Patents by Inventor Jerry J. Zien

Jerry J. Zien 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: 7624706
    Abstract: An animal sorting paddle comprises a handle having a paddle head attached to a lower end thereof. The tip of the paddle head can be positioned adjacent a corner formed by the ground and by a substantially vertical wall of a pen, stall or chute when the user holds the handle at an upper end of the handle at an angle relative to the ground. The tip of the paddle head has a pointed, arrowhead shape so that the sides of the arrowhead shape are generally adjacent the ground and the wall of the pen, stall or chute when the tip of the paddle head is adjacent the corner. This pre-vents small animals from squeezing beneath the paddle head. The paddle head can be reversibly mounted to the handle to allow either the pointed, arrowhead shaped tip to be used or a flat, straight tip formed on the other end of the paddle head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Miller Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne A. Plekkenpol, Jerry J. Zien
  • Patent number: 7578411
    Abstract: A bail grip for a pivotal bail of a bucket in which the bail has a pair of bail legs and a central hook with an inverted shape. The bail grip comprises an arcuate body that is installed onto the upper ends of the bail legs with the arc of the bail grip body conforming to a common curve or arc of the upper ends of the bail legs. When in place, the bail grip body does not completely close off a recess formed by the hook. Instead, a rear side of the bail grip body has a notch adjacent the recess such that a locking pin used on a wall bracket from which the bucket is hung is still able to pass downwardly through the recess and along the notch formed in the rear side of the bail grip body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Miller Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerry J. Zien, Kenneth C. Floer
  • Patent number: 7438300
    Abstract: A hand truck for carrying and transporting an object comprises a frame having a base and a back arranged in a generally L-shaped configuration. The frame is supported by at least a pair of wheels for rolling over the ground. An object may be placed on the base for using the hand truck to move the object. A retainer has a loading position in which the retainer is sufficiently clear of the base to allow the object to be slid onto the base. After the object is slid onto the base, the retainer may be raised to a transport position in which the retainer at least partially encircles the object to hold the retainer on the base. The retainer may be releasably latched in the transport position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Miller Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerry J. Zien, Nathan J. Friberg
  • Patent number: 7201355
    Abstract: A support bracket for hanging differently sized buckets comprises a bracket body which can be secured to a vertical support surface such as a wall. The bracket body includes a lip that forms an upwardly facing hook that hooks into a downwardly facing channel on the rim of the bucket. The bracket body includes fixed upper and lower seats for receiving the pivotal bail on the bucket. The pivotal bail of a larger bucket will be received in the upper seat and the pivotal bail of a smaller bucket will be received in the lower seat when the rim channel of the bucket is hung on the lip. A pin retains the pivotal bail of the bucket in whatever seat holds the bail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Miller Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Jerry J. Zien, Nathan J. Friberg