Patents Represented by Attorney John E. Halamka
  • Patent number: 7238021
    Abstract: An arrangement that may be used in combination with selected tools having a tooth cutting surface for the care and maintenance such as removing a selected portion of the exposed surface of equine teeth. The selected tool in communication with a source of powered motion and mounted in and supported by a hand piece which is guided into the mouth of the horse. The cutting surface of the powered tool is partially guarded so as to protect fleshy portions of the horse's mouth from being engaged by the cutting surface. The hand piece provides for quick on and off attachment of a selected cutting surface for maintenance of a preselected portion of teeth within the same hand piece or another hand piece sized to ease access to the next selected portion of the horse's mouth. The selected hand piece arrangement may further incorporate a vacuum channel whereby the tooth dust and debris created by the powered cutting surface removing a portion of tooth is sucked out of the mouth of the horse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Inventor: Gary E. Johnson
  • Patent number: 7005020
    Abstract: A process for the fabrication of a speaker enclosure for a set of drivers utilizing a series of templates including a base template having an external circumferential edge, corresponding to the preselected external shape of the enclosure, a preselected number of guide holes placed within said circumferential edge, a plurality of internal circumferential edges creating mounts for each driver and corresponding port. The process includes the step of calculating the volumes of cavities to enhance the sound reproduction ability of the drivers. Additional templates including the external circumferential edge and guide hole placement of the base template and further including internal circumferential edges to complete the fabrication of the cavity volume further incorporating internal supports within said cavity volumes placed whereby said supports do not inhibit the mounting of said drivers into said cavities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Inventor: Kyle McCain
  • Patent number: 6397226
    Abstract: A method, computer program and system, for performing computer-based on-line commerce for goods having an excess inventory age is provided. The method, program and system include receiving information about a plurality goods from at least one vendor, wherein the information includes inventory age; compiling the information from the vendor to form a database; processing a request from a consumer regarding goods by comparing the request to the database; identifying goods fitting the request having an excess inventory age that exceeds an age of best profit; and using the information associated with the goods that best fit the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Inventor: Mike Sage
  • Patent number: 6024375
    Abstract: Attachment for a binding (1) having straps and fitting a user's boot, the binding attached to a snow gliding or wake boarding device. Upon detachment of one end of each strap of the binding, the ends are attached to a spanning bar (11). A closing lever (10) is mounted to the spanning bar (12,14) to provide a preselected mechanical advantage. A front clip (30) having a niche rod (32) is mounted near the toe end of the binding (33), and a rear clip (20) having a latch (26) is mounted near the heel end. The closing lever is engaged with the niche rod (32) and then with the latch (26), moving the spanning bar downward and tightening the straps around the boot. The first insertion of the boot requires adjustment of the strap tension; subsequent insertions do not require further adjustment. The closing lever (10) is releasable from the latch, loosening the straps for boot removal. The latch may be fitted with a cable release and a safety lock (28) to prevent disengagement of the closing lever from the latch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Inventor: Gary E. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5951048
    Abstract: A leash arrangement attachable to the binding of a snow gliding device or directly to the device and having a leash tube extending up along the user's leg with a strap at the top to hold the leash tube at a position accessible to the user. A shock cord is threaded inside the leash tube. One end of the shock cord is attached to the binding or device and the other end has a handle which may be mounted by a snap to the leg strap. Upon sitting on a lift chair, the user pulls on the handle thereby elongating the shock cord. The handle is then placed under the thigh of the user to provide affirmative hoisting of the snow gliding device during the chair lift ride. If the user is wearing ridged high top boots, the leash tube may be eliminated and a hasp eye mounted on the leg strap as a guide for the shock cord. A folded deployable edge guard may be mounted on the shock cord between the hasp eye and the handle which rests under the shock cord as it engages the edge of the seat on the chair lift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Inventor: James E. Slaughter
  • Patent number: 5845884
    Abstract: An ergonomic support for portions of the forearm, wrist, palm and hand of a user of data entry devices. The support raises shaped hand cradles to a position whereby the user's fingers and thumbs may access all keys, balls, rollers and switches of the data entry devices while being supported thereby reducing loading on the upper extremities of the operator. The hand cradles are mounted on a tower fixed to a foot pad which are fabricated to slide over the support surface in front of the devices. An optional glide board may be placed under the devices if the support surface inhibits easy sliding of the foot pads. The front edge of the keyboard may be raised to accommodate the toe of the foot pads. A mouse support may be placed under a mouse device to raise the mouse to a height compatible with the keyboard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1998
    Inventor: William H. Terbrack
  • Patent number: 5840001
    Abstract: A therapy table, the articulated platform of which may be vertically positioned for ease of mounting by a user, particularly a disabled or injured user. The articulated platform separately supports the lower and upper body of the user. A foot rest platform is provided at the lower end of the platform for the user to initially mount the table. A leg locking arrangement secures the user to the foot rest platform and table during foot rest platform positioning of the user in vertical relationship to the articulated platform. The platform may be rotated to an essentially horizontal position. The upper body support portion of the platform may be moved away from the user whereby the user may perform selected exercises such as hyper extension of the lower back. Weights may be made accessible to the user to allow conditioning of selected muscle regions. The design and use of this table is particularly adapted to reduce the stress of therapy for a user having an injured back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Inventor: Robert M. Schedel
  • Patent number: 5797616
    Abstract: A guide system arrangement for a tow vehicle having a ball. The guide system is universally mountable on the upper surface of a bumper or on the draw bar of the hitch of the tow vehicle by providing non-rotatable pillars to the side and in front of the ball and wings removably attachable to the pillars forming a wide V channel which accepts most couplers attached to a trailer vehicle to position the coupler above the ball as the tow vehicle is driven toward the trailer vehicle. Upon lowering of the coupler onto the ball, the stepped stop formed in the wing portion of the guide system releases any tension that may have been formed during the guide process so that the wings may be removed from the pillars for storage thereby allowing a variety of accessories to be mounted on the pillars for use either while the vehicle is in motion or stationary. If the accessories are too heavy or unstable, a support may be coupled onto the ball to provide a tripod mounting for the accessory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Inventor: David Clement
  • Patent number: 5782781
    Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide an elastic girdling belt which serves to secure and maintain in a normal condition the connective structure of the coxae and lumbar vertebrae which support the pelvis in the human body, thus correcting the figure and not only serving to cure daily life affecting diseases caused by abnormalities in those regions such as lumbago, neuralgia, or internal organ disorders, but also producing significant effects in the prevention of these diseases. The girdling belt, while easy to handle, also produces noticeable effects in shaping the body and raising the hips, and at the same time allowing the greatest to the subtlest range of motion required for daily life without producing tight, uncomfortable feeling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Inventor: Nobuo Nagaoka
  • Patent number: 5672117
    Abstract: A golf putter club having a stationary grip portion hingedly mounted to a swingable shaft portion. A head mounted at its center of gravity to the remote end of the shaft. An alignment mark visible to the user engraved on the top surface of the head perpendicular to the face of the head. A sighting device is mounted on the stationary grip whereby, upon placing the face next to the ball, the user may align a preselected target with said alignment mark assuring the face to be perpendicular to the target. While holding the stationary portion, thereby keeping the face aligned, the user may move the swingable shaft portion to impart a pendulum action force to the ball to drive the ball toward the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1997
    Inventor: Ather R. Dar
  • Patent number: 5539950
    Abstract: A protective housing for the purpose of inhibiting the drying of materials in contact with the roller cover installed on a roller applicator. Applicator shaft seals and perimeter seals around protective housing inhibit the escape of fluid materials from or the intrusion of materials onto the roller cover. A transparent housing enables the user to visually identify the type of covering materials which are in contact with the roller cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1996
    Inventors: Randy Zar, James Streetmaker
  • Patent number: 5518337
    Abstract: A traffic delineator has a hollow cylindrical shell which may be of a preselected color over a preselected portion of the cylindrical shell with a wall thickness which is smaller at its top than at its bottom. As a result of the reduced weight at the top of the shell, the delineator has better recovery than delineators with constant wall thickness shells. In addition, the reduced wall thickness requires less material thereby permitting the shell to be made from a higher recovery, higher cost material, such as polyurethane. In one embodiment the wall thickness varies continuously from top to bottom and in another embodiment there is a series of steps with a constant wall thickness section between steps. The delineator has a smaller diameter base which provides rigidity and permits the delineator to be releasably supported by a support stand having a recess which releasably engages the base in a preselected orientation, held therein by a pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Inventor: D. Joe Modlin
  • Patent number: 5488441
    Abstract: An eye-glass frame arrangement fabricated of a combination of a semi-rigid lens retaining support and a semi-flexible nose bridge and semi-flexible temple bows having a retaining strap removably engagable around the back of the head and adapted for use while engaging in activities which involve physical endeavor or usages on or around bodies of water. Closed cell shaped padding is applied to the lens supports facing the eye sockets. The arrangement is formed to have memory so that the lens supports are initially positioned away from the eye sockets and upon tightening of the retaining strap, the arrangement deforms to the shape of goggles so that the lens support padding seals around the eye sockets to protect the eyes of the user from the elements. In another arrangement, the eye pad is integrated with the lens support and hingedly attached to the temple bows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 30, 1996
    Inventor: Thomas W. Pomatti
  • Patent number: 5474032
    Abstract: A pet toy and excerises device adapted to be selectively mounted over the top of an existing dwelling door to allow the pet to interact with the device and "play by itself", or the device may be hand held to initiate excerise. The device comprises a plurality of wands, flexible or rigid, a tether and a target object. The device may further combine a counterweight and a stop selectively mounted on the tether all of which increase the eccentricity of the orbit of the target object when the target is encountered by the pet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1995
    Inventors: Mark H. Krietzman, Yu-Hsin Chen
  • Patent number: 5474042
    Abstract: A pre-oil device which uses a positive release catch/latch to allow a spring loaded piston within a resevor chamber to provide oil to an engine before the engine oil pump reaches operational levels. The solenoid which is energized to initiate the pre-oil process incorporates a slip mounting of the core to the positive release catch/latch to enhance the performance of the release and conserve energy. The device also includes an air tight mounting allowing the user to introduce pressurized air to augment the spring loading of the piston during adverse conditions. A secondary piston may be mounted within the main piston. The secondary piston recedes into the main piston under high oil pressure but applies pressure to the oil system to compensate for low pressure of the engine oil system during reduction of speed of the engine and reduced engine oil pump performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1995
    Inventor: Mitsuharu Kaneda
  • Patent number: 5348661
    Abstract: A method of removing hazardous fluid waste material from a body of water by exposing a carrier (10) containing a porous bladder (20) filled with sorbent material to the waste and then removing said carrier(10). The exposed bladder (20) may be removed from the carrier (10) for disposal of the waste. The carrier (10) may be recharged with a fresh bladder (20) and reused. An apparatus for removing hazardous fluid waste material having a carrier (10) for a porous bladder (20) filled with sorbent material such as waterfowl feathers. The carrier (10) is fabricated to allow the removal of an exposed bladder (20) and refilling with a fresh bladder (20) without removal of the apparatus from the surface of the water while still containing the pool of hazardous waste. The carrier (10) may be fabricated of flexible (40) or rigid (60) mesh material. An adhesive coating may be applied to the bladder (20) to aid in containment of the sorbent material within the bladder (20) especially during handling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1994
    Inventor: Alan Hill
  • Patent number: 5339563
    Abstract: An apparatus which may use non-toxic, non-solid attractant and non-toxic, non-solid material to kill attracted insects. A base is formed as a tapered cylinder with a solid bottom. The attractant is poured onto the bottom. Access holes are formed in the sides of the base above the bottom so that the attractant does not leak out. An insert is fabricated of a truncated hollow cone and an apron to form a trough in which diatomaceous earth may be poured and placed inside the base forming an attractant chamber below the insert and an killing chamber above the insert. A cover encloses the insert inside the base. The insect enters the access hole to drink the attractant, flies up the inside of the hollow cone, enters the killing chamber through tile truncated cone top. Upon contact with the diatamesous earth in the trough, the insect is inflicted with cuts, looses bodily fluids and dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1994
    Inventor: Frank Job
  • Patent number: 5337692
    Abstract: A recreational boat with a viewing plane which may be in contact with the water when the boat is ladened. The boat being constructed from two main pieces, a transparent hull piece formed with sponsons specially shaped to assist in maneuvering and a deck piece mated with the hull. The peripheral edges where the two major pieces are mated forms a splash guard and may be protected with a bumper. The deck is fabricated with seats, steering column, motor mount and storage compartment access doors. A second viewing plane may be formed in the bow of the hull and accessories such as a hand rail may be mounted on the deck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1994
    Inventor: Thomas C. Troiani
  • Patent number: 5317098
    Abstract: A fragment, synthetic or natural, DNA or RNA, may be attached to a non-radiological label such as a fluorescent compound, a luminescent compound or a color reflective compound, by a linker. The linker is an aminoalkylphosphoramide. The linker may contain a number of methyl units selected to adjust the mobility of the arrangement of the tagged fragment in a polyacrylamide gel during electro-phoresis. A unique color may be attached to each for the four bases. The color coded bases may be separated in a single lane of the ployacrylamide gel. Because the mobility of each arrangement has been adjusted the normal one base spacing will be produced. The sequence of the target may be read directly by manually observing the color sequence or by an automatic reader. The tagging of natural fragments may be used to tag a preselected gene, in the application of Southern and Northern bloting diagnostic procedures, as a diagnostic tool to hunt/detect selected DNA and to label probes to detect ribosonal RNA of pathogens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Inventors: Hiroaki Shizuya, Sharon L. Millar
  • Patent number: 5312136
    Abstract: A personal identification tag (10) for notation of name, address, medical information, etc. which may be installed inside the shoe of the user. During installation the paper layer (720) may be filled with identification data by the user, the adhesive protective layer (712) may be peeled off and the clear plastic layer (710) may be pressed over the paper layer (720) and held in place by the clear adhesive layer (711) thereby creating a protected notational strip. The second adhesive protective layer (722) may be peeled off and the identification strip (10) may be placed inside a shoe by the user being held in place by an adhesive layer (721). The second adhesive protective layer (722) may be enlarged to form an extension (723) upon which instructions for installation and use of the identification tag (10) may be printed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1994
    Inventor: Carl A. Capozzola