Earl William Watson

US Patent:

6938303, Sep 6, 2005

Filed:

Oct 22, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/691876

Inventors:

Earl L Watson - Walled Lake MI, US
Krzysztof Michalowski - Livonia MI, US

Assignee:

DaimlerChrysler Corporation - Auburn Hills MI

International Classification:

E05D011/10

US Classification:

16334, 16335, 16366, 16247, 16324

Abstract:

A dual pivot hinge for a vehicle door includes a door side hinge support, and a body side hinge support, connected by a hinge arm. The door side hinge support includes a cam surface terminating in a detent. A rocker arm is pivotally mounted to the hinge arm, and includes a roller that is biased against the cam surface of the door side hinge support. A stop link is pivotally mounted between the body side hinge support and the hinge arm. To open the door, the door side hinge support pivots about the hinge arm until the roller of the rocker arm engages the detent. As the door opens further, the hinge arm pivots on the body side hinge support. The stop link prevents the hinge arm from over-rotating, and a roller and torsion rod arrangement prevents the door from inadvertently closing. Closing the door follows the reverse sequence.

US Patent:

53401743, Aug 23, 1994

Filed:

Apr 12, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/044686

Inventors:

Frederick F. Bender - South Lyon MI
Earl L. Watson - Walled Lake MI

Assignee:

Chrysler Corporation - Highland Park MI

International Classification:

E05B 500

US Classification:

2923363

Abstract:

A handle assembly is adapted for installation in a vehicle panel aperture having a flanged border from the outboard side of the panel. The handle housing has a pre-installed attaching clip retained on the housing by a screw tightened to an initial setting enabling predetermined upward and inward travel of the clip between a lower gravity induced position to an installation rocked-in induced upper position. The clip has tapered flanges configured to bear on the aperture border during rocked-in movement of the housing along a determined swingline. Upon clip tabs being positioned inboard of the border the tapered flanges disengaging the border thereby returning the clip by gravity to its installed position such that tightening the screw clamps the tabs against the aperture border.

US Patent:

52843734, Feb 8, 1994

Filed:

Apr 12, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/044685

Inventors:

Earl L. Watson - Walled Lake MI

Assignee:

Chrysler Corporation - Highland Park MI

International Classification:

E05C 2100

US Classification:

292347

Abstract:

A handle assembly is adapted for installation in a vehicle panel aperture from the outboard side of the panel. The assembly housing has an inboard projecting threaded stem supporting a one-piece L-shaped clip retained thereon in a pre-installation raised position a nut tightened on the stem. The clip comprises a vertically disposed head portion, having a vertical mounting slot receiving the stem, and a horizontally disposed body portion having a pair of fingers projecting toward the panel aperture. Upon the installer positioning the handle member in the panel aperture and loosening the nut, the clip descends in a predetermined manner wherein the fingers engage the aperture lower edge. Tightening the nut advances the clip outboard such that vertically disposed bearing edges thereon are urged into locking contact with the panel aperture flanged boarder.

US Patent:

52973140, Mar 29, 1994

Filed:

Sep 10, 1992

Appl. No.:

7/942911

Inventors:

Frederick F. Bender - South Lyon MI
Earl L. Watson - Walled Lake MI

International Classification:

E05D 712

US Classification:

16270

Abstract:

Upper and lower three-piece hinge assemblies enabling a door to be attached and removed in a precise lateral take-apart manner during a vehicle body assembly line operation. Each of the hinge assemblies each provide a body-half mounting hinge and a door-half sub-assembly. The sub-assembly comprises a link plate and a door-half mounting bracket permanently pined together by a door hinge pin. Prior to removably attaching the door-half sub-assembly to the body-half hinge an installer inserts an abutment peg in a through bore of a bracket horizontal wing. The installer then rotates the link plate about its hinge pin until it engages the peg forming, with the bracket, a wedge-shaped receptacle adapted to slidably receive therein a complementary wedge-shaped foot plate of the body-half hinge. The receptacle seats on the foot plate in a predetermined abutting manner enabling each link plate aperture to be self-aligned with an associated foot plate threaded hole. With the tightening of the upper and lower pairs of take-apart screws in each of their respective foot plate threaded holes the upper and lower hinge assemblies are connected in predetermined engagement.

US Patent:

61927252, Feb 27, 2001

Filed:

Nov 30, 1999

Appl. No.:

9/451333

Inventors:

Earl L. Watson - Walled Lake MI
Donald G. Mikolai - Dearborn MI

Assignee:

DaimlerChrysler Corporation - Auburn Hills MI

International Classification:

E05B 1300

US Classification:

70208

Abstract:

A liftgate handle assembly for actuating a remotely mounted liftgate latch comprising a liftgate handle assembly including a housing having a handle pivotally mounted therein, a key cylinder rotatably mounted therein, a main lever slidably and pivotally mounted thereon, a subordinate lever mounted thereon and in pivotal communication with the main lever which is operably engageable by the handle and operably connected to the key cylinder. The liftgate handle assembly includes a cable connected between the subordinate lever and the liftgate latch. The main lever is adapted to be reciprocally slidably actuated between a locked and an unlocked mode by rotation of the key cylinder, and pivotally actuated in an unlocked mode by manually lifting the handle to move the cable via the subordinate lever to operate the liftgate latch.

US Patent:

57094985, Jan 20, 1998

Filed:

Dec 16, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/767459

Inventors:

Edward J. Sova - Troy MI
Richard Wong - Fraser MI
Nicolaas C. Akemann - South Lyon, MI
Leonard L. Wu - Brighton MI
Earl L. Watson - Walled Lake MI
Andrew J. Palmisano - Hinsdale IL

Assignee:

Chrysler Corporation - Auburn Hills MI

International Classification:

F16B 900

US Classification:

403196

Abstract:

A linkage comprising an elongated rod, a rod actuator to longitudinally reciprocate the rod, and a clip of flexible, resilient material connecting the rod to the actuator. The clip has a circular hub rotatably received in an opening in the actuator. The rod has a hook at one end received in a hole in the hub of the clip. The hole is elongated to enable the rod to be axially rotated to facilitate the insertion of the hook end in the hole during assembly. The clip has a stabilizing arm extending laterally from the hub. The rod is received in a transverse slot in the arm.

US Patent:

56241429, Apr 29, 1997

Filed:

Jul 24, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/506450

Inventors:

Earl L. Watson - Walled Lake MI
Glenn D. Holland - Southfield MI
Elden E. Schneck - Troy MI

Assignee:

Chrysler Corporation - Auburn Hills MI

International Classification:

E05C 304

US Classification:

292241

Abstract:

An overcenter latch for securing a closure to a body panel includes a panel bracket disposed opposite a closure striker block with a rubber link pivotally connecting the bracket and an operating handle. The block has spaced apart outwardly opening recesses each having a transverse raceway providing opposed inboard and outboard pivot sockets. A pair of depending handle prongs, each terminating in an arcuate cam, are adapted to snap overcenter on an associated raceway for pivotal reception between respective inboard and outboard pairs of sockets. The cams are readily positioned in their associated inboard sockets without the link being tensed. During latching, the handle cams are initially rotated about an inboard socket axis to an overcenter point, wherein the link is tensed to a predetermined dimension less than the links theoretical latching overcenter length. At this point the cams snap outboard to their associated outboard pivot socket axis, whereby the handle is rotated to its latched position resulting in reduced operator latching effort. During unlatching, the handle cams are initially rotated about the outboard socket axis to an overcenter point, wherein the link is tensed to a predetermined dimension greater than the link's theoretical latching overcenter length resulting in increased operator unlatching effort, obviating inadvertent unlatching.

US Patent:

56826460, Nov 4, 1997

Filed:

May 13, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/645161

Inventors:

Thomas F. Tyler - Farmington Hills MI
Joseph J. Savalle - Dearborn MI
Brett A. Johnson - Chesterfield MO
Henry J. Ziaja - Dearborn MI
Terrence W. Gillay - Bloomfield Twp. MI
Earl L. Watson - Walled Lake MI

Assignee:

Chrysler Corporation - Auburn Hills MI

International Classification:

E05D 512
E05D 710

US Classification:

16386

Abstract:

A vehicle door hinge assembly according to this invention has a hinge bracket for mounting on each of a door and a body pillar of a vehicle. Each hinge bracket has a pair of spaced-apart legs wherein the pair of legs of one hinge bracket is received within and adjacent the pair of spaced-apart legs of the other bracket when the hinge brackets are hingedly mated together. The hinge brackets have aligned holes formed through their respective pairs of legs through which a hinge pin is received to hingedly mate the two hinge brackets together. The improvement comprises the hinge pin having a threaded tip or end and one of the legs of the outer hinge bracket having a nut affixed thereto in coaxial relation to the hole formed therein, or a the hole therein being threaded, and the threaded end of the hinge pin screwed therein when the hinge pin is inserted in the holes in the respective pairs of legs of the hinge brackets to hingedly mate the hinge brackets together.