Patents Represented by Attorney Hovey Williams LLP
  • Patent number: 8347563
    Abstract: A telescopic boom broadly comprises an elongated hollow outer boom, an elongated inner boom telescopically received within the outer boom, and a guidance structure for guiding the inner boom for telescopic movement is provided. The guidance structure includes a plurality of guide rails attached to the interior corners of the outer boom, a first roller assembly attached to one end of the inner boom, a second roller assembly attached to one end of the outer boom, and a mid roller assembly positioned proximal to the second roller assembly. The first roller assembly includes a plurality of wheels mounted on axles for engaging the guide rails. The second roller assembly includes roller bars positioned on opposed sides of one end of the outer boom for guiding the inner boom during telescopic movement. The mid roller assembly includes a third roller bar that engages guide rails positioned on the inner boom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Inventor: Ed Anderson
  • Patent number: 8348103
    Abstract: A low-profile particulate handling assembly is provided for use in conjunction with a downstream treating device, such as a seed treater unit. The assembly includes a plurality of juxtaposed particulate bins and a surmounting turret assembly designed to successively deliver particulates to the bins. The particulates within the bins are delivered to the downstream treating device through respective lower outlets each equipped with an adjustable slide gate assembly and a lower, multiple-chute assembly. Preferably, each bin has a top wall which in plan configuration approximates a sector of a circle, planar sidewalls, and downwardly tapered, arcuate sidewall structure leading to the lower outlet; in this fashion, the bins can be grouped with the sidewalls in close adjacency, and with the outlets located to feed into a single inlet of the downstream treating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: USC, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Jim Renyer, Greg Renyer
  • Patent number: 8348191
    Abstract: A mounting apparatus for an aircraft engine that provides load path redundancy includes a forward mount that attaches the aircraft engine to a pylon at a forward position of the aircraft engine, an aft mount that attaches the aircraft engine to the pylon at an aft position of the aircraft engine and a thrust assembly connected to the forward mount, and the aft mount. The forward mount includes an aircraft engine attachment assembly and a fail-safe assembly. The aft mount includes an aircraft engine attachment assembly and a fail-safe assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.
    Inventor: Randall Ray West
  • Patent number: 8350196
    Abstract: An improved antenna assembly (66) designed to maintain RF communication between an object (22, 64, 148) to be heated, and a heating assembly (20, 60) such as an induction heater having a hob (34) equipped with an induction work coil (36). The antenna assembly (66) provides substantially continuous RF communication about the entirety of the hob (34), so that the object (22, 64, 148) can be rotated through substantially 360° , or displaced radially, without loss of RF communication. The preferred antenna assembly (66) includes an antenna (67) mounted upon a substrate (68) and presenting a plurality of continuous, conductive antenna loops (70, 72) oriented to cooperatively and substantially surround the hob (34).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: TSI Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Shawn M. Buchanan
  • Patent number: 8347574
    Abstract: A system for transferring loads across a joint between cast-in-place slabs, more particularly at crossover point of a joint between cast-in-place slabs, includes at least one dowel plate and joint elements and includes elements or abutments for limiting the relative movements of the dowel plate towards the joint elements along three orthogonal directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Plakabeton S.A.
    Inventor: Pierre Michiels
  • Patent number: 8341813
    Abstract: A locator device for locating the centerline of a plurality of piano hinge segments without the use of hard tooling includes a target support element, a pair of targets supported on opposite ends of the target support element, and a locator element for locating the target support element relative to hinge pin holes so that the targets are equally spaced from the hinge pin holes. The targets may be reflective-type targets used in laser targeting systems, photogrammetry targets used in digital photogrammetry locating systems, or other known targets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Lyndal Allen Foss, Robert Gerald Clem
  • Patent number: 8344897
    Abstract: A system and method for directing when and where an agricultural vehicle should refill a container thereof may comprise a sensor for detecting an amount of material in the container, a location determining device, and a processing device communicably coupled with the sensor and the location determining device, as well as a display, a speaker, and/or an automated steering system. The processing device may use information regarding the amount of material in the container, the location of the agricultural vehicle, and a variety of other factors to determine when the container needs to be refilled and to determine a refill location at which the agricultural vehicle should refill. The processing device may send these refill instructions to the display, the speaker, and/or the automated steering system. The processing device may also alert a refill vehicle to travel to the determined refill location, if necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: AGCO Corporation
    Inventors: John Peterson, Dave Lovell
  • Patent number: 8341928
    Abstract: A harvesting machine includes a harvesting header with a header frame, a flexible cutterbar assembly attached to the header frame along the length thereof and configured to cut a crop, and a flexible draper assembly positioned behind the cutterbar assembly to permit the draper assembly to flex with the cutterbar assembly and operable to receive severed crop material from the cutterbar assembly. The draper assembly includes fore-and-aft extending rollers and an endless flexible belt entrained around the rollers. The draper assembly further includes at least one support panel to support the belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: AGCO Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher T. Sauerwein, Gagan Sethi
  • Patent number: 8342818
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for an improved float type wave powered pump that uses the continuous rising and falling wave action in a body of water to pump a fluid. The pump includes piston and cylinder assemblies that are configured for relative reciprocal movement therebetween. One of the assemblies is anchored to the floor of the body of water and the other is vertically moveable in response to a drive float riding on a wave. The pump selectively includes a tide compensating device to reduce the ratio of vertical travel of the drive float to vertical travel of the moveable assembly. The pump also selectively includes a fluid inlet check valve incorporating a support plate of the piston assembly with openings therein and a cover for the same. The pump further selectively includes a directional pressure-activated seal at the point of sliding connection between the piston rod and the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Inventor: Tommy J. Windle
  • Patent number: 8344843
    Abstract: A flux transfer device includes a first conductive element for generating magnetic flux when energized by an electric current and a second conductive element being concentric with the first conductive element, wherein the second conductive element generates an electric voltage/current in response to changes in the magnetic flux. A first magnetic element is concentric with the first conductive element, such that the magnetic flux generated by the first conductive element displaces at least a portion of the magnetic flux from the first magnetic element, thereby inducing an electric voltage/current in the second conductive element. A third conductive element and a second magnetic element may be positioned concentrically with the first conductive element such that the magnetic flux generated by the first conductive element displaces at least a portion of magnetic flux from the second magnetic element, thereby inducing an electric voltage/current in the third conductive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Solid State Magnetics Corporation
    Inventor: John T. Larsen
  • Patent number: 8344568
    Abstract: An overmolded-type rotor for an outer rotor-type electric motor, wherein, in addition to a backing ring and magnets, a metallic coupler that comprises an inner axial surface configured to interface with a shaft to be driven by the rotor and an outer axial surface that corresponds to a multiplicity of outer teeth is overmolded with a polymer frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Nidec Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel E. Bailey, Daniel E. Hilton, Philip S. Johnson, Gregory M. Levine
  • Patent number: 8341929
    Abstract: Belt guards that overlie the interface between a flexible cutterbar assembly and a flexible draper assembly of a harvesting header define an underlying void region that is sealed against the entry of crop residue by an upright dam wall that bears against the underside of the overhanging belt guards forward of the front edge of the upper run of the belt of the draper assembly. The upright dam wall is on the front extremity of flexible support panels that underlie the upper belt run and may be essentially rigid or provided with a resilient trim seal strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: AGCO Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher T. Sauerwein, Gagan Sethi
  • Patent number: 8342366
    Abstract: A low-profile particulate handling assembly is provided for use in conjunction with a downstream treating device, such as a seed treater unit. The assembly includes a plurality of juxtaposed particulate bins and a surmounting turret assembly designed to successively deliver particulates to the bins. The particulates within the bins are delivered to the downstream treating device through respective lower outlets each equipped with an adjustable slide gate assembly and a lower, multiple-chute assembly. Preferably, each bin has a top wall which in plan configuration approximates a sector of a circle, planar sidewalls, and downwardly tapered, arcuate sidewall structure leading to the lower outlet; in this fashion, the bins can be grouped with the sidewalls in close adjacency, and with the outlets located to feed into a single inlet of the downstream treating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: USC, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Jim Renyer, Greg Renyer
  • Patent number: 8336368
    Abstract: The method includes the following steps—introducing a low amplitude air pressure transient into the drainage and vent system of a building in order to propagate a pressure wave from a fitting (6) into a stack (1) and the network of the drainage system;—recording the passage of the transient by use of an air pressure transducer (7) located near the fitting (6) or introduction area of the transient;—establishing a pressure versus time signature recorded by the pressure transducer (7) and sending those signals to a central data acquisition system;—the pressure transient is propagated throughout the network at an acoustic velocity and is reflected by each and every pipe termination of the network so as to establish a characteristic reflection coefficient for each pipe termination; —the characteristic reflection coefficient is compared with testing results performed initially in a perfect network with no dry trap defects or leakages and in case a different signature is of the pressure trace is recorded, the point
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Heriot Watt University
    Inventors: John Swaffield, David Campbell, Lynne Jack, Michael Gormley
  • Patent number: 8337576
    Abstract: A dust collector system including a plurality of air filters that are at least partially self-cleaning via a pulsed air system. The dust collector system presents a self-aligning, tool-free assembly for providing the pulsed air. The pulsed air system has an air distribution assembly including an air distribution manifold having a plurality of purge pipes and a frame for supporting at least some of the purge pipes, wherein at least two or more of the purge pipes are coupled together in a generally unitary assembly; and a positioning assembly for selectively positioning and removably locking the air distribution manifold in either of a service position or an operational position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Mac Process LLC
    Inventors: Jason Weber, Dwight Edelman
  • Patent number: 8341038
    Abstract: Methods for providing a payment account enabling an accountholder of the account to obtain discounts on purchases made at point of sale terminals of a plurality of different merchants and to pay for the purchases with the provided account. Methods further include providing an accountholder of the payment account an online user-account that enables the accountholder to access websites corresponding to the plurality of different merchants and to obtain a discount on each online purchase made at said websites by virtue of said access to a website at which said online purchase is made from said online user-account. The methods further include providing payment accounts to persons sponsored by the accountholder and to individuals sponsored by such sponsored persons and paying commissions to the accountholder based upon purchases made at point of sale terminals of the plurality of different merchants by persons or individuals within such a sponsored network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: GoFiniti, LLC
    Inventors: Devon A. Rolf, Jonathan C. Burrell
  • Patent number: 8337281
    Abstract: A universal blade sharpening machine is operable to securely hold and sharpen any one of multiple variously sized circular blades. The machine includes a blade-sharpening drive with an adjustable blade sharpener and also includes a universal blade holder that is rotatably powered by the drive. The blade holder includes a blade-receiving chassis that holds the blade during sharpening and is rotatable about a rotation axis of the blade holder. The chassis includes a plurality of radially spaced blade-retaining sections each associated with a respective one of the circular blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Hantover, Inc.
    Inventor: Clark A. Levsen
  • Patent number: 8333161
    Abstract: A seed furrow closing wheel has a generally dish-shaped body defined by a central portion and a notched outer flange portion that circumscribes the central portion and projects obliquely outwardly from the plane thereof. The notched flange portion is configured to present a series of circumferentially spaced, non-radial, obliquely projecting teeth that function to fragment and squeeze together opposite sidewalls of the seed furrow when a pair of the wheels are rolled along opposite sides of the furrow outboard of the furrow itself, crumbling the sidewalls and covering the seeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory W. Arnett, Thomas J. Evans
  • Patent number: 8332964
    Abstract: An element protection system for protecting wearers from cold and/or wet weather includes a garment portion having a torso section surrounding a torso-receiving cavity and a pair of sleeves, and a storage case portion including a bottom wall and a surrounding sidewall providing a main compartment sized and configured for receiving the garment portion therein. Thus, the garment portion can be stowed in the main compartment. The garment portion extends from the upper margin of the storage case portion, and a reinforcing panel extends from the upper margin over a part of a back panel of the garment portion in covering relationship to the wearers buttocks. The back panel of the garment portion includes a port sized and configured to permit passage therethrough of a strap attachable to a safety harness which can be used to restrain the torso of someone wearing the element protection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Inventor: David Helwig
  • Patent number: 8333212
    Abstract: A reverse acting rupture disc and methods of forming the same are provided. Generally, the rupture disc comprises a bulged portion and a circumscribing flange area surrounding the bulged portion. The bulged portion includes a mechanically formed line-of-opening recess comprising a singular channel. In certain embodiments, the mechanical process by which the recess is formed utilizes a high-speed mill which removes a portion of metal from the bulged portion of the disc without disrupting the substantially uniform metallic grain structure of the metal adjacent the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Fike Corporation
    Inventors: Bon F. Shaw, Bradford T. Stilwell, Michael D. Krebill