Patents Examined by James T. McCall
  • Patent number: 4810032
    Abstract: An increased bearing surface is provided on spring holders for coil springs used in a platform rocking chair between the wooden chair rocker and the platform. The increased bearing surface protects the chair structure against damage to the wood and loosening of the attachment of the spring holders to the chair structure heretofore caused by the reciprocating lateral forces generated by the rocking motion of the chair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1989
    Inventor: John Gibson
  • Patent number: 4810030
    Abstract: A shade for use with infants and children car seats and the like having a seat and back member that fits into the seat and accomodates strap restraints and a hood that attaches to the seat and back member to project as a canopy from a back portion of the seat and back member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1989
    Inventor: Sheila S. Lewis
  • Patent number: 4807937
    Abstract: A jumpsuit style support and restraint garment designed to safely and comfortably confine a person to a chair or wheelchair while providing proper body alignment and allowing full range of motion of arms and legs. A human body fitting cloth panel with front and shoulder covering has a rib-knit V-neck in the top. A bottom fold having rib-knit lined leg holes frontwardly horizontally aligned is a seat portion and a continuation of the panel which can be passed under the back rest of a wheelchair. The panel continues as a back member which extends up the outside backrest of the wheelchair and is zipper-fastened to the shoulder covering behind the patient's neck. A special locking ring prevents the patient from easily unzipping the fasteners. Movement of the support materials is restricted by handle apertures which fit the wheelchair handles. Full pants and shorts styles are available in the jumpsuit design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1989
    Inventor: Linda M. Harrigan
  • Patent number: 4807935
    Abstract: An arm rest for a vehicle seat which is rotatable from a horizontal to a generally vertical position, composed of virtually symmetrical components, permitting the interchange of assembly parts from left to right, thereby decreasing the number of parts necessary for assembly of a complete seat having left and right arm rests.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1989
    Assignee: QMP, Inc.
    Inventor: Shaylor E. King
  • Patent number: 4807929
    Abstract: A stackable chair having a sliding compartment such that the stackable chairs may be placed one on top of the other without the necessity of removing the sliding compartment. The sliding compartment is attached to the back of the back rest of the stackable chair by slide guides. The top of the back rest of the stacked chair meets the bottom of the slideable shelf of the chair being stacked, and causes the slideable shelf to move upward within slide guides until the chair is firmly positioned on the stacked chair. Each additional chair to be stacked is accomplished in the same fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1989
    Inventor: Vernon L. Balsbaugh
  • Patent number: 4807928
    Abstract: A tray apparatus is provided for attachment to a high chair. The tray apparatus includes a tray having a circular outer periphery. Raised arm or elbow rest areas are formed at the back of the tray. Peripheral portions, which are located at the back of the tray, decrease in height in a direction from the outer periphery. The tray apparatus also includes a latching mechanism that provides a number of functions including: adjustment of the tray relative to the high chair while maintaining engagement between the tray apparatus and the high chair; one-handed or two-handed removal of the tray apparatus from the high chair; and a memory feature which facilitates removal of the tray apparatus and attachment thereof at the same position relative to the high chair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1989
    Assignee: Gerico, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard E. Cone
  • Patent number: 4807926
    Abstract: Folding furniture, in particular folding chair, which can be converted to a rocking chair by a rocker pair attachable to the front legs and rear legs. The rockers are formed such that they are articulately connected to the one leg pair while between each rocker and the other leg pair a relative movement can be carried out to bring the folding furniture, together with the rockers, into a compact collapsed form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1989
    Inventor: Oswald Brunn
  • Patent number: 4804226
    Abstract: The frame of the seat in a motor vehicle has a base for the cushion which carries the weight of the occupant and a back rest which carries the cushion for the back of the occupant. The back rest has two upwardly extending parallel frame members and a connector between the upper ends of the frame members. The upper end of one frame member carries a takeup reel for the safety belt whose latch plate can be inserted into a buckle adjacent the lower end of the other frame member. When the belt is applied and is tensioned, such as in the event of an accident, it applies to the one frame member a force acting diagonally of the back rest and tending to bend the one frame member forwardly and toward the other side of the seat. The cross-sectional outline of the one frame member and the orientation of such cross-sectional outline are selected in such a way that the one frame member offers maximum resistance to deformation by the belt in the direction in which the belt acts thereon in the event of an accident.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1989
    Assignee: Keiper Recaro GmbH. & Co.
    Inventor: Gerhard Schmale
  • Patent number: 4804224
    Abstract: A reclining bench having a pair of elongated platform members and a pair of pivotally attached upright members having a seat and back attached thereto. A pair of cams disposed between the seat and the platforms make the reclining bench adjustable from and between a reclined position wherein it is tipped back against a stop member attached to the platform members to a forward position resting upon a flat top of the cam members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1989
    Inventor: Wayne C. Stapf
  • Patent number: 4802683
    Abstract: An attachment is provided for a typical folding wheelchair. The attachment includes a handle or lever which can be pushed downward by the occupant of a wheelchair to raise the seat thereby causing the wheelchair to partially fold and reducing its overall width. A pawl and toothed bracket are provided to selectively hold the chair in predetermined conditions of reduced width. A lifting lever may be positioned either for operation by an occupant or by an attendant and the lever mechanism may be rotated away from the occupant of the chair to avoid restricting his movement. Optional power operated means are also shown which can be used in tandem with or as a replacement for the manually operated means. The power operated means include a battery operated motor and a cable which is pulled or allowed to retract by a crank lever rotated by the motor. Another form of power operated means uses the electric motor to wind a cable on a drum thereby lifting the chair seat to which the cable is connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1989
    Inventor: J. T. Gillum, Sr.
  • Patent number: 4802786
    Abstract: A joist hanger of the type comprising an upright back, parallel opposing sides forming a channel and a horizontal bottom extending forwardly from the back forming a seat for a joist, the hanger having at least one pair of opposing tabs extending inwardly from the sides of the hanger into the channel, the tabs presenting downwardly, rearwardly sloping surfaces to a joist forced against the tabs to urge the joist against the back of the hanger. The innermost edges of the tabs being knife-like for penetrating a joist forced against the tabs. The tabs are preferably formed by a portion of the side folded inwardly along a downwardly, rearwardly sloping fold line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1989
    Assignee: MiTek Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: James G. Yauger, John M. Rushton
  • Patent number: 4802715
    Abstract: In a system for the storage of objects in a container configured as a cupboard, a drawer or other similar structures, the objects are stored in a plurality of compartments of various sizes forming a grid and filling out the base surface of the container. Each compartment is configured as a square or rectangular container open at least on one side and said containers are arranged in a plurality of levels, behind or on top of each other while being arranged, on each level next to each other and/or on top of each other. The containers may be pushed sideways individually or by groups so as to create a void which facilitates access to the farthest row of containers in the bottom or down in the container. This system is particularly appropriate for storage, warehouse deposition of sorting installations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1989
    Inventors: Walter Grobly, Bruno Stocker
  • Patent number: 4799735
    Abstract: The invention relates to a chair or armchair with legs, and a seat and a backrest made in one piece with the seat. So that a chair or armchair of this type can be made stable and rigid, while preserving the essential advantages of production from plastic, at the same time making it possible for the chair or armchair to have a pleasing appearance, the legs are designed as plastic hollow parts, in which metal tubes have been received as stiffening elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1989
    Assignee: Kembo B.V.
    Inventor: Just B. Meyer
  • Patent number: 4799817
    Abstract: A wide angle double Hookes joint comprises a double inner yoke 2a, 2b; two outer yokes 3 which are each pivotally connected to the inner yoke by a respective cross member 4, each cross member comprising a first pair of trunnions received in bearings in yoke arms of the outer yoke and a second pair of trunnions received in bearings in yoke arms of the inner yoke; a guide member 9 having bearing means 8 engaging said outer yokes to guide them to provide homokinetic torque transmission, said guide member 9 being mounted in the inner yoke for radial movement relative to the axis of rotation thereof; a pair of guide plates 10 in the inner yoke between which said guide member 9 is radially movable with said bearing means 8 engaged within identical radially extending slots 17 in said guide plates, and said guide plates being rotatable about the axis of rotation of the inner yoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1989
    Assignee: Jean Walterscheid GmbH
    Inventor: Hubert Geisthoff
  • Patent number: 4799732
    Abstract: The seat of a chair comprises stepped engaging portions provided at the rear portion of the seat plate and stepped engaging portions provided at the lower portion of the reclining back seat are fitted with stepped engaging portions provided at the front portion and the upper portion of a connecting plate bending with a gentle obtuse angle, respectively, opposing sides of the stepped engaging portions of the seat plate and the stepped engaging portions of the connecting plate are pivotally fixed by connecting members which energize the connecting plate upwardly, and opposing sides of the stepped engaging portions of the connecting plate and the stepped engaging portions of the reclining back seat are pivotally fixed by connecting members which energize the reclining back seat forwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1989
    Assignee: Okamura Corporation
    Inventor: Kouichi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 4799432
    Abstract: Auxiliary shelves are mounted between side members having a lower portion that extends below and behind a towel rack and engages the wall so that the assembly can be easily mounted within the towel rack and provide stable support for articles on the shelves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1989
    Inventor: Thomas W. Rickner
  • Patent number: 4798492
    Abstract: The coupling of the present invention is used for joining two shafts together. The coupling comprises a first hub and a second hub which are joined together by a central web located therebetween. Both the first and second hubs include an inner bore extending therethrough and an outer tapered surface. The bores of the first and second hubs are sized to receive the two shafts which are to be connected. A pair of nuts, each having a threaded tapered bore extending therethrough are threaded over the outer tapered surfaces of the two hubs until the nuts exert an inner radial force on the hubs, thereby causing the hubs to frictionally grip and hold the shafts against movement relative to the coupling body. The coupling body may be longitudinally divided into two separate halves which embrace the opposite sides of the shafts and which are held together by the nuts which surround the tapered hub portions thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1989
    Inventor: Thomas R. Smith
  • Patent number: 4797020
    Abstract: A mortise and tenon joint including a set of self-locking plates placed in each of two juxtaposed structural members of a beam system for effectively creating, when the beams are positioned together, a strong self-locking joint between the two beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1989
    Assignee: Creative Structures, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert H. Winston
  • Patent number: 4795176
    Abstract: A fabric support and restraint garment designed to safely and comfortably retain a person to a portable commode chair while providing proper body alignment. The device is constructed of a front torso panel with V-neck opening in the top and has a shoulder flap extension of the panel to the back. The torso panel is attached on the lower edge to a pelvic panel which covers only the front of the pelvic area. The pelvic panel contains two leg openings, located on the lower edge, which are created by the partial attachment of two rib knit leg bands. These bands are attached to the pelvic panel only on the top half, leaving the other half free to pass behind the thigh. Inadvertent removal of the garment by the wearer is prevented by four straps attached to the lower sides of the garment which are wound around the frame of the chair and tied behind the person on the shoulder flap extension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1989
    Inventors: Linda M. Harrigan, Marlene H. Jaworski
  • Patent number: 4795212
    Abstract: A seat back adjustment unit including a seat attaching plate which is fixedly secured to the seat of a chair and a back mounting plate which will have mounted thereon the customary seat back. The seat attaching plate has an upwardly and rearwardly curved portion on which there is mounted an adjustment unit. The adjustment unit in turn carries a lower generally horizontal portion of the back mounting plate. The adjustment unit includes a housing which is guidedly mounted on the curved rear portion of the seat attaching plate while the same housing has guidedly received therein the lower portion of the back mounting plate. The adjustment unit includes within the housing thereof a reduction gear drive unit which includes two driven member interlocked by pin and slot connections to the seat attaching plate and the back mounting plate for selective relative movement between the plates and the housing of the adjustment unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1989
    Assignee: Herman Miller, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles E. Bailey, George A. Miles