Patents by Inventor Tad A. Dickerson

Tad A. Dickerson 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: 9701286
    Abstract: The present invention provides a swing down jack for mounting to a vehicle to elevate the vehicle. The jack includes a mounting bracket and a leg. The leg includes an outer tube pivotally connected to the bracket along a first pivot axis, and an inner tube telescopically arranged within the outer tube. The jack further includes an actuator pivotally connected to the bracket along a second pivot axis laterally spaced from the first pivot axis so as to swing the outer tube between a generally horizontal and a generally vertical position and extend and retract the inner tube upon respective extension and retraction of the actuator. A detent lock is connected to the bracket and engageable with the outer tube so as to help fix the jack in the vertical position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: LIPPERT COMPONENTS MANUFACTURING
    Inventor: Tad A. Dickerson
  • Publication number: 20150129821
    Abstract: The present invention provides a swing down jack for mounting to a vehicle to elevate the vehicle. The jack includes a mounting bracket and a leg. The leg includes an outer tube pivotally connected to the bracket along a first pivot axis, and an inner tube telescopically arranged within the outer tube. The jack further includes an actuator pivotally connected to the bracket along a second pivot axis laterally spaced from the first pivot axis so as to swing the outer tube between a generally horizontal and a generally vertical position and extend and retract the inner tube upon respective extension and retraction of the actuator. A detent lock is connected to the bracket and engageable with the outer tube so as to help fix the jack in the vertical position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventor: Tad A. DICKERSON
  • Patent number: 6357116
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for installing a wheel disc into a wheel rim to manufacture a vehicle wheel includes upper and lower disc engaging members, which are clamped against opposite sides of the disc, and upper and lower rim engaging members, which engage upper and lower edges of the rim. The disc is first separated from the rim to assure proper alignment between the disc and rim and then forced into frictional engagement with the rim, while a compressive force is applied axially along the rim to relieve stresses and facilitate installation of the disc into the rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Hess Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Erik Waelchli, Tad A. Dickerson, Timothy J. Haynie