K-line Industries, Inc.

Haworth, Inc.

Robert T Ritt

Richard N Roslund, Jr

James A Kammeraad

Dwain L Kamphuis

Steve J Nemeth, Jr

Bernard J Luurtsema

Larry Allen Wilkerson

Patrick C Nelson

David A Kammeraad

Joel Dral

Douglas M Thole

John Clark

Perry L Dixon

Richard N Roslund

A chair having height-adjustable arm assemblies mounted adjacent opposite sides of the seat. Each arm assembly includes a horizontally elongated armrest which adjacent one end is connected to an upper end of a support column. The support column is axially slidably supported within an elongate support tube which projects downwardly adjacent a side of the chair seat. The support column and support tube have a cooperating linear anti-friction bearing arrangement therebetween, the latter incorporating a resilient support track to eliminate circumferential clearance. A latch mechanism includes a movable latch member carried on the column and cooperating with a plurality of latch-receiving slots formed in the support tube. The latch member is activated by a push rod which projects upwardly through the support column, and at its upper end is activated by an actuating lever which is pivoted on and projects lengthwise of the armrest and terminates in an actuating button disposed under the front end of the armrest.

Height-adjustable chair arm assembly

An office-type chair which includes a seat assembly and back assembly that are pivotally supported on a chair base or pedestal to support a user thereon. To increase the comfort of the user, the seat assembly is tiltable forwardly and rearwardly by way of a tilt control mechanism while the back assembly thereof is tiltable laterally from side to side, i.e. in the leftward and rightward directions by way of a back torsion mechanism.

Chairback with side torsional movement

An operator-interactive adjustable workstation including a support frame, a seat adapted for engagement with an operator, and a worksurface having an enlarged upper surface. A motion connecting structure connects between the frame, seat and worksurface for permitting the positions of the seat and worksurface to be simultaneously adjusted relative to the frame. An operator-interactive structure interconnects to the connecting structure for controlling position-adjusting movement of the seat and worksurface in response to an operator-imposed controlling force. A manually-releasable brake cooperates with the connecting structure for normally maintaining it in a fixed positional relationship to define stationary positions for the seat and worksurface.

Operator-interactive adjustable workstation

A thin-walled valve guide insert for lining and relining a valve guide of an internal combustion engine includes opposing ends each having a tapered insertion section thereon. The tapered insertion section defines a reduced outer diameter to facilitate installing the insert into a valve guide bore have a nonchamfered opening, and further defines a reduced inner diameter so that the insert has a substantially continuous wall thickness throughout its length and thus maintains the structural integrity of the insert from end to end. In the preferred embodiment, the valve guide insert is made of a phosphor bronze material of about 0.018 inch thickness or less, and includes a lengthwise slit therein. The insert is sprung open longitudinally along the slit and must be radially compressed so that the insert defines a sufficiently small outer diameter so that it can be axially installed in a press-fit condition into the valve guide bore of the engine. Both ends of the insert are formed with the tapered insertion section so that the insert can be positioned without regard to which end is directed toward the valve guide. Also disclosed is a tool for inserting the insert into the guide valve, the tool including an outwardly tapered junction adapted to spread one of the tapered insertion sections of the insert into longitudinal alignment with the insert to reduce the tendency to crush same from end forces exerted on the insert while installing the insert into the valve guide. Still further a process is disclosed for forming the guide valve insert with ends having tapered insertion sections thereon.

Process for forming valve guide insert

Method of installing valve guide insert

Valve guide insert insertion tool

An apparatus and method for polishing combustion engine valves. The machine includes a rotating deburring wheel for on contact with the valve stem and a regulating surface which provides support and applies a rotational force to the valve stem. A pair of guide blades and a guide plate cooperate with the regulating surface to contain the valve stem when contacted by the deburring wheel. The guide blades are positioned at an angle with respect to the axis of rotation of the regulating surface to bias the valve in an inward direction against the guide plate during valve rotation. The machine further includes the use of a unique pivot point for the deburring wheel support so the deburring wheel contacts the valve stem approximately above the valve stem centerline regardless of valve stem diameter or variations in the diameter of the deburring wheel.

Valve stem polishing method

A fixture is provided for reworking valve guide bores in a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, the engine including a valve seat corresponding to each valve guide bore. The fixture includes a frame with supports for holding the cylinder head, a carriage laterally movable on the fixture frame, an arm movably attached to the carriage and extending laterally over the supports, and an alignment member or valve seat bushing pivotally mounted on the arm. A biasing cylinder is operably attached to the carriage and positioned to bias the arm toward th.e cylinder head held on the supports. The alignment member is mounted to the arm in a ball and socket arrangement so that as the alignment member is biased against the valve seat of the cylinder head, the arm exerts a balanced force on the alignment member regardless of angular movement in any direction of the alignment member or flexing of the fixture. Optimally, the alignment member includes a bore that allows removal of the valve guide boring tool and insertion of the tool for inserting a valve guide liner without releasing the biasing force holding the arm and alignment member against the valve seat.

Valve guide boring fixture

Valve guide insert

Valve stem polishing method and apparatus

An apparatus is provided to remove undesirable deposits on an intake valve after only partial disassembly of an engine, the apparatus including a blasting device and suction device. The blasting device directs blast media against the undesirable buildup to clean the intake valve, and includes a remote control and specially constructed pressure tank that cooperates with the remote control to improve operation, convenience and safety during use. The suction device suctions away spent blast media and dislodged deposits and includes a universal adapter to permit the device to sealingly engage an exposed air intake opening on the partially disassembled engine. The suction device also includes spreadable grippers that engage the sides of a passageway to hold the suction device in place, and further includes an arrangement for generating a vacuum by use of compressed air.

Growing community of inventors

Holland, MI, United States of America

Robert T Ritt