Patents by Inventor Paul M. Craig
Paul M. Craig 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).
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Patent number: 7721393Abstract: An open-type hose clamp which comprises a plastically deformable “Oetiker” ear as tightening device that requires a predetermined minimum plastic deformation for desired operation. Proper operation of the “Oetiker” ear is assured by a lost motion connection. The lost motion connection which also forms the mechanical connection between overlapping band portions includes at least one outwardly extending member extending outwardly from the inner band portion and adapted to engage in a corresponding aperture in the outer band portion, whereby the mechanical connection is such as to prevent use of an undersize clamp with a given hose and to assure a lock up of the mechanical connection upon engagement of the outwardly extending member in the aperture during tightening of the clamp.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2007Date of Patent: May 25, 2010Inventor: Paul M. Craig, Jr.
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Patent number: 7653972Abstract: An open-type hose clamp which comprises a mechanical connection between overlapping inner and outer band portions, in which the mechanical connection includes at least one outwardly extending member extending outwardly from the inner band portion and adapted to engage in a corresponding aperture in the outer band portion, and in which the mechanical connection is such as to assure a lock up of the mechanical connection upon engagement of the outwardly extending member in the aperture and tightening of the clamp.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2007Date of Patent: February 2, 2010Inventor: Paul M. Craig, Jr.
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Publication number: 20080190064Abstract: A mounting for a protective panel to a structure that provides a block with an angled surface that forms a lateral groove facing downward that is attached to the top of the panel. A hook is attached to the structure with an upward facing angled surface that matches the downward facing lateral groove of the clip. The panel is raised to where the clip is above the hook and then pulled down so that the groove and the hook mate securing the panel to the structure. There is no need for an installer to climb to the top of the panel. The lower end of the panel may be secured to the structure by standard methods including screwing directly to the structure. The panel may also include lateral center supports to prevent the panels from bending during high winds.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 16, 2008Publication date: August 14, 2008Inventors: Paul M. Craig, Paul Bodensiek
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Publication number: 20080190065Abstract: A hook for mounting a protective panel to a structure. The hook provides an angled extension that matches the top notch and the wider opening of a keyway in the top of the panel. The panel keyway engages the hook and slides down to a section where the top notch matches and seats onto a horizontal section of the hook. This horizontal section can be elongated to seat two or more panels with no vertical offset. The hook may be used to support any of the various types of protective panels, but the panels may be decorative or useful. The bottoms of the panels are secured to the structure by known methods.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 16, 2008Publication date: August 14, 2008Inventors: Paul M. Craig, Paul Bodensiek
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Publication number: 20080155794Abstract: An open-type hose clamp which comprises a plastically deformable “Oetiker” ear as tightening device that requires a predetermined minimum plastic deformation for desired operation. Proper operation of the “Oetiker” ear is assured by a lost motion connection. The lost motion connection which also forms the mechanical connection between overlapping band portions includes at least one outwardly extending member extending outwardly from the inner band portion and adapted to engage in a corresponding aperture in the outer band portion, whereby the mechanical connection is such as to prevent use of an undersize clamp with a given hose and to assure a lock up of the mechanical connection upon engagement of the outwardly extending member in the aperture during tightening of the clamp.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 3, 2007Publication date: July 3, 2008Inventor: Paul M. Craig
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Publication number: 20080155795Abstract: An open-type hose clamp which comprises a mechanical connection between overlapping inner and outer band portions, in which the mechanical connection includes at least one outwardly extending member extending outwardly from the inner band portion and adapted to engage in a corresponding aperture in the outer band portion, and in which the mechanical connection is such as to assure a lock up of the mechanical connection upon engagement of the outwardly extending member in the aperture and tightening of the clamp.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 3, 2007Publication date: July 3, 2008Inventor: Paul M. Craig
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Patent number: 7024731Abstract: A clamp in which the clamping band end portions are intended to form overlapping inner and outer band portions in the installed condition and are connected by a connection, in which a tightening device for tightening the clamping band about an object to be fastened and an arrangement assuring gap-free and stepless internal clamping surfaces of the clamping band including a male member near the end of the inner band portion are provided whereby the male member is adapted to cooperate with a female member in the outer band portion; a guide arrangement is further formed by a bent-up tab-like member on each side of the male member and adapted to engage in two guide slots of the outer band portion to guide relative movements of the inner and outer band portions during tightening of the tightening device; the connection may also include a lost-motion arrangement permitting initial plastic deformation of the tightening device substantially without change in radial dimension.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2003Date of Patent: April 11, 2006Assignee: Hans Oetiker A.G Maschinen und ApparatefabrikInventor: Paul M. Craig, Jr.
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Publication number: 20040134041Abstract: An open-type clamp in which the clamping band end portions are intended to form overlapping inner and outer band portions that are connected by a connection, in which the plastically deformable tightening device for tightening the clamping band about an object to be fastened requires an initial plastic deformation for proper operation and in which a guide arrangement is provided in the end area of the inner clamping band portion to guide the relative movement between overlapping band portions during plastic deformation of the ear, whereby the connection includes a lost-motion arrangement permitting initial plastic deformation of the tightening device substantially without change in radial dimension to avoid the installation of an undersized clamp.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2003Publication date: July 15, 2004Inventor: Paul M. Craig,
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Publication number: 20040134042Abstract: A clamp in which the clamping band end portions are intended to form overlapping inner and outer band portions in the installed condition and are connected by a connection, in which a tightening device for tightening the clamping band about an object to be fastened and an arrangement assuring gap-free and stepless internal clamping surfaces of the clamping band including a male member near the end of the inner band portion are provided whereby the male member is adapted to cooperate with a female member in the outer band portion; a guide arrangement is further formed by a bent-up tab-like member on each side of the male member and adapted to engage in two guide slots of the outer band portion to guide relative movements of the inner and outer band portions during tightening of the tightening device; the connection may also include a lost-motion arrangement permitting initial plastic deformation of the tightening device substantially without change in radial dimension.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2003Publication date: July 15, 2004Inventor: Paul M. Craig
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Patent number: 6560823Abstract: A method for optimizing the length of a blank for an open-type clamp with overlapping band portions, a tightening device and a device with complementary profiles in the inner and outer clamping band portions to assure a gap-free and stepless inner clamping surface, according to which the location of the beginning of the profile at the inner clamping band portions in the condition of engagement of the mechanical connection and non-tightening of the tightening device is determined as a function of the tightening necessary to reach the diameter of dmax; by locating the transition from full band width to the profile in the inner clamping band portion with the use of this method clamping band material savings can be achieved in the clamp made in accordance with this method.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2002Date of Patent: May 13, 2003Assignee: Hans Oetiker AG Maschinen- und ApparatefabrikInventor: Paul M. Craig, Jr.
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Patent number: 6463632Abstract: A guide arrangement for minimizing incorrect emplacement of a tightening tool at a plastically deformable ear of a hose clamp which includes male guide profiles in the clamp adapted to cooperate with female guide profiles in the tightening tool to permit the installer to sense proper positioning of the tightening tool when the male guide profiles are in engagement with the female guide profiles in the tightening tool.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2001Date of Patent: October 15, 2002Assignee: Hans Oetiker AG Maschinen-und ApparatefabrikInventor: Paul M. Craig, Jr.
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Patent number: 6457212Abstract: A method for manufacturing an open-type clamp and clamps made by such a method with an arrangement assuring gap-free and stepless internal clamping surfaces which include one of a female and male configuration at the end of the inner clamping band portion and one of male and female configuration in the outer clamping band potion, wherein the profile in the outer band portion is constituted by a deep-drawn channel having a dimension in the direction at right angle to the surface of the clamping band which corresponds substantially to the thickness of the clamping band, and merging any part of the outer clamping band remaining positionally substantially unaffected by the deep-drawing operation of the channel, into the inwardly displaced plane obtained by such deep-drawing operation.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2001Date of Patent: October 1, 2002Assignee: Hans Oetiker AG Maschinen- und ApparatefabrikInventor: Paul M. Craig, Jr.
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Publication number: 20020104198Abstract: A guide arrangement for minimizing incorrect emplacement of a tightening tool at a plastically deformable ear of a hose clamp which includes male guide profiles in the clamp adapted to cooperate with female guide profiles in the tightening tool to permit the installer to sense proper positioning of the tightening tool when the male guide profiles are in engagement with the female guide profiles in the tightening tool.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2001Publication date: August 8, 2002Inventor: Paul M. Craig
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Publication number: 20020104197Abstract: A method for manufacturing an open-type clamp and clamps made by such a method with an arrangement assuring gap-free and stepless internal clamping surfaces which include one of a female and male configuration at the end of the inner clamping band portion and one of male and female configuration in the outer clamping band potion, wherein the profile in the outer band portion is constituted by a deep-drawn channel having a dimension in the direction at right angle to the surface of the clamping band which corresponds substantially to the thickness of the clamping band, and merging any part of the outer clamping band remaining positionally substantially unaffected by the deep-drawing operation of the channel, into the inwardly displaced plane obtained by such deep-drawing operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2001Publication date: August 8, 2002Inventor: Paul M. Craig
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Patent number: 6247206Abstract: A tightening device for a clamp in the form of an outwardly extending ear with outwardly extending leg portions interconnected by a bridging portion at their outer ends whereby the leg portions at least in their outer parts diverge from one another in the inward direction to provide at least one of two features consisting of increased tolerance range of a given clamp size and interactive feedback for the correct positioning of the clamping tool.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2000Date of Patent: June 19, 2001Inventor: Paul M. Craig, Jr.
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Patent number: 6243924Abstract: A reinforcing arrangement in the bridging portion of a plastically deformable ear which defines the outlines resembling a four-sided diamond.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2000Date of Patent: June 12, 2001Inventor: Paul M. Craig, Jr.
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Patent number: 6240603Abstract: A clamp made from clamping band material in which optimization for the length of the necessary blank is realized in dependence on the length of the bridging portion of a so-called “Oetiker” ear whereby this bridging portion length is used to determine the length of the overlapped full-band-width inner clamping band portion as well as the location of the beginning of the step-like portion and the length of the tongue-like extension at the end of the full-band-width inner clamping band portion.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2000Date of Patent: June 5, 2001Inventor: Paul M. Craig, Jr.
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Patent number: 6178601Abstract: This invention relates to so-called open clamps with a mechanical connection of overlapping band portions including a guide hook which is so modified as to minimize reopening of the clamp before it is fully tightened.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2000Date of Patent: January 30, 2001Inventor: Paul M. Craig, Jr.
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Patent number: 4658894Abstract: A Pipe Guide Stripper Rubber stripper of modified Shaffer design has a resilient, molded frusto-conical stripper unit that mounts within a conventional standing compression shell supported on the drill or production platform. The molded stripper unit has an internal cavity with walls designed to strip sludge, mud and other grime from the pipe string periphery as the pipe is raised from the well bore, confining the muck to the well pit rather than having it fall to the work platform. A mounting plate is removably attached to the stripper unit by separable fasteners so that the plate may be recovered from a worn out molded stripper unit for further use without burning or abrading the stripper unit from the mounting plate.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 1985Date of Patent: April 21, 1987Inventor: Paul M. Craig
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Patent number: 4101036Abstract: A hollow support column raises from a floor pad and terminates in an adjustable shaft within the top of the column which in turn supports articulated ceiling thrust arms. The arms diverge from the axis of the column and are padded for contact with the ceiling. Preferably three arms are used and their articulation adapts to use near corners and vertical walls and against uneven ceilings. A lock collar positions the thrust arms above the column for compression fastening between the floor and ceiling. A plurality of fastener bands is fixed to the outside of the column. The bands are pierced to receive pairs of fastener pegs on each of a plurality of support arms which cantilever outwardly from the post.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 1977Date of Patent: July 18, 1978Inventor: Paul M. Craig