Patents Represented by Attorney John R. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 5848604
    Abstract: A thermally responsive pressure relief system is provided for a receptacle such as a pressure vessel. The system includes a thermally responsive pressure relief device on the vessel at a given location in communication with the interior of the vessel for venting the vessel in response to the pressure relief device being subjected to a given excess temperature. A heat pipe has one end thermally coupled to the pressure relief device and extends therefrom to a location remote from the given location. The heat pipe rapidly transmits heat from the remote location to the pressure relief device for venting the vessel in response to an excess temperature at the remote location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Assignee: Technical Products Group, Inc.
    Inventor: John A. Eihusen
  • Patent number: 5783803
    Abstract: A food warming apparatus includes a housing defining at least one warming cavity having a ceiling. A heater warms food products within the cavity. A grate is provided within the cavity spaced below the ceiling of the cavity. At least one food tray is provided for containing food products and is supportable on the grate beneath the ceiling of the cavity. A seal is operatively associated between the top of the tray and the ceiling of the cavity. The grate includes a biasing portion for biasing the tray upwardly toward the ceiling to assure operability of the seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Inventor: Chester F. Robards, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5735438
    Abstract: A dispensing closure system is provided for a container having an opening through which the contents of the container are dispensed. A unitary operating structure is mounted on one side of the opening and includes first and second arms connected together by an integral hinge at adjacent ends of the arms. The opposite ends of the arms are secured to the container at spaced apart pivots. The arms and the hinge are constructed and arranged to permit the arms and the hinge to be moved between a first stable position with the hinge disposed outside a line passing through the spaced apart pivots and a second stable position with the hinge disposed inside the line. A closure member is fixed to one of the arms for pivotal movement between a first position closing the opening when the arms and the hinge are in the first stable position, and a second position spaced outwardly of the opening when the arms and the hinge are in the second stable position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Inventor: Efrem Ostrowsky
  • Patent number: 5687942
    Abstract: A support system is provided for detachably mounting an article to a tubular support structure. The system includes a bracket plate having a key-way with side walls diverging from a front face of the bracket plate to a rear face thereof. The key-way extends entirely through the bracket plate between the front and rear faces and includes an entry mouth opening at an edge of the bracket plate. A support plate is adapted to be attached to the rear face of the bracket plate to close the key-way at the rear face. A mounting device mounts the bracket plate and attached support plate to one of the tubular members, with the key-way facing away from and extending longitudinally of the one tubular member. An elongated supporting key is adapted to be attached to the other of the tubular members lengthwise thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1997
    Inventor: Ruben R. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5603261
    Abstract: A water distribution system is disclosed in an ink flow temperature control system of a plurality of printing presses such as multi-color offset perfecting and nonperfecting web and sheet fed presses. The system includes a plurality of printing presses each having at least one printing head whereat water is used to control the temperature of ink distributed through the head. A multiple zone control unit controls the temperature of water distributed to the printing heads of the plurality of printing presses. An enlarged rigid conduit extends between the multiple zone control unit and each printing press. A plurality of flexible non-metallic distribution hoses are located within the enlarged rigid conduit for distributing water between the multiple zone control unit and the printing heads of the plurality of printing presses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1997
    Assignee: Tri Service, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert J. Buenz
  • Patent number: 5553709
    Abstract: A container assembly is adapted for holding at least one plastic bottle which includes a capped top and a side handle with an upwardly facing flat area adjacent the handle. The assembly includes a container having a top wall, a bottom wall and side walls spanning the top and bottom walls. The side walls have a height greater than the height of the bottle so that the capped top of the bottle is spaced from the top wall when the bottle rests upright on the bottom wall. A bracing structure is positioned within the container in abutting interengagement between the flat area of the bottle and the top wall of the container to maintain the capped top of the bottle spaced from the top wall of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1996
    Assignee: Kinetics Container Corporation
    Inventors: Paul B. Wharton, Jr., James M. Wharton
  • Patent number: 5551470
    Abstract: A thermally responsive pressure relief system is provided for a receptacle such a pressure vessel. A passage communicates the interior of the vessel with the exterior thereof. A closure member is positioned in the passage. A fusible bonding material of a selected melting point fixes the closure member in the passage. The closure member includes an integral rupturable section that ruptures at a selected pressure differential between the interior and the exterior of the vessel. The closure member may be mounted in a body member which, in turn, is mounted in an opening in the pressure vessel. The body member may be mounted on a valve which has the passage from the interior of the vessel communicating therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Inventor: Paul F. Duvall
  • Patent number: 5522428
    Abstract: A natural gas vehicle fuel system includes a composite pressure vessel for storing natural gas. The vessel includes an internal storage space accessible via a port opening. A solenoid valve is operatively coupled to the port opening for selectively connecting the storage space to a natural gas supply for filling or to a vehicle engine, in use. A sensor is integrally mounted with the vessel for sensing a select event of vessel operation indicative of the vessel exceeding a useful life expectancy. A control is operatively associated with the sensor for controlling the valve operation, the control preventing further operation of the solenoid valve after the vessel has exceeded the useful life expectancy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Inventor: Paul F. Duvall
  • Patent number: 5518141
    Abstract: A pressure vessel is disclosed for holding fluids. The vessel includes a generally cylindrical outer shell fabricated of a substantially rigid, mechanically strong material, and having a generally hemispherical end section with an opening therein. An inner, generally fluid impervious flexible liner is disposed in the outer shell against the inside surface thereof. The liner has a generally hemispherical end section with an opening aligned with the opening in the outer shell. A boss has a neck portion for fitting in the opening in the outer shell. A generally hemispherical extension projects radially outwardly of the boss substantially entirely to the cylindrical configuration of the outer shell against the inside surface of the inner liner to prevent the generally hemispherical end section of the liner from pulling away from the outer shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Inventors: Norman L. Newhouse, Alvin R. Cederberg
  • Patent number: 5476189
    Abstract: A pressure vessel is disclosed for holding fluids and the like. The vessel includes an outer shell fabricated of a composite material. A damage mitigating material is integrated within the outer shell, with a major thickness of the shell being disposed inside the damage mitigating material and a minor thickness of the shell being disposed outside the damage mitigating material. The minor thickness of the shell and the damage mitigating material are physically alterable or deformable upon impact by a given exterior force which may be insufficient to affect the major thickness of the shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1995
    Inventors: Paul F. Duvall, Ayodeji J. Avorinde, Alvin R. Cederberg
  • Patent number: 5443007
    Abstract: A temperature control system for a printing press or similar machine which includes an ink distribution roller for distributing ink to a printing couple. The machine includes a frame with a control zone for accommodating various control elements of the apparatus, with an opening in the frame for access to the control elements. A control system housing is pivotally mounted on the frame for movement between a first position closing the opening in the frame and a second position exposing the opening for access to both the control elements within the frame and various control components within the housing, such as a water pump, a water heater, valves and conduits within the housing for feeding controlled temperature water to the printing couple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1995
    Assignee: Tri Service, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert J. Buenz
  • Patent number: 5435333
    Abstract: A thermally responsive pressure relief system is provided for a receptacle such as a pressure vessel. A passage communicates the interior of the vessel with the exterior thereof. A closure member is positioned in the passage. A fusible bonding material of a selected melting point fixes the closure member in the passage. The closure member includes an integral rupturable section that ruptures at a selected pressure differential between the interior and the exterior of the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1995
    Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
    Inventor: Paul F. Duvall
  • Patent number: 5433416
    Abstract: An article support system is provided for detachably mounting an article on a support structure. The system includes a bracket plate adapted to be attached to one of the article or the support structure. The bracket plate includes a key-way having side walls diverging from a front face of the bracket plate to a rear there thereof. The key-way extends through the bracket plate between the front and rear faces and includes an entry mouth opening at an edge of the bracket plate. A supporting key is adapted to be attached to the other of the article or the support structure. The supporting key is positionable through the entry mouth of the key-way and has side walls converging from a front face of the key to a rear face thereof for mating proximity to the diverging side walls of the key-way in the bracket plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1995
    Inventor: Ruben R. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5429845
    Abstract: A boss is disposed in a polar opening in a pressure vessel which has a filament wound outer shell and a non-metallic internal liner. The boss has a tubular neck which projects outwardly from the vessel interior and an annular support flange which extends radially from the internal end of the neck and supports the perimeter of the polar opening. An offset attachment flange extends radially from the support flange and has two axially opposed surfaces with locking grooves formed therein. Each locking groove has a bottom wall intermediate a pair of mutually skewed sidewalls for maintaining positive engagement with and retention of complementary respective tabs on the liner. In an application where the liner is a blow molded component, an injection molded interface member is attached to the support flange and provides a site at which the liner is welded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
    Inventors: Norman L. Newhouse, Ronald B. Veys, Dale B. Tiller
  • Patent number: 5022321
    Abstract: A drive system between a master cylinder, a form roller and a distributor roller in a moisture system of a printing, duplicating or like machine. The surface of the master cylinder has a longitudinal gap within which master clamping hardware are disposed. The drive system includes a first gear train, including a lost motion mechanism, between the master cylinder and the form roller for rotating the form roller only during an interval of a revolution of the master cylinder when the surface of the form roller is juxtaposed in the gap of the master cylinder. A second gear train independent of the first gear train is disposed between the form roller and the distributor roller for rotating the distributor roller continuously at the same surface speed as the form roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1991
    Assignee: AM International, Inc.
    Inventor: Stanley Witczak
  • Patent number: 4998715
    Abstract: A copy sheet feeding system for use in a printing, copying, duplicating and like machine includes a conveyor board for moving copy sheets thereover in seriatim fashion. A vacuum chamber extends lengthwise of the conveyor board, with openings extending longitudinally of the conveyor board and communicating with the vacuum chamber. An access mechanism is movable relative to the vacuum chamber and openings to effectivly expose the openings progressively in the direction of movement of the copy sheets. This effectively provides a moving vacuum device which moves with the copy sheets as the sheets move over the conveyor board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1991
    Assignee: AM International, Inc.
    Inventors: Otto G. Milan, Stanley Witczak
  • Patent number: 4967659
    Abstract: In a duplicating machine, a system for readily interchanging a printing head on a permanent rotatable shaft of a printing couple of the machine, to facilitate rapid changing of printed indicia in short run duplicating situations. An elongated manually manipulatable segment is readily removably mountable on the rotatable shaft. At least one ring-like mounting member is fixable to the manually manipulatable segment at any position therealong. At least one adjustable printing head is secured to the mounting member. The manually manipulatable segment can be bodily removed from the shaft and the printing head can be replaced or adjusted while the machine continues to operate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1990
    Assignee: AM International, Inc.
    Inventors: Eber L. Goodwin, Charles T. Richards
  • Patent number: 4847635
    Abstract: A feed system for large copy sheets to feed such sheets through a copying machine, such as a white print, blue print or other copying machine, a computer printing machine, a pen plotter of other vector plotter, or raster plotter, or a printing machine. A supply roll is provided with copy sheets wound on the supply roll in an interleaved or overlapping array. A pair of support rollers form a cradle for freely supporting the supply roll, with at least one of the support rollers being driven. A printing roller grasps a copy sheet as the sheet is fed from the supply roll. A sensor stops the driven support roller and, in turn, the supply roll at a given time in a predetermined cycle whereby the printing roller can pull the fed sheet away from the supply roll and away from a succeeding overlapped sheet interleaved with the fed sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1989
    Assignee: AM International, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard W. Jackson, A. J. Michaelis
  • Patent number: D364530
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Assignee: Prince Castle Inc.
    Inventors: Chester F. Robards, Jr., Ross B. Gepty
  • Patent number: D372755
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1996
    Inventor: Sam R. Nardi