Patents by Inventor Tom Seamans

Tom Seamans 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: 5915142
    Abstract: A camera comprising a chamber for receiving a film cartridge, a door supported for closing movement to cover the chamber and for opening movement to uncover the chamber, and an extracting mechanism connected with the door for pulling the film cartridge at least part way out of the chamber when the door is opened, is characterized in that the extracting mechanism includes an engaging member adapted to engage a protruding spool end of the film cartridge, to permit the engaging member to tilt the film cartridge out of the chamber when the door is opened. Preferably, the engaging member has a partially enclosed catch-space configured to receive the protruding spool end of the film cartridge in order to engage the protruding spool end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1999
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Tom Seamans
  • Patent number: 5884111
    Abstract: A camera comprising a chamber for receiving a film cartridge of the type having a snout portion provided with a film passage opening and an exterior information-bearing portion next to the snout portion, a door movable to close the chamber and having a window for viewing the information-bearing portion, and an elastic opaque gasket positioned around the window to be compressed against the film cartridge around the information-bearing portion to light-tightly confine ambient light entering the window when the door is closed, is characterized in that the gasket has a section positioned to be compressed against the snout portion of the film cartridge when the door is closed, and the door has at least one protuberance that projects into the section of the gasket to make compression of the gasket against the film cartridge greatest at the snout portion of the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Tom Seamans
  • Patent number: 5587757
    Abstract: A camera to be used with a cartridge enclosing a spool mounting a filmstrip having an access door for opening and closing the camera includes an interlock mechanism connected to the access door and engageable with the spool for preventing the access door from being opened when the spool indicates an unexposed position of the filmstrip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Tom Seamans, Stanley W. Stephenson, III
  • Patent number: 5506650
    Abstract: A camera door actuated cartridge extractor includes a rod which is pivotally mounted to the cartridge chamber closing camera door at a point between the camera door pivot and the adjacent wall of the cartridge chamber so that initial opening of the camera door provides a relatively large extracting motion that quickly disconnects the cartridge from the driver. Thus, manual movement of the driver by the camera operator is less likely to move film within the cartridge after a film enclosing cartridge door is closed. A spring may be provided biasing the camera door to a partially open position to accelerate disconnection of the cartridge from the driver. Placement of the extractor rod in a slot between adjacent battery pockets provides a compact arrangement. Engagement of a hook-like keeper portion of the extractor rod with a rib on the door provides a friction force for maintaining the door in a fully open position until closing is desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1996
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Stanley W. Stephenson, III, Tom Seamans
  • Patent number: 5502531
    Abstract: A photographic camera adapted to provide respective visible indications corresponding to successive frames of exposed filmstrip as each one of the frames is exposed includes a counter wheel having a plurality of ratchet teeth about its periphery, the ratchet teeth corresponding to the advance of the filmstrip, a holding lever including a pawl for engaging the ratchet teeth when film is present in the camera and for disengaging the ratchet teeth when film is not present in the camera, and an advancing lever in communication with the camera shutter button for incrementally rotating the counter wheel in response to shutter button actuation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1996
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Stanley W. Stephenson, III, Tom Seamans
  • Patent number: 5344663
    Abstract: A fat substitute bakery dough, comprising a wheat flour, a fat substitute comprising from greater than 8 to less than 62 percent of potato flour and from greater than 1.1 to less than 12 percent of non-fat dry milk solids, from greater than 7 to less than 60 percent of an emulsifying binder selected from the group consisting of eggs, egg components, low-fat egg substitutes and mixtures thereof, from greater than 11 to less than 93 percent of a fat-like sensory additive, selected from the group consisting of corn syrup, molasses and mixtures thereof; and a leavening agent, wherein all percents are based on the weight of wheat flour. A process for mixing the above ingredients, followed by baking to produce a moist, tender cookie is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1994
    Assignee: Anne M. Jewell
    Inventors: Anne M. Jewell, Tom Seaman