Quotables
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza."
Dave Barry
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 |
| 7284458 | Adjusting element device A device to be used with an adjusting element comprising a rod piston (3) displaceable with the aid of a motor (4) in a piston tube (2). The motor (4) is rotatably arranged at the adjusting element (1) through a worm gear (6... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7028569 | Piston, in particular for sampling valve The invention concerns a piston wherein the mobile screw (2) is engaged in the bolt (8) integral with the mobile assembly (1). It is provided with a cylindrical axial housing (10) wherein is engaged the rod (7) integral at its fron... | 04/18/2006 |
| 6928894 | Compensated actuator with optimized power An actuator combining mechanical and hydraulic forces includes a cylindrical body and a piston that can slide relative to the cylindrical body. The piston and the cylindrical body are connected by a mechanical system for transmitting mechanical power that constitute... | 08/16/2005 |
| 6879065 | Linear actuator An improved linear actuator incorporates a DC motor whose stator is secured to a frame is provided for. To improve operational longevity and reliability of a linear actuator, the improved actuator includes a retention clutch and an axial load limiter. An axially con... | 04/12/2005 |
| 6711963 | Ball screw One end of a cylinder disposed on the outer periphery of a ball screw shaft is fixed to the end face of a ball nut, while the other end of the cylinder is closed by an end plate to thereby form a lubricant filling space between the end plate and the leading end face... | 03/30/2004 |
| 6056262 | Universal coupler for a self aligning linear actuator A universal coupler for a self aligning linear actuator for a valve assembly. The self aligning linear actuator utilizes a drive screw or other threaded drive means to drive a plunger for a throttle valve. The drive screw rotates within a frame while a th... | 05/02/2000 |
| 6041886 | Rear-wheel steering system A rear-wheel steering system designed to reduce noise to a minimum at a low cost. The rear-wheel steering system includes an electric motor for generating a rotational force, a nut member connected to the electric motor and rotated thereby, and a rod havi... | 03/28/2000 |
| 5901610 | Electromotive drive mechanism for a piece of furniture An electromotive drive mechanism for a piece of furniture, includes a gearmotor having a rotor rotating about a rotational axis, an adjusting spindle for operation of a piece of furniture, and a gear unit connecting the spindle to the rotor of the gearmot... | 05/11/1999 |
| 5890393 | Electric lock actuator An electric actuator reciprocates an output shaft driven by an electric motor in a linear manner. The actuator has a main body case. A rotating body supported by the case includes a pin rotating body, a gear wheel, and a coil spring. The gear wheel is mes... | 04/06/1999 |
| 5868032 | Ball screw and nut linear actuator assemblies and methods of cushioning their travel A method and apparatus wherein a travel limit/dampening device is coupled to the end of a screw of a linear ball screw actuator device for limiting the travel of an actuator extension coupled to a nut supported for linear driven displacement in either dir... | 02/09/1999 |
| 5809833 | Linear actuator A linear actuator includes a motor having a rotatable output shaft, a lead screw having a worm gear thread, a forward end and a rear end, a worm gear drive train connected between the motor output shaft and the lead screw to convert the rotary motion of t... | 09/22/1998 |
| 5761963 | Spindle nut/threaded spindle device A device for converting the rotation of a spindle nut into a force-related linear translation of a threaded spindle in an electromechanical valve actuator, the spindle being formed with longitudinal grooves in which clamping hooks are located. Hooked ends... | 06/09/1998 |
| 5685390 | Electrically-operated power steering apparatus An electrically-operated power steering apparatus comprises a steering shaft, a rack shaft capable of linear movement for turning a steering running wheel a, rack-pinion gear for coupling the steering shaft with the rack shaft, and a ball screw mechanism ... | 11/11/1997 |
| 5590580 | Loading positioning apparatus A load positioning apparatus comprises a rodless cylinder which comprises a piston and a load-mounting table connected together by a coupling device, a feed screw turned and driven by an electric motor, and a pressurized fluid control and supply device. T... | 01/07/1997 |
| 5542744 | Non-adjustable linear drive for articulated furniture A linear drive for articulated furniture having pre-determined extended and retracted positions. These devices heretofore have been designed to be adjustable, but customer adjustment frequently causes costly damage to the drive and furniture. The drive in... | 08/06/1996 |
| 5404767 | Oil well pump power unit The oil well pump power unit is provided with a drive for reciprocating the sucker rod of an oil well pump. The rod (18) is fixed to a transverse beam (23) which is integral with ball nut housings (4), one at each end of the beam (23). The ball nuts (2) m... | 04/11/1995 |
| 5373987 | Variable volume air valve An apparatus for temperature control in a room by adjusting supply air flow rate in response to a room thermostat in a ducted air conditioning system where a plurality of rooms are supplied by a single air handling unit. The apparatus may be installed in ... | 12/20/1994 |
| 5301708 | Rotary plug valve actuator and associated rotary plug valve and associated method A rotary plug valve actuator comprising a mounting bracket, a ball screw mechanism pivotably mounted to the mounting bracket and a lever pivotably mounted to the ball screw mechanism. The ball screw mechanism includes a ball screw shaft and a ball nut. Th... | 04/12/1994 |
| 5274505 | Electrical remote-control mirror assembly An improved electrical remote-control mirror assembly in which a externally threaded plunger (54) installed to a mirror body (3) is moved by a motor (102) to adjust the support angle of a mirror (4) secured to the mirror body. In addition to the drive sys... | 12/28/1993 |
| 5269343 | Valve actuator A valve actuator for opening and closing the shut-off valves on fire trucks. The actuator includes a push rod in communication with an actuator nut and a screw rod. A turn handle fastened to the screw rod allows for delayed opening and closing of the shut... | 12/14/1993 |
| 5265491 | X-Y-Z drive apparatus An X-Y-Z positioning apparatus includes an X table which may move along an X axis and a Y table which is mounted on the X table and movable along a Y axis. A pair of guide rails is provided on the X table and a pair of sliders mounted at the bottom surfac... | 11/30/1993 |
| 5225646 | Insulating device for an electric discharge machine An electric discharge machine has a movable ram assembly including a casing having a tubular support defining a through bore therein with an upper portion, a lower portion and a receiving space adjacent to the lower portion. A shaft vertically passes thro... | 07/06/1993 |
| 5170675 | Linear movement table apparatus A linear movement table apparatus includes a cylinder tube having an axially extending slit in an upper surface, a screw shaft rotatably supported in the cylinder tube, a feed nut threadedly engaged about the screw shaft, and a table body having an integr... | 12/15/1992 |
| 5112012 | Tilting momentum wheel for spacecraft A momentum wheel (14, 142) for compensating for the adverse effects of disturbing torques on stabilized spacecraft is mounted on a base (12, 124) on the spacecraft by three circumferentially spaced supports which include at least two linear actuators (26,... | 05/12/1992 |
| 5086900 | Power converting mechanism In the electric actuator of the present invention, the power converting mechanism is provided for converting the rotary power of the motor into linear power of the driven member, which needs no special component part. Therefore, in comparison with the pri... | 02/11/1992 |
| 4947070 | Control apparatus Control apparatus of the kind disclosed in UK patent specification Nos. 2,073,887 and 2,114,717, i.e. in which a movable operating member, arranged to control associated apparatus such as an aircraft engine, is coupled to an electric stepper motor, the mo... | 08/07/1990 |
| 4903535 | Power converting mechanism In the electric actuator of the present invention, the power converting mechanism is provided for converting the rotary power of the motor into linear power of the driven member, which needs no special component part. Therefore, in comparison with the pri... | 02/27/1990 |
| 4902067 | Air spoiler retracting device Herein disclosed is an air spoiler retracting device which comprises a casing; a reversible electric motor disposed in the casing and having a drive shaft; a carry bar held by the casing and axially movable in parallel with the axis of the drive shaft, th... | 02/20/1990 |
| 4865165 | Electrically actuated cable The electrically actuated cable mechanism (10) comprises a housing (12) disposed about the cable (15) and having a movable conduit (20) extending from one end and a stationary conduit (30) extending from the other end, each conduit (20, 30) being disposed... | 09/12/1989 |
| 4817977 | Stand for motorcycle A housing having a telescopingly extendible and retractable leg is carried by the frame of a motorcycle. A camming mechanism which drives the leg is secured to a reversible motor through a limited torque coupling whereby the extension of the leg is automa... | 04/04/1989 |
| 4790201 | Electromechanical linear actuator for tipping the driver's cab of a commercial vehicle A linear actuator for tipping the driver's cab of a commercial vehicle comprises a telescopic strut of the screw-and-nut type, in which the screw is rotated by an electric motor and the nut is associated with a hollow shaft movable axially along the screw... | 12/13/1988 |
| 4747319 | Actuator An actuator causes an elevating motion of an output rod fitted around a threaded shaft as the latter rotates. A lock mechanism which prevents an unintended rotation of the threaded shaft or a brake which frictionally prevents such rotation is provided in ... | 05/31/1988 |
| 4679451 | Case for driving section of linear actuator A driving section case for a linear actuator comprises a body having a front portion and a rear portion, the front portion having a cylinder assembly protruding therefrom, and the rear portion having an opening providing access to the interior of the body... | 07/14/1987 |
| 4635491 | Fail-safe motor-driven cylinder for lifting apparatus A motor-driven cylinder for lifting apparatus has screw means including intermeshed internally and externally threaded screw means by which a load can be moved upwardly and downwardly by the torque of a motor, the motor-driven cylinder including torque tr... | 01/13/1987 |
| 4630866 | Seat recline unit A recline unit (6) for controlling the recline angle of the back rest (2) of a seat (1) is interposed as a strut between the back rest (2) and the seat base (3). The recline unit (6) has a recirculating ball screw (7) and nut (8) of which the former is mo... | 12/23/1986 |
| 4598605 | Mechanism with torque-limiting device for controlling a rearview-mirror A torque-limiting device for a mechanism controlling a vehicle rearview mirror in which the mirror is fixed on a supporting member mounted for pivoting about two perpendicular axes, on a yoke integral with a baseplate mounted in the casing. The tubular ex... | 07/08/1986 |
| 4598238 | Electro-mechanical shower oscillator for papermaking machine An electro-mechanical oscillator has a DC motor with an output shaft coupled to a ball screw. A ball nut riding on the ball screw is coupled to an output sleeve which moves linearly with the ball nut. When the ball nut reaches one of two extreme positions... | 07/01/1986 |
| 4569239 | Linear actuator release mechanism and electronic cruise control based thereon The specification discloses a linear actuator including a quick-release mechanism enabling the actuator to be successfully commercially utilized in a variety of applications including a vehicle speed control. More specifically, the actuator includes an ax... | 02/11/1986 |
| 4493614 | Pump for a portable ventilator A pump primarily intended for use in a portable ventilator. The pump includes a piston-cylinder arrangement in which the piston is reciprocally moved within the cylinder by rotating a shaft. The shaft is threaded and mounted for rotation within the cylind... | 01/15/1985 |
| 4485690 | Automatically openable and recloseable protective cover for elongated elements having a traveling structure projecting therefrom To form a protective cover for an elongated machine element, such as a feed spindle or the like (1), a tubular structure (7) which may be formed of a plurality of parallel strips (7a) has edges which are formed with an interengaging, interlocking but sepa... | 12/04/1984 |
