Douglas J Yoder

US Patent:

6802555, Oct 12, 2004

Filed:

Aug 12, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/639043

Inventors:

Douglas J. Yoder - Nappanee IN
Jerry L. Babcock - Waukesha WI

Assignee:

Actuant Corporation - Glendale WI

International Classification:

B60P 334

US Classification:

296165, 296 2609, 296 2613

Abstract:

A leveling ramp assembly for a vehicle slide-out room includes a ramp member and a face member, the ends of which are mounted to the vehicle floor by a pair of end members. The ramp provides a declined surface extending from the vehicle floor to a base rail from which a channel flange depends defining an outwardly opening horizontal channel. The face member mounts to the front of the ramp member by inserting its support rail into the channel. The channel flange and support rail have corresponding lengthwise grip regions that mate and improve the connection. The assembly is modular in that any number of shorten ramp or face members can be coupled end to end to span the width of the slide-out room and the face member(s) can be interchanged with other face members having various profiles.

US Patent:

7610636, Nov 3, 2009

Filed:

Jun 29, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/630932

Inventors:

James K. Holmes - Niles MI, US
Douglas J. Yoder - Nappanee IN, US
Gary D. Peter - Middlesburg IN, US

Assignee:

Actuant Corporation - Glendale WI

International Classification:

A47C 17/64
B60J 7/00

US Classification:

5118, 5 11, 105317, 29619002

Abstract:

The invention provides a vertical lift mechanism () for a bunk bed within a recreational vehicle. The mechanism includes a lateral support assembly () that travels up and down in an upright frame assembly (). The lifting force is provided by a drive unit () mounted to the support assembly () that winds and unwinds a flexible member () through a guide arrangement () mounted to the support assembly (). The flexible member () is preferably an assembly of cables, more preferably four primary cables () each having one end attached to the ceiling of the vehicle and their opposite ends coupled together and linked to a leader cable () which is wound about the drive spindle (). The primary cables () travel around the guides (), which can be an arrangement of single and double sheaves or pulleys, to translate the winding force to vertical forces that raise or lower the support assembly ().