Patents Represented by Attorney John J. Swartz
  • Patent number: 5172628
    Abstract: Apparatus for cooking food atop a barbeque grill or the like including a hollow rectangular frame having front and rear walls coupled by adjustable side walls to adapt the unit to different size barbeque grills. A plurality of food receiving skewer blades are rotatably mounted on the front and rear walls and include a pointed end for piercing food and a handle end which can be gripped for removing the skewer blades. One of the skewer blades is rotatably driven via a motor mounted thereon adjacent the front wall. The rotation of the driven skewer blade is coupled to the remaining skewer blades via intermeshing gears rotatably mounted on the rear wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1992
    Inventors: Thomas J. Pillsbury, Keith W. Wurst
  • Patent number: 5163647
    Abstract: Apparatus for mounting an object, such as a model airplane, on a support surface such as an upstanding rod. The apparatus includes an elongate rod mounted on an intermediate portion of the model for longitudinal movement to any selected one of a plurality of different positions to adjust the center of gravity and the attitude of the model relative to the support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1992
    Inventors: Merkel Fader, John C. Richardson
  • Patent number: 5156138
    Abstract: Apparatus for drawing a bow including a hand graspable bowstring gripping member for detachably gripping and rearwardly drawing the bowstring to flex the bow to a drawn condition and for releasing the bowstring to propel an arrow. The apparatus includes an elongate draw bar mounted on the hand graspable member and a guide member mountable on the bow for slidably receiving and guiding the draw bar for movement in a to-and-for reciprocal path of travel relative to the bow between inoperative position and a rearward bowstring drawing position. The apparatus includes a lock member for detachably holding the draw bar in the rearward bowstring drawing position including a stop member movable between a holding position forwardly of and in the path of the forward end of the draw bar when the draw bar is in the drawn position and a draw bar releasing position removed from the path of travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1992
    Inventor: Roger Grover
  • Patent number: 5136953
    Abstract: A tailgate table for mounting on the rear upstanding wall of an automobile truck enclosure including: a table top, and mount mechanism depending from the table top to receive the rear wall for cantileverly mounting the table top on the upstanding rear wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1992
    Inventor: Donald R. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 5127892
    Abstract: An in situ foot exercise shoe for enhancing the in-place exercise of the foot of a person, particularly the elderly and those afflicted with various abnormalities of the lower extremities which require exercise without actual walking or running. The apparatus constructed according to the present invention comprises a shoe which enhances sliding movement in a to-and-fro path of travel. The shoe includes a planar slide for sliding in a to-and-fro reciprocal path of travel and mechanism for coupling the slide to the underside of the foot. The slide includes a sole having a smooth uninterrupted planar bottom surface for enhancing to-and-fro sliding movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1992
    Inventor: Floyd Sawdon
  • Patent number: 5127897
    Abstract: A therapeutic back support device for use in applying force to vertically opposite sides of a human spine at any selected one of a plurality of different vertical levels. The device includes a back support plate which is coupled to a human body to forwardly direct the plate. A pair of force concentrating members are mounted on the front face of the plate between the plate and the body for concentrating the forwardly directed force of the plate to a specific portion of the back. The force concentrating members may be laterally and vertically moved to apply the force to any selected one of a plurality of vertically spaced spinal vertebrae.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1992
    Inventor: Clare F. Roller
  • Patent number: 5068928
    Abstract: Apparatus for storing a rolled pool cover along the exterior sidewall of the pool. The apparatus includes a plurality of perimetrically spaced apart, upwardly opening hooks which are cantileverly supported on the pool sidewall. The hooks are expansible and contractible to allow the hooks to "open" and "close" for receiving and dispensing the pool cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1991
    Inventor: Cynthia Powell
  • Patent number: 5065616
    Abstract: Apparatus for, and method of, hydrostatically testing whether a line filled with a liquid, such as gasoline, is leaking comprising mechanism for closing one end of the line to be tested and an upstanding cylinder having its upper end coupled to the opposite end of the line to be tested. The cylinder is transparent and filled at its upper end with a liquid identical to the liquid in the line being tested and at its lower end, a second liquid of a substantially heavier density so that the liquids do not mix. Mechanism is provided for applying pressure to the heavier density liquid to force the liquid in the upper end of the cylinder into the line. The cylinder is transparent and includes graduations thereon so that the user can visualize whether or not the junction is moving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1991
    Inventor: Peter Schuster
  • Patent number: 5040679
    Abstract: A toilet accessory having the outward appearance of a doll for concealing toilet paper rolls and/or toilet plunger. The device includes a decorative figure including a doll body having an aperture in the lower end thereof for receiving an upstanding rod mounted on a base. The rod may suitably comprise the handle of a plunger. The rod may mount one or more toilet paper rolls. The apparatus includes a skirt mounted on the body and depending therefrom to surround the rod and any toilet rolls mounted thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1991
    Inventor: Mary E. Rehmann
  • Patent number: 5000111
    Abstract: A trail marking device for marking a trail and guide an individual who is retracing his steps in a wooded area during daylight or darkness. The trail marking device includes an elongate sheet of light reflecting material which can be easily seen in the daylight and an abutting strip of luminescent material which can be more easily viewed in darkness. A plurality of longitudinally spaced, longitudinally aligned wire sections are sandwiched between the strips for securing individual sheet sections to a tree limb. The sheet sections are detachably coupled to adjacent sheet sections along perforated break lines. The strips are wound on a spool which include a plurality of tacks which can be used for alternately tacking the strips to a tree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1991
    Inventor: Robert L. Gibson
  • Patent number: 4991339
    Abstract: Apparatus for coupling a fishing line to a fishing lure. The apparatus includes a pin having a laterally inner portion coupled to the lure, for receiving a lure coupling loop and a laterally outer large portion for inhibiting lateral displacement of the lure coupling loop from the laterally inner portion. The apparatus further includes an adjustable lure coupling loop which is expansible and contractable to provide an eyelet having a reduced size for coupling to the laterally inner portion of the pin and a expanded size to be removed from the laterally inner portion of the pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1991
    Inventor: Robert L. Gibson
  • Patent number: 4980988
    Abstract: A combination net holster and fishing creel comprising a water impervious back and a net front portion secured together about the sides and bottom to form an upwardly opening net receiving pocket sized to receive a fishing net therein. A belt loop is formed in the back portion for receiving a belt about the fisherman's chest and a cord may be employed to secure the lower portion of the apparatus to the user's leg. Fish may be kept within the pocket, while water freely circulates through the net front portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Inventor: Peter Whitman
  • Patent number: 4945757
    Abstract: Apparatus for and method of testing whether a tank completely filled with liquid is leaking comprising a liquid containing standpipe in fluid communication with a tank to be tested, and mechanism for maintaining a substantially constant head pressure on the bottom of a tank being tested as the volume of liquid from the tank tends to expand or contract.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1990
    Inventor: Peter A. Schuster
  • Patent number: 4933019
    Abstract: A collapsible frame for a portable shelter including a plurality of cover supporting frame bars pivotally mounted at one end on a central hub. The hub includes a pair of vertically spaced apart plates. The frame bars include inverted L-shaped support bars including a generally vertical, ground supported leg and an integral generally horizontal base received between the plates. The terminal end of the horizontal base is pivotally mounted in an aperture provided in one of the plates. One of the plates also includes a plurality of recesses which receive the horizontal base in one position of rotation about its terminal end. A spring mechanism is provided for urging the plates together to hold the horizontal members in the recesses but allowing spreading movement thereof such that the frame bars can rotate between stowed, generally side-by-side positions, and angularly disposed positions received in the recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1990
    Inventor: Robert H. Peruski
  • Patent number: 4932222
    Abstract: A milk cooler including a water tank having water therein and mechanism for cooling the water, a pipe system for transferring fresh milk to a storage tank, and mechanism for cooling the milk before it arrives at the storage tank including apparatus for passing the water over the pipe to extract heat from the pipe. The system contemplates a new and novel evaporator which is disposed in the water for cooling the water and a new and novel cooling chamber disposed above the cooling tank which receives water from the cooling tank to cool the milk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1990
    Inventor: Thomas A. Adams, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4930164
    Abstract: Double drain apparatus for concurrently draining vertically spaced portions of a bathtub or the like containing liquid, such as water, comprising an upstanding drainpipe having upper and lower drain openings therein, valve mechanism for controlling the flow of liquid through the upper and lower openings including upper and lower hollow stopper cylinders mounted in the drainpipe for sliding movement between positions blocking the upper and lower openings and vertically spaced drain positions. Mechanism is provided for concurrently moving the upper and lower stopper cylinders between the blocking and drain positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1990
    Inventor: Robert L. Gibson
  • Patent number: D311744
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1990
    Inventor: John J. Misico
  • Patent number: D314602
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1991
    Inventor: Roger Grover
  • Patent number: D329523
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1992
    Inventor: Dennis J. Ward
  • Patent number: D329915
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1992
    Inventor: Patrick Gutierrez