Patents Examined by Monica Williams
  • Patent number: 10021999
    Abstract: A decorative headstone accessory apparatus including an adjustable length slotted arm, an L-shaped first bracket attached to a left end of the slotted arm, and a second bracket attached to a right end of the slotted arm. A left side of each of a pair of linear arm supports is attached to the second bracket. A vase holder is suspended within an opening in each of the pair of arm supports. A hinged double picture frame has a middle section that is attached to a right side of each of the pair of arm supports. A pivotable extension is attached to the double picture frame, with the extension having a circular candle guardrail. Each of the first bracket and the second bracket is configured to removably secure to a left surface of a headstone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Inventors: Rasheed Khan, Rafeena Khan
  • Patent number: 9931190
    Abstract: A protective cover device for an animal's head includes a first portion for securement around the animal's neck, behind the occiput and at or near the smallest diameter of the neck, and a second portion for covering the animal's ears that is fastened forward of said first portion and at or near the throat or jaw of the animal. The device may be a flexible/generally-flexible panel with supplemental shaping, stiffening, and/or adjustment systems to cup/fit the ears, to prevent the ears from sliding out of the device, and/or to prevent foreign objects such as cheat-grass or fox-tail, ticks, or insects from reaching the ears. Stiffeners may be added along or beside the central axis, around the front edge, and/or near the animal's ears, to shape and hold the second portion in a configuration protective of the animal ears and not easily rolled-up or pushed off by a paw/foot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Inventor: Julie Anne Haught
  • Patent number: 9930841
    Abstract: Described is an apparatus that can be used for the vertically oriented culture of plants using soilless means such as aquaponics or hydroponics. The apparatus can include a plurality of pockets and a backing. Each pocket of the plurality of pockets can be used to house an individual plant. Each pocket of the plurality can have a water reservoir, an outlet hole at a top of the water reservoir and a channel along a front of the pocket configured to direct water from the outlet hole to another pocket or collection container below the pocket. The plurality of pockets can be connected to the backing in a column or other configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: SECOND NATURE AQUAPONICS, LLC
    Inventor: Peter Adrian Fankuchen
  • Patent number: 9894856
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system of culturing and harvesting floating aquatic species with high growth rates. Also disclosed is a method of culturing and harvesting floating aquatic species using such a system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Parabel Ltd.
    Inventors: Adam Javan, William Grieco, Hector J Cumba, Harvey Weaver, Brian Lovas
  • Patent number: 9877443
    Abstract: A method of underground watering utilizes a pouch-like container product made by joining a first sheet having SAP particles adhered to a first surface with a second sheet to form a container partially filled with such particles. The application of pressure, for example by passing the product through a roll nip, facilitates joining of the sheets and causes the particles to break through at least the one of the sheets to create an opening whereby free volume is created to permit the particles to expand when in contact with a liquid. The resultant product is used to collect, store, and dispense water-containing liquids into the soil for watering of agricultural plants, trees, and the like. A composite underground watering element is also included in an embodiment of the invention. The inventive products may also be used as a pad, including a propagation pad, to collect, store, and dispense water-containing-liquids into plant vessels to provide watering of plants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: SYNERGISTIC VENTURES, INC.
    Inventors: Jeno Muthiah, Gerald K. White, Duane R. Rubash
  • Patent number: 9872480
    Abstract: A disposable diaper for pets, in which a fixed section in an attachment section overlaps with an expanding/contracting elastic member for the waist, said disposable diaper for pets having: a rear-side waist area; a stomach-side waist area; a crotch area; both end sections in the diaper longitudinal direction; both end sections in the diaper longitude-intersecting direction; a tail insertion opening; an absorbent core; an area not having the absorbent core arranged therein; a flap section provided in the stomach-side waist area and having an end section in the rear-side direction; an attachment section having the fixed section arranged in the flap section and a free section extending from the flap section; the expanding/contracting elastic member for the waist; and an attachment area that receives the attachment section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Daisuke Komatsubara
  • Patent number: 9854784
    Abstract: An animal feeder system for dispensing feed onto a ground surface, including a tank configured for holding feed and having a bottom end for receiving a gravity flow of feed in the tank. A spreader mechanism is operably coupled with the bottom end of the tank, and is operable to receive a flow of feed from the bottom end of the tank and periodically dispense the feed onto a ground surface proximate the tank. A bulk dump system includes a discharge port positioned in the tank and configured for capturing feed in the gravity flow, and a feed valve coupled with the discharge port and selectively operable for dispensing the captured feed from the discharge port into a pile on the ground surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Inventor: Garrett Blake Frieden
  • Patent number: 9854781
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a threaded gear assembly and a hand-held applicator for cleaning a teat of a milk-producing animal. In an embodiment, a threaded gear is provided which comprises a disk-shaped member having a perimeter and a plurality of radiating teeth circumferentially arranged and integrated with the perimeter of the disk-shaped member, the plurality of radiating teeth being configured to impart torque. The threaded gear includes a bore hole in a center of the disk-shaped member, the bore hole including internal threading along a surface within the bore hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: ALPHA TECHNOLOGY U.S.A. CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin Dole, Larry Bilskie
  • Patent number: 9854782
    Abstract: An animal litter sand that effectively prevents scattering of particles without increasing the weight or density of the litter sand. The animal litter sand includes particulates each of which is configured in a manner so as to contain a particle substrate configured from an inorganic porous material, a hydraulic solidification material, and a water-soluble thickener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Sogou, Takayuki Matsuo
  • Patent number: 9844188
    Abstract: A modular tray is provided for covering a portion of a surface with vegetation in a growth medium. The tray includes a pair of sidewalls, and a lower end wall and an upper end wall extending between and interconnecting the ends of the sidewalls such that the walls define a perimeter of the tray. A bottom wall extends between and interconnects the ends of the sidewalls and the lower end wall and extends in a plane disposed at an angle with the respect to the longitudinal axis of the sidewalls. Each of a plurality of platforms extends between and interconnects the sidewalls and are disposed at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the sidewalls. Each of a plurality of risers extends between the rear edge of a platform to the front edge of an adjacent platform. The tray is water impermeable for accommodating the growth medium and vegetation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Inventor: Hunter Legerton
  • Patent number: 9832938
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for mass cultivation of plants, which enables plants to be cultivated in the entire area of a greenhouse when the plants are cultivated in the greenhouse, thus enabling mass production of plants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignees: GREEN PLUS CO., LTD., GREEN K-FARM AGRICULTURAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yeong Hwan Park
  • Patent number: 9833094
    Abstract: A device and method for securing an animal boot to an animal's foot is taught. The device includes a pair of handles, a securing means and a pair of jaws that are pivotally attached to the pair of handles by the securing means. When the pair of jaws are in a closed position, an open end of the animal boot is attached around the sides of the pair of jaws. Squeezing the pair of handles towards each other causes the pair of jaws to extend away from each other to an open position and also causes the pair of jaws to expand the open end of the animal boot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Inventor: Joshua J. Ricker
  • Patent number: 9826711
    Abstract: A rolling cart/carrier that self-rights a pet contained in the rolling cart/carrier regardless of what terrain is traversed, and is height-adjustable so as to allow comfortable rolling of the rolling cart/carrier by a user. The rolling cart/carrier includes a cart and a carrier. The cart is height-adjustable so as to allow comfortable rolling of the rolling cart/carrier by the user. The carrier is replaceably attached to the cart, and self-rights the pet contained in the carrier regardless of what terrain is traversed by the cart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Inventor: Tracy Evans
  • Patent number: 9820446
    Abstract: The present invention provides improved attachment devices fort support lines in plant growth support systems (e.g., trellis systems) and methods of using the same, and offers significant improvements in efficiency with regard to assembling, adjusting, and disassembling the support systems for plant and crop growth. The attachment devices may be advantageously used for various vine and low-lying plants (e.g., grapes, tomatoes, etc.) that can be grown in a trellis system or other vertical growth support system. The anchoring devices may include a wire loop for slipping over an end support bar and a wire strainer bracket attached to the wire loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Inventor: David Parrish
  • Patent number: 9814188
    Abstract: A water-saving device comprising a hollow frusto-conical housing having a wide lower end adapted to overlie a ground surface and a narrow upper end. A flexible tarp is integrally connected around the circumference of the narrow upper end of the housing, and a draw string is integrally attached around the circumference of a upper end of the flexible tarp. The draw string is pulled taught to reduce the circumference of the upper end of the flexible tarp and enclose the tarp around the tree trunk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Inventor: Mudhyan Khalid Almudhyan
  • Patent number: 9807978
    Abstract: A pet or human battery operated grooming apparatus having a housing, a number of tines formed in the housing, each tine having a slot, and a number of disk shaped blades mounted to a shaft, the shaft mounted in the housing and the blades disposed in the tine slots. A protective cover encloses most of each blade leaving only a slit open to the blade. The tines direct knots or tangles in the hair or fur of the pet, or hair of a human, to the slits and the blades. The user may then rotate the blades to cut the knots. This process occurs without any undue pulling of the associated skin of the animal or human.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: LONGORIA DESIGN LLC
    Inventor: Jose Longoria
  • Patent number: 9807977
    Abstract: The present invention is a distinctive pet grooming glove which provides a fluid supply to allow users to wash and/or groom pets using a single gloved hand while a stream of fluid (such as water) flows from the glove. The Pet Grooming Glove includes an attachment port for attaching a source of primary fluid (such as water) as well as apertures in the glove which allow the primary fluid to flow from the primary supply source port to the palm of the glove. Additionally the Pet Grooming Glove includes an attachment port for attaching a source of secondary fluid (such as shampoo) as well as apertures in the glove which allow the secondary fluid to flow from the secondary fluid supply port to the palm of the glove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Inventor: Linda Hightower
  • Patent number: 9795089
    Abstract: A system for the cultivation of plants, including: a cultivation table, in which the plants to be cultivated have been placed at least for the time of the growing stage; growing substrates in which the seeds of the plant are sown and which are placed at the initial end of the cultivation table for germination; and elongated troughs which hold the growing substrates in which troughs also the seeds and seedlings of the plant as well as the grown plants are placed during both said germination and said growing stage. In the method for cultivation of plants in a greenhouse, a growing substrate for the cultivation of plants is placed in an elongated trough, and seeds of a plant are sown in said growing substrate placed in the trough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: GREEN AUTOMATION EXPORT OY
    Inventors: Juhana Kantola, Tero Rapila, Timo Rapila
  • Patent number: 9788496
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for an aquaponics, and greenhouse system, including a solar greenhouse insulated on north, east and west sides and with glazing on a south side at an angle to maximize winter sunlight, and housing: a fish tank; grow beds coupled to the fish tank; and hydroponic tanks respectively coupled to the grow beds. The grow beds are coupled to a fish tank geyser pump internal to the fish tank, and a hydroponic tank geyser pump internal to a respective one of the hydroponic tanks. The fish tank and hydroponic tank geyser pumps are powered by an external air pump via an air selector switch to pump and aerate water from the hydroponic tank to the grow bed and to pump water from the fish tank to the grow bed and aerate water of the fish tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Inventor: Carlos R. Villamar
  • Patent number: 9788528
    Abstract: A dental care product for a pet, such as a dog, includes at least one chew strand having a fragrance and at least one flossing strand. The flossing strand is formed from rawhide and has a thickness less than a thickness of the chew strand. The chew strand and the flossing strand are interwoven with each other along a length of the dental care product to define an interwoven portion of the dental care product. The flossing strand is wrapped around and binds free ends of the chew strand in a wrapped portion of the dental care product. The free ends extend outwardly from the wrapped portion of the dental care product on a side of the wrapped portion opposite the interwoven portion of the dental care product. Advantageously, the dental care product permits the strands to abrade with the pet's teeth in various ways to deliver cleaning benefits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: NUTRI-VET WELLNESS, LLC
    Inventor: Timothy J. Spring