Patents by Inventor Edward C. Sudduth

Edward C. Sudduth 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).

  • Vehicle rear lift gate hinge and counterbalance assembly
    Patent number: 5960519
    Abstract: A vehicle rear lift gate hinge and counterbalance assembly (22) includes a pair of laterally spaced hinges (24) and a counterbalance (25) including a torque rod (26) for pivotally supporting and counterbalancing a vehicle rear lift gate (18) for movement between open and closed positions with respect to a rear opening (14). Each hinge (24) includes a vehicle mounted hinge member (28) and a gate mounted hinge member (30) pivotally connected to each other. The torque rod (26) has a unitary construction including a central portion (38) ends (40) that include U-shaped bight portions (42) respectively received between laterally spaced portions (34) of one of the hinge members and engageable with an engagement portion (36) of the other hinge member to provide counterbalancing adjacent the closed position of the lift gate (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Midway Products Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin O. Thompson, Edward C. Sudduth