Patents by Inventor Bruce R. Harkness

Bruce R. Harkness 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: 6688147
    Abstract: A panel, formed from a perforated face (102), is respectively concavely and convexly curved by seriatim stretching or contracting its flanges (104a, b; 156a, b). Such stretching and contracting is produced by placing the opposed flanges within jaw halves (110a, b; 166a, b) of a jaw mechanism (110, 166), by seriatim positioning of the paired flanges between their respective jaw halves, and by moving the jaw halves away from or towards one another. Jaw movement towards one another effects a stretching function. Jaw movement towards one another effects a shrinking function. Computerization enables the panel curving to be precisely controlled. The curved panel, as it exits from the panel curving machine (126, 148) is supported on rollers (146) or, more precisely, by a scissor apparatus (176). The scissors apparatus includes roller sets (242, 244, 246) which are positionable, relative to one another, to conform the roller sets to the curvature of the exiting panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Ceilings Plus, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles M. Gordon, Bruce R. Harkness, Daniel J. Mellough, Gregory Stewart, Vincent A. Burokas
  • Publication number: 20030164021
    Abstract: A panel, formed from a perforated face (102), is respectively concavely and convexly curved by seriatim stretching or contracting its flanges (104a, b; 156a, b). Such stretching and contracting is produced by placing the opposed flanges within jaw halves (110a, b; 166a, b) of a jaw mechanism (110, 166), by seriatim positioning of the paired flanges between their respective jaw halves, and by moving the jaw halves away from or towards one another. Jaw movement towards one another effects a stretching function. Jaw movement towards one another effects a shrinking function. Computerization enables the panel curving to be precisely controlled. The curved panel, as it exits from the panel curving machine (126, 148) is supported on rollers (146) or, more precisely, by a scissor apparatus (176). The scissors apparatus includes roller sets (242, 244, 246) which are positionable, relative to one another, to conform the roller sets to the curvature of the exiting panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2001
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Inventors: Charles M. Gordon, Bruce R. Harkness, Daniel J. Mellough, Gregory Stewart, Vincent A. Burokas