Patents Represented by Law Firm Jessup & Beecher
  • Patent number: 4187566
    Abstract: A water mattress construction for a water bed having a foam assembly forming a cavity for surrounding and supporting a water-filled bladder. The foam assembly is formed of several layers of foam having different densities to provide strong support for the water bladder and prevent bulging. There are layers of low-density foam on the top and bottom of the foam assembly and a center core or frame of a medium density enclosing the cavity and bladder installed therein. The entire foam structure and bladder retain their shape by being bound on the sides and bottom by a high-strength, non-stretchable, non-woven fabric bonded securely to the foam assembly. The foam and bladder assembly is then covered with a low-density foam having a high recovery factor. The entire structure is then covered with a heavy-duty material and ticking which is quilted and has the appearance of a conventional mattress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1978
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1980
    Assignee: Wilshire Bedding Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Warren E. Peterson
  • Patent number: 4182203
    Abstract: A continuously variable mechanical transmission comprised of a crankshaft or similar device driven by a suitable power source such as an internal combustion engine, which drives one or more pivotally mounted levers, pushrods and ratchet mechanisms. The levers drive pushrods which in turn drive the ratchet mechanism through a rack gear mounted on each pushrod. The output of the ratchet gear mechanism drives an output shaft and is varied by varying the position of the pushrod attachment to each pivotally mounted lever. Each pushrod is connected to a slot or guide on each lever so that the connecting point can be varied from close to the pivot point or pivot axis to the opposite end of the lever. By this means it can be continuously varied from low speed to higher speed by adjusting the connecting point of the pushrods to the pivoting levers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 8, 1980
    Inventor: Marcus D. Drury
  • Patent number: 4179125
    Abstract: A level-indicating device and the method of placing said device inside the shaft of a golf putter. The device is so placed within the shaft so that when the putter is laid horizontal on the surface of the green the device will indicate the exact slope of the green at that point. The device is an insert so constructed as to be inserted into the putter shaft from the top of the shaft (grip end) before the grip is placed on the shaft. It is molded to an exact fit inside the shaft and as the shaft is tapered, it will be properly placed when the top end of the insert is flush with the grip end of the shaft. The lower end of the insert has a cavity just large enough to accommodate a levelling vial. The vial cavity is cast so that when the vial is snapped into the device it will be exactly in the desired position and will be completely protected by the insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1979
    Assignee: Michael F. Aboussouan
    Inventors: Bryan N. Cone, Michael F. Aboussouan
  • Patent number: 4177781
    Abstract: An electromechanical engine timing device for installation in an ignition system distributor having one or more breaker points which provides a visual indication of maladjustments and malfunctions, permitting easy detection and correction. The system is comprised of light-emitting diodes permanently mounted within the distributor, connected in parallel with each set of breaker points to visually indicate the correct static setting of the breaker point. The light-emitting diodes are mounted on a semi-circular bracket for permanent attachment to the adjustable base plate in the ignition system distributor. The light-emitting diodes can be viewed through a transparent cover on the distributor providing a continuous indication of the proper sequencing of each breaker point by a rotating cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 1977
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1979
    Assignee: Moto-Tronics
    Inventors: Ronald L. Marchelletta, Charles W. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 4175702
    Abstract: A forced air nucleating jet gun assembly comprised of a nozzle body designed to atomize material at the nozzle for external mixing with a catalyst which is atomized in the handle body of the gun assembly. The nozzle body incorporates passageways for delivering atomizing air deflected counter to the path of a material delivered to a fluid tip. The fluid tip assembly is designed to deflect atomizing air into the path of the material for low-pressure delivery of resin to the jet. An air control valve is incorporated into the nozzle body and is operated sequentially with the material valve to purge the fluid tip prior to delivery or supply of material for atomizing by air. The forced air nucleating system incorporated in the nozzle body delivers resin and air or atomized resin through the fluid tip external mixing with catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1979
    Assignee: Poly-Glas Systems
    Inventors: Robert D. Hetherington, David W. Goelz
  • Patent number: 4175551
    Abstract: A massage device which utilizes the combination of electroneurological stimulation and mechanical massage for medical treatment of pain. The apparatus includes a housing having a massage head formed from a plurality of elongate rollers, connected to the electrical output of a pulse-generating circuit. The rollers form a mechanical massaging head, while the electrical pulses stimulate underlying nerves to block or reduce pain. A second or ground electrode is provided by an expansion band which can be easily slipped on an ankle or wrist and is connected to the main electrical circuit by a flexible electrical cord. The pulse-generating circuit includes a pair of switches for selecting a discrete voltage amplitude over a varying predetermined range, and a light-emitting diode to indicate operation of the pulse-generating circuit. Also included in the case or housing is a ball electrode for massaging and treating particular body points known as acupuncture or trigger points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 1977
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1979
    Assignee: Electromed Incorporated
    Inventors: Irnee J. D'Haenens, Charles P. Ledergerber
  • Patent number: 4169436
    Abstract: A barrel-type reciprocating machine having a block with a shaft journaled through its center with the ends of the shaft offset at an oblique angle. A pair of wobble spiders are attached to the oblique crank end of the shaft and are in turn attached to an output shaft. A plurality of cylinders are angularly spaced around the shaft parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft. Each cylinder has a pair of opposing pistons and a plurality of intake and exhaust ports which are open and closed by the opposing pistons. Semi-circular concentric intake and exhaust manifolds surround the cylinders and communicate with the ports leading to the cylinders. The intake manifold has a plurality of coolant tubes passing through the wall of the intake manifold and into the cavity for cooling the intake air passing through the manifold into the cylinder. The coolant tubes traverse a circuitous path through the manifold and pass back out through the wall of the intake manifold to hose fittings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 1977
    Date of Patent: October 2, 1979
    Assignee: Welch Diesel Engine, Inc.
    Inventors: Lewis W. Welch, Glenn E. Fish
  • Patent number: 4167347
    Abstract: A removable finger grip adaptable to a wide variety and size of writing instruments. The finger grip is an elongate resilient body having a triangular cross-sectional shape and a cylindrical bore coaxial with the longitudinal axis. In order to accommodate a wide variety of writing instruments, the cylindrical bore has a plurality of ribs or ridges along the entire length of the bore for gripping instruments smaller in size than the diameter of the bore. The triangular shape provides three planar surfaces for gripping the device when installed on a writing instrument and also provides a thin web of material in the planar gripping surfaces between them and the cylindrical bore at the center of the planar gripping surfaces. This thin web allows the finger grip to expand for accommodating writing instruments larger than the cylindrical bore. The resilience of the finger grip allows easy removal from one writing instrument for use with another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 11, 1979
    Inventor: James E. Hoyle
  • Patent number: 4156118
    Abstract: An audiometric headset having a transducer mounting and sound insulation system which closely couples the transducer to the ear. The headset is comprised of a pair of domes having a soft foam liner and soft sponge sound-absorbent material surrounding a floating sound transducer mounted in an open side of the case. The sound transducer is mounted in a socket of a circular resilient hub supported on a resilient flange by a pair of resilient strips providing a semi-circular opening between the interior of the case and the exterior of the earpiece. The resilient flange provides a channel for mounting on a rim around the periphery of the opening in the dome or case. An ear cushion snap-locked into a channel surrounding the socket supporting the transducer closely couples the transducer to the ear. A resilient earmuff is mounted around the rim of the case opening and is filled with a sound-filtering soft material whereby the muff seals around the ear to eliminate external ambient noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1978
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1979
    Inventor: Frances E. Hargrave
  • Patent number: 4155364
    Abstract: A catheter assembly for placement in the bladder and particularly for use in patients with a restricted or traumatized urethra. The catheter assembly comprises a flexible filiform and a flexible follower detachably connected to the end of the filiform. A modified urinary catheter of flexible material with an extra hole in a tapered tip is used. The hole in the end of the catheter is restricted so that the connecting end of the follower may be easily pushed through, but the remaining portion of the follower is gripped securely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1979
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventor: Richard J. Boxer
  • Patent number: 4153074
    Abstract: A hydraulic valve system particularly adapted for controlling a hydraulically powered elevator. The system involves essentially a bypass valve which selectively bypasses hydraulic fluid from the pump directly back to the tank during the up mode operation, thereby controlling the up speed of the elevator; and a down valve which selectively controls the escape of fluid from the elevator jack back to the tank, thereby controlling the down speed of the elevator. The down valve also serves as a check valve for retaining fluid pressure in the jack. Both the bypass valve and the down/check valve are each controlled by closely integrated cylinder-and-piston arrangement, with pressure to the cylinder being controlled by a control valve structurally interlinked to the respective piston. The bypass valve also serves as a check valve between the jack and the tank during the down mode of operation. The cylinder-and-piston control for the bypass valve makes possible an initial limit opening of the bypass valve, i.e.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1979
    Assignee: Maxton Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Daniel W. Risk
  • Patent number: 4151065
    Abstract: An improved horizontal slab gel electrophoresis apparatus having compartments for vertical wicks at each end of a removable horizontal trough. Adjacent to the vertical wicks are vertical buffer compartments with built in electrodes. A partition separates the vertical wirks from the buffer compartment and includes a slot with a silicone plug which can be removed after curing or hardening of the vertical wicks to permit communication between the buffer and the gel slab. Flow adapters and an interconnecting tube permit constant circulation of the buffer to maintain equal volume and pH. The horizontal trough has slots for insertion of combs to form up to seventy-five sample wells and additional slots at each end for sealing the end of the horizontal slab when the gel slab is removed. The apparatus includes coils in a horizontal bed or plate beneath the trough for cooling the gel slab during a run and levelling screws for levelling the horizontal trough before pouring the gel slab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1979
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Donald A. Kaplan, Gary L. Wilcox
  • Patent number: 4149385
    Abstract: The flow from geothermal wells is stimulated by injecting a liquid at selected levels in the well with the liquid having a boiling point below the temperature of the geothermal fluid at the levels of injection at the operating pressure at the levels of injection. The geothermal fluid and vaporized injected fluid from the well are applied to a system for extracting the heat energy as well as for cleaning sand and other well depositions that may accumulate in the geothermal well. The system may include a direct contact heat exchanger having either a vertical chamber or a horizontal chamber. The contactor has a plurality of zones including a boiler zone, one or more separation zones, and at least one heat exchange zone. The contactor may also include a wash zone and a flash zone.In the wash zone there is advantageously included recirculation trays vertically spaced for washing the vapor to remove entrained substances, such as minerals dissolved in the fluid from the geothermal wells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1979
    Inventor: Itzhak Sheinbaum
  • Patent number: 4148248
    Abstract: A hydraulic valve system particularly adapted for controlling a hydraulically powered elevator. The system involves essentially a bypass valve which selectively bypasses hydraulic fluid from the pump directly back to the tank during the up mode operation, thereby controlling the up speed of the elevator; and a down valve which selectively controls the escape of fluid from the elevator jack back to the tank, thereby controlling the down speed of the elevator. The down valve also serves as a check valve for retaining fluid pressure in the jack. Both the bypass valve and the down/check valve are each controlled by closely integrated cylinder-and-piston arrangement, with pressure to the cylinder being controlled by a control valve structurally interlinked to the respective piston. The bypass valve also serves as a check valve between the jack and the tank during the down mode of operation. The cylinder-and-piston control for the bypass valve makes possible an initial limit opening of the bypass valve, i.e.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1976
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1979
    Assignee: Maxton Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Daniel W. Risk
  • Patent number: 4143580
    Abstract: A lock spindle blind rivet assembly is provided which is intended to be received in a hole in a workpiece, and which is made up of a sleeve adapted to be received in the hole, a stem having a forward section with an outer diameter slightly less than the inner diameter of the sleeve and a rear section with an outer diameter slightly greater than the inner diameter of the sleeve, the forward and rear sections of the stem being separated by an annular locking groove which forms an annular shoulder around the stem. A collar having an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of the sleeve, and having an inner diameter slightly greater than the outer diameter of the forward section of the stem but less than the diameter of the annular shoulder, is slidably mounted on the forward section of the stem to be moved back along the forward section to engage and be stopped by the annular shoulder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1976
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1979
    Assignee: Allfast, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph R. Luhm
  • Patent number: 4135408
    Abstract: A differential pressure transducer assembly which indicates pressure differences while remaining insensitive to variations in line pressure and overload pressure. The assembly has a transducer consisting of a semi-conductor sensor isolated from the medium being measured by mounting it on a resilient diaphragm between two small hydraulic chambers. The chambers are closed with a pair of diaphragms which isolate the two chambers from the external environment. The transducer sensor is comprised of a silicon chip having a large center boss area which is supported by a silicon back plate of similar material fused to the silicon chip at the periphery. The back plate is mounted by a hollow support stud to a threaded hub at the center of the resilient diaphragm separating the chambers. A space between the silicon chip and back plate communicates with the hydraulic fluid of one chamber through an inlet in the support stud. The opposite side of the silicon chip is immersed in the hydraulic fluid of the other chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1979
    Assignee: ICT Instruments, Inc.
    Inventor: Mario Di Giovanni
  • Patent number: 4133155
    Abstract: A joist structure having a configuration useful for constructing concrete-forming structures. The joist is comprised of an upwardly opening channel and an oppositely facing downwardly opening keyhole-shaped channel. The joist is an extruded elongate member having the respective channel end walls abutting each other. The upwardly facing channel has a generally rectangular form with the side walls being considerably wider than the end walls to accommodate standard wooden beam sizes, such as a 2 .times. 4. The downwardly facing channel, somewhat narrower and shorter than the upwardly facing channel, has a keyhole shape which considerably increases the compressive and torsion strength of the overall joist. The keyhole shape also accommodates keyhole-shaped inserts for strengthening the joist at high stress points, such as bearing surfaces and the mid-point between spans. The keyhole-shaped inserts can be provided in varying lengths according to the need and can incorporate mounting holes for the joist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1979
    Inventor: Lee D. Oelrich
  • Patent number: 4117202
    Abstract: A solar powered biological fuel cell is provided which is capable of generating a direct electric current in response to incident solar energy. The cell includes a suspension of mesophyll cells isolated from Digitaria sanguinalis (crab grass), malic enzyme, a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a xanthine oxidase enzyme, a potential mediator such as benzyl viologen or methylene blue, and a catalyst such as pyruvate in an aqueous solution; and an appropriate electrode assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1978
    Inventor: Timothy A. Beck
  • Patent number: 4068684
    Abstract: A locking ring assembly is provided for releasably retaining a tubular valve housing in the liquid port of a bladder-type pressure accumulator without any possibility of the valve housing being blown out from the port when a normal high pressures are attained within the accumulator shell. The locking ring assembly seats at an angle against an identical angle on the inside of the opening at the mouth of the accumulator shell so that when excessively high internal pressures are reached within the shell the ring will force the mouth of the shell to expand diametrically forcing the mouth open thus extruding an O-ring seal which releases the pressure. Thus the accumulator shell cannot burst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1978
    Inventor: Edward M. Greer
  • Patent number: 4057941
    Abstract: A modular greenhouse construction in which panels are prefabricated from a universal beam or mullion and the panels are interlocked to form walls and a roof. The universal beam has a spline receiving groove in one surface and a ribbed channel in the surface opposite with C-shaped slots on either side of the beam for interlocking the two panels. Joints are formed by L-shaped inserts engaging an interior channel in the beam with the particular angle of the joint being determined by the shape of the insert. For 90.degree. corner joints, the insert would, of course, be a 90.degree. L-shape. An enclosure is formed by securing adjacent panels with an H-shaped insert engaging abutting C-shaped slots on the periphery of each panel. Caps which snap on the frames are provided to form corners for the building and a gabled roof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1975
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1977
    Assignee: Airflow Aluminum Awning Company
    Inventor: Seymour L. Schwartz