Patents by Inventor Alfred T. Dietrich

Alfred T. Dietrich has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6478308
    Abstract: Door edge seal and retainer assemblies, particularly adapted for swing doors of motor truck and similar cargo containers, include elongated channel shaped retainer parts adapted to be mounted on the panel edges of the cargo container doors and comprising generally channel shaped members adapted to be secured to the panel edges. One or more elongated seal lip parts are integrally joined to the retainer part and may be cut away to provide access to one or more slots formed on the retainer part to receive flanges of replacement seal lip members for mounting the replacement seal lip members on the retainer parts without removing them from the panel edge in the event of damage to the original seal lip parts. The integral seal lip parts and retainer parts are preferably coextruded of polyvinylchloride wherein the lip parts are more flexible and of a lower hardness than the retainer part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Overhead Door Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth L. McMillin, Alfred T. Dietrich
  • Patent number: 6158171
    Abstract: Resilient seal and retainer assemblies for the side edges of a swing door panel of a cargo container. Each assembly includes, in one embodiment, a resilient seal member and a relatively rigid retainer member, coextruded of polyvinyl chloride. The retainer member includes a channel part with a web and opposed flanges for receiving one of the side edges of the door panel and the retainer member also includes a base part extending from the web for supporting the resilient seal member which includes a convex, thinned-walled rim part and internal webs extending radially inwardly from the rim part to reinforce the rim part and to restore the rim part to a convex, undeflected condition when the rim part is disengaged from a sealing surface on a frame of the door panel. In an alternate embodiment, the seal member of each of the assemblies is provided with its own integral coextruded base part which may be slidably or snap-fitted into engagement with a separately formed retainer member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: Overhead Door Corporation
    Inventors: Charles Frederick Kellogg, Alfred T. Dietrich
  • Patent number: 5472306
    Abstract: A retractable ramp mechanism for a vehicle includes a frame mounted to the vehicle and a ramp mounted to the frame by way of a linkage for movements between stowed and extended positions. The linkage is constructed and arranged to permit an inner end of the ramp to pivot upwardly with respect to the frame from a lower position to an engagement position. In the engagement position, the inner end of the ramp may be engaged with a work surface of the vehicle. The linkage includes a mechanism for applying a biasing force to bias the inner end of the ramp upwardly to the engagement position when the ramp is in the extended position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1995
    Assignee: Overhead Door Corporation
    Inventors: Donald E. Stoll, Alfred T. Dietrich
  • Patent number: 5435104
    Abstract: A seal assembly for use in combination with a retractable door includes a replaceable seal strip for positively sealing the gap between the door frame and the retractable door. The seal strip is flexed about a fold line in response to compression by transversely sloping seal receiving surfaces of a seal receiver and retainer bar. The external side portion of the seal strip projects transversely with respect to the retractable door, and is deflected by positive engagement with the door when the seal assembly is mounted in the operative position. The retainer bar is secured to the seal receiver by a screw fastener, and may be removed for repair or replacement of the seal strip without requiring removal of the receiver from the door frame. The seal assembly utilizes a replaceable rectangular seal strip of resilient material which initially is in a flat condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1995
    Assignee: Overhead Door Corporation
    Inventor: Alfred T. Dietrich
  • Patent number: 5340267
    Abstract: A retractable ramp mechanism for a vehicle includes a frame mounted to the vehicle and a ramp mounted to the frame by way of a linkage for movements between stowed and extended positions. The linkage is constructed and arranged to permit an inner end of the ramp to pivot upwardly with respect to the frame from a lower position to an engagement position. In the engagement position, the inner end of the ramp may be engaged with a work surface of the vehicle. The linkage includes a mechanism for applying a biasing force to bias the inner end of the ramp upwardly to the engagement position when the ramp is in the extended position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1994
    Assignee: Overhead Door Corporation
    Inventors: Donald E. Stoll, Alfred T. Dietrich
  • Patent number: 4049311
    Abstract: A bulkhead door assembly mountable within a storage compartment, such as a refrigerated trailer, for dividing the compartment into subcompartments. Tracks are mounted on the opposed sidewalls of the compartment adjacent the upper edges thereof, and a pair of support devices are mounted on the upper corners of the bulkhead door and coact with the tracks. The support devices permit the upper edge of the bulkhead door to be fixedly latched relative to the sidewalls when the bulkhead door is in a lowered position for dividing the compartment. The support devices also hingedly support the bulkhead door to permit it to be swung upwardly about a horizontal axis located adjacent the upper edge thereof for storage in a raised position adjacent the ceiling of the compartment. A pair of releasable lock mechanisms are mounted adjacent the lower edges of the door for securing the door in either the lowered or raised position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1976
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1977
    Assignee: Overhead Door Corporation
    Inventors: Alfred T. Dietrich, Gerald W. Galbreath