Patents Represented by Attorney Charles A. Wilkinson
  • Patent number: 5884904
    Abstract: A support structure to aid in the creation of a corner joint between two planar perpendicularly-situated workpieces. The support structure of the invention consists primarily of a horizontal and vertical support surface, with the vertical support surface displaced from the horizontal surface and separated therefrom by a clearance area, such clearance area designed to accommodate excess material present at the formation of the corner joint between the two workpieces. The support structure of the invention may be used to create a single corner joint, or a second support structure may be implemented in conjunction with the first support structure to simultaneously create multiple corner joints. A variety of clamping and fastening implements are disclosed to maintain the workpieces attached to the support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Inventor: Donald Martini
  • Patent number: 5840153
    Abstract: A two-step press type transfer operation is made practical by a particular rendering of pictorializations for use upon the transfer sheets. A pictorialization should have a major portion of some object in the center of the pictorialization or a portion of a pictorialization in which a segmentation or division of such pictorialization is to be made so that one portion of the pictorialization may be placed upon one transfer sheet and a second portion of the pictorialization placed upon a second transfer sheet. Substantial straight linear portions of such pictorialization of this area are avoided and the division between the two portion of the image are run along nonlinear borders upon the edge of clearly defined structures within the pictorialization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Inventor: Robert Sieber
  • Patent number: 5837120
    Abstract: A continuous strip is electrochemically processed in an electrolytic processing bath using either a thin flexible or resilient dielectric wiping blade or an open web, plastic mesh to wipe bubbles of gas from the surface, sever dendritic material, if such is present, and to remove a surface layer of partially depleted electrolytic solution, replacing with fresh solution and to stabilize strip portions extending between support rolls. The resilient dielectric wiper blade is preferably used with perforated anodes which allow fresh electrolytic solution to flow into the space between the anodes and the strip surface after being expelled by passage of the strip past the wiping blade. The wiping blades may also be angularly oriented with respect to the strip to increase the wiping effectiveness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Electroplating Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James L. Forand, Harold M. Keeney, Erik S. Vananglen
  • Patent number: 5829837
    Abstract: A portable back and arm support device for use on a bleacher-type bench seat which incorporates a simple back support and two arm supports hingedly connected to the back support. Each arm support may be folded inward so that each arm support is in a parallel relationship with the back support as well as with each other in a tight, transportable arrangement, or each arm support may be folded outward in its operation position so that each arm support is in a somewhat perpendicular relationship with the back support. Each arm support contains a unique fulcruming arrangement which allows the arm supports to constrict, thereby attaching to, or "grasping" onto a bench-type seat by fastening to the mere edges of such bench-type seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Inventor: Ronald G. Reiersen
  • Patent number: 5831527
    Abstract: A system of sensors to prevent cheating at a casino gaming table, where the sensors are strategically positioned about a casino gaming table to monitor the movement about certain established areas on the gaming table during certain established times during the play of the game. The tripping of a sensor in response to the detection of unauthorized movement about a certain area of the table sends a signal to a monitoring system which in turn alerts the casino so that the casino may respond to the unauthorized movement accordingly. The system of sensors can be used with a wide variety of card-based or chip-based casino gaming tables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Inventors: Griffith Jones, II, Griffith Jones, III
  • Patent number: 5820142
    Abstract: The present invention discloses sanitary coverings for the handles of hand-propelled carts. The coverings may be portable. The coverings may be disposable or recyclable. Various fastening arrangements may be used along the edges of the sanitary coverings to allow the coverings to be securely wrapped about the handles of hand-propelled carts. The preferred arrangement utilizes a partially closed crescent shaped resilient plastic sanitary covering. Various improvements upon the basic tubular sanitary coverings include the use of flaps on the ends thereof to cover larger portions of the surface areas of the handles as well as the sides of carts, and flexible corrugated portions in the structure of the sanitary coverings to accommodate handles and supporting members of various types. The sanitary coverings may also take the form of recyclable, sturdy, resilient, split plastic tubes capable of being dispensed one-at-a-time from dispensers located on the premises of commercial establishments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Inventor: Sandra Dee Duer
  • Patent number: 5797637
    Abstract: A hand operated leverage device is provided for contact with the outer surface of a roll of material, so that a relatively small amount of force applied to the device will result in a forward rotating movement of the roll of material a relatively short distance away from the user and away from the device. The support legs allow the device to be freestanding, with one of the support legs having the ability to accommodate a person's stepping force, while another support leg is pivotally connected to the body of the device and serves as a pivot point for the transmission of the force from the human operator to the roll of material. A curved, adjustable plate connected at the end of the leverage device enables it to actively engage the outer surface of the roll of material during the force-transmissive operation of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Inventor: Scott P. Ervin
  • Patent number: 5791707
    Abstract: A snow moving device which can assume the configuration of a roof snow scraper, a snow pusher or plow, and a conventional shovel, comprising a handle connected to a planar rectangular blade via a plurality of support arms, the blade incorporating arcuate opening or channel cut out sections allowing the blade to pivot on the support arms in response to the direction of the device when the device is being used as a roof snow scraper, pusher or plow, the blade also having the ability to be fixed in position for use as a shovel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Inventor: Joseph Szakurski
  • Patent number: 5734117
    Abstract: A violin tuning arrangement and method is provided in which the bridge of the violin may be moved longitudinally along the violin by a mechanical mechanism which will automatically bring the bridge to predetermined points where a predetermined change in sound will be emitted by the violin. The mechanical arrangement includes two tuning wheels which are journaled in the sides of bridge holding brackets and may be moved discreet distances along the rack on the surface of the violin to change the tone or tuning of such violin. Discreet arrangements of teeth or detentes are provided so that the tuning wheel will tend to automatically cease movement at a point which provides a desired tuning of a violin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Inventor: Anthony J. Tanzella
  • Patent number: 5697546
    Abstract: Heater coils usually intended primarily for the handling of low pressure heating fluid such as hot water from an engine cooling system are converted to use with elevated pressure hydraulic fluid by tying the inlet and outlet of said coil together with a sturdy structural frame, usually in the form of a plate provided with threaded fittings on one side for connection to hydraulic lines and having the ends of the tubing secured by brazing or other hot metal fusion welding to the rear of the reinforcing plate in alignment with the orifices through the plate. The plate also serves as a safety shield in case of failure of the radiator coils or connections and can also be advantageously applied to radiator coils formed especially for hydraulic heating coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Inventor: Albert Brian Cicioni
  • Patent number: 5679233
    Abstract: A resilient dielectric wiper blade is mounted between electrodes and a workpiece, particularly in an anodizing operation, to wipe bubbles of oxygen from the anodic work surface, to remove a surface layer of excessively heated electrolytic solution and replace with fresh cooler solution, and in the case of flexible strip processing, to stabilize the strip between cathodes. The resilient dielectric wiper blade is preferably used with perforated electrodes to facilitate removal of overheated electrolytic solution and replace with freshly circulated solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Electroplating Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Erik S. Van Anglen, James L. Forand, Harold M. Keeney
  • Patent number: 5651417
    Abstract: Base for a fire-fighting tool is adapted to be secured to a horizontal surface such as the deck of a ship next to a vertical surface such as a bulkhead of such ship. The base is disposable at an angle that will allow the tip of a penetrator of a nozzle section of the fire-fighting tool, upon activation of an extensible hydraulic ram attached to the nozzle section, to be forced into the bulkhead and ultimately through the bulkhead, after which water may be sprayed into the area behind the bulkhead where a fire may be burning via spray orifices in the nozzle section. The arrangement of the fire-fighting tool at an angle between the deck and the bulkhead assures that there will be a rigid surface available for enabling pressure of the hydraulic ram to be exerted forcefully enough on the end of the penetrator section to breach the wall or bulkhead. The penetrator will dig into the wall surface efficiently and effectively even though it is applied to such wall surface at an angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 29, 1997
    Inventor: Jerome A. Coughlin
  • Patent number: 5645732
    Abstract: A filtering arrangement is provided for effluent from a septic tank prior to passage to a drain field or other disposal. The filtering arrangement makes use of an open-top, U-shaped filter means into which the septic effluent is conducted from the top, preferably through a T-fitting providing an open-topped channel leading into the U-shaped filter. The filter may be formed of an outer perforated casing and an inner lining of an open-cell-type polymeric material which effects the filtering of the effluent. The U-shaped filter is preferably suspended from the T-fitting. A preferred filter includes an inner and outer casing with a fibrous filter material between. The filter also preferably has an imperforate lower portion to retain a permanent body of liquid in the bottom of the filter. The arrangement provides fail-safe filtering automatically adjustable for varying flow rates and conditions of the filter. The polymeric filter medium is changed periodically to maintain efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1997
    Inventor: Byron Charles Daniels
  • Patent number: 5638924
    Abstract: A disk brake for placing tension on textile yarns is provided with an air-cleaning system for blowing lint and fiber dust particularly from the underside of the disks to prevent a buildup which may interfere with operation of the brake disks and prevent proper clamping action between the disks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: Hacoba Textilmaschinen
    Inventor: Hubert Kremer
  • Patent number: 5636593
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for partially automating the placement of litter bags in animal litter pans. The apparatus uses two pivoted arras over the tops of which the upper portion of a litter bag may be folded when the arms are extended upwardly. The arms are then pivoted downwardly to spread out the litter bag either in a litter pan or upon the base upon which the arms are pivoted. Thus the apparatus also provides a means for complete elimination of an animal litter pan. Litter may be placed within the litter bag either before it is folded over the pivot arms or after. It is preferred to use prepackaged litter containers and several prepackaged litter containers are disclosed which can be used with the particular apparatus or other apparatus including ordinary litter pans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1997
    Inventor: Emanuel T. Vito
  • Patent number: 5636767
    Abstract: A container in the form of a bottle is especially designed to quickly dispense viscous liquids such as shampoo, conditioner or suntan lotion without waiting for drainage of the contents toward the dispensing valve or outlet. The bottle has an air inlet at the top and a liquid dispensing valve at one corner of the bottom. The bottom is preferably slanted toward the dispensing valve and the entire bottle is preferably in the form of a three-sided pyramid. When the bottle is used the air inlet cap at the top of the bottle is pulled up allowing air to enter the bottle through air inlet holes just under the air inlet cap to eliminate any vacuum lock effect upon the liquid inside the bottle. The dispensing valve at the bottom of the bottle is then pressed allowing the fluid to flow out into the hand of the user. The user never need wait for the fluid to reach the dispensing valve because it will be able to flow immediately out of the container once the dispensing valve is pressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1997
    Inventor: Keith J. Vogrin
  • Patent number: 5632488
    Abstract: A card game comprising a plurality of playing cards representing current U.S. political figures. Each playing card has a front surface and a back surface. The front surface displays a picture of a political figure accompanied by his/her name and job title. The back surface contains information about the political figure depicted on the front surface. Each playing card may also include information encoded thereon indicating the political ideology (Liberal, Moderate, Conservative, or the like) of the political figure depicted on the front surface. The encoded information is not immediately decipherable by the casual observer. The playing cards may be integrated into a game system via a looseleaf-type game binder divided into state sections representing the states of the United States. The game binder may include apparatus for revealing the encoded political ideology of each political figure when his/her playing card is placed therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1997
    Inventors: William C. Sturm, Cynthia R. Sturm
  • Patent number: 5624050
    Abstract: The outside of the structural reinforcing rings are slightly inclined inwardly or outwardly with respect to the vertical axis of a slatted refuse or recycling receptacle to provide a pleasing bow inwardly or outwardly to the outward surface of the receptacle when the slats are pulled tightly against the slightly inclined surfaces. In addition, the lid for such containers may be provided with a very visible designation of the type of refuse or recycling materials to be inserted into dual orifices in said lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1997
    Inventor: Philip C. Haas
  • Patent number: D371255
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Inventor: Paul E. Richard
  • Patent number: D404781
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1999
    Inventor: Billy J. Reis, Jr.