The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 05, 2002
Filed:
Mar. 23, 1999
D. Lee Hill, Olean, NY (US);
Frank E. Cahill, Lenexa, KS (US);
Jimmy D. Vanfossan, late of Gladstone, MI (US);
Hamid Massali, Leawood, KS (US);
Emerson Electric, Co., St. Louis, MO (US);
Abstract
A single-blade fan apparatus includes a blade assembly having a hub presenting a longitudinal aperture adapted for receipt on the fan apparatus, a single blade protruding radially from the hub in a first direction, and a counterweight body protruding radially from the hub in a second direction opposite the first direction. The hub, blade and counterweight body are formed of a unitary piece of aluminum, zinc or synthetic resin material. A method of constructing the blade assembly includes providing a mold including a hub cavity, a blade cavity protruding from the hub cavity in a first direction, and a counterweight-body cavity protruding radially from the hub in a second direction opposite the first direction, and fitting a removable mold insert in the blade cavity. The first mold insert fills a portion of the blade cavity remote from the hub cavity. Aluminum, zinc or synthetic resin material is then cast or injected into the mold with the mold insert in place to form the blade assembly, resulting in the formation of a blade assembly including a blade having a dimension in the first direction that is shorter than the dimension of the blade in the first direction would be if the injection step was carried out with the mold insert removed from the blade cavity. A removable second mold insert is also provided and fills a portion of the counterweight-body cavity so that when material is cast or injected into the mold with the second insert in place, the blade assembly formed thereby includes a counterweight body having a mass that is smaller than the mass would be if the second mold insert were removed from the counterweight-body cavity.