Patents by Inventor Michael D. Horton
Michael D. Horton 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: 10024010Abstract: Provided are apparatuses, methods, and systems to clear a road surface of debris, water, or other contaminants. A system for clearing a road surface is provided including an air knife with an elongate orifice extending along a line, a frame configured to support the air knife in a position substantially parallel to a plane defined by the road surface, and a tow bar coupled to the frame, where the tow bar is pivotable relative to the frame along an axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the road surface. The system may include a mounting plate connected to the tow bar, where the mounting plate is pivotably mounted to the frame. The air knife may be supplied with pressurized air to clear the road surface of debris. A guide wheel may be attached to the frame, where the guide wheel is configured to rotate about an axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the road surface.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2016Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: National Association For Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.Inventors: Donald E. Krueger, John K. Sutton, Michael D. Horton, Shawn Rogers, John Austin Tate, IV, Jerome Kaproth
-
Patent number: 10024009Abstract: Provided are apparatuses, methods, and systems to clear a road surface of debris, water, or other contaminants. A system for clearing a road surface is provided including an air knife with an elongate orifice extending along a line, a frame configured to support the air knife in a position substantially parallel to a plane defined by the road surface, and a tow bar coupled to the frame, where the tow bar is pivotable relative to the frame along an axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the road surface. The system may include a mounting plate connected to the tow bar, where the mounting plate is pivotably mounted to the frame. The air knife may be supplied with pressurized air to clear the road surface of debris. A guide wheel may be attached to the frame, where the guide wheel is configured to rotate about an axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the road surface.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2014Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.Inventors: Donald E. Krueger, John K. Sutton, Michael D. Horton, Shawn Rogers, John Austin Tate, IV, Jerome Kaproth, Christopher Allen Popiela
-
Publication number: 20160251813Abstract: Provided are apparatuses, methods, and systems to clear a road surface of debris, water, or other contaminants. A system for clearing a road surface is provided including an air knife with an elongate orifice extending along a line, a frame configured to support the air knife in a position substantially parallel to a plane defined by the road surface, and a tow bar coupled to the frame, where the tow bar is pivotable relative to the frame along an axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the road surface. The system may include a mounting plate connected to the tow bar, where the mounting plate is pivotably mounted to the frame. The air knife may be supplied with pressurized air to clear the road surface of debris. A guide wheel may be attached to the frame, where the guide wheel is configured to rotate about an axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the road surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2016Publication date: September 1, 2016Inventors: Donald E. Krueger, John K. Sutton, Michael D. Horton, Shawn Rogers, John Austin Tate, IV, Jerome Kaproth
-
Patent number: 9388542Abstract: Provided are apparatuses, methods, and systems to clear a road surface of debris, water, or other contaminants. A system for clearing a road surface is provided including an air knife with an elongate orifice extending along a line, a frame configured to support the air knife in a position substantially parallel to a plane defined by the road surface, and a tow bar coupled to the frame, where the tow bar is pivotable relative to the frame along an axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the road surface. The system may include a mounting plate connected to the tow bar, where the mounting plate is pivotably mounted to the frame. The air knife may be supplied with pressurized air to clear the road surface of debris. A guide wheel may be attached to the frame, where the guide wheel is configured to rotate about an axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the road surface.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2013Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.Inventors: Donald E. Krueger, John K. Sutton, Michael D. Horton, Shawn Rogers, John Austin Tate, IV, Jerome Kaproth
-
Patent number: 9359731Abstract: Provided are apparatuses, methods, and systems to clear a road surface of debris, water, or other contaminants. A system for clearing a road surface is provided including an air knife with an elongate orifice extending along a line, a frame configured to support the air knife in a position substantially parallel to a plane defined by the road surface, and a tow bar coupled to the frame, where the tow bar is pivotable relative to the frame along an axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the road surface. The system may include a mounting plate connected to the tow bar, where the mounting plate is pivotably mounted to the frame. The air knife may be supplied with pressurized air to clear the road surface of debris. A guide wheel may be attached to the frame, where the guide wheel is configured to rotate about an axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the road surface.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2013Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.Inventors: Donald E. Krueger, John K. Sutton, Michael D. Horton, Shawn Rogers, John Austin Tate, IV, Jerome Kaproth
-
Publication number: 20150354156Abstract: Provided are apparatuses, methods, and systems to clear a road surface of debris, water, or other contaminants. A system for clearing a road surface is provided including an air knife with an elongate orifice extending along a line, a frame configured to support the air knife in a position substantially parallel to a plane defined by the road surface, and a tow bar coupled to the frame, where the tow bar is pivotable relative to the frame along an axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the road surface. The system may include a mounting plate connected to the tow bar, where the mounting plate is pivotably mounted to the frame. The air knife may be supplied with pressurized air to clear the road surface of debris. A guide wheel may be attached to the frame, where the guide wheel is configured to rotate about an axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the road surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 24, 2014Publication date: December 10, 2015Inventors: Donald E. Krueger, John K. Sutton, Michael D. Horton, Shawn Rogers, John Austin Tate, IV, Jerome Kaproth
-
Patent number: 5703929Abstract: A portable communications unit contains both wireless and wireline communication capability, through a selected one of which a craftsperson may establish a communication path with a test system of a telephone office. The test system responds to commands supplied over the established communication path supplies messages to the user's communication unit for providing a user with information for controlling the operation of a test head that is connectable to a subscriber line. The communications unit has a contact-sensitive visual display, which converts touch inputs into control signals that are transmitted to the test system and through which information associated with the operation of the test system is presented to the user. The user's communication unit is operative, in response to a user's request for the establishment of a communication path between the communications unit and the test system, to attempt to place the communications unit in wireless communication with the telephone office.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 1996Date of Patent: December 30, 1997Assignee: Harris CorporationInventors: Onofrio Schillaci, Michael D. Horton
-
Patent number: 5583912Abstract: A portable communications unit contains both wireless and wireline communication capability, through a selected one of which a craftsperson may establish a communication path with a test system of a telephone office. The test system responds to commands supplied over the established communication path supplies messages to the user's communication unit for providing a user with information for controlling the operation of a test head that is connectable to a subscriber line. The communications unit has a contact-sensitive visual display, which converts touch inputs into control signals that are transmitted to the test system and through which information associated with the operation of the test system is presented to the user. The user's communication unit is operative, in response to a user's request for the establishment of a communication path between the communications unit and the test system, to attempt to place the communications unit in wireless communication with the telephone office.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1994Date of Patent: December 10, 1996Assignee: Harris CorporationInventors: Onofrio Schillaci, Michael D. Horton
-
Patent number: 5533093Abstract: A telephone service technician's portable computer has a trouble-shooting mechanism which analyzes craftsperson inputs, trouble ticket data, local and remote test data, and suggests a problem solving strategy. The system includes a trouble-shooting application engine, a knowledge database, and a shared, parameter database. The knowledge database contains rules and static parameters which define the characteristics and behavior of the application engine. These rule sets and information are telephone line trouble-shooting specific, based on a diagnostic evaluation of possible line problems, and recommended procedures to repair the line and remove the fault. The shared database data may be supplied from a variety of external sources, such as through a work order manager software application, measurement data sourced by portable test equipment, or data input by the craftsperson.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1994Date of Patent: July 2, 1996Assignee: Harris CorporationInventors: Michael D. Horton, Onofrio Schillaci, Raymond W. Rischpater
-
Patent number: 5436968Abstract: The potential impedance mismatch of digital terminal equipment and a line test unit that has been equipped to conform with the Bellcore standard of terminating the line with a 600-900 ohm impedance during data reception is addressed by modifying the craftsman's test unit to include a controllably disabled AC impedance, which is operative to normally bridge the tip and ring leads of the telephone circuit under test with the required (600-900 ohm) impedance during data reception and, under direct control by the craftsman's keypad or software control resident in the test set's microcontroller, to selectively remove the AC matching impedance that would otherwise bridge the line. The AC impedance is comprised of a D.C. blocking capacitor and a resistor coupled in series with a controllable solid state relay which is normally rendered conductive during data reception to bridge the tip and ring leads.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 1993Date of Patent: July 25, 1995Assignee: Harris CorporationInventors: Geoffrey H. Parker, Jr., Michael D. Horton
-
Patent number: 5103473Abstract: A data communication and sleeve lead control apparatus provides auxilary signalling between a no-test trunk control unit, and another unit such as a pair gain unit which is coupled with the link between the control unit and the no-test trunk, while maintaining stability of the sleeve lead monitored by the no-test trunk. The appearance is installed within the pair gain unit, and effectively isolates the sleeve lead to the no-test trunk from sleeve lead to the no-test trunk control unit, so that the data communications between the control unit and the pair gain unit are transparent to the no-test trunk. During a prescribed sleeve lead current flow state, e.g. high resistance or low current flow, controlled interruption of sleeve lead current between the control unit and the pair gain unit effectively modulates the state of the sleeve lead therebetween, but does not change the intended current flow state applied by way of the sleeve lead output port to the no-test trunk.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 1991Date of Patent: April 7, 1992Assignee: Harris CorporationInventors: Leslie A. Sullins, Michael D. Horton, Ben A. Pierce
-
Patent number: D740860Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2013Date of Patent: October 13, 2015Assignee: National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.Inventors: Donald E. Krueger, Michael D. Horton, John K. Sutton