Patents Represented by Attorney Lawrence E. Laubscher, Sr.
  • Patent number: 6623233
    Abstract: This invention relates to a system and a process for the removal of bulk material from a container, in particular, from a box-shaped transport container. In order to be able to suction the bulk material off in a simple and reliable manner out of the transport container, one first of all attaches to an outlet area of container (10) a removal instrument (23) that has a conveyance device. This conveyance device conveys the bulk material in the removal instrument (23) essentially against its direction of outflow out of container (10) into a discharge area of the removal instrument (23) out of which bulk material is sectioned off by means of an off-suctioning device (39) that is connected thereto. To support the off-suctioning of the bulk material, air—by means of an air supply device (17, 19, 20′)—is so piped into the bulk material located in container (10) that the bulk material is fluidized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Inventor: Arthur Peveling
  • Patent number: 6621577
    Abstract: A spectral rejection device for forming an image on an optical sensor, including a system for forming a beam of light rays coming from an observed scene, a scanning system, a system for spectrally dispersing the beam in a direction, at least one mask disposed on the path of the dispersed rays to intercept a narrow band of wavelengths, and a system for combining the dispersed rays into a beam of parallel rays focused by a lens onto an optical sensor. The invention applies in particular to the spectral analysis of a luminous flux coming from an observed scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Architecture, Traitement D'Images et Simulation
    Inventor: Yves Guern
  • Patent number: 6607185
    Abstract: A front suspension fork for cycles includes an inverted U-shaped reversed arch having downwardly extending legs that are integral with the upper ends of the outer sections of the telescopic fork, thereby to define a rigid unitary slider component fork. The reversed arch is inclined rearwardly at an acute angle relative to the vertical plane of the fork. Strengthening mass portions extend forwardly from the lower ends of the arch between the inner fork sections, thereby to increase the rigidity of the slider component without interfering with brake operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Answer Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Brent T. Graves, James C. Rathbun
  • Patent number: 6601319
    Abstract: An article of footwear of shortened midsole construction includes a heel wedge member that extends forwardly from the rear portion of the article a distance of about three-fourths the length of the article, thereby to increase the flexibility of the article. Lock stitching secures the heel wedge member to the adjacent rear end portion of an annular welt member that extends around the bottom periphery of the foot enclosure portion of the article. The front portion of the outsole member is secured by front stitching to the adjacent forward portion of the welt, and the rear portion of the outsole member is secured to the heel wedge member, preferably by a layer of adhesive. The front stitching and the lock stitching overlap adjacent the juncture between the arch and ball portions of the wearer's foot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Munro & Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Jackie N. Clements
  • Patent number: 6598487
    Abstract: Apparatus for measuring the rate of flow of a fluid in a conduit includes a receptor assembly arranged on the external surface of the conduit, and a removable external connector assembly including an electromagnet for establishing a magnetic field that extends transversely across the conduit, and a plurality of circumferentially arranged electrodes that are insertable into direct contact at their tips with the fluid in the conduit via sealable gland passages contained in the receptor assembly. A calibration adjustment arrangement is provided for adjusting the calibration factor of the flow signal processing system as a function of the conduit cross-sectional area. In a first embodiment, the glands are self sealable, whereupon the gland passages are automatically closed when the electrodes are removed therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Marsh-McBirney, Inc.
    Inventor: Lawrence B. Marsh
  • Patent number: 6584930
    Abstract: A milking method in which at least one teat cup is connected to a teat of the animal to be milked and milked milk is discharged from the teat cup, and in which upon cessation of the flow of milked milk a cleaning medium is passed via a supply line into the teat cup. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an apparatus which is suited for carrying out the method and comprises at least one teat cup which communicates with a milk line conducting milked milk and in the interior of which a supply line ends via which cleaning medium which has been discharged from a source can be introduced into the teat cup. The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for preventing dirt and germs from penetrating into the milked milk with more reliability. According to the invention the cleaning medium as well as air introduced for discharging the milked milk are introduced via the supply line into the teat cup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: Wesfalia Landtechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Heinz Buecker
  • Patent number: 6578872
    Abstract: A system for variable absorption of energy in the direction of the axis of an automobile vehicle steering column includes a steering shaft mounted in a body-tube connected to a mobile support member connected to a fixed support member fastened to the chassis of the vehicle and immobilized thereon up to a particular value. A coil is disposed on each side of the steering shaft and is connected to each of the fixed and mobile support members by a respective connecting pin A pyrotechnic displacement system operates selectively on a mobile retaining rod of each coil to modulate the absorption of energy in the event of an impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Nacam France S.A.
    Inventors: Benoît Duval, Abdel Karim Ben Rhouma, Philippe Badaire, Sylvain Antigny
  • Patent number: 6577403
    Abstract: In a process for analyzing the wavefront of a light beam, a diffraction grating with rectangular meshing is placed in a plane perpendicular to the light beam to be analyzed and optically conjugate with the analysis plane. Different emergent beams from the grating interfere to form an image whose deformations are related to the slopes of the wavefront analyzed. The grating multiplies an intensity function, implemented by a two-dimensional intensity grating, which defines a rectangular meshing of sub-pupils transmitting the light from the beam to be analyzed into a plurality of emergent beams disposed in accordance with a rectangular meshing, with a phase function implemented by a two-dimension phase grating which introduces a phase shift between two adjacent emergent beams such that the two emergent beams are in phase opposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: ONERA (Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales)
    Inventors: Jérôme Primot, Nicolas Guerineau
  • Patent number: 6575658
    Abstract: A device for assembling a steering column bracket with a steering gear shaft, comprising a clamping bolt cooperating with a clamping nut disposed in one of two branches of the bracket, the clamping nut being held in place against rotation and translation by an antirotation elastic member and having a radial protrusion. An axial prepositioning abutment is fastened to the bracket. When the radial protrusion of the clamping nut is pressed against the axial prepositioning abutment, the clamping nut is partly withdrawn along its axis to allow the bracket to be engaged over the end of the shaft. At the end of tightening the clamping bolt in the clamping nut, the clamping bolt neutralizes the antirotation function of the antirotation elastic member in order to allow the clamping nut to escape from the axial prepositioning abutment and immobilize the bracket on the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: Nacam France SA
    Inventors: Philippe Daniel, Pascal Goulay, Pascal Monteil
  • Patent number: 6557996
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device for fixing additional lenses on spectacles, comprising a flexible bridge (10) consisting of a single piece with lateral branches (12) comprising means for fixing a flexible wire for mounting additional lenses on said branches (12). The invention is in particular useful for fixing additional filtering or correcting lenses on spectacles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Inventor: Philippe Lavie
  • Patent number: 6533222
    Abstract: A railway vehicle safety shunt system includes a pair of axle-mounted rail wheels having outer circumferential surfaces that engage the upper surfaces of the rails, respectively, radially outwardly flange portions that engage the lateral portions of the rails, respectively, and adjacent end surfaces that are respectively engaged by a pair of spring-biased wire brushes arranged parallel with the axis of rotation of the associated rail wheel. The brushes are electrically connected by a shunt conductor, thereby to present an indication of the location of the railway vehicle at a remote vehicle position monitoring and dispatching station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Inventor: Gaetano D. Brooks
  • Patent number: 6526661
    Abstract: A versatile hand-held scissors-type cutting and stripping tool includes a pair of pivotally connected handle members, a cutting and stripping blade carried by one of the handle members for cutting flat and round insulated conductors, and for stripping insulation from round insulated conductors, and a pair of flat stripping blades for stripping the outer insulation layer from a flat thin multi-conductor cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Connectool Inc.
    Inventors: Leslie B. Shutts, Yin Ho Cheng, Huang De Sei
  • Patent number: 6522397
    Abstract: A method and device for measuring the speed of at least one object by Doppler effect, whereby the light diffused by an object illuminated by a laser sheet is transmitted to a CCD video camera by spectral filtering means which are substantially tuned to the laser illumination frequency, means being provided to generate reference monochromatic luminous fluxes having frequencies which are different from the laser illumination frequency by fixed known amounts, and the reference luminous fluxes being transmitted to the CCD video camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: ONERA (Office National d′Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales)
    Inventors: Philippe Barricau, André Mignosi, Christine Lempereur, Jean-Michel Mathe
  • Patent number: 6508943
    Abstract: The present invention refers to a filtering device comprising at least one filtering membrane, at least one counter surface opposite to the filtering membrane, and at least one gap-shaped liquid space formed between the filtering membrane and the counter surface. The present invention further refers to a filtering method, in which a liquid is introduced into a gap-shaped liquid space formed between a filtering membrane and a counter surface and is moved relative to the filtering membrane and/or the counter surface. To obtain an improved filtering method and an improved filtering device, it is suggested by the present invention that the filtering device comprises a disk at whose circular surface at least the filtering membrane or the counter surface is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Plasmaselect Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Winfried Schimmelpfennig, Holger Lantow, Uwe M{overscore (u)}ller, Wilfried Riggers
  • Patent number: 6499800
    Abstract: A vertically adjustable seat post assembly for cycles includes a light-weight vertical seat post formed from a relatively soft high strength-to-weight material, such as a carbon fiber composition, and a relatively hard tubular protective tubular sleeve permanently secured concentrically about the lower end of the seat post. The outer diameter of the sleeve is slightly less than the inner diameter of the seat tube opening of the cycle frame, whereby the carbon fiber seat post is protected by the sleeve when the seat post is vertically adjusted and clamped within the seat tube opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Assignee: Answer Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas A. Morgan, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6500021
    Abstract: A terminal block assembly includes an actuator member that is displaceable relative to a terminal block housing to transport an insulated conductor toward the insulating penetrating knife edges of a stationary electrical contact mounted within the housing, characterized by the provision of a guide pin and guide groove arrangement for guiding the actuator member during the displacement thereof relative to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Assignee: Weidmueller Interface GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Manfred Wilmes, Reinhard Nolting, Torsten Diekmann
  • Patent number: 6485336
    Abstract: A coding arrangement is connected between a pair of components that are to be laterally displaced into engagement with each other, thereby to assure that only authorized components may be connected with each other. The coding assembly includes a pair of matching coding elements one of which has at least one projection that carries a pair of angularly arranged coding surfaces which engage a corresponding pair of coding surfaces on the other coding element. According to the method of assembly provided by the invention, the coding elements are mounted on the ends of a synthetic plastic strap by tear strip means, and the strap is deformed to bring the coding elements together into coded engagement with each other, thereby to form a preassembled coding assembly. One coding element of this preassembled coding assembly is initially mounted on one of a pair of components, such as a terminal board to which an authorized printed circuit board or the like, which are to be physically mounted and electrically connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Weidmuller Interface GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Christoph Zebermann, Dietmar Dux, Manfred Wilmes, Michael Schnatwinkel, Rudolf Steinmeier, Walter Hanning
  • Patent number: 6478605
    Abstract: A terminal block assembly includes at each end a generally U-shaped support spring having leg portions that extend upwardly in straddling relation on opposite sides of the stationary resilient contacts at opposite ends of the bus bar, thereby to support the stationary contacts as insulated conductors are displaced by actuator members toward cutting engagement with knife edges on the adjacent ends of the reversely inwardly directed stationary resilient contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Weidmueller Interface GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Peter Stuckmann, Reinhard Nolting, Stephan Fehling, Torsten Diekmann
  • Patent number: D475593
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: Connectool, Inc.
    Inventor: Leslie B. Shutts
  • Patent number: D479163
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Answer Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Brent T. Graves, James C. Rathbun