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.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7370507 | Lugged cap forming system Transfer apparatus and method are provided from first (15A, 16A) to second (15B, 16B) stations of tooling in a cap (11) making press. This cap is biased against the first upper tools by a first airstream (50) introduced unde... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7254979 | Device for ejection of moulded pieces from a moulding tool The invention relates to a so-called spring cushion (5), for the ejection of moulded pieces (4) from a moulding tool (3), with a plunger (6), moving in a guide tube (9) within the moulding tool and loaded in the ejection direction ... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7243770 | Clutch assembly including strengthening members A clutch housing assembly for use in vehicle drivelines includes at least one strengthening member at an open end of the housing. The strengthening member preferably is formed by cutting away portions of the housing near the open end and then deforming the remaining... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7207203 | Methods and apparatus for forming a workpiece A method of forming a workpiece using an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a first stage including a die fixture, a die actuator coupled to the die fixture, and a holding member configured to cooperate with the die fixture to hold the workpiece. The meth... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7100416 | Carrier and method of manufacturing carrier A carrier C is integrally formed of a pair of flanges opposed to each other and designed to rotatably support rotating bodies therebetween and a plurality of joints for connecting the flanges. A groove is formed on the border between the flanges and the joints, and ... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7000319 | Method of manufacturing outer races for tripod-type constant velocity universal joints To make a peripheral lip region to be formed with chamfered portions by the use of a plastic working technique, to enable the use of a cup forming punch of a simplified shape so that a mold used therewith can be easily assembled and the punch when worn down can easi... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6959582 | Expandable forming tool An expandable forming tool has a body with a mounting stem on its upper surface and a transversely extending channel in its lower surface in which is slidably seated a wedge-shaped actuator for vertical sliding movement. The larger lower end normally depends from th... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6684678 | Method for extracting a tool from a hollow object and tool for machining a hollow object The invention relates to a method for extracting a die (4) from a hollow object (11) having several grooves (16, 17) arranged opposite one another on the surface of the inner sheath whereby the longitudinal axes thereof extend crosswise relative to the co... | 02/03/2004 |
| 6626021 | Engine oil pan and forming method and apparatus An oil pan includes an oil reservoir and a pair of side walls facing the reservoir. A bulge is formed in each side wall. Each bulge defines an oil sub chamber connected to the oil reservoir. The bulges are formed integrally with the side walls by deformin... | 09/30/2003 |
| 6484550 | Method and apparatus for necking the open end of a container An apparatus for reducing the diameter of an open end of a container is claimed. The apparatus comprises a housing having a longitudinal axis. A die is supported in the housing about the longitudinal axis. A radially expandable pilot member is also suppor... | 11/26/2002 |
| 6481260 | Device for embossing metal pipe A device for embossing metal pipe is disclosed. The device includes a core having a plunger hole and a plurality of core pass through holes perpendicular to the plunger hole. The device also includes a plunger for moving through the plunger hole to push t... | 11/19/2002 |
| 6477882 | Forming machine In order to obtain uniform pressing force applied to a workpiece by an ironing die and easily disengage the workpiece after completing plastic working for the workpiece, a forming machine for performing the plastic working for the workpiece has a base ped... | 11/12/2002 |
| 6338189 | Method and apparatus for expansion forming a workpiece using an external deformable supporting fixture The present invention generally relates to an external cylindrical or conic section shaped fixture which is tightly fit around the same shaped workpiece prior to expansion forming to a final dimension. During expansion forming, the external fixture is als... | 01/15/2002 |
| 6318143 | Apparatus for producing a vehicle wheel rim An improved wheel rim expanding tooling apparatus includes an inboard wheel rim expanding tooling assembly and an outboard wheel rim expanding tooling assembly which are selectively moveable between a retracted non-working position and an extended working... | 11/20/2001 |
| 6155094 | Pressing tool for forming winding end turns in a stator A press tool for forming a compressible mass into an annulus of given inner and outer diameters and axial length, the tool having radially movable outer and inner tool parts adapted to expand and contract, respectively, to form the mass to the desired inn... | 12/05/2000 |
| 5970776 | Apparatus for forming a cup-shaped cage An apparatus for forming a cup-shaped cage, including a cup-shaped workpiece, an outer die having a center axis and a cavity about the center axis, an inner die coaxially disposed within the cavity of the outer die, and a mandrel adapted to move axially a... | 10/26/1999 |
| 5765430 | Method for and apparatus of producing outer member of universal joint having cross-grooves A method for and an apparatus of producing an outer member of a universal joint having cross-grooves are provided in order to increase replenishability of the inner peripheral portion of the outer member. The outer member 1 is provided in a preformed mate... | 06/16/1998 |
| 5697245 | Apparatus for forge-forming outer-ring of constant velocity joint and method thereof An outer-ring of a constant velocity joint is fabricated by pressing an inner surface of the pre-processed outer-ring (2A) set in a lower die (3) by using a forging punch (20) in which plural punch pieces (11) each having a protrusion (111) corresponding ... | 12/16/1997 |
| 5595086 | Apparatus for calibrating hollow nonsymmetrical multiplane extrusions and associated method Apparatus for calibrating a nonsymmetrical hollow article includes a plurality of internal die elements which are inserted into the hollow article and are expanded by a tapered plunger so as to outwardly reform the hollow article into the desired size and... | 01/21/1997 |
| 5568745 | Method and apparatus for making disc wheels and wheels made thereby An improved wheel disc and disc and and rim wheel assembly, and method and press apparatus for manufacturing the same. The wheel disc is adapted for telescopic press fit precision mounting into a mating wheel rim to form the wheel assembly. A flat disc bl... | 10/29/1996 |
| 5235738 | Apparatus for end turn shaping A method and apparatus for shaping the winding end turns of a stator assembly wherein the outside diameter of the end turns is first engaged by a set of alternate segments in a circular array and is thereafter engaged by a set of intervening segments of t... | 08/17/1993 |
| 5231863 | Mandrel loading method and apparatus in a thermal sizing-annealing process To facilitate safe loading of a thermal sizing mandrel in an elongated channel of open rectangular cross section, a corner rod die is first lowered into a fixture, and then a channel is lowered into the fixture to a vertical position surrounding the die. ... | 08/03/1993 |
| 5186082 | Ironing punch for making socket of ball-and-socket joint and method of manufacturing such ironing punch An ironing punch for ironing the socket of a ball-and-socket joint has a punch body with a plurality of circumferentially spaced ridges disposed on an outer circumferential surface thereof and extending from a distal end surface. The ironing punch also in... | 02/16/1993 |
| 5138863 | Coupling for a gas pipe joint and associated method for making same and device therefor An apparatus and associated method is for forming an end of a piece of gas conduit and attaching it to a second piece of conduit. The apparatus is provided for smoothing the end of a corrugated conduit and expanding it to a predetermined diameter. An asso... | 08/18/1992 |
| 5033301 | Coupling for a gas pipe joint and associated method for making same and device therefor An apparatus and associated method is for forming an end of a piece of gas conduit and attaching it to a second piece of conduit. The apparatus is provided for smoothing the end of a corrugated conduit and expanding it to a predetermined diameter. An asso... | 07/23/1991 |
| 5010759 | Wheel rim shaping apparatus having a single cotter supportable at both ends thereof A wheel shaping apparatus including a single cotter for expanding first and second dies circumferentially split into a plurality of first and second die elements, respectively. The single cotter is supported by a cotter supporting member at one end portio... | 04/30/1991 |
| 5001920 | Method and apparatus for manufacturing a constant velocity joint and the like A method and apparatus for manufacturing a product such as a constant velocity joint having a recess whose opening has a lesser diameter than its interior, by ironing a workpiece supplied to working parts of punches which workpiece is pre-formed into a ho... | 03/26/1991 |
| 4987763 | Tool in kit form for deforming metal A tool for deforming metal in kit form. The apparatus and associated method provided is for forming an end of a piece of corrugated conduit and attaching it to a second piece of conduit. The apparatus is provided for smoothing the end of the corrugated co... | 01/29/1991 |
| 4893390 | Method and expander for manufacturing a furnace heat exchanger and plate assembly A furnace heat exchanger and support plate assembly are joined together by a cooperating substantially elliptical rim defining an opening in the heat exchanger and an opening formed by a mating flange on a partition plate and extending perpendicular to th... | 01/16/1990 |
| 4882924 | Method and apparatus for manufacturing hollow cylindrical guide roller for magnetic recording tape A method for manufacturing a hollow tape guide for guiding magnetic recording tape. In this method, a round rod-like metal wire is sheared by shearing cutters into a blank a predetermined length, having a first end and a second end. Then, the blank is sha... | 11/28/1989 |
| 4843864 | Press tooling for manufacturing constant velocity ratio universal joint members Press tooling for manufacturing an inner or outer member of a constant velocity universal joint, with non-undercut ball-receiving tracks and, between such tracks, a part-spherical cage guiding surface, comprises a first element with radially extending rib... | 07/04/1989 |
| 4776196 | Process and apparatus for forming flanged ends on tubular workpieces Apparatus for forming a flanged end on a tubular workpiece comprising a die having a throat therethrough connected at one end to an abutment surface of the die extending transversely on each side of the throat, a main frame connected to the die, a sub-fra... | 10/11/1988 |
| 4768368 | Tool for and method of making hollow articles A tool for the manufacture of the outer member of a cross groove type constant velocity ratio universal joint has two sets of first and second elements disposed circumferentially between one another about the axis of the tool with the elements having port... | 09/06/1988 |
| 4716756 | Clutch drum A press-formed clutch drum of an automatic transmission of which inner and outer cylindrical surfaces are respectively formed with a first series of splines and a second series of inverted splines. The first and second series of splines are alternatively ... | 01/05/1988 |
| 4706487 | Method of manufacturing a valve sleeve A method of manufacturing a valve sleeve is disclosed which is adapted to construct an oil rotary valve together with a valve rotor, and a valve sleeve of a configuration which is suitably formed by carrying out the method is also disclosed. The valve sle... | 11/17/1987 |
| 4644775 | Shell forming apparatus and process Apparatus and process of manufacture for forming a generally cylindrical shell having an interior surface, an opened end with a first internal diameter, a generally closed opposite end, a first internal portion intermediate the ends with a second internal... | 02/24/1987 |
| 4610155 | Manufacture of article having undercut internal surface A tool for use in manufacture of a hollow article with an undercut internal surface, such as the outer member of a constant velocity ratio universal joint, comprising first and second elements (34,38) together defining the shape required in the article in... | 09/09/1986 |
| 4416142 | Apparatus for simultaneously forming a cap member with internal threads An apparatus and process is disclosed for forming a cap-like member from a blank of material. The apparatus comprises a die for shaping the cap-like member. A device is provided to co-act with the die for simultaneously forming both the member and interna... | 11/22/1983 |
| 4406146 | Forging die for a part with internal, tapered grooves A die for forging a part with internal, tapered grooves, for instance, such as a socket with a plurality of inner races used for a joint. The blank is formed into a given shape by a cylindrical projection provided in the upper die so as to compress the ou... | 09/27/1983 |
| 4317356 | Method of and apparatus for forging a constant-velocity ball-type universal joint A half of a constant-velocity ball-type universal joint is made by substantially confining a workpiece blank in a cavity between a pair of forging dies without substantial deformation of the blank. Then a plurality of race-forming tools are introduced int... | 03/02/1982 |
