Patents Represented by Attorney Murray Thrift
  • Patent number: 5984340
    Abstract: A vehicle arranged for raising and lowering the frame relative to the ground wheels for loading comprises a vehicle frame with a hitch at a forward end of the frame and at least two ground wheels for supporting the frame for movement across the ground. Each wheel has a mounting assembly providing driven rotation of a hub carrying the wheel spindle from a raised height of the wheel to a lower locked position. The hub has an internal gear which is driven by a hydraulic motor driving a pinion. The hub can rotate through 180 degrees from a top dead canter to a position just beyond bottom dead center where it engages a stop to support vertical loads. Twisting of the hub and a parallel support plate are prevented by interlocking the members at the bottom position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Inventor: Emanuele Briscese
  • Patent number: 5769536
    Abstract: Chemicals for a sprayer tank, particularly in dry dissolvable form, are mixed with water in a separate mixing container prior to adding to water in the sprayer tank. The mixing container has a hopper bottom with a perforated discharge control at the bottom apex for controlling the exit of mixed chemicals and water. An injection elbow is mounted on the hopper bottom for directing return water downwardly toward the apex for agitation of dry dissolvable chemicals collecting at the apex. Two valves are provided mounted on a common frame supporting the tank. The valves can be operated to control recirculation of water and dissolved chemicals back into the mixing tank and can be operated so that the same pump is used for filling the sprayer tank from a supply tank and for filling the mixing tank with mixing water for the chemicals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Inventor: Clayton Kotylak
  • Patent number: 5090179
    Abstract: While measuring racks and the like are known to count or measure the number of coins required to wrap same into rolls, the actual wrapping requires considerable experience and dexterity and can be time consuming. The present device consists of a relatively thin plastic or card semi-circular trough having closed ends and a length equal to the required number of coins in a roil of that particular denomination with the curvature of the trough and length thereof varying with each denomination of coin. The entire trough and measured contents may then be wrapped in a conventional coin wrapper readily and easily as the closed ends of the trough retain the coins during the rollng process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1992
    Inventor: William W. Bickle
  • Patent number: 4864772
    Abstract: A self-centering stock-proof gate comprises an elongate tubular member and an extension piece slideable within the tube, the extension piece carrying an embedded wire for communicating electric shock along the tubular member and along the extension piece. The tubular member is pivotally mounted about a vertical access on a hinge structure and is held in a central closed position by a pair of chain couplings which connect to a single spring lying along the tubular member and coupled thereto. Each of the chain couplings has an end link freely slideable along a pin which extends outwardly to a respective side of the tubular member from the hinge structure. Thus when the gate gets beyond a predetermined open angle, the chain slides along the pin towards the hinge structure thus reducing the mechanical advantage of the spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 12, 1989
    Inventor: Gary P. Ecklund
  • Patent number: 4827972
    Abstract: An automatic switching valve mounted between two fluctuating pressure sources automatically switches from one source to the other to supply gas or liquid from the source that is under the higher pressure. A T- housing conveys gas or liquid from either side and out of the central stem. Tapered, spring loaded plugs or valves in either side engage with tapered seats and are maintained in contact with the seats by springs which permit one or the other valve to open when the pressure on one valve exceeds the tension of the spring of the other valve. If the pressure is equal on both sides, both valves will open simultaneously if pressure is greater than cracking pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1989
    Inventor: Larry V. Graham
  • Patent number: 4722651
    Abstract: A device for attachment to the rear of a pickup truck as a replacement for the rear bumper includes a transverse frame member which is pivotally mounted on brackets carried on the chassis. The frame member carries a pair of arms each of which is pivoted at an outer end of the frame member and extends across the frame member in a folded position with an outer stub portion extending outwardly and around the end of the frame member to define ends of the bumper. Hydraulic rams can pivot the frame member about a horizontal axis and can pivot the arms about vertical axes at the outer ends of the frame member. Flanges extending from the rear face of the frame member confine and receive the arms and define a compartment for a hitch pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1988
    Inventor: Dean L. Antal
  • Patent number: 4719982
    Abstract: A conversion arrangement for converting a conventional rear wheel drive road vehicle to a snowmobile comprises a subframe upon the sides of which are mounted track support wheels and tracks with the subframe attached to the vehicle through the conventional rear suspension springs. At the front end of the subframe is a pair of forwardly extending levers which are attached to the front wheel hubs of the vehicle and carry skis. The skis are vertically movable under control of the vehicle front suspension by pivotal movement about a shaft at the front edge of the subframe with the amount of movement limited by the addition of an arcuate stop arrangement which cooperates with a tongue extension on the lever system. The rear drive axle of the vehicle is moved from its conventional position on the springs rearwardly to a position at a rearmost edge of the subframe with an additional drive shaft added between the vehicle drive shaft and the vehicle back axle for communication of drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1988
    Inventor: Allen L. Shaver
  • Patent number: RE32608
    Abstract: Tape is wound into a package by traversing the winding position along a cylindrical core such that the winding position is intermittently and repeatedly halted at a plurality of positions arranged axially of the core so that at each position the tape is wound spirally following which the winding position is traversed to the next adjacent position. The spirals comprise at least one turn and more of the winding time is spent in forming spirals than in traversing between spirals. The spacing between the positions is such that the spirals do not overlap and such that the gap between the spirals is less than the width of the tape. The number of spirals wound at each position is insufficient to cause a step which interferes with traverse back to the position. Control of the traverse movement can be achieved either electronically by a pulse counter connected to the package support shaft or electro-magnetically by a control drum driven from the package support shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1988
    Assignee: KT Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Lawrence O'Connor