Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Other

Packaging Systems LLC

Keystone Investment Corporation

William J Olson

Joseph J Bella

James S Zielinski

Steven L Bivens

Kenneth Roger LeVey

Mario M Orrico

David A Shereyk

Gary L Anderson

Christopher C Rutter

Thomas A Benoit

Jeffrey M Stupar

Kurt H Lundstedt

Donald J Broomfield

Lamar Spalding

Donald Charles Grome

William T Trevaskis

Richard A Koscik

Randall M Crippen

Gary R Little

Michael C Blaha

James S Zielinksi

Thomas W Carlson

A push-push latch assembly includes opposed gripper arms moved between opened and closed positions upon axial activation of a slide in a housing. The gripper arms have pin disposed in channels of the housing, the channels being angularly oriented to urge the gripper arms to fully closed and fully opened positions and for controlling the separation of the gripper arms for each position of the slide relative to the housing.

Distortion resistant silent push-push latch

A method of producing a gear from a metallurgical powder includes molding at least a portion of the powder to provide a gear preform. The gear preform is sintered and hot formed, and subsequently may be carburized. The gear preform is resintered and cooled at a cooling rate suitable to provide a bainitic microstructure in at least a surface region of the preform. The gear teeth of the preform may be shaved to, for example, adjust dimensions, and enhance dimensional uniformity.

Method for producing powder metal gears

The glide assembly is constructed with a shell which includes a circumferential flange which is crimped around a base which further includes an impact pad therewithin. The shell further includes the male portion of a ball joint with a relatively small aperture at a central portion thereof. A ferrule includes a cup shaped portion for receiving a furniture leg. The base of the ferrule includes the female portion of a ball joint with a relatively large aperture at a central portion thereof. A rivet swivelably attaches the male portion of the ball joint from the shell to the female portion of the ball from the ferrule. A washer/retainer engaged by the rivet accommodates the relatively large aperture of the ferrule while maintaining the swivel relationship. The cup of the ferrule engages an inside-holding or an outside-holding clip for engaging the leg of a piece of furniture.

Glide assembly

A fiber optic lighting system connector for coupling a fiber optic cable to another fiber optic cable, or a light source, or a light fixture. The connector includes a sleeve member having a plurality of resilient fingers and an axial bore for receiving a fiber optic cable end portion. A cap is non-threadably coupled to the sleeve member and movable axially about the resilient fingers between first and second positions to constrict the resilient fingers about a fiber optic cable end portion or conductor member for axial retention thereof in the axial bore. The resilient fingers preferably include first and second recesses in corresponding side portions thereof, and a tooth disposed between and offset from the first and second recesses.

Fiber optic lighting system connector

A fiber optic lighting system connector for coupling a fiber optic cable to another fiber optic cable, or a light source, or a light fixture. The connector includes a sleeve member having an axial bore for receiving a fiber optic cable, and a cap having an axial bore for receiving the fiber optic cable. The cap is rotatably coupled to the sleeve member, and a first ramped surface of the sleeve member is engagable with a plurality of fingers extending flexibly into the axial bore of the cap to move the plurality of fingers radially inwardly toward the fiber optic cable upon rotation of the cap. One or more teeth protruding from one or more of the plurality of fingers are engagable with the fiber optic cable to axially bias the fiber optic cable into the axial bore of the sleeve member toward another fiber optic cable, or toward a light source or light fixture conductor member retained in the axial bore of the sleeve member.

A method and apparatus for coupling with a spout to permit coupling of a valve sub-assembly housed in the apparatus with a slider valve housed in the spout. The apparatus includes a sleeve having at least two resilient finger members diverging from each other wherein each finger member has a flange engaging surface engageable with the flange portion of the spout. At least a portion of the sleeve is axially disposable about at least the flange portion of the spout, and the valve sub-assembly is slidable in the sleeve to couple with the slider valve in the spout when the sleeve is coupled to the spout. A collar is slidable over an outer surface of the sleeve for constricting the resilient finger members about the spout as the collar slides from an upper end of the sleeve and over the resilient finger members toward a lower end of the sleeve, and for releasing the constricted resilient finger members of the sleeve as the collar slides from the resilient finger members and toward the upper end of the sleeve. The flange engaging surface of the resilient finger members is engageable with the flange portion of the spout to couple the sleeve with the spout when the resilient finger members are constricted about the spout by the collar.

Method and apparatus for coupling with a spout

A load leveling foot assembles with a panel for adjusting the height of the panel relative to a support surface. The load leveling foot comprises a foot body, a pivot portion projecting from the foot body for engagement with the panel, a base portion located on the foot body spaced apart from the pivot portion for engagement with a support surface, and an actuator-engaging portion located on the foot body spaced apart from the pivot portion and from the support portion. The actuator portion is configured for engagement with an actuator for pivoting the foot about the pivot portion in such a manner that the base portion rotates relative to the pivot portion so as to increase the distance between the base portion and the panel when the foot body is pivoted in one direction and to decrease the distance between the base portion and the panel when the foot body is pivoted in an opposite direction.

Load leveling assembly

A switch assembly for activation by a shaft or hinge pin of a hinge includes a cam member connected for rotation along with the shaft and an actuating band operably connected to the cam member. The actuating band includes an engagement portion for contact with a first portion of a lever upon rotational movement of the shaft of the hinge and the cam member. The lever is movable to enable a second portion of the lever to contact an electrical switch to in turn make or break contact of a desired electrical circuit formed by the electrical switch. A sealing insert is included to provide a substantially waterproof seal between the hinge shaft and the switch assembly.

Hinge operated switch assembly

A refrigration, foam sealing bushing is provided for use within a refrigeration door cavity. The bushing is formed of a male member, and a female member. The male member includes a head portion, an upper shank portion, a reduced lower shank portion, and a disc-like member. The female member is formed of a tubular section having an open upper end and an open lower end. The tubular section has an axially extending bore which extends between the open upper end and the open lower end for telescopingly receiving the lower shank portion of the male member. Passageways are formed between the outer surface of the reduced lower shank portion and inner surface of the axially extending bore of the tubular section for permitting air to escape from the door cavity but yet preventing foam insulation from escaping during the injection of the foam insulation into the door cavity.

Refrigeration, foam sealing bushing

A door closure mechanism for use upon a door of a cabinet includes a housing formed from two co-mating first and second members, a drive cam rotatably mounted within the housing, a cam follower mounted within the housing for reciprocating movement relative to the drive cam, and a coil spring mounted within the housing for resiliently biasing the cam follower in a reciprocal manner against the drive cam. The drive cam is formed with cam surfaces which radially engage the cam follower so as to control the relative reciprocal movement of the cam follower with respect to the drive cam. As a safety feature, ther is provided a set of spring pre-load clips which engage the ends of the coil spring so as to prevent full decompression of the coil spring in the event of a housing failure.

Door closure mechanism

A forms leader is disclosed for use in printing of business forms by a printing device. The leader includes a rectangular sheet of flexible material having a series of line holes formed along the edges of the sheet. The sheet is folded along a crease to define a front portion of the sheet which is of less length than a rear portion. The crease is further positioned so that the line holes formed on the front portion align with those of the rear portion. An adhesive strip is formed across the front surface of the rear portion of the sheet, the strip being positioned along the surface so that at least a portion thereof is above a line corresponding to the bottom edge of the front portion. The adhesive has a relatively low tack, whereby the form can be removably secured to the adhesive with the front portion of the sheet extending over a portion of the form and the line holes of the form aligning with those of the sheet.

Continuous forms leader

A simplified methanol or other hydrocarbon water-vapor injection system and kit for installing it with a minimum of part and effort are provided. A universal hose connector which precludes the necessity for cutting existing hoses on the automobile engine or any hose to which it is desired to connect another is also provided. This connector is constructed to pierce one or both walls of the hose into which connection is desired and place a metering orifice within that hose to thereby inject vapors or the like therein at predetermined rates and reduce vacuum pressure in side of the hose and reservoir of the injector system.

Growing community of inventors

Barrington, IL, United States of America

William J Olson