Did You Know...
...that it was melting ice cream that inspired the invention of the outboard motor? It was a lovely August day and Ole Evinrude was rowing his boat to his favorite island picnic spot. As he rowed, he watched his ice cream melt and wished he had a faster way to get to the island. At that moment the idea for the outboard motor was born!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8020419 | Hydroforming die adjustable for springback correction The invention provides a hydroforming apparatus for forming a length of tube. A hydroforming press includes an upper platen and a lower plate. A first die set is provided for forming a first lengthwise portion of the tube and a second die set provided adjacent the f... | 09/20/2011 |
| 7905129 | Method and tool for contracting tubular members by electro-hydraulic forming before hydroforming A tubular preform is contracted in an electro-hydraulic forming operation. The tubular preform is wrapped with one or more coils of wire and placed in a chamber of an electro-hydraulic forming tool. The electro-hydraulic forming tool is discharged to form a compress... | 03/15/2011 |
| 7685856 | Two mode hydroform seal apparatus and method A hydroforming seal and method includes a nozzle having both a radially expandable O-ring seal and a conical tapered surface for separately sealing with the bore of the tube. The O-ring seal is expanded to seal the tube and pressurized fluid is added sufficient to s... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7614271 | Preform, hydroforming method, and hydroformed product A preform with edges overlapped and jointed each other and first and second outer members for forming outer surfaces of a hydroformed product, and reinforcement members that are jointed to the first and second outer members to form reinforcement ribs that divide a h... | 11/10/2009 |
| 7546754 | Method of fabricating tubular structure from hybrid material A method allowing for the fabrication of tubular structures, such as structural members used in vehicle bodies, from two or more metals or other materials using a hydroforming process. Being able to use two or more metals or other materials, such as, for example, hi... | 06/16/2009 |
| 7509827 | Device and method for expansion forming The present invention relates to a method and a device for expansion forming of an article. According to at least one aspect of the invention, an expansion forming tool is pressure-compensated from two sides, pressure differences on each side being equalized by mean... | 03/31/2009 |
| 7409758 | Vibration damper systems for drilling with casing Apparatus and methods are provided for reducing drilling vibration during drilling with casing. In one embodiment, an apparatus for reducing vibration of a rotating casing includes a tubular body disposed concentrically around the casing, wherein tubular body is mov... | 08/12/2008 |
| 7406849 | Preform, hydroforming method, and hydroformed product A preform with edges overlapped and jointed each other and first and second outer members for forming outer surfaces of a hydroformed product, and reinforcement members that are jointed to the first and second outer members to form reinforcement ribs that divide a h... | 08/05/2008 |
| 7380429 | Tubular local expansion apparatus and method of locally expanding tubular member for vehicles An apparatus and method for locally expanding tubular member includes a pre-form die having a cavity with an expansion chamber therein to receive a portion of a tubular blank between ends thereof. The apparatus also includes a bladder apparatus for insertion in the ... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7370504 | Method of making variable thickness tubular member for vehicles A method of making a variable thickness tubular member for a vehicle includes the steps of providing a tubular member and positioning a mandrel inside of the tubular member. The method also includes the steps of hydroforming the tubular member into a variable thickn... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7363690 | Method and apparatus for forming a mono-diameter wellbore casing A mono-diameter wellbore casing. The mono-diameter wellbore casing is formed by plastically deforming and radially expanding a first tubular member within a wellbore. A second tubular member is then plastically deformed and radially expanded in overlapping relation ... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7337641 | Hydroformed tubular members and method of hydroforming tubular members for vehicles A hydroformed tubular member and method of hydroforming the hydroformed tubular member for a vehicle includes the steps of providing a tubular blank and positioning the tubular blank within a die. The method also includes the steps of hydroforming the tubular blank ... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7331095 | Method of hydroforming a workpiece The invention concerns a method whereby components are arranged in a mounting device, outside an internal high-pressure forming press, in accordance with their position and their function, such that they are linked to one another. The mounting device comprises an up... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7325307 | Installation for shaping a hollow blade A hollow blade is shaped by superplastic inflation of a blank made up of welded-together sheets. A die comprising two hollow shapes clamping the outline of the blank is placed inside an autoclave-forming enclosure in order to subject the blank to superplastic inflat... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7305860 | Method for tube forming A method is provided for forming a tube between a pair of dies. The tube is captured between a pair of dies having die surfaces constructed of an electrically non-conducting material defining a die cavity therein. The ends of the tube are sealed and electrical curre... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7284403 | Apparatus and method for performing a hydroforming process An apparatus and method for performing a hydroforming process cause either or both of the opposed end portions of the workpiece to be deformed to achieve desired shapes therein. Initially, a workpiece having a pair of end portions is disposed within a die cavity def... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7266982 | Hydroforming device and method An apparatus (10, 110) and method to form a workpiece (32, 132) into a useful product (28, 128) using a pressurized fluid (14), also termed as “hydroforming”. The workpiece may be a tube or may be one or a plurality of sheets of a mat... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7257982 | Apparatus for forming a beam member used as a torsion beam for the rear wheel suspension of an automobile An apparatus for forming a beam member for a torsion beam in a rear wheel suspension system of an automobile wherein said apparatus includes top and bottom dies for forming a U-shaped or V-shaped section and an extension section of the beam member, upper and lower p... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7255334 | Air suspension piston The invention relates to an air suspension piston, with the air suspension piston being tube shaped and being made of aluminium. The air suspension piston is formed by a longitudinal-seam welded tube made from an aluminum alloy, and the tube has been longitudinal-se... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7251972 | Method and device for reshaping tubes A method and an apparatus for reshaping a tube having an initial outside diameter, an initial wall thickness, and an initial length to form a tube have a reshaped outside diameter, a reshaped length, and a reshaped wall thickness, wherein at least one of the reshape... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7251973 | Hydroforming apparatus A hydroforming apparatus for hydroforming a workpiece. The apparatus includes a die in which a die cavity is located, and an outer ring subassembly. The outer ring subassembly is movable relative to the die, and includes a ring and one or more first cam segments att... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7249481 | Process for forming a hydroformed automotive component with integrated weld flange A process for forming a hydroformed automotive component with an integrally formed attachment bracket or weld flange begins with a tubular blank manufactured through a roll-forming process to convert sheet metal into a tubular body portion having excess parent sheet... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7234532 | Expansion apparatus and method An expansion apparatus for expanding a portion of a tubular comprises at least two expansion members adapted for selective deployment against a wall of a tubular. The expansion apparatus may be controlled to select a first expansion member to be deployed and the app... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7231716 | Method of making a thin wall nozzle A novel method of making a nozzle by forcing a malleable metallic disk into a series of cavities in progression using punches to draw down a formed section so metal can be pulled into the shape of the next cavity in the series. Each cavity differs in size and shape,... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7231793 | Warm hydro-forming device A warm hydro-forming device comprises: an upper mold and a lower mold respectively mounted to an upper mold die and a lower mold die; a lifting die installed to the lower mold die through a guide unit, an upper portion of the lifting die being connected to the upper... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7229137 | Method and apparatus for locating an axle torque plate A trailer axle assembly includes a non-rotating axle tube that extends laterally between a pair of wheel ends. Each wheel end supports a disc brake assembly that selectively generates a braking force to slow or stop rotation of the wheel ends. The disc brake assembl... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7228754 | Steering apparatus for a car and method of manufacturing the same In a steering apparatus for a car which presses and retains a steering column upon a fixing bracket to car body to be telescopically adjustable, the steering column is molded from a tubular material by a hydroforming process to have a swelled portion as a unitary st... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7210611 | Formed structural assembly and associated preform and method A superplastically formed structural assembly is provided, as is an associated preform and method for forming such an assembly. The assembly includes a skin member and a support member that are joined to define a space between the members and between the joints. The... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7204114 | Method of progressive hydro-forming of tubular members A method of progressive hydro-forming of a tubular member includes the steps of positioning a tubular member between open die halves mating with one another to define a first tubular cavity portion in a first stage. The method also includes the steps of progressivel... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7194883 | Method for forming of tubular work-pieces using a segmented tool The hydroforming tool of the present invention comprises a pair of upper and lower tool inserts having open axial ends and defining an elongated cavity there between when the tool inserts are forced together. The upper and/or lower tool inserts are composed of segme... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7188499 | Method and device for processing outer shape of can shell A pressing member 44 is pressed from the outside against a peripheral wall of a can shell 4 whose interior is maintained at a predetermined pressure by gas, to form a recess-deformed portion 56 having a predetermined shape on the peripheral wall... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7178240 | Method for molding bicycle tube This invention relates to a method for molding a bicycle tube and the method comprises the following steps: first, providing a tube and then controlling thickness of the tube by a drawing and extruding process for forming a molding portion. Second, plasticize other ... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7175204 | Method of hydroforming articles and the articles formed thereby A hydroformable frame element is formed from the combination of at least two elements. The at least two elements are designed with a partially overlapping region, with an annular space defined within the overlapping region. The annular space is filled with adhesive,... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7172027 | Expanding tubing A method of expanding tubing downhole comprises providing a section of expandable tubing of a first diameter, and axially compressing the tubing to induce buckling, such that the buckled portion describes a larger second diameter. The resulting diametric expansion m... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7168497 | Downhole sealing A method of providing a downhole seal, such as a packer, in a drilled bore between inner tubing and outer tubing comprises: providing an intermediate tubing section defining a seal arrangement for engaging with the inner tubing; and radially plastically deforming th... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7165301 | Motorcycle rear suspension swingarm assembly An off-road motorcycle incorporates a swingarm assembly for pivotally supporting a rear wheel relative to a frame of the motorcycle. Preferably, the swingarm includes right and left arms extending rearwardly from a forward connecting portion. Right and left rear whe... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7163219 | Control arm for motor vehicle suspension system A lower control arm for a motor vehicle suspension includes a first member in the form of an elongated hollow member and a second member attached to the first member. The second member has a solid cross section. The second member has a first end attached to the firs... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7159437 | Heated die for hot forming A hot forming tool is heated with multiple electrical resistance cartridge heaters. The heaters are located in the body of the tool so as to maintain the entire forming surface within a predetermined temperature range. Numerical thermal and optimization analyses dir... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7152708 | Propshaft with improved crash-worthiness A frangible telescopic propeller shaft includes an elongated hollow cylindrical body, a reduced diameter intermediate portion along a length of the body, and at least one spin-formed transition area between the intermediate portion and the body. The transition area ... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7150177 | Hydraulic press with a pressure cell and a method and use for it, whose press body consists of prestressed lamellas A press of pressure cell type includes a press body part. The press body part comprises a number of plates with the planes of the plates oriented parallel to the planes of the adjacent plates. Each plate has a through hole which has the same center axis as the hole ... | 12/19/2006 |
