Did You Know...
...that the video game, Pong, was invented by a guy who graduated at the bottom of his engineering class? Nolan Bushnell spent more time running the games at a local amusement park than he did on his studies at the University of Utah. His dreams of working for Disney's amusement empire were dashed when the company wouldn't hire him. Taking a boring job, Nolan daydreamed about electronic versions of popular games. He invented Pong, the first video game, and went on to found Atari Co.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8105192 | Continuously variable transmission A motor vehicle transmission having a continuously variable transmission ratio. The transmission includes an input-side torque converter that is optionally connectable on the output side through a first transmission stage with a predetermined gear ratio, or through ... | 01/31/2012 |
| 8096907 | Apparatus for driving and braking a shaft An apparatus for driving and braking a shaft of an engine is disclosed. The apparatus includes a pulley driven by the engine. The shaft extends through a housing. The apparatus includes means for biasing the pulley toward the housing, and means for translating the p... | 01/17/2012 |
| 8092326 | Vehicular power transmission apparatus In a motor generator pulley 122, a mechanical clutch 105 and a switching unit 132 are provided such that the mechanical clutch 105 is interposed between a first power transmission unit 104A and a second power transmission unit 1... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8021253 | One-way isolator for high torque devices A one way isolator for high torque devices, such as alternator-starters, driven by a flexible drive means includes a hub and a sheave each of which includes at least one stop member. The hub and sheave are linked by a isolating spring and, via a bearing and/or bushi... | 09/20/2011 |
| 7931552 | Pulley with torque-sensitive clutching A pulley assembly for use in an automobile accessory drive system includes a shaft engaging member including a bore for receiving an accessory input shaft for engagement therewith. A pulley member includes a bore receiving an axially extending shaft of the shaft eng... | 04/26/2011 |
| 7766774 | Torque limited decoupler A decoupler assembly is provided for allowing an alternator to be rotatably driven by a serpentine belt in an engine of an automotive vehicle and for allowing the speed of the belt to oscillate relative to the alternator. A hub is fixedly carried by a drive shaft fr... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7618337 | Overrunning decoupler pulley with bare wire spring and grease lubrication A decoupler assembly for transferring torque between a shaft and an endless power transmitting element. The decoupler assembly includes a clutch spring that is formed only of wire for transmitting rotary power between a carrier and a pulley. The decoupler assembly f... | 11/17/2009 |
| 7578759 | Torque limiting mechanism Friction plates (53, 67) have a friction surface which contacts a friction surface on reaction plates (54, 68) to limit the torque transferred in a drive train, after the engine, in a snowmobile, while still allowing torque transmission at a predetermi... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7448972 | System for transmitting motion between the shaft of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle and a group of auxiliary devices The system includes at least one transmission belt for coupling the shafts of auxiliary devices to a pulley which can be coupled for operation to the shaft of the combustion engine, and an electromagnetically operated clutch between this pulley and the shaft of the ... | 11/11/2008 |
| 7364364 | Cartridge bearing A bearing assembly including an inner ring, an outer ring, a ball bearing assembly, a needle bearing assembly, and seals. The inner ring defines a ball raceway and a needle bearing raceway. The outer ring defines a ball raceway and a needle bearing raceway. A plural... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7336462 | Alternator and starter tester protection apparatus and method An method and apparatus testing an alternator and/or starter assembly including a power source for energizing the alternator and/or starter, a computer processor for monitoring electrical current supplied to energize the alternator and/or starter wherein the compute... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7316628 | Two speed transmission and belt drive system A two speed transmission comprising a planetary gear train comprising an input member connected to an input carrier, the input carrier connected to an input shaft, a sun gear and a ring gear, the input carrier comprising a plurality of planetary members each in mesh... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7311625 | Rotating apparatus with a torque limiter function A screw engagement portion between a pulley and a shaft is provided with a thread in a direction to increase the tightening torque when the pulley is driven. A breakable part broken by the axial tension produced when the tightening torque acting on the screw engagem... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7300041 | Vertical alternator holding apparatus and method for alternator testing An apparatus for supporting an alternator for testing uses a supporting pin mounted to extend in a first direction relative to the alternator. A first holding pin extends in a second direction relative to the alternator, and has two ends with a first end having a bo... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7243575 | Braking mechanism for a gear An indexing and braking mechanism for a manual transmission having a shifting mechanism and at least one rotatable drive shaft is disclosed. The mechanism includes an indexing mechanism for controlling movement of the shifting mechanism between at least a first posi... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7212911 | Alternator and starter tester apparatus and method An alternator and starter tester system is provided that includes a protective hood or cover, a controller connecting an LCD touch-screen, an alternator main harness connector, a starter harness self-test connector, a barcode connector, USB host and USB function con... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7207910 | Isolator for alternator pulley A decoupler for an alternator pulley in a serpentine drive system has a resilient, helical spring member that couples the alternator pulley with a hub structure through a spring retaining member. A bushing is disposed between the spring retaining member and the hub ... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7177442 | Methods and systems for fingerprinting digital data Methods and systems for fingerprinting digital data are described. In the described embodiment, Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) technology is utilized. Unique fingerprinting words are defined where each includes at least one spread sequence. In one embodiment... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7152464 | Belt tensioning apparatus and method for alternator testing An apparatus for testing an alternator has a base, a motor mounted to the base and a pulley extending from the motor. A belt is connected to the motor pulley and the alternator. A mount mounts the alternator to the base, and a pivoting idler arm pivotally is mounted... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7153227 | Isolator for alternator pulley A decoupler for an alternator pulley in a serpentine drive system has a resilient, helical spring member that couples the alternator pulley with a hub structure through a spring retaining member. A bushing is disposed between the spring retaining member and the hub ... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7150186 | Door interlock apparatus and method for alternator/starter bench testing device An apparatus and method for testing vehicle motor rotary accessory devices has a base and a housing assembly connected to the base. A mounting component is attached to the base. The apparatus includes a door cover which is rotatably attached to a side of the housing... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7052420 | Over-running clutch pulley with coating material The over-running clutch pulley (10) includes a sheave member (20), a hub member (22) a clutch member (24), and a coating (26), which cooperate to rotationally engage an input device (12) and an output device (14). The... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7004861 | Pulley unit A pulley unit improved in axial positioning of a cage of a one-way clutch is provided. An outer radius of an orbital portion of inner rings of two rolling bearings disposed at both axial sides of the cage are designed to be larger than an inner radius of the cage, s... | 02/28/2006 |
| 6964326 | Apparatus for damping rotational vibrations An apparatus for damping rotational vibrations in a power train comprises a free-wheel clutch between a driving element and a driven element. At the outer ring and at the inner ring of the free-wheel clutch there are formed clamping ramps cooperating with clamping b... | 11/15/2005 |
| 6932729 | Compressor having a power transmission mechanism which prevents balls from moving in an axial direction A compressor includes a power transmission mechanism. The power transmission mechanism includes a shaft, and a first rotation member fixed to the shaft. The first rotation member includes a plurality of accommodation portions. The power transmission mechanism also i... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6761656 | Over-running clutch pulley with clutch cartridge The over-running clutch pulley of the preferred embodiments of the invention includes a sheave member defining a sheave input surface adapted to engage an input device, a hub member defining a hub output surface adapted to engage an output device, and a clutch cartr... | 07/13/2004 |
| 6620066 | Drive unit for an alternator of a motor vehicle A drive unit for an alternator of a motor vehicle is provided with a driven pulley, which rotates around its own axis, and with a unit for connection of the pulley to a rotary drive shaft for the alternator; the drive unit is also provided with a revoluti... | 09/16/2003 |
| 6083130 | Serpentine drive system with improved over-running alternator decoupler A serpentine belt drive system for an automotive vehicle comprising a drive assembly including an internal combustion engine having an output shaft with a driving pulley thereon rotatable about a driving pulley axis. A sequence of driven assemblies each h... | 07/04/2000 |
| 6079385 | Arrangement for driving engine accessories In an arrangement for driving accessories of an internal combustion engine such as a water pump and a fan by means of a V-belt drive operated by an engine crankshaft wherein a first belt pulley is mounted on the crankshaft for rotation therewith, a second... | 06/27/2000 |
| 5879254 | Pulley A pulley has a hub fixed to a rotating shaft. An outer wheel is disposed on the outer periphery of the hub and around which a belt is suspended, and a unidirectional clutch is interposed between the hub and the outer wheel. A cam face for forming a wedged... | 03/09/1999 |
| 5830094 | Transmission for converting rotary motion into linear motion A transmission for reducing the pulley ratio between a drive shaft and a transmission shaft. The transmission is adapted to convert a higher speed rotary motion to a lower speed linear motion. The transmission has two pulleys rigidly mounted together on a... | 11/03/1998 |
| 5676225 | Belt transmission device for engine auxiliaries In a belt transmission device in which rotating inertia torque of a rotor of an alternator is avoided, by a one-way clutch, from being inversely transmitted to a crank shaft of an engine, the one-way clutch is composed so as to effectively respond to slig... | 10/14/1997 |
| 5665018 | Belt transmission In a belt transmission device for preventing a slip of a belt, the belt is wound between a crank pulley of an engine and an alternator pulley on an alternator shaft connected to an alternator as an auxiliary for making belt transmission. The alternator pu... | 09/09/1997 |
| 5632499 | Wheel chair system A wheel chair system including a pair of levers mounted to each side of an operator seated in the wheelchair, each lever having a handle which the operator can articulate between a position aligned with the levers and a position normal to the levers. The ... | 05/27/1997 |
| 5156573 | Serpentine drive with coil spring-one-way clutch alternator connection A serpentine belt drive system for an automotive vehicle in which the sequence of driven assemblies includes an alternator assembly comprising a housing and an armature assembly mounted in the housing for rotation about an armature axis. A hub structure i... | 10/20/1992 |
| 5059161 | Rotational control apparatus Rotational control apparatus in the form of fan clutches (C) are disclosed including a first, friction disc portion (12) splined on a hub (20) and rotatably mounted on a shaft (24). The friction disc portion (12) is reciprocal between a first position rot... | 10/22/1991 |
| 4725259 | Belt drive method and apparatus This disclosure relates to a belt-drive method and apparatus wherein the rotational force of a drive shaft is accompanied by minute fluctuations in the angular velocity, and a driven shaft has rotational inertia. A one-way clutch is provided in the belt d... | 02/16/1988 |
| 4623078 | Planter population reduction drive unit A planter population reduction drive system includes a third shaft adapted to be added onto a planter implement transmission unit having existing first and second shafts. The individual planter units are driven by the second shaft which is connected by a ... | 11/18/1986 |
| 4613318 | Drive system with wear compensator A drive system (10) for rotating a plurality of engine mounted accessories comprising an input member (16) supporting a crank unit (12) and a remotely positioned auxiliary drive unit (14). The units include a plurality of output pulleys (22, 30, 90, 98) l... | 09/23/1986 |
| 4550860 | Planter population reduction drive unit A planter population reduction drive system includes a third shaft adapted to be added onto a planter implement transmission unit having existing first and second shafts. The individual planter units are driven by the second shaft which is connected by a ... | 11/05/1985 |
