Patents by Inventor J. Robert Richard

J. Robert Richard 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: 20090313737
    Abstract: A baseball batter's improved grip enhancing Pow'rPad™ device providing therapeutic vibration sting-absorption, which in critically configured for use upon one's upper/batting-hand, while primarily employing the forefinger but optionally including the adjacent middle-finger for positioning stability. The user's two fingers are fully inserted (with or without a conventional batting-glove) through a pair of intimately fitting spaced apart holes provided into a resiliently flexile preferably frothed-neoprene roll-stock material, clad on both sides with reinforcing nylon/stretch-fabric. An integral bolster cushion portion is arranged distally opposite the finger-holes, formed via a circular-wrap of the pad material around an extruded-core of resilient material. This constitutes the primary performance enhancing feature, whereby both ‘advanced bat positioning’, and advantageous ‘rebound-effect’ is provided; —enabling the batter to hit a ball further with greater control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Inventor: J. Robert Richard
  • Patent number: 7011084
    Abstract: The notion of an assymetrically configured thruster-wheel for automatic-feed ball-pitching batter/training-machines having a pair of laterally apposed axially-driven thruster-wheels; —wherein one or both thruster-wheels features a resilient circumferential-facing formed with declivities which can be regular or irregular protruding or receeding formations acting to alter the instant amount of impetus or thrust being exerted bilaterally upon the surface of a momentarily feeding ball. The thrust-wheels are axially readily detatchable from the ball-pitching thrust-motor shafts, thereby enabling coach or user to change just one or both thrust-wheels from a conventional uniform tread-surface (which thus always shoots-out balls on a predictable trajectory) to my new IM/Thrust-wheel which thereby shoots-out balls on a non-predictable trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Sports Products Consultants Inc.
    Inventor: J. Robert Richard
  • Patent number: 4977621
    Abstract: A one piece multi-purpose hand-cushioning device providing protection to the palm area of the hand from trauma associated with athletic and job-related activities. The device embodies a grip enhancement feature useful in many activities requiring prolonged use of the hands, such as driving, carpentry, etc., and may be used as a therapeutic aid for users with physical limitations due to crippling effects of arthritis, muscular dystrophy, and other diseases effecting the joints and muscles of the hands and fingers. The pad is manufactured from die cut neoprene with a bonded nylon backing, with or without an additional bonded raised cushion in the palm area. Four finger holes are provided thus eliminating the requirement for any type of fasteners. The object to be gripped is thus held between the fingers and the pad more securely and with less effort than with the hand alone. Because of its symmetrical design, the pad may be worn on either hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: J. Robert Richard
    Inventor: J. Robert Richard