Patents Represented by Attorney Arthur F. Zobal
  • Patent number: 6804916
    Abstract: A system and process for sealing exterior windows and doors of a building. For sealing a window, four slots are formed in the building wall spaced from the window. Four panels of material are obtained each having an elongated planar portion with two spaced apart edges and two flanges extending in opposite direction from the two edges respectively. One of each of the flanges of the panels are located in the four slots respectively and each of the other flanges are located next to the window. The lower ends of the two side panels overlap the laterally extending ends of the two side panels, and the upper panel overlaps the upper extending ends of the two side panels. The invention also is applicable to door frames in which case the lower panel will not be employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Inventor: Gary L. Myers
  • Patent number: 6777652
    Abstract: The oven includes a lower electrical heating element which is located below a support member. Two laterally spaced apart upper electrical heating elements are supported above the support member and the food to be cooked. An electrical system is provided for supplying electrical power to the lower electrical heating element and to the two upper electrical heating elements. A controller is provided for controlling electrical power applied to the lower heating element and to the two upper electrical heating elements. By way of a thermocouple, the controller senses the temperature in the oven and controls the lower heating element to maintain a set point temperature, i.e. 550° F., in the oven. When any of the upper heating elements is activated, and is in a broiling sequence the controller disables these upper heating elements if the temperature in the oven rises above an upper temperature level of i.e. 585° F.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Inventor: Edward E. Stockley
  • Patent number: 6758218
    Abstract: The apparatus includes a fluid suspended, inner member, which has printed upon it a series of position bull's eyes, which are connected by a path printed on the inner member. The inner member is contained within a transparent, watertight outer housing, which has a sighting marking printed upon it. The device is attached to the user's head in a manner such that when the user moves his head, the outer member can move relative to the inner member. This allows the user to follow the path to visually track his correct head position through the posterior canalith repositioning maneuver sequence. Also attached to the user apparatus is an assistant apparatus which includes a hollow ball containing a liquid sufficient to form a small bubble which allows an assistant to follow a second path which corresponds to that seen by the user when he follows the user path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Inventor: Philip F. Anthony
  • Patent number: 6758459
    Abstract: The weed puller comprises foot block molded out of plastic material with tines molded into a forward end and with an aperture formed in its upper surface for receiving a handle. In the embodiment disclosed, the foot block comprises two opposite facing sides and six edge surfaces which comprises a front surface, an upper surface, a fulcrum transverse to the upper surface and which comprises a rear surface, a bottom surface, and a forward fulcrum surface. A surface also extends from the forward fulcrum surface to the first end. The tines are molded into the block and extend out of the front surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Inventors: Edward A. Heikkinen, Doris A. Heikkinen
  • Patent number: 6748939
    Abstract: A support frame with legs is provided for supporting a chamber member with walls that taper inward from its upper end to an ash removal opening and a middle member forming a heating cavity. The upper end of the middle is adapted to support an upper member with walls that taper inward from its lower end to an upper vent. A lower grate is supported at the lower opening of the middle member for holding material to be burned. An upper grate is supported at the upper end of the middle member for supporting food to be cooked. In a further aspect, a side opening is formed through the wall of the middle member for use for adding burnable material on the lower grate. The four members can be broken down and stacked together in a small volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Inventor: Teddy L. Gober
  • Patent number: 6732555
    Abstract: A securing mechanism is provided which can be attached to a conventional meter box lid which does not require the lid to be redesigned. The securing mechanism comprises a holding member attached to the latch on the underside of the lid. A threaded aperture is formed in said holding member. A bolt having a threaded shaft is extended through the upper wall of the lid from the top side to be secured into the threaded aperture of the holding member for preventing a key from moving the latch member to a release position. In the embodiment disclosed, the bolt has a head with two spaced apart apertures formed therein for receiving two prong of tool for allowing the bolt shaft to be screwed into and from the threaded aperture for locking and release purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: DFW Plastics, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffery N. Nielsen
  • Patent number: 6708513
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a climate control system for a motor vehicle (58) which comprises a compressor (14) and a corresponding compressor drive (16), an interior heat exchanger (18), an exterior heat exchanger (36), an expansion element (32) and, if so required, an internal heat exchanger (30). The device is realized in the form of a self-sufficient flat module (12) that is designed for cooling in a cooling mode and for heating in a heat pump mode. The compressor (16) consists of a high-output carbon dioxide compressor that has a small structural volume and is integrated into the module (12) together with the compressor drive (16). The carbon dioxide compressor (14) preferably has an external power control. The module (12) contains an energy connection (54) for only one form of energy in order to supply the drive of the module (12) with energy. The energy connection (54) preferably consists of an electric energy connection with only one voltage level or with several different voltage levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Konvekta AG
    Inventors: Juergen Koehler, Nicholas Carsten Lemke
  • Patent number: 6702046
    Abstract: The drill device has a body with a front end and a rear end and which is connectable to the shaft of a drilling apparatus. A plurality of angularly spaced apart slots are formed in the exterior of the device which extend between the front and rear ends. Each slot has a lip extending from each of its front and rear ends respectively. A cutting member is provided for each of the slots with each cutting member having a connecting portion located in one of the slots and having a forward end and a rearward. Each connecting portion has a hook near its front and rear ends respectively for connection to the lips of the slot in which it is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Inventors: Charles T. Webb, Roy L. Chandler
  • Patent number: 6683262
    Abstract: The system comprises a lower frame, an upper frame coupled to the lower frame, and wheels coupled to the lower frame for engagement with a base for supporting the upper and lower frames and for moving the two frames. A conveyor belt is supported by the upper frame for supporting and moving baggage placed on the belt. A load sensor is coupled to the lower frame for supporting the upper frame for determining the weight of the baggage placed on the belt. A frame drive is coupled to the lower frame for moving the two frames between loading and unloading positions. In addition, a belt drive is provided for moving the belt and baggage thereon off of the belt when the apparatus is located at the unloading position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Inventor: William M. Scott
  • Patent number: 6681427
    Abstract: The apparatus includes an elastic layer for supporting a person. A plurality of rows of expandable and retractable tubes are embedded in the elastic layer. A source of compressed air and a control system are provided for sequentially injecting and releasing air into and from a first set of alternate tubes and then into and from a second set of alternate tubes for imparting continuous motion to the elastic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Anderson Bio-Bed, Incorporated
    Inventors: Brenda K. Anderson, James A. Blackwell
  • Patent number: 6676707
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a prosthesis which includes first and second members pivotally coupled together and two links which are pivotally coupled together with one link being pivotally coupled to the first member and the other link being pivotally coupled the second member. A control mechanism is provided which is pivotally coupled to the first member and the pivotal connection of the two links to move the two links and hence the second member relative to the first member. The first member may be coupled to a person to allow the prosthesis to serve in one embodiment as an arm or as a portion of an arm and in another embodiment to serve as a leg or as a portion of a leg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Inventors: Tachung C. Yih, Sankar Pemmaraju
  • Patent number: 6675536
    Abstract: The apparatus is used for closing and securing a door in its frame. A movable wedge is supported in a slot in the frame. A closing mechanism is employed for closing the door and a second mechanism is employed for moving the wedge into a slot formed in the edge of the door when the door is closed. A shape memory wire is used in conjunction with the closing mechanism for allowing the closing mechanism to close the door. A second shape memory wire is used in conjunction with the second mechanism for allowing the second mechanism to move the wedge from the frame slot into the door slot when the door is closed for securing the door to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Williams-Pyro, Inc.
    Inventors: Brent Williams, Richard Anthony, Aravind Seshadri, Nicholas A. Teufel, James H. Kim, Kisoo Jung, Kartik Moorthy
  • Patent number: 6658685
    Abstract: A lift is coupled to the outer cab of a telescoping bridge. The lift has a carriage that can be moved by a cable and a motor upward or downward and which includes a platform that has sensing means for controlling the motor for stopping downward movement of the carriage when it engages the ground. An electrically operated safety catch is provided to prevent the carriage from falling in the event the cable breaks. A safety system is provided which prevents the bridge from moving if the carriage is not in the up position and its door is not closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Inventors: William Clay Ratliff, Fredrick Keish, James Angel, William Dorrough
  • Patent number: 6645342
    Abstract: The device is formed of a strand of flexible material that is helically coiled in the form of a preformed elongated member having adjacent coils removably bonded together. In using the device, the preformed member is embedded in concrete when in a wet state with one end of the preformed member extending at or close to the surface of the concrete. After the concrete has solidified, the end of the preformed member is pulled to break the bonds between adjacent coils to lengthen and reduce the diameter of the member to allow the strand to be removed from the concrete to form an aperture in the concrete from the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Inventor: William M. Scott
  • Patent number: 6641332
    Abstract: An elongated pilot member is forced into the ground and an auger with a hollow stem is positioned around the pilot member and rotated to move the auger into the ground. A second elongated member is coupled to the pilot member and an upward force is applied to the auger stem or to an extension thereof to enable a downward force to be applied to the second elongated member to force the second elongated member and the pilot member into the ground. The second elongated member and the auger stem then are attached together and to a foundation support member for providing support for a foundation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Appalachian Structural Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert D. Alvarado
  • Patent number: 6613970
    Abstract: A method of using a computer controlled machine to provide a hand plate for a predetermined pitch acoustic musical instrument device utilises the accuracy, repeatability and computer facility to use the scaling factor of the operating program of a forming machine controlled by a programmed computer. As shown in FIG. 1 an acoustic musical hand plate instrument comprises a plate 1, a handle 2, and a clapper mechanism 3. The plate 1 is made from a sheet of aluminum alloy. The parameters of the plate 1 and its operation as a musical instrument is substantially as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,310. The handle 2 is a bifurcated block of plastics material into which the plate 1 is secured by means of two recessed bolts 4. The clapper mechanism 3 is mounted on the handle 2 by means of a pivot block 5 containing screw means 17 for adjusting the rotational friction of the clapper mechanism 3. Alternatively, the clapper may be coupled to the handle by means of an elastomeric material as described in U.S. Pat. No.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Inventor: Maurice P. Davies
  • Patent number: 6609523
    Abstract: A computational statistical determination is made as to whether a person suffers from benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) based upon answers provided by a person to questions stored in a computer. The person answers questions about the characteristics of his or her vertigo, dizziness or imbalance symptoms. Based on proprietary information about the predictive value of each question, and the relationships between the questions, the person is given a statement of the chance of his or her having BPPV which would be responsive to a head maneuver designed to clear gravity sensitive crystals from a sensitive semicircular canal (SCC) area to a less sensitive area of the inner ear. Based on this determination, the person 1) is offered for sale an apparatus for further diagnosis and an apparatus to relieve his BPPV symptoms by self-treatment or 2) he may be told to go to a healthcare provider for treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Inventor: Philip F. Anthony
  • Patent number: 6568949
    Abstract: The invention is directed to apparatus for making an accessible connection between a cable and a coupler, wherein electrical wires extend between the cable and the coupler. A removable stop is provided which is adapted to engage the cable and the coupler to hold the cable and the coupler apart to form a gap therebetween wherein the electrical wires extend between the cable and the coupler by way of the gap. A sleeve is provided which is movable between a closed position wherein the sleeve engages the cable and the coupler and surrounds the wires and the stop, and an open position wherein the gap is exposed and the wires are accessible. Also provided is a fastening mechanism for removably fastening the sleeve in the closed position and for allowing the sleeve to be moved from the closed position to the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Williams-Pyro, Inc.
    Inventor: James Craig Walters
  • Patent number: D485046
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Inventor: Frank Jay Hague
  • Patent number: D489161
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Inventor: Frank Jay Hague