Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Merchant, Gould, Smith, Edell, Welter & Schmidt, P.A.
  • Patent number: 5965184
    Abstract: A low temperature rendering process for converting animal trimmings to a meat product which can be classified as finely textured meat. The low temperature rendering process includes the steps of heating desinewed animal trimmings in a heat exchanger having a first-in and first-out arrangement to provide heating of the desinewed animal trimmings to a temperature in the range of about 90.degree. F. to about 110.degree. F. to form a heated slurry; separating a solids stream and a liquids stream from the heated slurry, the solids stream containing an increased amount of protein and moisture, and the liquids stream containing an increased amount of tallow, water soluble protein, and moisture; separating a heavy phase and a light phase from the liquids stream, the heavy phase containing an increased amount of moisture and water soluble protein, and the light phase containing an increased amount of tallow; and combining the solids stream and the heavy phase to form a meat product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Cargill, Incorporated
    Inventors: Daniel L. Schaefer, M. James Riemann, Michael E. Rempe
  • Patent number: 5966121
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for interfacing with a hypervideo multimedia application when composing and playing same is disclosed. A novel hypervideo control and interface provides for either user-actuated or automatic transitioning between a plurality of video, graphics, textual, animation, and other types of multimedia files. A hypervideo control preferably transitions through distinct lifecycle phases and events as it is presented and removed from an interface display to visually convey to a user the present availability and impending removal of the control from the interface display, thereby providing an intuitive means for navigating a hypervideo application. In one embodiment, a hypervideo editing system includes a wordprocessing system and a separate video playback system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Andersen Consulting LLP
    Inventors: John R. Hubbell, Daniel J. Halabe, Stephanie A. Douglas
  • Patent number: 5961455
    Abstract: The invention provides a device for correlating the internal location of an anatomical point of a human or animal patient with a location on the external body contours of the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Daum GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Daum, Axel Winkel
  • Patent number: 5960927
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an accumulating device for providing a buffer. The accumulating device includes a frame and a guide structure reciprocally movable in opposite first and second directions with respect to the frame. A continuous chain configured for conveying pieces of product is mounted on the guide structure. The accumulating device also includes a plurality of driven gears constructed and arranged to both rotate the chain about the guide structure and reciprocate the guide structure in the first and second directions relative to the frame. A buffer is generated when the guide structure is moved in the first direction. The buffer is cleared when the guide structure is moved in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: MGS Machine Corporation
    Inventor: Mel J. Bahr
  • Patent number: 5963643
    Abstract: A method enabling two populations of persons, one being sedentary (for example a provider of long-distance services) and the other being nomadic (for example the customers of this provider of services) to exchange data in a sure and speedy manner, comprises the following steps:portable objects are placed at the disposal of the persons belonging to the nomadic population, these objects having the credit card format and being customized by specific identifiers for each person and for each card, the card is used to transmit at least partially encrypted DTMF type brief acoustic identification signals which are received by means of the microphone of a standard telephone set and processed by means of the standard telephone set so that the resulting signal can be transmitted, through a telephone or computer network, to the data-processing service of at least one of the persons of the sedentary population,the signals coming from the card are processed by means of a specific software program whose parameters are a fun
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Fintel S.A.
    Inventors: Lucas Goreta, Christian Duroux
  • Patent number: 5962143
    Abstract: Coating composition for producing heat radiation-reflecting coatings.The invention relates to a coating composition for producing heat radiation-reflecting coatings that contains a binder, pigments and solvents and/or water. One or more black pigments or specially formulated colored pigments are used as pigments. The coating composition also contains finely dispersed silicic acid. The coating composition is particularly suitable for coating metal, wood or plastics, and may for example reduce heating effects in interiors of means of transportation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Herberts GmbH
    Inventors: Helmuth Krauthauser, Christian Gruner, Gerd Huthmacher
  • Patent number: 5958416
    Abstract: The invention provides for peptides and methods of using peptides to block or inhibit a pathogenic autoimmune response to central nervous system components. One class of peptides are antigens derived from mycobacterial heat shock proteins and may immunologically cross-react with or are homologous to myelin components. The peptides can also be derived from myelin components such as 2',3' cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase and immunologically cross-react with and/or are homologous to mycobacterial heat shock proteins. A method of the invention involves administering a pharmaceutical composition including at least one peptide to an animal in an amount effective to block or inhibit a pathogenic autoimmune response to central nervous system components. The peptides are useful for the prevention, and treatment of autoimmune inflammatory central nervous system disease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignees: Regents of the University of Minnesota, McGill University
    Inventors: Gary Birnbaum, Linda A. Kotilinek, Peter Erich Braun
  • Patent number: 5956788
    Abstract: An easy to hold, single hand operated, foldable, multi-purpose painter's tool for use in performing a variety of tasks, such as scraping, spreading, cleaning, cutting, and can opening, encountered during painting. The tool includes an elongate handle having first and second side walls defining first and second edges and first and second ends, and a channel formed between the side walls and extending through the first edge. An elongate blade is secured by a pivot at a first end to the first end of the handle, permitting the blade to pivot between a folded position within the channel, and an extended position outside of the channel. The blade itself defines first and second side surfaces, first and second longitudinal edges and an orthogonal edge at a second end of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Warner Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: David R. Henke
  • Patent number: 5958613
    Abstract: A polymer electrolyte fuel cell system with a polymer electrolyte fuel cell is made up of a cell main body, a mixture generator for generating a gas-liquid mixture by mixing fuel gas which has been supplied from a fuel gas supply with water, and a means for supplying the gas-liquid mixture to the anode-side channels. The gas-liquid mixture allows the solid-polymer film to be moistened without humidifying fuel gas and oxidant gas with a humidifier, and the cell main body to be cooled down without providing a cooling channel therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Hamada, Takaaki Matsubayashi, Toru Nakaoka, Yasuo Miyake, Toshikazu Nakajima
  • Patent number: 5959255
    Abstract: An insulator for attachment to a chain link fence and that is configured so as to support fence strand members generally parallel to the ground. The insulator includes an elongate body portion having first and second ends, with a mounting structure, preferably a clip structure, at the first end of the body portion for attaching the insulator to the chain link fence. A fence strand retainer is disposed at the second end of the body portion for retaining the electric fence strand member. The fence strand retainer is oriented at an acute angle relative to the mounting structure, with the acute angle preferably being about 45 degrees due to the pattern of the mesh forming the chain link fence, such that when the insulator is mounted on the chain link fence and the electric fence strand member is held by the fence strand retainer, the fence strand member will be oriented substantially parallel to the ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: North Central Plastics, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald H. Langlie, Jon A. Berg
  • Patent number: 5954416
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating a beam of light with a perceived beam having constant brightness comprising a flashlight apparatus having a parabolically shaped reflector, and the flashlight apparatus also having a equal-sided rotating hexagon present along the axis of the reflector. The outside surfaces of the hexagon are covered with a mirror-like surface for deflecting the light rays emanating from a light source located at the focus of a reflector in a changing pattern as the hexagon rotates about its axis, which is perpendicular to the reflector axis. The changing light pattern eliminates a dark area of the beam from the flashlight as the changing pattern directs light rays across the dark area as the hexagon rotates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Phillips Plastics Corporation
    Inventor: Francis Peterson
  • Patent number: 5955356
    Abstract: The invention relates to nucleic acids which contain particularly a nucleotide sequence extending from the extremity constituted by the nucleotide at position (1) to the extremity constituted by the nucleotide at position (1211) represented on the figure, to the polypeptides coded by said nucleic acids. The polypeptides of the invention can be used for the diagnosis of tuberculosis, and can also be part of the active principle in the preparation of a vaccine against tuberculosis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: N.V. Innogenetics S.A.
    Inventors: Jean Content, Lucas De Wit, Jacqueline De Bruyn
  • Patent number: 5955930
    Abstract: A module for radio frequency signal circuits includes an electrically conductive housing. Coax connectors are secured to the rear face of the housing. A circuit board is contained within the interior spaced between sidewalls of the housing. A ground side of the circuit board includes a layer of electrically conductive material which is electrically connected to the housing. Coax cables extend within the interior of the housing from the coax connectors and between the ground side of the circuit board and an opposing sidewall. An opposite side of the circuit board contains circuit components inner connected with one another through a plurality of circuit paths. The components include directional couplers connected in series to combine branch circuits with each branch circuit having a separate attenuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: ADC Telecommunications, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Reino Anderson, Glen Brian Backes, Richard Thomas Demulling, Dominic Louwagie, Todd Charles Ortberg, Edward F. Sansone
  • Patent number: 5956367
    Abstract: A rake receiving apparatus used in communication systems using a DS/CDMA (direct sequence code division multiple access) system, wherein a single demodulating finger is used for a plurality of multipath signals, thereby being capable of not only greatly reducing the complexity of its demodulators, but also achieving an improvement in performance where a large number of multipaths are used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Jun Mo Koo, Je Woo Kim, Jin Ick Lee
  • Patent number: 5956386
    Abstract: A system and method for performing diagnostic leakage impedance testing at the subscriber line interface utilizing portions of existing circuitry designated for driving current on the telephone line during normal operation is provided. The diagnostic apparatus is used with a telephone line drive system having a tip-line current-mode amplifier for driving current on the tip line and a ring-line current-mode amplifier for driving current on the ring line during normal operation. A control signal generator generates voltage control signals corresponding to desired subscriber loop voltage characteristics. A voltage sense circuit compares the voltage control signals to actual subscriber loop voltage characteristics resulting from driving the current on the subscriber loop. The current driven onto the subscriber loop is adjusted accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Merle L. Miller
  • Patent number: 5955713
    Abstract: A tilt switch array is used to determine the orientation of an object relative to an upwards direction. The array includes at least one pair of electrodes within a housing, diametrically opposed along a measurement axis. A conductor equidistantly surrounds each electrode to form a tilt switch gap therebetween. A moveable conducting element within the housing closes the gap between one electrode and its associated conductor under certain orientation conditions of the measurement axis relative to an upwards direction. A number of pairs of electrodes may be placed within the housing, with associated measurement axes so that the orientation of any one of the measurement axes may be detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignees: Circle Seal Corporation, Joint Techno Concepts International, Inc.
    Inventors: John S. Titus, Leonard P Tetrault, John Peters, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5952696
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and fabrication thereof is disclosed in which devices are formed on two devices regions of opposite conductivity types by selectively masking and implanting the same type of dopant into active regions of both device regions. The process includes masking part of the active regions in each device region and implanting a dopant into exposed active regions in both devices regions. The number of masking, implantation and other steps required in the fabrication process are reduced by the selective masking of various active regions. Non-symmetrically doped source and drain regions may be formed on the transistors among a group which lie closest to the opposite device region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices
    Inventors: Mark I. Gardner, Daniel Kadosh
  • Patent number: 5950495
    Abstract: A two-armed transfer robot includes a pair of double-pantograph mechanisms. These mechanisms are substantially symmetrical to each other with a vertical plane. Each double-pantograph mechanism includes a first pantograph assembly and a second pantograph assembly. The second pantograph assembly supports a handling member for carrying a workpiece to be processed. The second pantograph assembly is offset away from the vertical plane with respect to the first pantograph assembly. A rotation-transmitting mechanism is provided between the first and the second pantograph assemblies of each double-pantograph mechanism. Thus, the two pantograph assemblies of each double-pantograph mechanism are actuated in cooperation for linearly moving the handling member. The handling members of the respective double-pantograph mechanisms are vertically spaced from each other. The handling members are arranged not only to move linearly but to rotate simultaneously around a vertical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Daihen Corporation
    Inventors: Hironori Ogawa, Hirokazu Yoda
  • Patent number: D414834
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Rollerblade, Inc.
    Inventor: Lloyd Gerhardt Keleny
  • Patent number: D415575
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Reechcraft, Inc.
    Inventor: Shane Loren Nickel