Patents by Inventor Kenneth D. Vought

Kenneth D. Vought 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: 8120883
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring protection device that includes a housing assembly having a plurality of line terminals and a plurality of load terminals. A fault detection circuit is coupled to at least one of the plurality of line terminals and configured to generate a fault detection signal in response to detecting at least one fault condition in the electrical distribution system. A circuit interrupter assembly is coupled to the fault detection circuit. The circuit interrupter assembly is configured to couple the plurality of line terminals to the plurality of load terminals to form a conductive electrical path in a reset state, and decouple the plurality of line terminals from the plurality of load terminals in response to a fault detection signal in a tripped state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Pass & Seymour, Inc.
    Inventors: Kent R. Morgan, Richard Weeks, Gerald R. Savicki, Jr., Kenneth D. Vought
  • Patent number: 8120882
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring device that includes an illumination assembly coupled to at least one detection circuit and disposed in the housing portion. The illumination assembly includes at least one light emitting element, an illumination circuit, and at least one lens disposed in at least one lens cover opening in optical communication with at least one light emitting element. The illumination circuit is configured to selectively drive the at least one light emitting element between a deenergized state and a light emitting state in response to an ambient light condition, a miswire condition, an end-of-life condition, a reset state or a trip state. The at least one lens has a surface area such that light emitted by the at least one light emitting element is directed into a spatial volume proximate the electrical wiring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Pass & Seymour, Inc.
    Inventors: Dejan Radosavljevic, Kenneth D. Vought, Gerald R. Savicki, Jr., Richard Weeks, Gary O. Wilson
  • Publication number: 20110242711
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring protection device that includes a housing assembly having a plurality of line terminals and a plurality of load terminals. A fault detection circuit is coupled to at least one of the plurality of line terminals and configured to generate a fault detection signal in response to detecting at least one fault condition in the electrical distribution system. A circuit interrupter assembly is coupled to the fault detection circuit. The circuit interrupter assembly is configured to couple the plurality of line terminals to the plurality of load terminals to form a conductive electrical path in a reset state, and decouple the plurality of line terminals from the plurality of load terminals in response to a fault detection signal in a tripped state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: Pass & Seymour, Inc.
    Inventors: Kent Morgan, Richard Weeks, Gerald R. Savicki, JR., Kenneth D. Vought
  • Patent number: 7965477
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring protection device that includes a housing assembly having a plurality of line terminals and a plurality of load terminals. A fault detection circuit is coupled to at least one of the plurality of line terminals and configured to generate a fault detection signal in response to detecting at least one fault condition in the electrical distribution system. A circuit interrupter is coupled to the fault detection circuit. The circuit interrupter is configured to couple the plurality of line terminals to the plurality of load terminals to form a conductive electrical path in a reset state, and decouple the plurality of line terminals from the plurality of load terminals in response to a fault detection signal in a tripped state. A voltage transient suppression circuit is coupled to at least one of the plurality of line terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Pass & Seymour, Inc.
    Inventors: Kent R. Morgan, Richard Weeks, Gerald R. Savicki, Jr., Kenneth D. Vought
  • Patent number: 7719804
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring protection device that includes a housing assembly having a plurality of line terminals and a plurality of load terminals. A fault detection circuit is coupled to at least one of the plurality of line terminals and configured to generate a fault detection signal in response to detecting at least one fault condition in the electrical distribution system. A circuit interrupter is coupled to the fault detection circuit, The circuit interrupter is configured to couple the plurality of line terminals to the plurality of load terminals to form a conductive electrical path in a reset state, and decouple the plurality of line terminals from the plurality of load terminals in response to a fault detection signal in a tripped state. A voltage transient suppression circuit is coupled to at least one of the plurality of line terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Pass & Seymour, Inc.
    Inventors: Kent Morgan, Richard Weeks, Gerald R. Savicki, Jr., Kenneth D. Vought
  • Patent number: 7586718
    Abstract: An electrical wiring device includes a housing, and a circuit protection component and a light source operably mounted within the housing. In various aspects, the circuit protection component is a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) or an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI). The light source can function to provide increased illumination in an environment surrounding the electrical wiring device (e.g., a darkened bathroom or a darkened kitchen), or to indicate the status of the circuit protection component (e.g., tripped or normal). The light source may be one or more LEDs, neon sources, incandescent sources, etc. Embodiments of the invention include, in addition, a sensor for controlling the on/off state of the light source and/or a trip indicator separate from the light Source for indicating a status condition of the circuit protection component. The device is illustratively represented by a grounded plug receptacle, but may be embodied in a switch, a dimmer, or other application device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Pass & Seymour, Inc.
    Inventors: Dejan Radosavljevic, Kenneth D. Vought, Gerald R. Savicki, Jr., Richard Weeks, Gary O. Wilson
  • Patent number: 4746235
    Abstract: The present invention includes means for maintaining a printing element in its home position without any accompanying noise and for thereafter moving the carrier to its left margin position after the power switch is turned on. A latch member controlled by an actuator engages a notch in a flange of a rotating printing element drive gear for establishing the home position of the printing element. When the latch member engages the flange, the printing element drive gear motor is deenergized, stopping rotation of the drive gear, and the noise which would otherwise be caused by the print element drive motor continuously trying to rotate against the latch member is eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1988
    Assignee: Smith Corona Corporation
    Inventors: Hans W. Mueller, Kenneth D. Vought
  • Patent number: 4743128
    Abstract: A single solenoid is connected to a ribbon feed mechanism which is selectively operable either to feed a print ribbon or to lift and feed an error correction tape. A print hammer solenoid is operable to condition the ribbon feed mechanism either for feeding the print ribbon or lifting and feeding the error correction tape. To feed the print ribbon, an electronic circuit energizes the print hammer solenoid before energizing the ribbon feed solenoid in response to depressing a character key. To lift and feed the error correction tape, the electronic circuit energizes the print hammer solenoid after energizing the ribbon feed solenoid in response to depressing a correction key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1988
    Assignee: Smith Corona Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth D. Vought, Hans W. Mueller
  • Patent number: 4403879
    Abstract: A carriage locking device is used for locking a transversely movable carrier in a typewriter to safeguard against damage when the typewriter is not in typing use, especially during shipping transport. The device includes a pair of blades operable between a released position for enabling the carrier to travel sideways and a locked position for engageably holding the carrier fast in the typewriter. A lock control linkage is coupled to the blades for allowing the operator selective movement thereof to shift the blades between the two positions. The blades move into and out of a recess on the carrier which is only allowed to occur when the carrier is stopped at a predetermined location. A sensor lever includes a latching feature that operates in response to the carrier being away from the predetermined location to block movement of the lock control linkage for maintaining the blades in the released position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1983
    Assignee: SCM Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth D. Vought, Steven M. Faes
  • Patent number: 4403876
    Abstract: A print element mounting apparatus for attaching and removing a print disc to and from a selector shaft in a printing machine. The apparatus comprises a finger-grip cap which is fixed on the print disc and a coupling device carried by the print disc. The coupling device includes a generally circular shaped unitary flex member made from yieldable half-sections which are continually urged towards one another by a spring wrapped about the flex member. Each half-section includes a pair of pressure surfaces which are curved in complementary relation to form a biased opening at the central portion of the flex member. The selector shaft is fabricated to include tapered surfaces that operate in conjunction with the pressure surfaces to afford snap-action operation during interchange of the print disc accomplished through a push or a pull force axially applied to the cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1983
    Assignee: SCM Corporation
    Inventor: Kenneth D. Vought
  • Patent number: D500743
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Pass & Seymour, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald R. Savicki, Jr., Kenneth D. Vought, Yann Kulp
  • Patent number: D504403
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Pass & Seymar, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald R. Savicki, Jr., Kenneth D. Vought, Yann Kulp
  • Patent number: D504667
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Pass & Seymour, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald R. Savicki, Jr., Kenneth D. Vought, Yann Kulp
  • Patent number: D507245
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Pass & Seymar, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald R. Savicki, Jr., Kenneth D. Vought, Yann Kulp
  • Patent number: D508680
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Pass & Seymour, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald R. Savicki, Jr., Kenneth D. Vought, Yann Kulp
  • Patent number: D308070
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: Smith Corona Corporation
    Inventors: Hans W. Mueller, Kenneth D. Vought
  • Patent number: D310384
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 4, 1990
    Assignee: Smith Coronoa Corporation
    Inventors: Hans W. Mueller, Kenneth D. Vought