Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm John F. Salazar
  • Patent number: 6772767
    Abstract: A process for reducing lignin and nitrogenous content in tobacco lamina and tobacco fiber material, including whole leaf, stems, scraps, fines and lamina, as well as burley leaf and stem, in an extraction with a solution containing hydrogen peroxide and an alkali metal hydroxide. The treated tobacco may then be further processed for use in cigarettes and other smoking articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation
    Inventors: John-Paul Mua, Brad L. Hayes, Kenneth J. Bradley, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6775523
    Abstract: A wireless doorbell system which employs a radio frequency (“RF”) transmitter and a RF receiver. The doorbell transmitter has its RF source and antenna enclosed within a metal case which is designed so that the effective operating range of the transmission of the RF signals is not reduced to unacceptable levels and whose finish, such as polished brass, presents an attractive appearance which can be made to match the decorative trim at the entranceway to a building, such as a residence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: DESA IP, LLC
    Inventor: Roger Donn Bentley
  • Patent number: 6769784
    Abstract: A linear fixture for suspension from an overhead structure has a light weight and has electrical connectors capable of making easy plug electrical connections for power and network connection communications. The linear fixture is an elongated housing having a bottom wall, an elongated housing top wall and an elongated slot extending longitudinally along the elongated housing top wall. The housing is manufactured from an extrusion of aluminum thereby reducing the weight of the housing. The housing includes two or more housing supports having bottom and top surface portions respectively, conforming in shape to the housing bottom top walls. The bottom of top portions of the supports are adapted to engage or slide fit into the bottom and top walls so as to mate with the walls and provide support to the elongated housing bottom and top walls. The housing supports act to provide additional structural support for the top and bottom walls of the linear housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Canlyte Inc.
    Inventors: Howard Yaphe, Pascal Toupin, Robert Katz, Sylvain Duchesne
  • Patent number: 6758376
    Abstract: A twist open/twist close edge seal closure is described wherein the closure has a sealing disc supported on the interior portion thereof which vertically rises and lowers depending on the rotation of the closure. The sealing disc has a folding finger which compresses against the sealing rib of the container to provide an adequate seal thereof and allows dispensing of the container contents around the exterior portion of the sealing disc upward through a dispensing channel and through the dispensing spout of the edge seal closure. The closure further comprises an anti-crush rib for seating on a container top wall and preventing crushing of the container neck. The container neck preferably includes a quad-lead thread having a pitch wherein a quarter rotation of the closure will open the container and allowing dispensing of the contents therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Rexam Medical Packaging Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher B. Clodfelter, Todd E. Mathes
  • Patent number: 6746325
    Abstract: An air handling luminaire having a light diffuser, louver, or lamp shield made of a flammable material and mounted within a luminaire housing. Integral with the luminaire housing is a heat distortable support clip from which the light diffuser, louver, or lamp shield depends. The luminaire housing also has a ballast channel and at least one reflector mounted therein. The ballast channel and luminaire housing have a plurality of vents and air gaps for fluid communication with an air plenum. The heat distortable support clip non-permanently deforms or distorts when introduced to a predetermined temperature in order to release the lamp shield from the housing and prevent burning thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Genlyte Thomas Group LLC
    Inventor: Roy B. Crane
  • Patent number: 6747275
    Abstract: A motion sensing system is disclosed having a housing or mounting, a sensor, a shield and a cover. A spacer and a printed circuit board may also be included. The cylindrical shaped sensor is placed within the cup shaped shield with the spacer disposed between the sensor and the printed circuit board. The shield and the printed circuit board are then fastened together. Next, the bottom or nose of the mounting shield is placed into the dish shaped cover and the combination is fastened to the housing with the cover extending into an opening in the bottom wall of the housing. The system allows a downward looking motion sensing capability in addition to the typical forward sensing capability which may also be installed in the housing. The housing may then be connected to a security lighting fixture. An even simpler version is a motion sensing system having a simple mounting for a two transducer PIR sensor where one of the transducers is covered and a Fresnel lens is absent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Desa IP, LLC
    Inventors: William C. Raper, Kim I. McCavit, Yiu Ming Tsui
  • Patent number: 6745778
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for supplying a flowable medium to the tobacco of a smoking product (2), wherein the medium is introduced on a drum (1) of a cigarette machine, after the rod is formed, as well as to a device for supplying a flowable medium to the tobacco of a smoking product (2), comprising a means by which the medium is introduced on a drum (1) of a cigarette machine, after the rod is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation
    Inventors: Horst Grzonka, Heiko Hertrich
  • Patent number: 6746138
    Abstract: A support plate for a luminaire of unitary construction includes a planar member portion having a centrally disposed opening therein and a pair of recessed U-shaped cross bar supports adjacent opposed edges of said opening to receive mating end portions of a luminaire support bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Genlyte Thomas Group LLC
    Inventors: James N. Neeld, Thomas J. Gamache
  • Patent number: 6747206
    Abstract: A junction box and ballast circuitry assembly including a ballast housing for attachment to the junction box. The junction box is provided with two opposed open ends, one of the ends being in alignment with a side of the ballast housing and the opposed open end being adaptable for electrical communication with a lighting fixture. The junction box is provided with brackets on opposed sides for alignment with outwardly extending tabs on opposite sides of the ballast assembly to receive a fastening bolt through the tab and an opening in the aligned bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Genlyte Thomas Group LLC
    Inventor: Bruce A. Law
  • Patent number: 6745923
    Abstract: An automatically opening pour spout fitment to be applied to a container over location where the container wall has a weakened area. The automatically opening fitment is comprised of a cap which is threadably attached to the fitment and which has a depending cam extending downward from the top wall. The fitment is comprised of a annular sidewall which defines a pouring zone and which provides a boundary for a hinged flap. The flap has an upwardly extending cam follower which is engaged by the cam of the cap such that when the cap is removed from the fitment, the cam initially applies a horizontal force on the cam follower to open the package to which the fitment is attached to.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Sig Combibloc International AG
    Inventor: Randall K. Julian
  • Patent number: 6739612
    Abstract: An offset tow arm apparatus for towing an implement supported by at least one wheel having a rotational axis perpendicular to the operating travel direction comprises a tow arm having an inner end and an outer end. A pivot arm has a rear end pivotally attached to an inner portion of the tow arm and a front end adapted for pivotal attachment to a towing vehicle hitch. A lock is operative to lock the pivot arm in a fixed position with respect to the tow arm. An outer castor wheel is pivotally attached to the apparatus to support the outer end of the lateral, and an inner castor wheel is pivotally attached to support the inner end of the tow arm. An implement hitch is attached to an outer portion of the tow arm between the outer and inner castor wheels and is adapted for attachment of an implement to be towed behind the tow arm. The apparatus is adapted to prevent lateral movement of the implement with respect to the tow arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Schulte Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Vincent Colistro
  • Patent number: 6739343
    Abstract: The invention relates to a do-it-yourself cigarette maker and its component assemblies, such as, a conveying device for cigarettes or tubes fitted with a lifting device, a device for shaping a tobacco rod fitted with a plucking roller, a tobacco rod conveyor fitted with a spring tappet, and a tube-aligning device with a narrowable slit for introducing the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: British-American Tobacco (Germany) GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Trinkies, Kurt Burghart
  • Patent number: 6739466
    Abstract: A tamper-indicating band arrester including a closure having a tamper-indicating band depending therefrom. The tamper-indicating band has a plurality of folding fingers of alternating first and second lengths extending inwardly. The fingers of a longer length have an offset surface disposed at a distal end, which engage a container neck finish bead preventing tiring of the tamper-indicating band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Rexam Medical Packaging Inc.
    Inventor: Brian K. Culley
  • Patent number: 6722372
    Abstract: A smoking article particularly to eliminate spotting or staining and provide good smoke quality includes a double wrap smoking article which includes an outer wrap of a conventional cigarette paper and an inner wrap which is comprised of from about 55 to 85% wood fibers and 15 to 45% flax fibers, a basis weight of 12-15 gm/M2 and a porosity of 200 to 160,000 Coresta or greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation
    Inventor: Daniel V. Cantrell
  • Patent number: 6718988
    Abstract: This invention describes a pressurized drying process particularly useful for changing the aroma of Burley tobacco, and the taste and flavor of cigarettes comprising such processed tobacco. Burley tobacco is treated in a pressurized dryer at temperatures of 120° C. or more in a pressure range of 0.25-7 Bar absolute to provide a processed Burley tobacco with a more toasted character.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation
    Inventors: Wendy Stella Cooper, Paul Clive Chadwick, Helen Elizabeth Ruth Howitt
  • Patent number: 6705325
    Abstract: A cigarette making machine for manufacturing of a cigarette with burn rate modification is described. The cigarette maker allows for mounting of a special bobbin of material which is different in size and width of a normal wrapper bobbin and feeds both the outer wrap web of material and narrower inner wrap web of material to the garniture. A slitting device may be utilized to cut the inner wrap web of material into a plurality of individual strips which are placed adjacent the outer wrap web of material in the garniture area of the maker. The inner wrap web of material may derive from a transverse wound bobbin in order to store large linear amounts of inner wrap web material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas R. Hicks, Joseph T. Wanna
  • Patent number: 6701920
    Abstract: An oxygen head tent which is placeable over an individuals head for providing a gas, preferably oxygen, is described. The oxygen head tent has a hood portion which is connected to a hood ring. The hood ring slides over a two-piece neck ring, the two-piece neck ring consisting of an upper neck ring and a lower neck ring retained in adjacent relationship. The hood ring slides over the two-piece neck ring and forms a sealing relationship therewith. The two-piece neck ring has a neck seal retained therein and has a sealing ring on the outer periphery thereof for engagement with the working surface of the hood ring. Ports may be provided for directing a flow of a gas into and from the interior portion of the hood where the individuals head is located. The neck seal provides an adequate seal between the neck ring and the individuals neck such that a pressurized environment may be created in the hood.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Inventor: Gerald L. Cox
  • Patent number: 6698605
    Abstract: A bottle having a modified neck and intended for use with a child-resistant closure which allows the user to open the bottle without removing the closure completely from the bottle is described. The neck includes at least one locking lug and at least one anti-removal ring. The anti-removal ring is positioned between the lug and the open end of the neck. The neck may further include at least one deformation recess, with the deformation recess being adjacent to and radially offset from the locking lug. The ring and recess are intended to deter the user from bypassing the child-resistant safety features of the bottle and removing the closure completely from the bottle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Rexam Medical Packaging Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher B. Clodfelter, Todd E. Mathes, William Douglas Sprick
  • Patent number: D492814
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
    Inventors: Andrew Jonathan Bray, Alan Douglas Tearle, Steven Holford, Adrian Roy Stewart-Cox
  • Patent number: D492815
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
    Inventors: Andrew Jonathan Bray, Allan Douglas Tearle, Steven Holford, Adrian Roy Stewart-Cox