Patents Represented by Attorney Bingham McHale, LLP
  • Patent number: 7559400
    Abstract: A low profile chassis and suspension system for a road vehicle. The chassis supports a payload section or cargo compartment, such as for a delivery truck, ambulance, or shuttle bus. The chassis includes a largely planar frame having a top surface which is located beneath the rotational axes of the rear wheels. The wheel suspension system is particularly compact and close to the road surface. A trailing arm-type wheel support supports a stub axle in a cantilevered fashion. A spring urges the wheel support apart from the frame. A planar portion of the wheel support, the wheel support pivot joints, and the spring are located beneath the rotational axis of the wheel. In another embodiment, the frame includes a recessed pocket which facilitates use of ramp for wheel chair access.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Aloha, LLC
    Inventor: Earl Dallas Smith
  • Patent number: 7540662
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for forming, filling, and sealing a flexible recloseable container. Both vertical and horizontal methods for placing product within the container are disclosed. The invention includes guiding a web of film which has interlocking fastener strips sealed to the web. A slider for locking and unlocking the fastener strips is placed in the correct orientation, spread apart at a pair of inner feet, and inserted over the fastener strips. The slider is positioned to close a substantial portion of the strips, and then an end stop, docking station, and corner seal are formed against a sealing plate. The slider is then repositioned, and a tamper evident seal may be placed over the fastener strip. Apparatus and methods for placing a product in a flexible recloseable container, and also for manufacturing an empty, flexible recloseable container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald G. Thieman
  • Patent number: 7425005
    Abstract: A low profile chassis and suspension system for a road vehicle. The chassis supports a payload section or cargo compartment, such as for a delivery truck, ambulance, or shuttle bus. The chassis includes a largely planar frame having a top surface which is located beneath the rotational axes of the rear wheels. The wheel suspension system is particularly compact and close to the road surface. In some embodiments each wheel is suspended from the vehicle by a pair of pivotal support arms. Preferably, one arm is located above the other arm, and both arms pivot along pivot axes that are generally perpendicular to the rotational axis of the supported wheel. A spring urges one of the arms apart from the frame. In other embodiments, the spring is placed beneath the rotational axis of the wheel. In some embodiments both of the pivoting support arms are located beneath the rotational axis of the wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: Aloha, LLC
    Inventors: Earl Dallas Smith, Judson Smith
  • Patent number: 7213305
    Abstract: Both apparatus and methods for flexible recloseable containers with peel seals are disclosed. In one embodiment, the peel seal has a height greater than the height of the fastener strip flange to which it is attached. The upper portion of the peel seal is attached to the flange. The lower portion of peel seal is attached to a wall of the container. Also disclosed are methods for fabricating containers, and also for forming, filling, sealing a container with a product therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert C. Stolmeier, Paul Wolak
  • Patent number: 7193872
    Abstract: An inverter for use in connecting a DC power source to the utility grid includes a single DC-DC conversion stage, maximum (source) power tracking, and current control based on feed-forward compensation as a function of an input power commanding voltage, rectified utility line voltage, and either a scaled and squared inverse or a scaled inverse of RMS utility line voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Inventor: Kasemsan Siri
  • Patent number: 6991065
    Abstract: To lubricate a length of track, a plurality of lubricating nozzles are provided. Each nozzle is fed by the output of a single positive displacement pump, and all the pumps are controlled by a computer. Vibration sensors, sound sensors, or L/V ratio sensors detect physical qualities which occur as a train passes a given point, and another detector measures the time between successive wheels on the truck of a car as it passes a given point to measure train speed. The computer compares the output readings measured by the detector to a table of outputs in its memory that are indicative of a lubricated track to determine if lubrication is needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Inventors: Carlton L. Leslie, Kevin Kostelny-Vogts
  • Patent number: 6874447
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for tracking and controlling a hunting dog, including a remote assembly to be carried by the hunting dog and a handset assembly to be carried by a hunter. The remote assembly includes a power source, an electronic controller electrically connected to the power source, a transceiver in electric communication with the electronic controller and the power source and an annunciator electrically connected to the electronic controller. The handset assembly includes an electronic controller, a interface assembly operationally connected to the electronic controller, a transceiver electrically connected to the electronic controller, and a power source electrically connected to the electronic controller and the transceiver. The transceivers are adapted to wirelessly communicate with each other. The remote assembly is adapted to generate a proximity tone within a predetermined distance of the handset assembly and is adapted to receive commands from the handset assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Inventor: Kevin Kobett
  • Patent number: 6634263
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and article involving a one-piece, unibody spindle liner having a tubular shape with an outside diameter and inside diameter that may be sized to fit virtually any spindle of a turning machine and to readily allow for the feeding therethrough of any size or shape of bar or tube stock. This invention provides that the axial centerline of the workpiece is maintained in concentric axial alignment with the working centerline of the turning machine to reduce wobble or “whip” of the stock during the machining process. The liner's inner bore and diameter is molded to match and allow for feeding of virtually any size and shape stock being turned, including but not limited to round, hex, square, and extruded. The inner bore is molded into the spindle liner along its entire length providing absolute support of the workpiece. The spindle liner also has a flanged mounting end to allow for the proper orientation and attachment to the spindle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Inventors: Joel C. Trusty, Jon C. Trusty, Jr., Jeffrey F. Nawrot
  • Patent number: D502818
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Inventor: Mahdi Thompson