Patents Examined by William Pierce
  • Patent number: 9120006
    Abstract: A game method of play that combines features of the game of poker with features from a variety of competitive sporting events. A deck of 56 cards is utilized containing four suits and fourteen rank cards for each suit (the rank of “1” for each suit is added to a standard deck of 52 cards). Indicated on the face of each card is a scoring value associated with a particular sporting event competition. The players carry out the play of the game in a manner similar to that of poker, playing for a poker outcome using the poker values, as well as a scoring outcome using the sports scoring indicia on the cards accumulated in the player's hand. Depending on the embodiment of the game being played, winning can occur in three ways: by holding the best poker hand value; by holding the best scoring hand value; or by having the best cumulative scoring outcome over multiple hands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Inventor: Edward L. Palmer
  • Patent number: 9119503
    Abstract: The invention relates to a beverage machine that includes a brewing unit which can be opened for introducing or removing an ingredient capsule and closed for brewing a beverage from the ingredient capsule; a passage having an opening and which is arranged for guiding the ingredient capsule from the passage opening into the brewing unit; and a closing part for closing the passage opening when the brewing unit is closed. The closing part is relatively movable over the passage opening with a generally parallel relative movement thereto from an open relative position in which the ingredient capsule can be passed into the brewing unit via the passage to a closed relative position, in which the passage opening is closed by the closure member. The closing part optionally extends over edges of the passage opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Nestec S.A.
    Inventors: Gilles Gavillet, Peter Möri, Renzo Moser, Alexandre Kollep
  • Patent number: 9089757
    Abstract: A golf teaching tool to provide instant user feedback, while explaining and encouraging proper ball impact. The golf teaching tool includes a rectangular plate with a cutout section. The golf teaching tool is placed on a playing surface with the cutout section pointed towards an intended target. A golf ball is placed on the playing surface within the cutout section and subsequently hit. Sound, impact, ball flight and movement of the golf teaching tool due to the golf club hitting the golf teaching tool, or no movement of the golf teaching tool provide the user immediate feedback regarding the correctness of the swing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Inventor: Dennis M. O'Donovan
  • Patent number: 9089755
    Abstract: A golf mat includes a frame having a central channel between left and right side shoulders. A hitting pad, such as an artificial turf pad, is slidable within or on the central channel. At least one elastic element, such as a rubber cord, extends laterally across the channel, and with the elastic element attached directly or indirectly to the artificial turf pad. Impact of the golf club head on the pad causes the pad to slide forward, absorbing impact forces and providing a feel to the golfer closer to hitting off of real grass. The elastic element decelerates the pad, and returns to the pad to its original position after the impact. The elastic element may be an elastic cord having plugged or knotted ends secured between inner and outer walls of the side shoulders of the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Pro Performance Sports, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Allen Holland
  • Patent number: 9066622
    Abstract: A system and device for preparing a liquid beverage from a cartridge. The device includes a supply unit for supplying an injection fluid into the cartridge, a cartridge holder configured to accept and support the cartridge with the cartridge holder being detachable from the device. A complementary insertion mechanism of the device is configured to receive the cartridge holder in the device. The cartridge is positioned in the supply unit in an injection position with its injection surface substantially in an inclined plane relative to the horizontal plane and the injection mechanism is offset from the highest edge of the cartridge. The cartridge holder preferably comprises a linear wedge-shaped insertion member having a bearing surface inclined along an angle. The method of operation of the system and device are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Nestec S.A.
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Denisart, Alain Meier, Enzo Bonacci, HansPeter Pleisch, Christian Talon
  • Patent number: 9061178
    Abstract: A bowling ball wherein one or more sacrificial molds are encapsulated in said bowling ball and methods for manufacturing same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Ebonite Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Kosby, Randy Schickert, Randy Teitloff
  • Patent number: 8998736
    Abstract: A bowling ball elevating assembly for an automatic pinsetter includes an idler pulley assembly having an idler arm and a tension spring causing the idler arm to maintain tension on a ball wheel belt driving a ball elevating ring member. An adjustment arm and a tension arm are mounted to an idler pulley shaft enabling adjusting the amount of tension applied by the tension spring to the idler arm, and consequently the tensioning force applied by an idler pulley to the ball wheel belt, thereby permitting slippage of the ball wheel belt relative to the ball elevating ring member when bowling pins and a bowling ball become jammed in the pinsetter. An improved idler v-pulley wheel has a reduced frictional engagement with the ball wheel belt, and improved positioning of the ball lift drive belt pulley reduces stress on the ball wheel belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Kegel, LLC
    Inventor: Chuck Bashak
  • Patent number: 8956235
    Abstract: A police baton including an outer tube and an inner tube connected in a telescoping manner, and clutch locking and releasing mechanisms provided at first ends of the inner and outer tubes respectively. When the inner tube is moved outward of the outer tube until the first end of the inner tube presses against a second end of the outer tube, a clutch locking block of the clutch locking mechanism moves laterally outward due to an elastic force and is embedded into a retaining groove on the outer tube, thereby forming a long stick. When a releasing shaft of the releasing mechanism is inserted into a releasing groove on the clutch locking block, the clutch locking block is moved laterally inward and released from the retaining groove, thereby allowing the inner tube to move toward the outer tube for forming a short stick.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Kantas Products Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yang-Fu Cheng
  • Patent number: 8956241
    Abstract: A golf club head, and a golf club with the subject head. The head has a putter body that defines a front face and a golf club iron face that is integral with the putter body and presents an angled ball-striking face portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Inventor: Joseph Overly
  • Patent number: 8939846
    Abstract: A bowling pin release mechanism, which is used to release bowling pins onto the lane for the first ball, which is pin cell independent. As such, aside from the vertical, reciprocating motion of the frame structure on which it is mounted, does not require additional mechanical or electromechanical mechanisms or components for pin release and reset operations. The resettable pin support and release mechanisms are contained within the pin cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Inventor: David Hudach
  • Patent number: 8931779
    Abstract: Methods of delivering groups of cards to a card game and, upon the occurrence of an event, dispensing a bonus card comprising feeding playing cards individually from an infeed area of a card handling device into an intermediate storage compartment designated for receiving playing cards. At least one bonus card may be fed from an infeed area of a card handling device into an intermediate storage compartment designated for receiving bonus cards. Groups of playing cards are selectively delivered. At least one bonus card may be selectively delivered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Attila Grauzer, Ernst Blaha, Peter Krenn, Paul K. Scheper
  • Patent number: 8905858
    Abstract: Generally, provided is an insert for usage on an outer surface of a sporting apparatus (e.g., a golf club). The insert includes a securing member that protrudes from surface of the insert. The securing member may include a stem and a head, wherein the stem functions to couple the head to a face of the securing member. The head of the securing member functions to prevent the insert from becoming dislodged or separated from the outer surface of the sporting apparatus during usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dan S. Nivanh, Keith F. Dolezel
  • Patent number: 8876624
    Abstract: This invention provides a golf club head including a face surface and sole portion. This golf club head includes a main body member, a face member, a sole member, and a fastening structure which fastens the main body member, the face member, and the sole member to be separable from each other. The main body member, the face member, and the sole member include stack portions, respectively, which are stacked on each other. The fastening structure fastens the main body member, the face member, and the sole member together in the stack portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wataru Ban, Kozue Wada
  • Patent number: 8870670
    Abstract: An aid for protecting and/or supporting a user's finger(s) or hand during an activity is described. The aid is particularly suited for activities involving repeated grasping which causes strain to the finger(s) and/or hand. The aid may be of a one-piece or two-piece design with features which allow adjustment to accommodate various finger and hand sizes. Generally speaking, the aid includes a finger collar which is placed about a user's fingers, and an extended support which combined with the collar holds the user's finger(s) in a particular curved state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Inventor: John R. Kordecki
  • Patent number: 8870185
    Abstract: A game apparatus for allowing players to turnover building blocks, including block and flat for overturn, which are characterized in that: the building block is consisted of two to eight cubes, including at least eight corners and twelve ridges; the ridges are designed with balls outside and every balls has the same diameter outside; the flat has the same distance with the hole, which is a dimple, and the distance between two holes equals to the side length of cube ball; thus balls of the building block can function with hole and makes building block stands on the flat after the ball is inserted into the hole; the building block can work with any two balls as rotate axis to rotate 90 degrees of front, back right and left side on the flat; through many times of overturn, the building block can go from beginning place to the end and reach the effect of fun competition and brain exercise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Inventor: Ming-Hsien Cheng
  • Patent number: 8858352
    Abstract: A wrist guard for bowling is provided. The wrist guard is capable of easily swing-adjusting (laterally adjusting) or tilt-adjusting (longitudinally adjusting) while a user is putting on the wrist guard, thereby proving a stable posture and convenience of use, also providing a beautiful exterior obtained by covering an angle adjusting unit swing-adjusting or tilt-adjusting using a cover, and preventing holding a cloth in such a way that the user is able to concentrate on a bowling game while throwing a bowling ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Inventor: Sang-Hak Jun
  • Patent number: 8845455
    Abstract: This invention provides a golf club head including a plurality of scorelines formed in its face surface and extending in the toe-to-heel direction. This golf club head includes a recessed portion for the cutting start of each scoreline, which is formed at one end or each of both ends of the scoreline in the longitudinal direction at a depth equal to or larger than that of the scoreline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Wataru Ban, Kozue Wada
  • Patent number: 8834283
    Abstract: An example of a practice device includes a top portion, a bottom portion, a middle portion extending along a longitudinal axis between the top and bottom portions, a neck portion extending between the top and middle portions, and a plurality of weights. The top portion includes a first cross section and at least two through-holes extending between front and rear surfaces. The bottom portion and middle portions include second and third cross sections, respectively. The neck includes a fourth cross section smaller than the third cross section. The weights have center holes smaller than the third cross section but larger than the first and fourth cross sections are configured for placement around the neck portion. Example methods of practicing and warming up may use various practice devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Eileen's Bowling Buddy, LLC
    Inventor: Rex William Byron
  • Patent number: 8800992
    Abstract: A mathematics game kit having five answer dice with six faces each labeled with a different number between 1 and 30, twenty function dice with six faces each labeled with a number between 1 and 25, a base with a grid divided into 25 cells in five columns and five rows wherein each cell is adapted to accept a die and the outermost column is the answer column, and a lid removably attached to the base, the lid allows the dice to be shaken in the base and randomly fall into cells. A partition is disposed in the lid to separate the answer dice and the cells in the answer column from the function dice and the remaining twenty cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Inventors: Jesse L. Mack, Faye Mack
  • Patent number: 8784218
    Abstract: A protective device to be worn around the wrist of the user may include a wristband to be positioned around the wrist of the user and a hand band to be positioned around the wrist of the user in a first state and to be positioned around the hand of the user and a second state. The wristband may include a nerve point tool to scratch an assailant. The hand band may include a nerve point tool to scratch an assailant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Armaband, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher L. Harris