Jersey Jeep 2003, you are most welcome. You are using this information as intended by me. The thickness of the parts and the length of the one end of the hollow bolt can be adjusted to make them out of aluminum. You use the normal flat gasket in the original filter base and the hollow bolt tightens the adapter down against it. As far as patents go, small changes like the number of holes in the plate can take it out of the patent, depending on the wording. I hold several patents and have a good understanding of how hollow they can be. We always say they are no good until proven in court. Also, the likelihood of someone coming after a person for making one for their own use is very low, and as long as you are not selling it. We have checked patent laws about this. There is just not enough reward in it for the cost. That is why my statement about commercial use.
If I may digress from topic a bit:
As for the comments about China, my company did go there. I am an American design engineer working here to design the parts they make, and help control the quality of a multimillion dollar company, so don't tell me about China. I do not like it either, but if we are to play in today's world, it is a fact of life. I have been over there over 8 times to help with plant set-up and operation. We get very high quality work out of our plant, but it took a lot of work to get there.
Interesting and comforting is that now the workers in China that were so low paid are now demanding higher pay, really creating somewhat of a capitalistic environment. Some companies are now finding it beneficial to move manufacturing back here. Everything levels out with time.
The good thing about this situation also that is happening to influence the people of China is that in setting up our plant, we had Chinese management people and set-up people over here to learn the operations. I brought these people down to my farm. They got to drive my military trucks and my farm tractors, and most of all, got to share shooting sports with rifles and pistols, both things impossible for them to do in private life China. They were like kids in a candy store! The point is these people learn things about America through this exchange of industry, taking it back with them to share with others there. I believe this has created an undermining of the Communist attempt to shut out the other life styles in the world and control their people which may in fact contribute to a collapse of their Communist system like Russia's did.
These are my final statements and final look at this thread. We have digressed enough.
Nuff said! Best wishes to all of you.
Regards Marti
