Patents by Inventor Thomas E. Truitt

Thomas E. Truitt 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: 4192072
    Abstract: In a kinetic sculpture apparatus, the lower end of a pendulum provides a scribe having a tapered tip that penetrates the surface of a bed of fine, particulate material to make an intricate pattern in the bed whose configuration is determined by the location of the pendulum's primary horizontal axis, the position from which the pendulum is released, and the depth of penetration of the tip of the scribe. The suspension system for the pendulum includes an arch which spans a pair of standards disposed on opposite sides of the receiver that contains the bed of material. The pendulum assembly is mounted above a baseplate by a ball and socket connection which permits the entire assembly to be tilted in any direction to move the at-rest point of contact of the scribe away from the center of the bed to any quadrant or region thereof where a subpattern is to be sculptured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1978
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1980
    Inventor: Thomas E. Truitt
  • Patent number: 4067111
    Abstract: In a kinetic sculpture apparatus, the lower end of a pendulum provides a scribe having a tapered tip that penetrates the surface of a bed of fine, particulate material to make an intricate pattern in the bed whose configuration is determined by the location of the pendulum's primary horizontal axis, the position from which the pendulum is released, and the depth of penetration of the tip of the scribe. A selectable pair of low friction, point bearings define the primary axis, and the intricacy of the patterns is enhanced by a resilient, upright standard that sways with the directional pull of the pendulum. The elevation of the pendulum is controllable in order to set the depth of penetration of the scribe and thereby control the depth and width of the lines of the patterns. In one modified embodiment, the weight of the pendulum may also be varied in accordance with the pattern configuration desired. A setup device is provided to suitably prepare the bed of particulate material for sculpturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1978
    Inventor: Thomas E. Truitt