Patents Examined by Richard Chilcot
  • Patent number: 7469511
    Abstract: A masonry coupling system for use in commercial and residential construction is described. In one aspect, the invention includes an anchor channel mounted on a structure. The masonry coupling system further includes a key that interfaces the masonry veneer and interlocks with an anchor channel mounted on a structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: The ECI Group, LLC
    Inventor: Stephen F. Wobber
  • Patent number: 7421827
    Abstract: The present invention refers to stirrups and ties for structural members. Such stirrups and ties are used in all the structural members like columns, beams, slabs, footings, piles, chainages, lintels etc. The invention refers also to a method of reinforcement of structural members and to the structural members themselves. According to the invention the stirrup or tie consists of a load-bearing element for the fixing of the longitudinal rebars and for the undertaking of the tensile forces which develop during the loading of the structural members. The load bearing element consists of at least one cell of closed shape so that the flow of the tensile stresses developed in the cross section is closed and the stresses are not diffused to the concrete. The load bearing element of the stirrup or tie in accordance to the invention has a continuous cross section and thus there are no free ends as in the known stirrups. In this way anchoring of the stirrups or ties is completely avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Inventor: Apostolos Konstantinidis
  • Patent number: 7418806
    Abstract: A frame (20) for supporting an article includes a first frame section (36) and a first flange (62) extending to a first end (56). The frame (20) also includes a second frame section (38) and a second flange (64) extending to a second end (60). A notch (68) is formed in the first flange (62) and defines a flange finger (70) between the notch (68) and the first end (56). A retention opening (32) is formed in the second end (60) of the second frame section (38). A retention corner (94) for the frame (20) is formed between the first frame section (36) and the second frame section (38) by inserting the flange finger (70) of the first frame section (36) into the retention opening (32) of the second frame section (38).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Quanex Corporation
    Inventors: Robert C. Martineau, Brian Jensen
  • Patent number: 7386962
    Abstract: Disclosed is a batten riser assembly that is used to install battens for tile roofs. The batten riser assembly can be used to prolong the life of tile roofs since it is made of waterproof materials. The batten riser assembly uses flexible strips that can be easily folded in a compact package and can be installed in a quick and easy manner. The batten riser assembly can be used in conjunction with a marker tape to speed installation. The batten riser assembly is designed to prevent the damming of water that penetrates the tile roof. The batten riser assembly provides a simple and easy way for installers to comply with building codes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: L & T Riser LLC
    Inventors: Timothy R. Estes, Lars J. Walberg
  • Patent number: 7383664
    Abstract: A seal system is utilized with flat, rough, and/or ribbed wall surfaces and includes a top dock pad and two substantially parallel side dock pads, which substantially frame a doorway at a loading dock. The dock pads are secured to the wall by a plurality of mounting brackets. The dock pads include a first foam layer coupled to a rear portion of a backing structure. The first foam layer operates to accommodate, or substantially “fill-in”, any surface irregularities of the building wall surface, such as a rough wall texture and rib surfaces, to provide an airtight or substantially airtight seal between the building and the seal structure. The dock pads also include a second foam layer coupled to a front portion of the backing structure. The second foam layer is employed to create an effective seal between the building and a rear portion of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Chalfant Sewing Fabricators, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey R. Chalfant
  • Patent number: 7380385
    Abstract: A decoration panel the length of which is adjustable so that it may be fitted to a various sizes of walls, windows, furniture and so on. The decoration panel includes a main panel having a plurality of holes aligned on the upper or lower part of it in the vertical direction. Sub panels having a front cover and a plurality of holes on the rear of the front cover corresponding in spacing to the holes are inserted on the upper or lower end of the main panel. A joiner is engaged through the holes of the sub panel into the holes of the main panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Inventor: Byung Mo Yoon
  • Patent number: 7377048
    Abstract: The truss setting bracket has an elongated body member, a first cradle, and a second cradle. Each cradle is provided with a first and second finger that define a cradle face therebetween. The second cradle is designed to be secured, at ground level, to a truss that is to be set in place on top of a building structure. The first cradle is designed such that, as the truss is lifted into place by a crane, the second finger is used as a guide for spacing the current truss from the previously set truss. Each cradle allows successive trusses to temporarily held in place by the truss setting bracket until all the trusses have been set and they can be permanently nailed or tacked into place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Inventor: Raymond E. Koetter
  • Patent number: 7373759
    Abstract: A cable tray support assembly for a raised floor system which has a plurality of support pedestals and a platform section. Each support pedestal has an elongated stringer member, a first upright channel member, and an opposing second upright channel member. The stringer member has an opposing pair of flanges depending from the proximal and distal ends of the stringer member. In use, the flanges of the stringer member may be releasably connected to the channel members so that the elongated stringer member is supported above the respective bottom ends of the channel members. At least one of the channel members of each support pedestal may be positioned adjacent to at least a portion of one column to aid in maintaining spatial orientation of the channel member with respect to an upright column. One platform section is suspended from the stringer members of a pair of opposing support pedestals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Inventor: George E. Simmons
  • Patent number: 7363930
    Abstract: The tilt mechanism has a pair of tubular members and a catch which is fixedly mounted in the upper member and pivotally mounted in the lower member to permit tilting of the two members relative to each other. A pin is mounted in the lower member and is biased into one of several recesses in the lower end of the catch in order to hold the sections in either an upright or a tilted position relative to each other. A coil spring is used to bias the pin into a recess of the catch. Pulling down on the pin allows the tubular members to be tilted relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Telescope Casual Furniture, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert D. Vanderminden, Sr.
  • Patent number: 7356970
    Abstract: A metal building is disclosed that employs interlocking vertically extended panels of improved configuration including improved insulated wall panels, unique corner constructions, and unique window and door arrangements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Inventor: Raymond C. Frobosilo
  • Patent number: 7347031
    Abstract: A bracket for reinforcing a wooden joist including a body having a central portion with a base wall. An upper portion is integrally formed with the central portion and has a first wall secured to and extending forwardly from the top of the base wall and a second wall secured to and extending from the front of the first wall. A notch in the top of the base wall extends upwardly through the first and second walls. A lower portion is integrally formed with the central portion and has a third wall secured to and extending at right angles from the bottom of the base wall and a fourth wall secured to and extending at right angles from the third wall. A brace is rigidly affixed to the base wall beneath the notch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Inventor: Robert M. Callahan
  • Patent number: 7347027
    Abstract: A guard and associated method for rain gutters includes a cap or deflector extending over a gutter of the type having a trough-shaped interior, a rear wall extending along a roof fascia, and a front lip with a channel and an end flange. A mounting bracket has a rear portion abutting the rear wall of the gutter, an upper portion supporting the deflector, and a front portion with a hook-shaped nose. The mounting bracket nose is configured for insertion under the end flange of the gutter, such that the mounting bracket is rotated rearwardly along a generally vertical arc about the nose toward the rear wall of the gutter, and shifted laterally into a skewed orientation within the gutter interior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Quality Edge, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. McDonald, Tony A. Cobb
  • Patent number: 7347030
    Abstract: An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a truss span. One embodiment includes at least three chords in a generally parallel orientation with respect to each other, where adjacent chords provide a face of the truss span. The truss span includes a web that connects two adjacent parallel chords that corresponds to at least two faces to provide the truss span with at least two webbed faces, and further includes first and second structural end brackets that connect two adjacent parallel chords to provide the truss span with at least one open face. An open face area is provided between the first and second structural end brackets. The truss span has a tapered profile such that another identical truss span is capable of nesting within the open face area between the first and second structural end brackets. Other aspects are provided herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Inventor: Steve Lewison
  • Patent number: 7340865
    Abstract: A polymeric interlocking tile for an adhesive-free assemblage with adjacent tiles having substantially similar, but inverted, edge interlocks thereon. The interlocks on each edge of a tile include a row of first and second sets of male-female types of alternating interlocks. The first interlock set includes a male lug projection having sidewalls forming one sidewall of a channel of U-shaped cross-section. The channel forms a female interlock cavity for the first set. The second interlock set is contiguous to the first set and includes a male projecting rib having two parallel sidewalls, one sidewall faces the edge and forms an opposite sidewall of the channel and an opposite, inwardly facing sidewall forms an enclosure for a second female cavity of the next set. At the opposite ends of each interlock row, the U-shaped channel sidewalls are wider to facilitate an initial interlock meshing between contiguous tiles of the assemblage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Selectech Inc.
    Inventor: John P Vanderhoef
  • Patent number: 7337583
    Abstract: An extendable deck assembly for a seating area includes a deck portion that is extendable from a base portion to provide a substantially planar support platform. The extendable deck assembly includes a support assembly positioned within the base portion and configured to support a cover plate of the base portion when the deck portion is extended from the base portion. The deck portion may telescopingly extend from the base portion and the support assembly may nest together to facilitate extension and retraction of the support assembly within the base portion. The extendable deck assembly may include a locking mechanism that may secure or lock the extendable deck in the extended position to limit or substantially preclude retraction of the deck portion relative to the base portion. The locking assembly may be part of a guard rail assembly positioned at least partially around the extendable deck portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Irwin Seating Company
    Inventors: John M Lohman, Steven R Douglass
  • Patent number: 7325363
    Abstract: A prefabricated foundation is provided using a plurality of concrete panels that are cast at a factory location to a predetermined uniform form and size. These panels are of a generally rectangular shape and are positioned end to end forming a wall-like structure around the entire perimeter of a prefabricated structure. The lower surface of the panels are then supported by a plurality of precast posts that correspond in position and number to the joints between the plurality of panels. The joint between two abutting precast panels is sealed to provide a weather tight fit between the exterior and interior of the panels. The upper edge of the precast panels are locked in position keeping them from moving in either an inward or outward manner thereby providing a stable platform upon which a prefabricated structure can be placed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Inventor: S. Michael Davis
  • Patent number: 7322406
    Abstract: An operational system and method and improved apparatus for positioning and stabbing well tubulars wherein: the grasping members of the apparatus can be folded and unfolded; the boom assembly can be pivoted to a downward clearance position; a plurality of stabbing apparatuses can be placed and used in a stacked position in the derrick; the grasping members can opened at an angle with respect the boom; the grasping members can be mounted on either lateral side of the boom; a sensor monitors the relative position of the rig top drive with respect to the stabbing apparatus; the grasping members and/or the boom will automatically pivot to a breakaway position if impacted; and/or the system is programmed and configured to prevent the accidental performance of critical operations out of sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Frank's Casing Crew & Rental Tools, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard J. Wiggins, Brian D. Begnaud, Jebb L. Huval, Stefan Schmidt, Charles Michael Webre
  • Patent number: 7293393
    Abstract: A perimeter clip attached to a wall molding that supports a beam in a suspended ceiling intended to survive seismic disturbances. The clip is capable, during an earthquake, of permitting an end of a beam at one end of a connected line of beams, in a grid, to slide while being supported in the clip, or, in the alternative, to secure an end of a beam to the wall molding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Worthington Armstrong Venture
    Inventors: Joseph J. Kelly, William J. Platt
  • Patent number: 7062460
    Abstract: An online auction system for auctioning off products includes a server system, plural buyer systems, and plural seller systems. The server system comprises a seller interface, a buyer interface, a price adjustment mechanism, and a bid manager. The seller interface performs an online bid setup process including obtaining, from a given seller system, price varying information and quantity information corresponding to the price varying information. The buyer interface communicates, to select buyer systems, bid information and product information, and accepts from a given buyer system a given quantity needed and a given bid. The price adjustment mechanism determines a given parity price for the given buyer, which varies according to the given quantity needed. The bid manager defines a given winning bid for the given buyer as a function of the given parity price and a rank of the given buyer in relation to other buyers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Enduse.com LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Growney, Patrick L. Youssi
  • Patent number: 7043448
    Abstract: Organizing and managing a transaction-related dimension of tax-related data allows for the generation of fact details to facilitate payment of taxes. First, a transaction-related dimension of tax-related data is provided along with a plurality of attributes for the transaction-related dimension. Such attributes include a transaction line item determined based on a transaction identifier, a transaction type, a tax type, a customer account identifier, a sold to location geographic code, a ship to location geographic code, a contract number, a purchase order number, a vendor account identifier, and a vendor zip code. Next, a plurality of entries are received which are associated with the attributes of the transaction-related dimension. A plurality of fact details are then generated using the entries of a predetermined set of the attributes of the transaction-related dimension. Thereafter, a set of aggregate fact details are generated based on the plurality of fact details.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Accenture LLP
    Inventor: Harold Campbell