Patents Represented by Attorney James B. Middleton
  • Patent number: 6324974
    Abstract: A fountain solution for a lithographic press is treated by applying a succession of doses of electromagnetic radiation at increasing frequencies, from audio to radio frequencies, via an antenna that is immersed in the fountain solution. The conductive elements of the antenna are sealed within an insulating sheath so as to be out of contact with the fountain solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Inventors: Derek William Edgar Pomeroy, Steven Lionel Kennett, James Plus Moloney
  • Patent number: 6126218
    Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement in a vehicle intended and equipped for various display purposes. The arrangement comprises means for tilting the vehicle floor in at least part of the vehicle. This way the vehicle can be rapidly and flexibly formed into an auditorium with a tilted floor, and a conference or showroom with a level floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Inventor: Jorma Karhumaki
  • Patent number: 6116137
    Abstract: An automatic handgun has a support member fixed to the end of the barrel and engageable with the slide when the slide moves forward. The mating surfaces of the support member and the slide have clutch surfaces machined into them so the two surfaces lock together snugly, thereby holding the barrel and slide together accurately. A guide rod may also be fixed to the support member to assist in holding the proper relationship when the slide is moved rearwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Inventor: Travis R. Strahan
  • Patent number: 6076203
    Abstract: A body treatment apparatus has two separate but contiguous tubs to provide selective treatment to the feet and the upper body. A person will sit in one tub, and the person's feet will be in the other tub. The knees will be over a dam separating the two tubs. Each tub has separate fluid inputs and separate drains, so each may receive different fluids, and at different times. The entire tub unit can be rotated between a position in which the person is in a sitting position, and a position in which the person is reclining, with the feet higher than the head. Covers are provided for use when desired, such as during steam treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Inventor: Jorma Karhumaki
  • Patent number: 6073306
    Abstract: The invention relates to a safety device, and in particular to a safety device for a sliding panel, such as a patio door.The safety device includes an abutment, a carrier member for the abutment, a mounting arm for the carrier member, a pivot for the mounting arm, the pivot axis being substantially parallel to the carrier member, a support for the pivot, a resilient bias spring urging the mounting arm towards an abutment condition, the resilient bias spring being connected between the mounting arm and the support, and a manually operable member for moving the abutment against said resilient bias spring, the manually operable member comprising finger grip elements carried by the mounting arm, the finger grip elements being spaced from the pivot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Inventors: Andrew Warren, Desmond Corbett
  • Patent number: 6062222
    Abstract: A face mask for a self contained breathing apparatus has two pairs of straps fixed to the frame of the mask, the straps being fixed to a net or woven head piece. The straps at the top of the head piece are fixed with respect to the mask, and the bottom straps are adjustable to tighten the mask against the face of the user. The nose cup has ribs that receive legs of a mounting member for eyeglasses. The eyeglasses include frames, with support arms that are slidably fixable to the mounting member. The mounting member moves towards and away from the eyes of the user, and the support arms move up and down with respect to the nose cup, for full adjustability of the eyeglasses. The nose cup of the face mask is adjustable by either removing a portion at the chin and shortening the mask, or simply removing the portion to allow the user's chin to extend beyond the nose cup while still inside the face seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: International Safety Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: R. David Lewis, Craig Martin
  • Patent number: 6057771
    Abstract: A line, especially for delivery of liquefied gas at ambient temperature, has two solenoid valves connected in series with an intermediate section of the line between them. In normal operation when both valves are closed, the isolated intermediate section contains liquid which absorbs heat from the atmosphere and/or from a heater, and the resulting increase in pressure is detected by a pressure sensor. If either valve fails to close fully to shut off flow, the intermediate section is not then isolated, so the absence of a signal from the sensor (the valves being set to close fully) indicates that at least one of them has not properly closed, and an alarm is given.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: Planer Products Ltd.
    Inventor: Paul Lakra
  • Patent number: 6050261
    Abstract: A backframe for a self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is formed of a molded shell having some depth, and a closure plate fixed to the shell to provide an enclosed volume. The molded shell with the closure plate yields a good weight-to-strength ratio, and provides a water- and dust-resistant enclosure for control components of the SCBA. A water-tight battery compartment is enclosed within the shell so the batteries are separated from other components. A low air pressure alarm provides an auditory signal, and may also include a tactile signal. A buddy breathing hose can be pulled from the backframe to provide a reasonable length tether; and, by connecting two such buddy breathing hoses, twice the length is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: International Safety Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: R. David Lewis, Robert E. Gray, Donald W. Dawson, Paul D. Hiltman
  • Patent number: 6032664
    Abstract: A self contained breathing apparatus has a display of air pressure within the face mask in the field of vision of the user of the breathing apparatus. The display is four lights that indicate the four quarter-tanks of pressure, and the lights change to indicate the amount of air remaining. A transducer receives tank pressure and provides an electric signal. The air pressure is placed on a bourdon tube which rotates a disk in response to changes in pressure. One half of the disk includes a gradient, and a light source emits light through the gradient to be received by a light sensor. As the disk rotates, the gradient varies the amount of light received by the sensor, so the electrical output of the sensor varies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: International Safety Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Gray, Paul D. Hiltman, R. David Lewis, Victor Speck
  • Patent number: 6021828
    Abstract: A trim saw is mounted in conjunction with a hogger, or device for reducing scrap to particles, or saw dust. The hogger is made up of a any desired number of units that will reduce scrap to sawdust. Each unit has a pair of oscillator plates that hold a pair of semicircular blade portions at an angle to the axis of rotation, so the blade portions sweep a wide kerf. Since the blades are generally conventional saw blades, they can be sharpened by conventional machines, obviating the need for hand sharpening. Also, the relatively fine teeth on the hogger blades allows substantially uniform power loading for uniform operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Cut Rite Corporation
    Inventor: Denton C. Snair
  • Patent number: 6016802
    Abstract: A breathing apparatus comprises a supply of breathable gas and a facepiece by which breathable gas is supplied to a wearer, the facepiece including a supply valve for delivering gas to the interior of the facepiece, and an exhaust opening closeable by an exhaust valve for allowing the egress of exhaled gas from the facepiece. The exhaust valve comprises a movable valve member which, in a first position, closes the exhaust opening in the facepiece, in a second position is displaced toward the interior of the facepiece relative to the first position while still in sealing engagement with the exhaust opening to open the supply of breathable gas, and in a third position is displaced outwardly of the facepiece relative to the first position to open the exhaust opening to allow the egress of exhaled gas. The valve member is biased towards the second position by a single significant biasing means. A sealing element is preferably interposed between the valve member and the exhaust opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: International Safety Instruments, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Joseph Jackson
  • Patent number: 6010431
    Abstract: A hand stretching method and apparatus mimics a well known exercise to reduce the problems with repetitive stress injury. A body of resiliently deformable material has flat and parallel top and bottom surfaces, with a cutout at one edge of the body. A user's hand is placed on the body, with the palm of the hand spanning the cutout. By pushing down on the hand, the opposite sides of the palm are urged apart, opening the carpal tunnel and relieving compression on the blood vessels and nerves. A user may place one hand on each surface of the body and urge the hands towards each other for treatment of both hands simultaneously. The body is preferably made of an expanded polymeric material such as polyurethane. Layers having different compression factors may be utilized; and, darker colored surface layers of material may be adhered to the top and bottom surfaces so the surfaces will not readily show dirt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Inventor: Donald N. Taylor
  • Patent number: 6010235
    Abstract: A decoration for a lamp shade is in the form of a sculptured work that is visible when the lamp is turned off, and, when the lamp is turned on, the decoration shows in profile, the decoration having a pleasing appearance both as a sculptural work and as a profile. The decoration has a ferromagnetic member as a part of the decoration, and a permanent magnet is attracted to the plate. The magnet may be placed inside the lamp shade to fix the decoration to the shade outside of the shade, or the magnet may be on the outside, and attracted to a wire of the shade. The decoration may be used singly or in multiples. One version is stamped from brass sheet, with a plate soldered on, then the decoration provided with a finish such as antiquing or gold plating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Inventor: Gerald Sawyer
  • Patent number: 6000272
    Abstract: A vehicle repair rack having a platform for receiving vehicles for straightening is tilted as it is raised from the floor for easier loading of low vehicles, without the vehicle's bottoming out. The repair rack uses a parallel linkage to raise the platform. The platform is one link of the parallel linkage; and, the link that is parallel to the platform is allowed to elongate as the platform is raised, thereby causing the platform to move into non-parallelism with respect to the elongated link, so the platform is tilted. The parallel linkage includes legs as the other two links, and a connecting rod between the two legs is the elongating link. One end of the connecting rod has a slot that allows the connecting rod to move axially to a limited extent for the elongation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Inventor: Virgil H. Hinson
  • Patent number: 5992770
    Abstract: A burner for a gas grill is inexpensive and durable. The burner may be made of an inexpensive sheet steel, but the steel is fully porcelainized or otherwise treated to resist corrosion. The complete coverage of the porcelain is accomplished by making the burner in two halves, and porcelainizing all surfaces of the two halves. The two halves are subsequently assembled into a single burner. Each half has flanges extending therefrom, and a channel engages the flanges to hold them together. Screws or other fastening means can be used to secure the channel to the flanges. In one embodiment of the invention the channel is integrally formed with one of the burner halves. One or both halves of the burner may also be made of a durable metal without the anticorrosive treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Inventor: J. Manning Culpepper
  • Patent number: 5969884
    Abstract: A place keeper, for use with a straight edge for designating a row on a cross-stitch pattern, is slidable along the straight edge so the straight edge designates a row, and the place keeper designates a column. Two or more place keepers can be used to designate a group of columns, with one place keeper on each side of the columns to be designated. The straight edge is preferably a line magnifier having magnets at each end to hold the magnifier to a magnet board. The magnets may space the magnifier from the magnet board to allow the place keepers to slide without interference from the surface on which the magnifier is resting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Dal-Craft, Inc.
    Inventor: Ian Russell
  • Patent number: 5962101
    Abstract: A carpet is tufted with a two-part primary backing. The upper, or face, backing is a conventional woven or non-woven polypropylene, and the lower, or back, backing is a stronger, open weave fabric. The tufts of yarn are sewn through both parts of the primary backing, which holds the parts together, and causes some of the back stitches to protrude for better coating with adhesive. The resulting carpet may be fully back coated, and may have a secondary backing adhered thereto. The lower backing prevents elongation, stretching and shrinking of the carpet during manufacture and subsequent processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignees: Donald A. Irwin, Sr., Darwin Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald A. Irwin, Sr., Steve Linville
  • Patent number: 5947885
    Abstract: A variety of sheet materials can be tessellation folded with an infinite variety of patterns in a one-step folding process by placing the sheet material against a pallet having flat rigid segments and flexible hinges, exerting forces against the pallet in accordance with information as to the pattern desired to initiate folding, and continuing folding to the degree of folding collapse wanted. A heat setable material can be heated prior to folding so the material will be set as folded. An uncured cementitious material can be folded, and held in a mold until the material is cured. Due to natural pantographic degradation, a continous belt can be folded in one area, with sheet material to be folded being placed against the belt before folding, and removed as the belt unfolds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Inventor: James G. T. Paterson
  • Patent number: 5946778
    Abstract: A spring clip has jaws connected by a throat that provides spring action to urge the jaws together, and levers on each jaw that can be extended to provide a mechanical advantage for opening the jaws, or can be retracted so the levers are juxtaposed on the jaws. The jaws have bosses thereon, and openings are defined in the bosses for receiving the levers. The openings have tongues along their sides, and the levers define grooves along their sides so the levers can slide smoothly into and out of the opening. Detents provide stops at retracted and extended positions of the levers, and a screw riding in a slot provides a positive stop to prevent inadvertent removal of the lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Inventor: Ronald M. McGarity
  • Patent number: D417550
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Inventor: Mark Lu