element. For greater com... | 11/02/2004 |
| 6684671 | Vending machine lock Vending machines are provided having a door and a cabinet having an interior region for storing and distributing objects, such as canned or bottled beverages. Several vending machines locks are provided for locking the door to the cabinet to prevent unaut... | 02/03/2004 |
| 6682017 | Aircraft with a detachable passenger escape cabin and an aircraft with airbags An aircraft with a detachable cabin (1) that serves to rescue its passengers as a result of the aircraft's sudden fall either due to its malfunction or fire. The cabin escapes either smoothly or by means of fast ejection and descends slowly to the Earth w... | 01/27/2004 |
| 6619704 | Emergent unlatching mechanism for fire door latch assembly This assembly relates to an emergent unlatching mechanism for the fire door latch which includes a guide tube and a connecting tube so assembled and attached to the interior of the fire door latch without any necessary modification to the existing designe... | 09/16/2003 |
| 6619085 | Remote-controlled lock A remote-controlled lock includes a shell, an engage base, a fix base, a motor, a circuit board, an actuating member, a passive member and a spring. The circuit board receives a locking signal from a remote controller and starts the motor to rotate clockw... | 09/16/2003 |
| 6435573 | Rotating catch lock, specially for motor vehicles The invention relates to a rotating catch lock, wherein a closing member (10) interacts with a catch (20), which can be rotated between a closing position accommodating the closing member (10) and an open position which releases said member. The catch (20... | 08/20/2002 |
| 6406072 | Drive device for an electrically operated lock An electrically operated drive device includes a wheel gear rotatably mounted on a spindle of a turning lever of a door lock. The wheel gear is driven by a motor, and has a cam member disposed thereon. A crank member has a crankshaft mounted on and rotata... | 06/18/2002 |
| 6397646 | Door lock A door lock able to be unlocked by a key or a remote controller, has a body and a bolt provided inside the body. The bolt has a recess defined therein, and a tooth formed at a bottom side of a first end thereof. Two upper sheets and two lower sheets are r... | 06/04/2002 |
| 6377005 | Drive device having an actuating drive A drive device, in particular a locking device, having an actuating drive for driving a moving element as well as a position detection device for detecting the position of the moving element, in which case the invention provides that the position detectio... | 04/23/2002 |
| 6360573 | Mechanism for locking and unlocking electronic safe lock barrel A mechanism for locking and unlocking an electronic safe lock barrel which is provided with a retaining long key and is fastened with a rotary mechanism located on the outside of the safe door. The lock barrel has a portion which is located in the inside ... | 03/26/2002 |
| 6339944 | Locking mechanism for trash can receptacle and other doors A locking mechanism includes a housing assembly and a pin assembly movable relative to each other between open and closed positions. The housing assembly includes a housing, a flapper plate pivotably mounted in the housing, and a cylinder lock mounted in ... | 01/22/2002 |
| 6334636 | Remotely controllable lock A remotely controllable lock includes a turn knob rotatably mounted to a main housing. The turn knob includes an axle rod with a non-circular hole through which a spindle of the lock extends. A power element is mounted in the main housing for driving a re... | 01/01/2002 |
| 6302455 | Electric safeguard door lock An electric safeguard door lock includes a lock base having an elongated plate containing an opening, two side plates each attached to the elongated plate and each containing an arcuate slot, a lock bolt pivotally mounted on a first pivot axle and having ... | 10/16/2001 |
| 6089058 | Method for retrofitting a deadbolt assembly with an electrically operated actuator A method is provided for retrofitting an existing dead-bolt assembly with an electrically operated actuator (12, 112, 212, 312, 800). The electrically operated actuator automatically operates the dead-bolt assembly while preserving manual operation of the... | 07/18/2000 |
| 6065316 | Car door lock system A door lock system for a vehicle of which a striker, a first switch and a manual switching mechanism are mounted to the vehicle door and a first latch, a first motor, a second latch, a second motor, a second switch and a key cylinder are mounted to the ve... | 05/23/2000 |
| 6050116 | Method and apparatus for a locking device A method and apparatus is provided for securing trailer doors against tampering. In one exemplary embodiment, a locking device is mounted on the inside of a trailer door. The device includes a locking bolt which is selectively operated by a pneumatic valv... | 04/18/2000 |
| 5896765 | Motorized locking device for a motor vehicle, such as a steering lock, having improved means for limiting the course of travel of the bolt A motor vehicle has a motorized steering lock including a bolt which locks the steering column by engaging in a recess in the steering shaft in the column. The bolt is actuated by an internally threaded slider which is carried on an externally threaded dr... | 04/27/1999 |
| 5813257 | Electrically controllable locking device for vending machines and the like An electrically controllable locking device includes a lock stud having at least one groove formed thereon. A motor assembly having a rotatable shaft extending therefrom is provided with a cam member mounted on the motor assembly shaft. The cam member inc... | 09/29/1998 |
| 5799514 | Fluid actuated handcuff A handcuff includes a pair of arcuate cuff bow arranged to encircle a human wrist. A locking mechanism on one of the cuff bows releasably engages the other bow to secure the bows around a wrist. A fluid actuated cylinder coupled to the locking mechanism r... | 09/01/1998 |
| 5722272 | Vehicle door lock actuator A power operable door latch and lock mechanism for a vehicle having a central locking system includes a power actuator assembly including an actuating lever drivingly connected to blocking means of the mechanism, a main drive motor for selective powered m... | 03/03/1998 |
| 5715715 | Lock assembly with motorized power screw A lock assembly comprising a casing, a lever rotatably attached to the casing, the lever having a spindle attached thereto, a motor secured to the casing, the motor having a shaft, a substantially cylindrical member attached to the motor shaft and having ... | 02/10/1998 |
| 5694798 | Motorized lock actuators A motorized lock actuator adapted to replace a mechanical lock actuator in preexisting and installed lock assemblies to convert them to electronic operation includes an electrically insulated motor housing and at least one electrically insulated bushing o... | 12/09/1997 |
| 5659279 | Magnetizer holding fixture A device and method are provided for magnetizing a control magnet housed in a cylinder of an ignition lock. The cylinder is placed in a cylinder receipt member and orientated therein so that the magnet is aligned in a predetermined position. The control m... | 08/19/1997 |
| 5656899 | Control apparatus for door lock device A control apparatus for a door lock device having a superlock mechanism comprising a state detecting member, a brush fixed thereto, first to third terminals opposing the brush, and a power supply circuit for supplying power to a motor which drives the loc... | 08/12/1997 |
| 5634676 | Power door lock actuator A power door lock actuator including: a housing; a bi-directional electric motor; a threaded shaft drivingly connected with the drive shaft of the motor; a drive armature threadingly engaged with the threaded shaft, wherein the drive armature has a first ... | 06/03/1997 |
| 5594283 | Lock system for motor vehicle with sliding door A motor vehicle having a plurality of pivotal doors and a sliding door each movable between a closed and an open position has a lock system with a respective lock on each of the doors having an electrical motor energizable to set the respective lock in a ... | 01/14/1997 |
| 5582448 | Switch mechanism for a vehicle door locking device A vehicle door locking device comprises a first locking lever connected to an inside lock button for changing over the locking device to the lock state or unlock state, a second locking lever connected to a key cylinder and an actuator which has a roughly... | 12/10/1996 |
| 5544508 | Motor-vehicle central lock system for trunk and gas-filler doors A central lock system for a motor vehicle having a trunk door and a gas-filler door, has respective latches at the trunk and gas-filler doors movable between locked and unlocked positions corresponding to locked and unlocked conditions of the respective d... | 08/13/1996 |
| 5480198 | Drive arrangement for a security system A drive arrangement for a security system has at least one actuating member which is supported so as to be movable out of an open position into a closing position, and vice versa, and serves to close and/or open locks, locking bolt mechanisms or catch mec... | 01/02/1996 |
