Patents by Inventor William J. McHenry

William J. McHenry 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: 8402663
    Abstract: A tool such as a knife or other hand tool has only two pieces, a handle and a blade or other implement. The blade is movable from a fully retracted position to an extended position and the blade may be locked in both the retracted and extended positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Inventors: William J. McHenry, Jason L. Williams
  • Publication number: 20120036721
    Abstract: A tool such as a knife or other hand tool has only two pieces, a handle and a blade or other implement. The blade is movable from a fully retracted position to an extended position and the blade may be locked in both the retracted and extended positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: MENTOR GROUP, L.L.C.
    Inventors: William J. McHenry, Jason L. Williams
  • Publication number: 20110180504
    Abstract: Discussed herein is an improved furniture assembly, where stretchers are secured between beams of a shelving assembly using brackets. The stretchers include at least one hollow slot that is sufficiently wide to allow the slot to be slid over a protruding surface of the bracket. In embodiments, the brackets have a protruding surface that is substantially parallel to a base surface of the bracket. The bracket has one or more lock members allowing the bracket to be secured to punches on the beams. The brackets are capable of being secured to the punches without the need for special tools. After the brackets are locked within the beams, the stretcher is connected between the beams by simply aligning the slots of the stretcher over corresponding protruding surfaces of the brackets and sliding the stretcher over the brackets by sliding the slots over the protruding surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: elevations inc.
    Inventors: John M. Riley, Nikolaos Xanthopoulos, William J. McHenry
  • Publication number: 20040021327
    Abstract: An actuator mechanism is defined by a lever arm that is integrally connected to resilient spring members. The lever arm is movable between first and second positions and is normally biased into the first position in which the actuator may engage an adjacent member, for example to provide a fluid-tight sealing relationship of to lock the adjacent member in a stationary position relative to the lever arm. Movement of the lever arm into the second position releases the engagement with the adjacent member. In one embodiment the actuator is defined by a pair of overlapping, oppositely oriented slots cut into a monolithic member to define both the lever arm and the spring members. The lever arm rocks in a teeter-toter fashion when actuated and both ends of the lever arm can be utilized to perform work.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Inventors: William J. McHenry, Jason L. Williams
  • Patent number: 6675484
    Abstract: A folding tool such as a knife or multitool and the like has a resilient lever arm formed in a body portion. A blade pivotally connected to the body is movable between closed and open positions. A blade locking pin is carried on the lever arm, and in the normal resting position the blade locking pin engages the blade. When the blade is in the open position the lever arm biases the locking pin into locking engagement with a notch formed in the blade tang, thereby locking the blade in the open position. Actuating the lever arm disengages the locking pin from the blade, allowing the blade to be moved into the closed position. The blade may have a second notch or hole formed in the tang for engagement of the blade locking pin when the blade is closed, thereby locking the blade into the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Mentor Group LLC
    Inventors: William J. McHenry, Jason L. Williams
  • Patent number: 6574869
    Abstract: Knives (10, 182) each include a handle (12, 184) having a blade (14, 90, 194) pivotally attached to the handle. The blade is movable between a closed posiiton in which it is received within a groove (36, 192) of the handle and an open position. The blade has a working portion (38, 198) and a tang portion (44, 98, 204), which remains within the groove when the blade is in its open position. A locking pin (72, 208) extends transversely of the handle and blade and is movable along a pair of elongated openings (74, 216), and engages the tang portion (44, 98, 204) of the blade to lock the blade in its open position. A spring (78, 228) biases the locking pin toward the tang.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: Mentor Group LLC
    Inventors: William J. McHenry, Jason L. Williams, Steven J. Ingram
  • Patent number: 6550832
    Abstract: An actuator mechanism is defined by a lever arm that is integrally connected to resilient spring members. The lever arm is movable between first and second positions and is normally biased into the first position in which the actuator may engage an adjacent member, for example to provide a fluid-tight sealing relationship of to lock the adjacent member in a stationary position relative to the lever arm. Movement of the lever arm into the second position releases the engagement with the adjacent member. In one embodiment the actuator is defined by a pair of overlapping, oppositely oriented slots cut into a monolithic member to define both the lever arm and the spring members. The lever arm rocks in a teeter-toter fashion when actuated and both ends of the lever arm can be utilized to perform work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Mentor Group, LLC
    Inventors: William J. McHenry, Jason L. Williams
  • Publication number: 20030019108
    Abstract: A folding tool such as a knife or multitool and the like has a resilient lever arm formed in a body portion. A blade pivotally connected to the body is movable between closed and open positions. A blade locking pin is carried on the lever arm, and in the normal resting position the blade locking pin engages the blade. When the blade is in the open position the lever arm biases the locking pin into locking engagement with a notch formed in the blade tang, thereby locking the blade in the open position. Actuating the lever arm disengages the locking pin from the blade, allowing the blade to be moved into the closed position. The blade may have a second notch or hole formed in the tang for engagement of the blade locking pin when the blade is closed, thereby locking the blade into the closed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Inventors: William J. McHenry, Jason L. Williams
  • Publication number: 20030020286
    Abstract: An actuator mechanism is defined by a lever arm that is integrally connected to resilient spring members. The lever arm is movable between first and second positions and is normally biased into the first position in which the actuator may engage an adjacent member, for example to provide a fluid-tight sealing relationship of to lock the adjacent member in a stationary position relative to the lever arm. Movement of the lever arm into the second position releases the engagement with the adjacent member. In one embodiment the actuator is defined by a pair of overlapping, oppositely oriented slots cut into a monolithic member to define both the lever arm and the spring members. The lever arm rocks in a teeter-toter fashion when actuated and both ends of the lever arm can be utilized to perform work.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Inventors: William J. McHenry, Jason L. Williams
  • Patent number: 6438848
    Abstract: Knives (10, 182) each include a handle (12, 184) having a blade (14, 90, 194) pivotally attached to the handle. The blade is movable between a closed position in which it is received within a groove (36, 192) of the handle and an open position. The blade has a working portion (38, 198) and a tang portion (44, 98, 204), which remains within the groove when the blade is in its open position. A locking pin (72, 204) extends transversely of the handle and blade and is movable along a pair of elongated openings (74, 216), and engages the tang portion (44, 98, 204) of the blade to lock the blade in its open position. A spring (78, 228) biases the locking pin toward the tang. In another tool (119), multiple tool blades (114, 116, 118 and 120) are provided in a handle (112) defining a wider groove (132), and a locking pin (152) movable along elongate openings (150) can lock a selected tool blade in an open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Mentor Group LLC
    Inventors: William J. McHenry, Jason L. Williams
  • Patent number: 6122829
    Abstract: A folding tool includes an elongate handle and a blade pivotally attached to the handle. The blade is movable between a closed position in which it is received within a groove, between the side walls of the handle, and an open position in which the blade extends away from the handle and is exposed. The blade has a tang portion which is received within the groove of the handle when the blade is in its open position. A blade locking pin is part of a sliding lock assembly and extends generally transversely with respect to the length of the handle and blade. The pin is movable along a pair of elongate holes, between a first position in which the pin engages the tang portion to lock the blade in its open position and a second position in which the pin is spaced away from the tang and allows the blade to move to its closed position. A spring is biases the pin to its first position and is further provided for manually moving the pin to its second position from its biased first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Mentor Group, L.L.C.
    Inventors: William J. McHenry, Jason L. Williams
  • Patent number: 5737841
    Abstract: A pocket knife includes a handle having a body portion and a blade pivotally attached to the body portion of the handle. The blade is movable between a closed position in which the blade is received within a groove of the handle and an open position in which the blade extends away from the handle and is exposed. The blade has a blade portion and a tang portion which is received within the groove of the handle when the blade is in its open position. A pin extends in a direction generally transverse with respect to the direction of the handle and blade, and is movable between a first position in which the pin engages the tang portion of blade for locking the blade in its open position, and a second position in which the pin is spaced away from the tang portion of the blade for allowing the blade to move to its closed position. A spring is provided for biasing the pin to its first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Inventors: William J. McHenry, Jason L. Williams
  • Patent number: RE41259
    Abstract: Knives (10, 182) each include a handle (12, 184) having a blade (14, 90, 194) pivotally attached to the handle. The blade is movable between a closed position in which it is received within a groove (36, 192) of the handle and an open position. The blade has a working portion (38, 198) and a tang portion (44, 98, 204), which remains within the groove when the blade is in its open position. A locking pin (72, 208) extends transversely of the handle and blade and is movable along a pair of elongated openings (74, 216), and engages the tang portion (44, 98, 204) of the blade to lock the blade in its open position. A spring (78, 228) biases the locking pin toward the tang.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Mentor Group LLC
    Inventors: William J. McHenry, Jason L. Williams
  • Patent number: D422476
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: Mentor Group, L.L.C.
    Inventors: William J. McHenry, Jason L. Williams
  • Patent number: D422480
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: Mentor Group, L.L.C.
    Inventors: William J. McHenry, Jason L. Williams
  • Patent number: D422873
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Mentor Group, L.L.C.
    Inventors: William J. McHenry, Jason L. Williams
  • Patent number: D428789
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: Mentor Group, L.L.C.
    Inventors: William J. McHenry, Jason L. Williams