Patents Represented by Attorney Charles E. Townsend, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5455567
    Abstract: An automatic signaling system from a tractor-trailer being accidentally lifted with the cargo by the overhead traveling crane includes a height-change sensor for triggering a pulse generator which drives a strobe light that is seen by a discriminator mounted above on the crane. The discriminator is coupled into the hoisting circuitry only and does not affect the "lowering" circuitry; it will interrupt hoisting only if the discriminator sees strobe flashes of a particular predetermined frequency and pulse duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1995
    Inventor: Donald E. Simmons
  • Patent number: 5438795
    Abstract: A grapevine trellis system incorporating substantially Z-shaped wire supporting bracket arms arranged and constructed to be alternately and universally mounted on solid T-bar posts, metal roll formed T-shaped posts, and/or conventional rectangular wooden posts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Inventor: John M. Galbraith
  • Patent number: 5427374
    Abstract: An improved and simplified transparent hand-held random selector device used for selecting numbers, letters or symbols, or a combination of the three which are used for playing lottery related games or other games. Such device comprised of a container (10) formed by a ball mixing receptacle (11) a ball receiving receptacle (12) and a two position sliding gate (15) containing within a plurality of marked balls (19).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Inventors: Francisco Ulloa, Isidro Magallanes
  • Patent number: 5351356
    Abstract: A sponge body of between 6"-12" long and square in transverse cross-section defining four 2" to 3" wide side surfaces is provided with an elongate handle, the inner end of which terminates approximately 1" to 2" short of the outer squared end of the sponge body which is formed with two perpendicular transverse notches providing a physical and visual guide for the sponge end to conform with moldings and to compressibly fit into tight spaces. The outer end of the handle terminates in a flared scraper blade. In a modified embodiment, the sponge end of the handle is formed with a brush element having bristles extending laterally beyond the plane of one side surface of the sponge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1994
    Inventor: Charles E. Townsend, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5301624
    Abstract: The invention provides an improved SWATH type vessel having pontoons and a stern plane located in a position to influence water flow in the region of the tail cone portions of the pontoons and the propellers to reduce depression of the water adjacent the propellers which would otherwise cause propeller ventilation when the vessel is moving at speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1994
    Assignee: Swath Ocean Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Nelson W. Hall, Donald T. Higdon
  • Patent number: 5289700
    Abstract: An earring for pierced ears including a post that is slidably mounted in a vertical slot on the main body or frame of the earring so that the main frame, and the ornamentation carried thereon can be adjusted upwardly or downwardly in reference to the ear lobe and the post projecting therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1994
    Assignee: Peony Fine Jewelry, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark Cheng
  • Patent number: 5257666
    Abstract: A stand up hand-held tool to penetrate soil for purposes of cultivation, weeding and the like. The tool comprises an elongate spear shaft, at least one end of which is pointed or otherwise formed to provide a leading edge for expeditious soil penetration. An elongate tubular handle grip, preferably extending about 2/5 the length of the shaft, is mounted on the shaft rod to provide a smooth manual hand grip surface to permit a user's hand to slidably grip the tool in a large variety of longitudinal positions along the lengthwise axis of the rod. The tool is specifically designed to permit a user in a standing position to manipulate the tool using an underhanded sliding grip with one hand on the smooth handle grip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1993
    Inventor: Charles E. Townsend, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5211032
    Abstract: An earring construction for pierced ears includes a main body or frame for supporting a post to project through the pierced ear lobe. Vertically spaced receptors, each capable of receiving and retaining the post, are provided or formed in the back side of the frame whereby in fitting an earring to an individual user, with the earring display side or ornament at least partially overlying the ear lobe, the post may be moved relatively upwardly or downwardly in order to have the earring hang at the optimum position and desired angle in reference to the vertical plane of the ear lobe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1993
    Assignee: Peony Fine, Jewelry, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark Cheng
  • Patent number: 4945575
    Abstract: A sun visor is disclosed having a plurality of louvers of differing vertical heights with the innermost louver being the highest in elevation to thereby provide overhead light cutoff angles that shield the wearer's eyes from direct rays of the sun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1990
    Inventor: Charles E. Townsend
  • Patent number: 4919063
    Abstract: An improved hull construction for a SWATH vessel of the type having first and second pontoons disposed beneath a superstructure and coupled thereto by vertically disposed struts. The improvement comprises substantially hollow sponson whose bottom surface defines a relatively narrow horizontally extending strake disposed between the superstructure and each pontoon for producing forces to right the vessel including substantially instantaneously increasing the rate of buoyancy as the superstructure contacts the water surface. In the preferred embodiment, each sponson extends fore and art of the vessel for substantially the entire length of the struts, and includes a bottom surface defining a strake located a prescribed distance below the superstructure for increasing the waterplane area by a prescribed amount when the bottom surfaces of the sponsons contact the water's surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1990
    Assignee: Swath Ocean Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Nelson W. Hall, Paul Kotzebue
  • Patent number: 4867090
    Abstract: The forward deck of a swath or catamaran type vessel is constructed largely of a sieve-type material, such as honeycomb-type deck grating. Should the foredeck of the vessel, which is normally suspended above the water line become submerged by plowing into a wave, or otherwise inundated by large masses of green water which would otherwise tend to weight the bow of the vessel down, the above deck water will simply drain through the sieve-type material and permit the inherent flotation of the pontoons and hull of the vessel to promptly raise the bow to relative horizontal position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1989
    Assignee: Swath Ocean Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Nelson W. Hall, Gregory Smith
  • Patent number: 4333165
    Abstract: Method and active media for controlled production of physical and refractive index inhomogeneities in a volume of a suspension medium by use of at least two intersecting beams of electromagnetic radiation matched to the excited state properties of molecules in the media. In addition, complex three-dimensional physical and chemical structures are produced by selective excitation of different types of molecules in the media and by employing transportive capabilities of liquid or gaseous support medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1982
    Assignee: Formigraphic Engine Corporation
    Inventors: Wyn K. Swainson, Stephen D. Kramer
  • Patent number: D319618
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: Swath Ocean Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Kotzebue
  • Patent number: D319621
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: Swath Ocean Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Kotzebue
  • Patent number: D319623
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: Swath Ocean Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Kotzebue
  • Patent number: D324845
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1992
    Assignee: Swath Ocean Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Kotzebue
  • Patent number: D345036
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 8, 1994
    Inventor: Charles E. Townsend, Jr.
  • Patent number: D356684
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Inventor: Charles E. Townsend, Jr.
  • Patent number: D357771
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Inventors: Charles E. Townsend, III, Charles E. Townsend, Jr.