Patents by Inventor Gary A. Willi

Gary A. Willi 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).

  • Publication number: 20120244924
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for providing, operating, hosting and conducting wagering games for at least two participating players including distributing randomly generated playing cards to form a partial hand of at least four playing cards for each of the participating players, providing a community group of at least three playing cards, conducting one or more wagering events until the values of at least three of the playing cards in the community group are known to the participating players, determining the winner of the game as one of either the participating player remaining if no other players continue as participating players in the game or the participating player achieving a final hand of the highest poker rank when compared with the final hands of the participating players, transferring a portion of the wagers received to a game host, and transferring the remaining portion of the wagers received to the determined winner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Inventor: Gary Willis
  • Publication number: 20120086169
    Abstract: A poker game played with a standard 52-card deck, in which each player is provided with one individual card, in addition to six community cards. Each player can form a hand from his single pocket card and any of the community cards, or can form a hand from only the community cards. The six community cards are dealt in the sequence three cards, two cards, and one card, which does not make available to a player a full hand of five cards until after the second round of betting. Additionally, the increased proportion of community cards makes hands which split the pot more likely. The features of this game combine to increase the length of time players stay in each hand and correspondingly increase pot size. When played at a casino with a rake base on a percentage of the pot, the increased pot size also increases the casino's take.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2010
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Inventor: Gary Willis
  • Patent number: 5524904
    Abstract: A lip seal having an annular body, a contiguous annular shoulder extending axially therefrom, and a contiguous annular seal lip extending coaxially from the body and flaring away from the shoulder. Strengthening ribs extend axially along the shoulder, the shoulder is undercut to provide space into which areas of the annular seal lip can escape, with each such feature thereby promoting nonuniform deformation of the annular seal lip, ensuring a path for fluid to flow, and thereby minimizing the possibility of a seal lock-up condition occurring when pressure is applied to the back of the lip seal during brake release. Flow ribs axially coextensive with the strengthening ribs also extend along the body to create fluid flow paths therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1996
    Assignee: Kelsey-Hayes Company
    Inventors: Gary A. Willi, Joseph A. Starr, William Doyle, Gary Knight
  • Patent number: 5390987
    Abstract: A hydraulic brake system metering valve includes an intergal brake switch having at least one pair of contacts. The brake switch contacts are movable between two positions. The combination valve includes a metering valve assembly having an axially shiftable metering rod. One end of the metering rod is adapted to operate the switch contacts. When pressure is initially applied to the brake system the metering rod shifts, causing the brake switch contacts to move from a first to a second position and thereby generate a first electrical signal. Upon release of the brake pressure, the metering rod shifts back, allowing the brake switch contacts to return to the first position and thereby generate a second electrical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1995
    Assignee: Kelsey-Hayes Company
    Inventors: Gary A. Willi, James M. Cossins
  • Patent number: 5357800
    Abstract: A production functional test for hydraulic brake control and traction control units which utilizes compressed air as a test medium. Compressed air is applied to an external port of a hydraulic brake or traction control unit which includes valves, accumulators and a positive displacement pump driven by an electric motor connected by internal passageways. The air pressure at another external port is monitored while the various components are exercised according to a test sequence. The monitored pressure must be within predetermined limits at various points of the test to demonstrate that the brake control unit is functioning properly. Air flow rates and pump motor current are also measured at specific points in the test. The test method can identify incorrectly sized and installed components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: Kelsey-Hayes Company
    Inventors: Brian T. Reuter, Gary A. Willi
  • Patent number: 4828335
    Abstract: A control valve for an anti-lock brake system includes a one-piece valve body having an inlet opening in one end and an outlet opening in an opposite end. The valve body is provided with four other openings extending into the body and defining separate associated chambers for respectively receiving an isolation valve assembly, a pressure differential switch assembly, a dump valve assembly and an accumulator assembly. The inlet, outlet, and the four internal chambers are connected by appropriate internal passageways. The control valve is used to selectively hold, dump, or reapply brake fluid pressure to selected wheel brakes to prevent lock-up of the associated wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1989
    Assignee: Kelsey-Hayes Company
    Inventors: Edward N. Fuller, Gary A. Willi
  • Patent number: 4068900
    Abstract: A dual hydraulic brake system incorporating a dual master cylinder for separately pressurizing the front and rear brakes of a vehicle. A device for varying the proportion of brake pressure applied to the front and rear brakes of a vehicle is positioned between the master cylinder and the front and rear brakes. The device includes a differential area piston for decreasing the proportion of brake pressure delivered to the rear brakes above a first preselected inlet pressure. Positioned within the differential area piston is a second valve assembly which is actuated in response to attainment of a second preselected brake pressure and which blends back the pressure in the rear brake system until it attains the pressure in the front brake system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1978
    Assignee: Kelsey-Hayes Co.
    Inventors: Roger E. Doerfler, Gary A. Willi