Patents by Inventor Robert J. Heider

Robert J. Heider 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: 8109780
    Abstract: An apparatus for preventing and detecting tampering of an electronic device is provided. The apparatus may prevent and detect tampering occurring through an aperture in a casing of the electronic device where the aperture is configured for receiving a standoff that couples a communication cable to a communication port of the electronic device. Upon removal of the standoff, visual indicia of tampering may be provided. Additionally, a shield may block entry of the standoff into the aperture if the standoff is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Danny H. Addison, David C. Brower, Robert J. Heider, Dean F. Herring
  • Publication number: 20110312214
    Abstract: An apparatus for preventing and detecting tampering of an electronic device is provided. The apparatus may prevent and detect tampering occurring through an aperture in a casing of the electronic device where the aperture is configured for receiving a standoff that couples a communication cable to a communication port of the electronic device. Upon removal of the standoff, visual indicia of tampering may be provided. Additionally, a shield may block entry of the standoff into the aperture if the standoff is removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Danny H. Addison, David C. Brower, Robert J. Heider, Dean F. Herring
  • Patent number: 7862248
    Abstract: A pen retention bracket for releasably securing a pen tether retracting reel therein is disclosed. The pen retention bracket includes four surfaces that define a rectangular cavity having four sides and a top opening and a bottom opening. A first protrusion and a second protrusion are disposed upon a first surface and extend from the first surface toward a second surface, a distance between the first protrusion and the second protrusion greater than a height of the pen tether retracting reel. The first surface is responsive to an application of force to the pen tether retracting reel to elastically deform and increase a depth between the second surface and at least one of the first protrusion and the second , thereby releasing the pen tether retracting reel via either of the top opening and the bottom opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David C. Brower, Selcuk S. Eren, Robert J. Heider, Dean F. Herring, Leo P. Richard, Craig W. Turner, Philip M. Woodward
  • Publication number: 20100096514
    Abstract: A bagging station is provided and includes a bagging station structure including a base and a supportive portion vertically supported on the base, a bag holder, configured to hold bag handles of a bag, to occupy and selectively move between a stowed position, at which the bag holder is stowed, and a plurality of presented positions, at which the bag holder is available for bag holding, and a coupling device to couple the bag holder to the supportive portion such that the bag holder is biased to remain in a currently occupied one of the stowed position or at least one of the presented positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Randy D. Adair, David C. Brower, Robert J. Heider, Dean F. Herring, William L. Talley
  • Publication number: 20090103967
    Abstract: A pen retention bracket for releasably securing a pen tether retracting reel therein is disclosed. The pen retention bracket includes four surfaces that define a rectangular cavity having four sides and a top opening and a bottom opening. A first protrusion and a second protrusion are disposed upon a first surface and extend from the first surface toward a second surface, a distance between the first protrusion and the second protrusion greater than a height of the pen tether retracting reel. The first surface is responsive to an application of force to the pen tether retracting reel to elastically deform and increase a depth between the second surface and at least one of the first protrusion and the second protrusion, thereby releasing the pen tether retracting reel via either of the top opening and the bottom opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: David C. Brower, Selcuk S. Eren, Robert J. Heider, Dean F. Herring, Leo P. Richard, Craig W. Turner, Philip M. Woodward
  • Patent number: 7500862
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed that surrounds a connector and places it within the printer body in such away as to allow for the connector to float against the intrusion of a sliding can mounted with electronics and to set up and enable the printer. The problem solved is that of the blind-mating connectors within a printer system for which an industry standard connector set for flex cable must be used. It is advantageous to allow a connector that is attached to a flex cable to float even though the floating feature has not been considered in the original design and the connector was not made for the amount of misalignment present in a blind-mate connection. In addition, by a single-rib design, an extra degree of freedom for rotational around Y-axis is provided to the floating connector to further guide the lead-in of the contacting face of the mating connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dean Frederick Herring, William Lewis Talley, Danny Hugh Addison, Robert J. Heider
  • Patent number: 7488131
    Abstract: A pen retention device including a pen, a tether, a retracting reel in operable communication with the tether, and a bracket releasably securing the retracting reel therein is disclosed. The pen retention bracket includes four surfaces that define a rectangular cavity having four sides and a top and bottom opening. A first protrusion and a second protrusion are disposed upon a first surface and extend from the first surface toward a second surface, a distance between the first protrusion and the second protrusion greater than a height of the pen tether retracting reel. The first surface is responsive to an application of force to the pen tether retracting reel to elastically deform and increase a depth between the second surface and at least one of the first protrusion and the second protrusion, thereby releasing the pen tether retracting reel via either of the top opening and the bottom opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David C. Brower, Selcuk S. Eren, Robert J. Heider, Dean F. Herring, Leo P. Richard, Craig W. Turner, Philip M. Woodward
  • Patent number: 7410319
    Abstract: A pen retention device including a pen, a tether, a retracting reel in operable communication with the tether, and a bracket releasably securing the retracting reel therein is disclosed. The pen retention bracket includes four surfaces that define a rectangular cavity having four sides and a top and bottom opening. A first protrusion and a second protrusion are disposed upon a first surface and extend from the first surface toward a second surface, a distance between the first protrusion and the second protrusion greater than a height of the pen tether retracting reel. The first surface is responsive to an application of force to the pen tether retracting reel to elastically deform and increase a depth between the second surface and at least one of the first protrusion and the second protrusion, thereby releasing the pen tether retracting reel via either of the top opening and the bottom opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David C. Brower, Selcuk S. Eren, Robert J. Heider, Dean F. Herring, Leo P. Richard, Craig W. Turner, Philip M. Woodward
  • Patent number: 7404726
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed that surrounds a connector and places it within the printer body in such away as to allow for the connector to float against the intrusion of a sliding can mounted with electronics and to set up and enable the printer. The problem solved is that of the blind-mating connectors within a printer system for which an industry standard connector set for flex cable must be used. It is advantageous to allow a connector that is attached to a flex cable to float even though the floating feature has not been considered in the original design and the connector was not made for the amount of misalignment present in a blind-mate connection. In addition, by a single-rib design, an extra degree of freedom for rotational around Y-axis is provided to the floating connector to further guide the lead-in of the contacting face of the mating connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)
    Inventors: Dean Frederick Herring, William Lewis Talley, Danny Hugh Addison, Robert J. Heider
  • Patent number: 7090226
    Abstract: An insert, or gasket, intended to be used at a joint between two panels. The insert is preferably pre-formed into a particular cross-sectional shape such that it can be easily, and securely, installed between two panels. Preferably, the insert is shaped, in cross-section, with one flange on each end, such that upon installation, one flange is seated on the front side of the panels and the other flange is seated on the rear side of the panels. In the preferred embodiment, the first and second flange portions may include a pair of lips, and the lip of the second flange portion is of a thickness that is greater than that of the lip of the first flange portion. Such a configuration facilitates installation. The present invention also relates to a method of installing such an insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignees: Doralco
    Inventors: Edwin J. Trainor, Robert J. Heider
  • Patent number: 6719199
    Abstract: An automated insertion/retrieval device for card reading device testing includes a housing assembly whose back face is coupled to a shaft of an air cylinder. Coupled to the side faces of the housing assembly are upper and lower gripper roller assemblies. As the test card is expelled from a card reading device, it is gripped by the gripper roller assemblies, activating a microswitch and supplying air to the air cylinder. The shaft retracts and moves the housing assembly away from the card reading device until the test card abuts a stationary card bumper, causing the test card to shift in position toward the card reading device, deactivating the microswitch and turning off the air supply to the air cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: R. Kenneth Cotten, Robert J. Heider, Herbert G. Leonard
  • Patent number: 4183283
    Abstract: Hollow filaments, which are suitable for use in separating one or more components from a fluid mixture by selective permeation, are embedded, or potted, in a solid potting mass and the potting mass is severed to expose fluid communication openings of the hollow filaments. In accordance with the invention a thin layer of the solid potting mass having the hollow filaments embedded therein is removed by planing or milling using a knife blade edge moving in an essentially arcuate path at sufficient velocity to cause fracturing of at least one of the hollow filaments and solid potting mass at the point of contact with the knife edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1980
    Assignee: Monsanto Company
    Inventors: James C. Danos, Robert J. Heider