Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Lathrop & Clark
  • Patent number: 8087729
    Abstract: A seat for use in an aircraft having a floor is disclosed. The seat has a support assembly adapted to be secured to the floor, a seat having a central portion and a rear portion, a seat back pivotably coupled to the support assembly for movement between an upright position and a reclined position relative to the support assembly. A pivot assembly couples the central portion of the seat to the support assembly for permitting the seat to pivot about a pivot axis relative to the support assembly. A connector assembly couples the rear portion of the seat to the seat back for causing the rear portion of the seat to pivot downwardly about the pivot axis in unison with the seat back as the seat back moves from the upright position to the reclined position A method of construction of an aircraft seat frame is also disclosed. An armrest for an aircraft seat is further disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Wolfgang K, LLC
    Inventor: Burkley U Kladde
  • Patent number: 8074793
    Abstract: A conveyor system and method of assembling same in which parts are fastened without the use of welding, clamps, or threaded fasteners such as bolts and screws is provided. A bracket and slot mechanism is used to attach one conveyor component to another. The bracket and slot mechanism allows components to be easily attached/detached by merely applying force to slide the bracket into the slot. Moreover, when engaged, the bracket is held securely in the slot so that the components do not become detached during normal operation of the conveyor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Industrial Design Fabrication & Installation, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd Jager
  • Patent number: 8074791
    Abstract: A hook assembly for a modular conveyor belt having a conveying surface is provided. The hook assembly has a link interleaved with a plastic link from the modular conveyor belt. A hinge pin secures the link and plastic link together. The link has a recess in the conveying surface, an aperture disposed in the recess and a slot adjacent the aperture opening into the recess. The slot has a reinforced segment. A hook having a shall is provided which is slidable in the slot and includes a sharpened end of the hook disposed on a conveying side of the link and a translational member carried by the shaft and engagable with a track on a conveyor assembly such that the interaction between the track and the translational member results in movement of the hook between a lowered position in which the hook is positioned within the recess and a raised position in which the hook is disposed above the conveying surface. A modular conveyor belt is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Industrial Design Fabrication & Installation, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd Jager
  • Patent number: 8034488
    Abstract: A grid network for a battery plate is provided. The grid network includes a plurality of spaced apart grid wire elements, each grid wire element having opposed ends joined to one of a plurality of nodes. Each node includes the juncture of one of the opposed ends of a plurality of the grid wire elements to define a plurality of open spaces in the grid network. At least one of the grid wire elements has a first transverse cross-section intermediate its opposed ends that is a different shape than a second transverse cross-section at least one of the grid wire element's opposed ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Charles J. Schaeffer, Jeffrey L. Troxel, M. Eric Taylor, Wen-Hong Kao, Christian P. Hansen, Yu-Lin Chen, Dan J. Cantillon, Bart Sauer
  • Patent number: 8020629
    Abstract: A low till agricultural implement has a frame with a hitch for attachment to a tractor. An shallow-angled blade gang composed of an array of parallel ultra-shallow inclined disk blades is mounted to the front of the frame, and is followed by at least one wheel, spiral reel, and spike tooth harrow. The ultra-shallow inclined disk blades are mounted perpendicular to rotating shafts, and slice through field residue and soil with minimal lateral movement of material. The blades of the following reel then make cuts nearly perpendicular to those made by the circular blades. A trailing rolling basket or other finishing implement follows the spiral reel. The implement aids in drying the soil surface layer. Also, by cutting up residue and evenly spreading debris and topsoil, the implement helps to warm up the soil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: McFarlane Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Stanley McFarlane, Aaron J. Faessler, Rick K. Kohn
  • Patent number: 8011304
    Abstract: A rail section for use in a rail switch and method for assembling same are provided. The rail section is connected to a switch mounting by inserting a portion of the switch mounting through an aperture provided in the rail section and then applying a double weld. Similarly, a gate operating mechanism is connected to the rail section by inserting a portion of the gate operating mechanism through an aperture provided in the rail section and then applying a double weld. A receptor portion of the rail section that is reinforced to withstand a greater load is also provided. A plurality of gate retention mechanisms are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Industrial Design Fabrication & Installation, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd Jager, Carlton Beers
  • Patent number: 7992828
    Abstract: A rail switch for a conveyor assembly is provided. The rail switch includes a switch mounting for mounting rail sections. The rail switch includes a first rail section having a first end, a second end, a first face and a second face, as well as a receptor portion for receiving a first gate, an aperture located between the first end and second end through which a first connecting portion of the switch mounting is inserted, and a first weld mounting on the first face and a second weld mounting on the second face of the first rail section securing the first rail section and switch mounting together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Industrial Design Fabrication & Installation, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd Jager, Carlton Beers
  • Patent number: 7987802
    Abstract: An anchor line stabilizer helps a boat remain a preferred distance away from an anchor which is located on a floor of a body of water. The anchor line stabilizer, among other things, allows the boat to move a short distance further than the preferred distance away from the anchor and then return to the preferred distance to allow for short brief movements caused by, for example, wind, waves and/or other intermittent forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Inventor: Donald S. Niedermair
  • Patent number: 7981534
    Abstract: A rechargeable battery includes a housing, a plurality of cells within the housing, and a cover which closes the housing. The battery also includes a plurality of filling openings arranged in the cover separated from one another by a distance and a plurality of plugs. Each of the plurality of plugs is configured to close one of the plurality of filling openings. A flexible connecting element connects at least two of the plugs. The flexible connecting element is configured such that the distance between the plugs which are connected to one another can be variably matched to the distance between their associated filling openings by rotating at least one of the plugs connected by the flexible connecting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Gerolf Richter, Peter Streuer
  • Patent number: 7955737
    Abstract: A battery grid includes a frame that includes a top element, a bottom element, a first side element, and a second side element. The battery grid also includes a plurality of wires provided within the frame and defining a plurality of open areas and a current collection lug extending from the top element in a first direction. The battery grid further includes at least one feature provided in the battery grid that is configured to reduce the amount of growth of the battery grid in the first direction due to corrosion of the battery grid during the life of the battery grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Wen-Hong Kao, Shu Jen F. Kao, legal representative, Glenn W. Andersen, Eric M. Taylor, Kenneth A. Adams, Edward N. Mrotek, Jeffrey P. Zagrodnik
  • Patent number: 7946783
    Abstract: An adjustment mechanism is provided. The adjustment mechanism has a housing, a clearance portion, first and second pin members telescopically received within the housing, a telescopic engagement mechanism mounted in the clearance portion and adapted to telescopically move the pin members, and a locking mechanism adapted to lock the pin members in a rigid position. A locking adjustment assembly is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Innovative Ellavations, LLC
    Inventor: Jon C. Gehrke
  • Patent number: 7922354
    Abstract: A high performance, high efficiency solid state electronic lighting device, having a sealed fixture body for use outdoors or in environments requiring IP rated sealed fixtures, uses light emitting diodes for producing light from AC current that operates on an as needed basis dependent upon occupancy, ambient light levels and facility load requirements. The high performance, high efficiency solid state electronic lighting device can also be used to replace the internal workings and reflective surfaces of a standard fluorescent fixture, a high-intensity-discharge (HID) lamp, or other arc-based lamps using light emitting diodes for producing light from AC current that operates on an as needed basis dependent upon occupancy, ambient light levels and facility load requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Inventor: Robert L. Everhart
  • Patent number: 7896654
    Abstract: An electric connection structure includes a metal element (1) with an axle cavity and a metal element (2) with an axle head. The cross section edges of the hinge faces between the axle cavity and the axle head are in gradual spiral line type. As both the metal elements (1, 2) have larger corner, the hinge faces have larger space which will disappear when the metal elements rotate to be approximately horizontal, and the axle head and the axle cavity will attain compression force to be tightly combined in continuous rotation of the metal elements so as to have a large electric contact face, tight contact, non-loosen, and free maintenance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Gulifa Group Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Zhe Zheng
  • Patent number: 7897275
    Abstract: An electrical rechargeable battery having positive and negative electrodes arranged in a housing with separators between them, and having an electrolyte, at least one end pole is surrounded by a contact protection device in the form of a wall which surrounds the end pole, can rotate freely and is composed of insulating material. Electrical contact can be made only from above through a slot in the contact protection device, which surrounds the end pole. The end pole is protected against direct contact from above by means of an electrically insulating pole cap, which is screwed to the end pole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Peter Streuer, Christian Rosenkranz, Gerolf Richter
  • Patent number: 7833658
    Abstract: A battery for a vehicle that includes a housing comprising a top portion and a cover coupled to the top portion. The battery also includes a plurality of containers extending below the top portion and arranged in a plurality of rows, with each of the plurality of rows comprising a plurality of containers and being offset from an adjacent row. A portion of the top portion is not provided above one of the plurality of containers and includes at least one rib for providing enhanced strength for the portion of the top portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Gerald A. Cummins, Jack Bruss
  • Patent number: D626027
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Inventor: Mouwafa S. Akbik
  • Patent number: D626028
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Inventor: Mouwafa S. Akbik
  • Patent number: D630545
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Inventor: Mouwafa S. Akbik
  • Patent number: D635509
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Mack, Glenn W. Andersen
  • Patent number: D645520
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Market Mail LLC
    Inventor: Ronald E. Dahl