Patents by Inventor Charles H. Hicks

Charles H. Hicks 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: 6101751
    Abstract: A substrate upon which an advertising message may be printed is releasably attachable to the side of a truck in a way that prevents the substrate from flapping when the truck is moving at high speeds. The upper edge of the substrate is retained within a rigid frame mounted in a recess formed in the side wall of the truck, and is quickly insertable into or removable from such rigid frame. The forward edge of the substrate is wrapped around the forward corner of the truck so that wind cannot get under the substrate, and a plurality of front-mounted winches pull the forward edge toward them so that slack is removed from the substrate. The rearward edge of the substrate is wrapped around a rear corner of the truck so that the effective width of the truck is not increased by attachment hardware.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Inventor: Charles H. Hicks
  • Patent number: 6092319
    Abstract: A substrate upon which an advertising message may be imprinted is secured in overlying relation to an overhead-opening type of truck or trailer rear door by an assembly that includes an elongate coil spring positioned on an interior side of the overhead door. The lowermost end of the spring is secured to the interior side of the door and the uppermost end of the coil spring is connected to a lower end of a winch by a nonstretchable strap. The upper end of the winch is connected by a nonstretchable strap to a rigid rod to which the upper end of the substrate is attached. Tightening the winch increases the tautness of the substrate and loosening the winch decreases the tautness. When properly adjusted, the substrate is taut throughout the entire door-raising and lowering procedure, even though the substrate is substantially nonstretchable and even though the opening of the door requires the substrate to extend a greater distance than when the door is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Inventor: Charles H. Hicks
  • Patent number: 5845423
    Abstract: A substrate upon which an advertising message may be printed is releasably attachable to the side of a truck in a way that prevents the substrate from flapping when the truck is moving at high speeds. The upper and rearward edges of the substrate are retained within rigid frames mounted to the truck and are quickly insertable into or removable from such rigid frames. The forward edge of the substrate is wrapped around the forward corner of the truck trailer so that wind cannot get under the substrate, and a plurality of front-mounted winches pull the forward edge toward them so that slack is removed from the substrate. Another plurality of winches mounted on the underside of the trailer engage straps that hold the lowermost edge of the substrate so that activation of the winches pulls the lowermost edge toward those winches to further remove slack from the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1998
    Inventor: Charles H. Hicks