Patents by Inventor Dennis St. Germain
Dennis St. Germain 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).
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Patent number: 9145984Abstract: A high strength, high temperature resistant roundsling for use as a restraint safety device. The roundsling uses a blend of fibers having characteristics of high strength, improved heat resistance, low weight, and improved handibility, as compared to roundslings assembled from non-blended fibers. Use of the roundslings of the present invention to secure sections of pipeline systems, will assist to maintain safety and reduce failure conditions in such pipeline systems that are subject to higher pressures and elevated temperatures. An exemplary and preferred range of the fiber blend for the inventive roundsling device are within a range of 30-70% Para-Aramid fibers and 70-30% LCP fibers, respectively. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention that has been tested is a roundsling manufactured to include a blend of fibers within the approximate range of 55-65% Para-Aramid and 45-35% LCP.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2013Date of Patent: September 29, 2015Assignee: SlingMax, Inc.Inventors: Dennis A. St. Germain, Jr., Scott St. Germain
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Publication number: 20130319565Abstract: A high strength, high temperature resistant roundsling for use as a restraint safety device. The roundsling uses a blend of fibers having characteristics of high strength, improved heat resistance, low weight, and improved handibility, as compared to roundslings assembled from non-blended fibers. Use of the roundslings of the present invention to secure sections of pipeline systems, will assist to maintain safety and reduce failure conditions in such pipeline systems that are subject to higher pressures and elevated temperatures. An exemplary and preferred range of the fiber blend for the inventive roundsling device are within a range of 30-70% Para-Aramid fibers and 70-30% LCP fibers, respectively. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention that has been tested is a roundsling manufactured to include a blend of fibers within the approximate range of 55-65% Para-Aramid and 45-35% LCP.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2013Publication date: December 5, 2013Applicant: Slingmax, Inc.Inventors: Dennis A. St. Germain, JR., Scott St. Germain
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Patent number: 8322765Abstract: A sling for industrial lifting comprising a cover having fibers twisted in a first direction; and a load-bearing core within the cover, the core having a helical twist of a plurality of core strands, each core strand twisted in a second direction.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2011Date of Patent: December 4, 2012Assignee: Slingmax, Inc.Inventor: George Frederick Dennis St. Germain
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Publication number: 20110169285Abstract: A sling for industrial lifting comprising a cover having fibers twisted in a first direction; and a load-bearing core within the cover, the core having a helical twist of a plurality of core strands, each core strand twisted in a second direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2011Publication date: July 14, 2011Applicant: SLINGMAX, INC.Inventor: George Frederick Dennis St. Germain
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Patent number: 7926859Abstract: A sling for industrial lifting made of a load-bearing core and a cover. The cover protects the plurality of yarns that make-up the core. Each core yarn is made of a number of core threads twisted together. The core yarns are twisted together where the twist is in the same direction as the individual core strands and a different direction than the twist of the cover. The present invention describes the method of twisting the core yarns together by inserting core yarns substantially parallel into a cover that has a twist opposite of each core strand. As the core strands are inserted into the cover, the twists of the individual core yarns interact with the twist of the cove, resulting in the core yarns twisting together.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2008Date of Patent: April 19, 2011Assignee: Slingmax, Inc.Inventor: George Frederick Dennis St. Germain
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Patent number: 7744138Abstract: An edge protector, including a flexible body portion, spacers, and mating straps, that protects slings from both abrasion damage and cutting damage caused by a heavy object being lifted.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2006Date of Patent: June 29, 2010Assignee: Slingmax, Inc.Inventor: Dennis St. Germain
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Patent number: 7661737Abstract: A pre-failure warning indicator is provided for use with a sling. The pre-failure warning indicator triggers at a point that is predictable within a relatively narrow range, thereby increasing the possibility that a damaged sling is removed from use. The pre-failure warning indicator includes a dedicated strand of material that is placed in close proximity to the load-bearing core yarns of the sling but remains separate and independent from the core yarns; the ends of the dedicated strand are connected via a sacrificial “ring.” A warning fiber having an end that is visible to operators/riggers works in conjunction with the sacrificial strand and the ring. The ring is designed to fail when the sling is subjected to a specifically chosen condition (e.g., excessive weight). The failure of the ring causes the warning fiber to withdraw from the rigger's view thereby warning the rigger that the sling was subjected to the specifically chosen condition and may be damaged.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2006Date of Patent: February 16, 2010Assignee: Slingmax, Inc.Inventor: Dennis St. Germain
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Patent number: 7568333Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing industrial slings which is especially adapted for making roundslings. The apparatus can make slings having one load-lifting core or multiple load-lifting cores. The apparatus has three primary sections, namely, a yarn feeder assembly, a control assembly and a tail section assembly. The sling-making apparatus may be left-handed or right-handed.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2007Date of Patent: August 4, 2009Assignee: Slingmax, Inc.Inventor: Dennis St. Germain
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Publication number: 20090107573Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing industrial slings which is especially adapted for making roundslings. The apparatus can make slings having one load-lifting core or multiple load-lifting cores. The apparatus has three primary sections, namely, a yarn feeder assembly, a control assembly and a tail section assembly. The sling-making apparatus may be left-handed or right-handed.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2007Publication date: April 30, 2009Inventor: Dennis St. Germain
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Publication number: 20090108603Abstract: A sling for industrial lifting made of a load-bearing core and a cover. The cover protects the plurality of yarns that make-up the core. Each core yarn is made of a number of core threads twisted together. The core yarns are twisted together where the twist is in the same direction as the individual core strands and a different direction than the twist of the cover. The present invention describes the method of twisting the core yarns together by inserting core yarns substantially parallel into a cover that has a twist opposite of each core strand. As the core strands are inserted into the cover, the twists of the individual core yarns interact with the twist of the cove, resulting in the core yarns twisting together.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2008Publication date: April 30, 2009Inventor: George Frederick Dennis St. Germain
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Publication number: 20080157549Abstract: Industrial slings, especially those made from non-metal materials, may be damaged by the edge or corner of the object being lifted. The present invention is a protection apparatus that protects slings from both abrasion damage and cutting damage during a lift.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2006Publication date: July 3, 2008Inventor: Dennis St. Germain
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Publication number: 20060261617Abstract: A pre-failure warning indicator is provided for use with a sling. The pre-failure warning indicator triggers at a point that is predictable within a relatively narrow range, thereby increasing the possibility that a damaged sling is removed from use. The pre-failure warning indicator includes a dedicated strand of material that is placed in close proximity to the load-bearing core yarns of the sling but remains separate and independent from the core yarns; the ends of the dedicated strand are connected via a sacrificial “ring.” A warning fiber having an end that is visible to operators/riggers works in conjunction with the sacrificial strand and the ring. The ring is designed to fail when the sling is subjected to a specifically chosen condition (e.g., excessive weight). The failure of the ring causes the warning fiber to withdraw from the rigger's view thereby warning the rigger that the sling was subjected to the specifically chosen condition and may be damaged.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2006Publication date: November 23, 2006Applicant: Slingmax, Inc.Inventor: Dennis St. Germain
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Patent number: 5651572Abstract: Disclosed is a flexible roundsling construction which comprises a fiber optic signal strand component in a bundle of strands of endless parallel loop lifting core yarn contained inside a tubular protective cover material from which two free ends of the fiber optic strand emerge as means for providing a signal of defective continuity in the sling lifting core.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 1996Date of Patent: July 29, 1997Inventor: Dennis St. Germain
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Patent number: 5651573Abstract: A flexible, flat-plane sling construction for lifting heavy loads which includes a flat-shaped coupler bit-link having a body portion which includes an aperture at one end in which a flat lifting sling slidably passes there through, and an open slot at its other end having a raised arm at the entrance side of the slot, a flat lifting sling which passes first through the aperture, and passes second through a hook or a ring which connects the sling to a load, and third passes over the raised arm of the coupler to connect the lifting sling to the load.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 1996Date of Patent: July 29, 1997Inventor: Dennis St. Germain
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Patent number: 5561973Abstract: A flexible sling construction, without external compression sleeves or termination splices, made from three strands of material twisted into a single length of cable and formed into a nine strand body section having eye closure loops comprising six strands at each end thereof which eye closures are formed by looping each end of the cable back upon itself and inserting the cable end through the strands of cable at points removed from each end, and which body is formed by helically winding the first end of cable which extends from a first eye closure back around the body in the direction of the second eye closure and then wrapping it around the second eye closure to form a flemish eye, then leading the first end of cable and winding it in a helical wind back around the body and returning it in a direction toward the first eye closure, and wrapping it to form another flemish eye, and terminating the construction by splitting apart the end of the three strands of the first end of cable length and splicing the sepType: GrantFiled: September 30, 1991Date of Patent: October 8, 1996Inventor: Dennis St. Germain
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Patent number: 4850629Abstract: The lifting sling of this invention comprises multiple discrete sling cores formed from a plurality of longitudinally extending parallel segments which are each contained inside separate cover material which form paths or channels arranged in an endless tubular loop. At least two separate sling cores are protected inside separate longitudinal endless paths of cover material which is sealed or fastened to prevent contact between the sling cores.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 1988Date of Patent: July 25, 1989Inventor: Dennis St. Germain
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Patent number: 4441748Abstract: A means for protecting hoisting slings and/or their loads is described. The device includes a strip of uniform width and indefinite length comprising multiple plies of woven webbing, a plurality of spaced channels between a first pair of adjacent plies, and a plurality of friction straps, each secured at one end between a second pair of adjacent plies so that the opposed free end extends perpendicularly from a longitudinal edge of the strip. Each friction strap corresponds to one of the plurality of channels and is about as wide as its corresponding channel so that it fits snugly therein. The device is interposed between the sling and the load and is attached to the sling by encircling the sling cable with the straps and passing them through their corresponding channels so that the sling is firmly engaged by the device.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 1982Date of Patent: April 10, 1984Inventor: Dennis St. Germain
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Patent number: 4241575Abstract: A chain saddle assembly is disclosed which permits a chain used as a sling to be supported at any point between its opposite ends. The supported link is placed in a groove so that the link is lying sideways with one leg of the link above the other. Ledges are provided which engage the two links of the chain adajacent to the link which is being supported. The assembly thus prevents possible slipage of the chain through the assembly while providing proper support without imposing undo stress concentrations on the supported link or the links adjacent to it.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 1978Date of Patent: December 30, 1980Assignee: I & I Sling Company, Inc.Inventor: Dennis St. Germain
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Patent number: 4240659Abstract: An improved sling construction for lifting heavy loads is disclosed. The sling is formed by intertwining a multiplicity of three body part slings or subslings which in turn are woven from single cables in such a manner that they have a body having an eye at each end thereof. The construction of the sling is such that when the particular application calling for such a sling is completed, it may be readily disassembled enabling reuse of the constituent subslings. A second construction for lifting very heavy loads is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 1978Date of Patent: December 23, 1980Assignee: I & I Sling Company, Inc.Inventor: Dennis St. Germain
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Patent number: 4043581Abstract: An improved sling construction is disclosed. The sling is formed or woven from a single cable in such a manner that it has a body having an eye at each end thereof. The body includes three parts or cable segments while each eye is formed by two sections or loops of the cable. Each eye includes one loop, made from a cable end section, which is a flemish eye and which has the end of the cable secured to one of the three body parts or cables by a pressed sleeve.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 1976Date of Patent: August 23, 1977Assignee: I & I Sling Co., Inc.Inventor: Dennis St. Germain