Patents by Inventor Thomas M. Whitney

Thomas M. Whitney 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: 5052160
    Abstract: A tile board made from a one piece sheet having top and bottom portions of contrasting colors. Grooves are machined through the top layer to expose strips of the bottom layer. The exposed strip divides the top layer into tile sized members which simulate inlaid tiles having beveled edges. The exposed strips of the bottom layers simulate recessed grout lines. Machining of the grooves through the top layer simultaneously forms the simulated tiles and simulated grout lines in the plastic sheet. The tile board can have a bent edge section to provide a finished tile look spanning a corner of two adjacent walls.This is a Continuation-in-Part of application Ser. No. 906,326 filed Sept. 11, 1986, now abandoned, which is a Continuation-in-Part of application Ser. No. 575,217 filed Jan. 30, 1984 (now abandoned).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1991
    Assignee: Trayco, Inc.
    Inventors: Barton K. Gentsch, Thomas M. Whitney
  • Patent number: 4316295
    Abstract: A knocked-down kit for assembling a shower stall or bath tub enclosure comprises a base panel, dome panel and three side panels, the side panels being interlocked by a split clamping tube which resiliently clamps together outwardly extending flanges along the abutting vertical edges of the side panels, and the side panels being interlocked with the base panel by a resilient flange which snaps over an outwardly extending flange along the upper periphery of the base panel as the side panels are lowered onto the base panel. The interlock between the dome and side panels is symmetrically opposite to the base-side panel interlock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1982
    Assignee: Trayco, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Whitney, Gerald Gower
  • Patent number: 4246227
    Abstract: Disclosed are an integral plastic bowl, waterway and trap for a toilet and the method of making the product. The bowl is concave and leads into a trap which may be interconnected with a standard closet flange. The waterway is vertically aligned with the trap and slopes downwardly from an inlet to an outlet, which is preferably at a position near the bottom interior of the bowl and which also preferably includes a wall surface in overlying alignment with at least a portion of the downwardly sloping waterway portion. During flushing, water from a reservoir flows down the waterway, against the outlet wall surface causing a vortex in the bowl, and then out of the bowl into the trap. In the method of making the product, a plastic parison is positioned between the sections of a blow mold. Next, the mold sections are closed, pinching portions of the parison shut to partially form the trap and waterway and enclosing another parison portion in a bulbous mold cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1981
    Assignee: Trayco, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel C. Crosby, Thomas M. Whitney, William F. Price
  • Patent number: 4176413
    Abstract: An integral, unitary plastic tank and rim flush for a toilet are disclosed, along with the apparatus and method of manufacture. The tank includes a bottom wall and sidewalls, one of which is integral with an essentially tubular water passageway. The rim includes an oval-shaped, hollow duct which is integral with the passageway and includes a plurality of spaced openings in a bottom wall surface to distribute water around the periphery of a toilet bowl. In the method of making the product, an elongated thermoplastic parison is positioned between a pair of blow mold sections. Next, the sections are closed, enclosing respective parison portions within a tank cavity, a passageway cavity and a rim cavity. Blow fluid under pressure is introduced into the parison portion within the tank cavity, resulting in the various cavity-enclosed parison portions being blown to their final shape. After cooling, the article is removed from the mold, trimmed and drilled to form the final product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1979
    Assignee: Trayco, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Whitney, Samuel C. Crosby
  • Patent number: 4145776
    Abstract: Disclosed are an integral plastic bowl, waterway and trap for a toilet and the method of making the product. The bowl is concave and leads into a trap which may be interconnected with a standard closet flange. The waterway is vertically aligned with the trap and slopes downwardly from an inlet to an outlet, which is preferably at a position near the bottom interior of the bowl and which also preferably includes a wall surface in overlying alignment with at least a portion of the downwardly sloping waterway portion. During flushing, water from a reservoir flows down the waterway, against the outlet wall surface causing a vortex in the bowl, and then out of the bowl into the trap. In the method of making the product, a plastic parison is positioned between the sections of a blow mold. Next, the mold sections are closed, pinching portions of the parison shut to partially form the trap and waterway and enclosing another parison portion in a bulbous mold cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1979
    Assignee: Trayco, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel C. Crosby, Thomas M. Whitney, William F. Price
  • Patent number: 4145772
    Abstract: An essentially all-plastic toilet includes a plastic bowl, trap, waterway, tank and rim flush retained within an outer plastic housing. Polyurethane foam fills the space between the outer housing and the internal components to provide a rigid and strong, yet light weight structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1979
    Assignee: Trayco, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Whitney, Samuel C. Crosby