Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Douglas J. Christensen
  • Patent number: 6073769
    Abstract: A flexible card holder and display which enables a plurality of cards to be attached, transported, displayed, and stored. The card holder comprises a sheet of thin, tear-resistant material into which a plurality of slits have been cut. The slits are arranged so as to receive portion of card, thereby releasably retaining the cards on the sheet. The card holder is lightweight, portable, and foldable into a variety of compact configurations. The card holder may be provided with an aperture at one end to enable the card holder to be suspended, thus displaying cards which are releasably attached thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Inventor: Chad W. Fulda
  • Patent number: 6065620
    Abstract: A convertible crane with a movable sheave assembly which is operable in two distinct positions. In the first position, the sheave is adjacent the body of a crane to enable it to operate in relatively restricted space without interference from obstacles adjacent the rear end of the base. In the second position, the sheave extends away from the body of a crane where it may be attached to an auxiliary counterweight to enable a crane to lift larger loads. The movable sheave assembly enables a crane to be easily and rapidly converted between normal and enhanced lifting modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Assignee: Trans World Crane, Incorporated
    Inventor: James McGhie
  • Patent number: 6063320
    Abstract: An apparatus for hot pressing boards comprises a conveying and setting mechanism for setting a board put on a caul plate in a predetermined hot pressing position, and a hot pressing mechanism including a hot plate and a spacer, the board being hot pressed in a closed space defined by the hot plate, the caul plate and the spacer. The conveying and setting mechanism includes a conveying member for supporting the caul plate in a state free from frictional contact with any other member while the caul plate is conveyed to a hot pressing section, and a setting member for supporting the caul plate in succession to the conveying member and setting the caul plate in the hot pressing position, the setting member being retreated to a position free from interference with hot pressing operation after the setting of the caul plate in the hot pressing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Koyo Sangyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mitsumasa Horikawa
  • Patent number: 6055845
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for applying samples to be analyzed by gas chromatography using a sampling tube, which has a section which contains the adsorbing agent and narrows essentially conically towards a bore which is free of adsorbing agent and has a reduced diameter, in such a manner that the flow rate of a gas which is guided through towards the narrowed section on the outlet side is at least approximately equal to the inlet-side flow rate, liquid or gaseous starting sample material being guided through the sampling tube towards the narrowed section, so that substances to be analyzed are adsorbed on the adsorbing agent, the sampling tube being flushed with drying gas, which is guided through the sampling tube in the same direction as the starting sample material, until the liquid phase, which is contained in the sampling tube, or the starting sample material is essentially removed, and the adsorbed sample being desorbed by means of a carrier gas which is introduced through the sampling tube from
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: Gerstel GmbH
    Inventors: Eberhard Gerstel, Ralf Bremer
  • Patent number: 6039186
    Abstract: A composite wafer carrier for holding and restraining circular semiconductor wafer disks during their transport, storage, and processing. The composite wafer carrier generally comprising an open top and bottom for insertion and removal of wafer disk, an upright front end member having an interface portion such as an H-bar, an upright back end member, and a pair of sidewall members with vertical sidewall slots extending rearwardly from the front end member to said back end member. At least one of said members separately molded and joined to the other members of the wafer carrier by cooperating engagement portions without external fasteners. The wafer carrier may be snapped together. A separate second interface at the back end member may be provided to allow the carrier to interface with equipment with the wafer top side up or inverted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: Fluoroware, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanjiv M. Bhatt, Shawn D. Eggum, Wayne C. Olson
  • Patent number: 6012212
    Abstract: An apparatus requiring storage of a liquid that needs agitation includes a plastic tank that is rotationally molded around an agitation portion. In a preferred embodiment, an asphalt sealcoat application system has such a plastic rotary molded tank mounted on a powered vehicle or trailer and utilizes a pump connected to a hose and spray wand for application of sealcoat on an asphalt surface. The tank is preferably formed of low density polyethylene resin and the agitation portion includes a plurality of paddles and a shaft extending from the interior of the tank for mixing the sealcoat liquid. The polyethylene tank is rotary molded around the assembled agitation portion. The invention includes the methodology of molding the tank, a tank molded by said methodology, and the apparatus for accomplishing said methodology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Inventor: Craig M. Erickson
  • Patent number: 6010008
    Abstract: A module with an openable and closeable door has a central support structure which includes a machine interface exposed at the bottom of the module and integral wafer support columns extending upwardly in the module for supporting wafers. An advantage and feature of the invention is that a non-interrupted path-to-ground extends from each wafer support shelf to the machine interface. Additionally, the side walls of the shell have a recess portion with engagement members that cooperate with engagement members on removable handles. The handles utilize detents to rotatably lock such handles into place on the side walls of the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Fluoroware, Inc.
    Inventors: David L. Nyseth, Dennis J. Krampotich, Todd M. Ulschmid, Gregory W. Bores
  • Patent number: 6010009
    Abstract: A cassette (10) for storing a plurality of items in a parallel registration is disclosed. The cassette is specifically designed to be lightweight and is reinforced (50, 52, 54) to prevent warpage, bending, flexing or breaking of the cassette. Means (66, 68, 70) for indexing the cassette to a surface for precise insertion and removal of items are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Empak, Inc.
    Inventors: Kelly Peterson, Brian Wiseman, Gary Gallagher, Barry Gregerson
  • Patent number: 6007279
    Abstract: A hole-cutting device for attachment to a portable electric drill or similar rotating machine. The device has a cylindrical body with a rearward edge and a forward edge; a mounting plate is affixed across the rearward edge, and a series of chipper teeth are affixed about the forward edge. Each chipper tooth has a transverse cutting edge and a second cutting edge in substantial alignment with the wall of the cylinder, but alternate chipper teeth have second cutting edges displaced inwardly and outwardly from the cylindrical member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Inventor: John M. Malone, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6000550
    Abstract: A two part hinge for containers and boxes. The first part includes a pair parallel arms which include axially aligned opposing sockets which are configured to rotatingly receive pintle ends. The sockets are provided with radially disposed channels which extend from the sockets to exterior edges of the arms to form a slot for guiding the pintle ends into the sockets. The first hinge part also includes a dual function tab which is generally collaterally aligned with and parallel to the arms of the first part of the hinge. The tab is provided with a camming surface and a retaining surface. The camming surface engages and deflects the center portion of the pintle as it passes thereby, while the retaining surface maintains the pintle ends in the sockets by effectively blocking movement of the center portion of the pintle. The retaining surface of the tab is consistent with the arcuate surfaces of the sockets to form a smooth transition between the socket surfaces and the retaining surface of the tab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Fluoroware, Inc.
    Inventors: Tony Simpson, Michael S. Adams
  • Patent number: 5978315
    Abstract: A method and a device for detecting fodder waste/loss within a fish enclosure (1), where a sound transmitter (4) and a hydrophone (6) are disposed as an upwardly directed echo sounder close to the bottom of the enclosure (1). Sound echoes from objects situated above the sound transmitter (4), are picked up by the hydrophone (6). A measuring unit (8) separates signals from the hydrophone (6) into various frequency bands close to the transmitted sound frequency. The distance and amount of the objects are determined in a way similar to the one used in echo sounders. Sinking objects will cause rejected sounds having frequencies slightly higher than the transmitted frequency, so called Doppler effect, and the frequency difference is a measure of the sinking speed of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Akva AS
    Inventor: Ole Molaug
  • Patent number: 5966195
    Abstract: A method of determining a parameter of a liquid crystal cell is provided in which parameters, such as the thickness of the liquid crystal layer and the angle of the twist of liquid crystal molecule orientation in the liquid crystal cell, are accurately determined in a short time with a simple apparatus. Light from a light source 1 is transmitted through a polarizing plate 2 and incident to a liquid crystal cell 3. The light is transmitted by a polarizing plate 4 and the intensity of the transmitted light is measured by a photodetector 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Meiryo Tekunika Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Susumu Sato, Ying Zhou, Zhan He, Yoshihiro Togashi
  • Patent number: 5957292
    Abstract: A sealable enclosure for wafers has a door with an easily accessible and disassembleable latching mechanism which utilizes a minimal number of moving parts. The door includes an enclosure with a cammed member rotatable on a post and in engagement with a pair of latching arms that extend, retract, move upwardly and downwardly or forwardly and rearwardly depending on whether the door is a front side door or a bottom door. The movement of the latching arms is accomplished by cammed portion of the cammed member configured to move cam follower portions of the latching arms in an axial direction with respect to the cammed member and in a radial direction. The latching arm pivots on a fulcrum within the enclosure. The latching mechanism is accessible through a panel that attaches by integral detents on the panel that cooperate with recesses on the interior edge walls of the door enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Fluoroware, Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk J. Mikkelsen, Michael S. Adams, Greg Bores, Brian S. Wiseman
  • Patent number: D418701
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald G. Wanek, Jane Pronschinske
  • Patent number: D425723
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: Product Marketing Junctions, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel P. Hurt