Patents by Inventor Thomas J. Urban

Thomas J. Urban 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).

  • Publication number: 20170059157
    Abstract: A device for cleaning a chimney preferably includes a rod assembly, cleaning arms, fan blades, a camera, and a stabilizing/positioning assembly. The cleaning arms are provided on an assembly that includes a rotatable hub with the cleaning arms extending from the hub. The fan blades may also extend from the hub or they may be provided separately. The camera is continuously rotatable around the longitudinal axis to allow an uninterrupted 360° scan of the chimney. The stabilizing/positioning assembly is effective to position the cleaning assembly hub a pre-selected stabilizing/positioning distance from an interior wall of a chimney while the hub rotates in the chimney. The cleaning and fan hub(s) is driven by a cable surrounded by a casing that allows the cable to rotate in the casing without rotating the casing. Controls allow the operator to control the speed and direction of the cleaning arms and the camera.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: John E. Meredith, Thomas J. Urban
  • Patent number: 9494318
    Abstract: A device for cleaning a chimney preferably includes a rod assembly, cleaning arms, fan blades, a camera, and a stabilizing/positioning assembly. The cleaning arms are provided on an assembly that includes a rotatable hub with the cleaning arms extending from the hub. The fan blades may also extend from the hub or they may be provided separately. The camera is continuously rotatable around the longitudinal axis to allow an uninterrupted 360° scan of the chimney. The stabilizing/positioning assembly is effective to position the cleaning assembly hub a pre-selected stabilizing/positioning distance from an interior wall of a chimney while the hub rotates in the chimney. The cleaning and fan hub(s) is driven by a cable surrounded by a casing that allows the cable to rotate in the casing without rotating the casing. Controls allow the operator to control the speed and direction of the cleaning arms and the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Inventors: John E. Meredith, Thomas J. Urban
  • Publication number: 20140096330
    Abstract: A device for cleaning a chimney preferably includes a rod assembly, cleaning arms, fan blades, a camera, and a stabilizing/positioning assembly. The cleaning arms are provided on an assembly that includes a rotatable hub with the cleaning arms extending from the hub. The fan blades may also extend from the hub or they may be provided separately. The camera is continuously rotatable around the longitudinal axis to allow an uninterrupted 360° scan of the chimney. The stabilizing/positioning assembly is effective to position the cleaning assembly hub a pre-selected stabilizing/positioning distance from an interior wall of a chimney while the hub rotates in the chimney. The cleaning and fan hub(s) is driven by a cable surrounded by a casing that allows the cable to rotate in the casing without rotating the casing. Controls allow the operator to control the speed and direction of the cleaning arms and the camera.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Inventors: John E. Meredith, Thomas J. Urban
  • Patent number: 8474395
    Abstract: A device for repairing or relining an offset chimney includes a spreader assembly for spreading a repair material on the interior walls of a chimney as the device is pulled up the chimney, a pull assembly for pulling the device through the chimney, and an optionally reticulated centering device for keeping the portion of the pull assembly directly above the spreader assembly away from the chimney walls when the spreader blade assembly is moved through a chimney offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Inventors: John E. Meredith, Thomas J. Urban
  • Patent number: 8329074
    Abstract: A device for repairing a chimney preferably includes a rod effective for positioning and manipulating a camera and a plunger blade in a chimney; a camera attached to the lower portion of the rod in a manner such that rotation of the rod results in a corresponding rotation of the camera; and a plunger blade attached to the rod above the camera. The plunger blade is adapted to apply mortar to the sides of a chimney when the device is pulled upward in the chimney. The device may further include a camera-direction indicator attached to the rod above the plunger blade in a manner such that the camera-direction indicator is effective for indicating the direction of view of said camera even when the camera is not visible to the operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Merediths' Inc.
    Inventors: John E. Meredith, Thomas J. Urban
  • Publication number: 20120282224
    Abstract: The present invention provides genetic markers and biomarkers that are associated with anemia induced by ribavirin therapy. The genetic markers are located in the ITPA gene and elsewhere on human chromosome 20 and the biomarkers are low ITPA activity phenotypes. These markers of ribavirin-induced anemia are useful, inter alia, to identify patients who are least likely to develop anemia upon treatment with ribavirin pharmaceutical compositions and drug products, in methods of treating patients having a disease susceptible to treatment with ribavirin, and in methods for selecting the most appropriate therapy for such patients.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Inventors: Janice K. Albrecht, Clifford A. Brass, Jacques Fellay, Dongliang Ge, David B. Goldstein, Curtis Gumbs, John G. McHutchinson, Ping Qiu, Kevin Shianna, Alexander J. Thompson, Thomas J. Urban
  • Publication number: 20110061590
    Abstract: A device for repairing or relining an offset chimney includes a spreader assembly for spreading a repair material on the interior walls of a chimney as the device is pulled up the chimney, a pull assembly for pulling the device through the chimney, and an optionally reticulated centering device for keeping the portion of the pull assembly directly above the spreader assembly away from the chimney walls when the spreader blade assembly is moved through a chimney offset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Inventors: John E. Meredith, Thomas J. Urban
  • Publication number: 20090291204
    Abstract: A device for repairing a chimney preferably includes a rod effective for positioning and manipulating a camera and a plunger blade in a chimney; a camera attached to the lower portion of the rod in a manner such that rotation of the rod results in a corresponding rotation of the camera; and a plunger blade attached to the rod above the camera. The plunger blade is adapted to apply mortar to the sides of a chimney when the device is pulled upward in the chimney. The device may further include a camera-direction indicator attached to the rod above the plunger blade in a manner such that the camera-direction indicator is effective for indicating the direction of view of said camera even when the camera is not visible to the operator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2009
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Inventors: John E. Meredith, Thomas J. Urban
  • Publication number: 20090260180
    Abstract: A device for cleaning a chimney preferably includes a cleaning head having a hub with brush arms extending from the hub, a cable assembly connected to the cleaning head and having a flexible cable surrounded by a casing, with the casing being sized to allow the cable to rotate in the casing without rotating the casing, at least one positioning assembly for holding the cleaning head a desired distance from the interior walls of a chimney, a motor attached to one end of the cable, and a positioning rod effective for pushing said cleaning head and cable assembly up a chimney for a distance of at least eight feet. A camera may be attached to the casing to allow observation and/or recording of the chimney while the cleaning head is working. The device may further include an air knife for dislodging debris when the device is used to sweep a chimney, and/or a vacuum for removing waste dislodged by the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Inventors: John E. Meredith, Thomas J. Urban