Patents Represented by Law Firm Oltman & Flynn
  • Patent number: 8316820
    Abstract: A throttle includes a throttle body having a generally tubular throttle body side wall with a throttle body side wall interior surface defining a throttle body interior for containing an air flow path for delivering air into at least one cylinder of an engine; and a flow regulating mechanism including an diaphragm valve secured to the throttle body and extending diametrically across the throttle body interior for progressively reducing and progressively increasing the diameter of an air flow passing valve opening defined within the diaphragm valve, and thereby regulating air flow through the throttle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Inventor: Edward Cammarata
  • Patent number: 8061388
    Abstract: A barrier plug assembly for incorporation into a lower portion of a plumbing installation for supporting a column of test water during inspection of the installation includes a tubular plumbing segment for sealingly securing between and in fluid communication with opposing and spaced apart portions of a plumbing installation, the tubular plumbing segment being formed of plumbing segment material and having a plumbing segment interior and a substantially smooth and continuous plumbing segment interior surface; and a barrier plug having a plug upper surface and a plug lower surface, and having a plug circumferential surface adhering to the plumbing segment interior surface and extending diametrically across and sealing the plumbing segment interior until dislodged by a plug dislodgement triggering means; so that upon plug dislodgement the test water drains and the plumbing installation is operational.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Inventors: Daniel Edward O'Brien, James Stanley Thomas McCafferty, Robert H Wessels, Horst Moller
  • Patent number: 8032961
    Abstract: A sheet harness apparatus for retaining and supporting a person on top of a bed on their back, where the bed includes a head of the bed and a foot of the bed, a mattress, means for elevating the head of the bed relative to the foot of the bed and thereby positioning the mattress at an incline, and bed parts including a bed spring and a bed frame, the sheet harness apparatus including a sheet having a sheet head end and a sheet foot end and a sheet upper surface and a sheet lower surface, for fitting onto a mattress; a harness fastened to the sheet; and at least one sheet anchor strap with a strap connected end fastened to the sheet and a strap anchoring end having a strap anchoring fastener, for wrapping around a part of a bed at the head of the bed and fastening to itself, so that the strap anchoring end forms a loop around a part of the bed and thereby prevents the sheet from sliding toward the foot of the bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Inventor: Lorraine McEachin Downs
  • Patent number: 7966944
    Abstract: A power generating system includes a railroad track configured to define a looped track; a series of railroad cars riding on and extending substantially the full length of the looped track forming a train loop; a drive gear mounted to the train loop and having a gear circumference substantially concentric with the looped track; and several turbine generators secured relative to the ground at the outer periphery of the drive gear, the turbine generators having individual generator pinion gears in meshed driving contact with the drive gear, so that movement of the train loop around the looped track causes the drive gear to rotate the generator pinion gears and thereby operate the turbine generators. The turbine generators preferably are electrically connected by cables to a power station. The train loop and track preferably include electromagnets for propelling the train loop around the looped track, and alternatively includes a diesel locomotive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Inventor: Mark Fakkema
  • Patent number: 7956496
    Abstract: An electrical timer for plugging into an electrical wall outlet to control electrical current supplied to electrical appliances. The timer includes a housing having front and rear halves that are retained together. A display assembly includes a pushbutton switch and one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) that indicate which time period is selected mounted to a circuit board. A user-operable actuator button is connected to the switch. A clear display panel is exteriorly affixed to the front half. The actuator button extends through respective button holes of the front half and the display panel. Each LED extends through a corresponding LED hole of the front half so as to be visible to users through the display panel. A thin mask is disposed on the display panel that defines an opaque area with a logo and a corresponding transparent area for each LED. An electrical plug is connected along the electrical circuit and mounted through the rear half of the housing for plugging into the wall outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Inventors: Diane Pasley, Grace Bishop
  • Patent number: 7909280
    Abstract: A fishing reel winding apparatus for use with a fishing reel includes a spool-retaining structure in which a spool is mounted and the spool connects to a spool handle hub from which a spool winding handle radially extends for removably interconnecting a fishing reel winding handle and the chuck of an electric drill, so that operation of the electric drill rotates the chuck and the reel to wind fishing line onto the spool, the fishing reel winding apparatus including: a chuck gripping stem for insertion into and engagement by a drill chuck and a handle hub engagement assembly drivably connected to the chuck gripping stem. The handle hub engagement assembly preferably includes a hub receiving cup having a cup side wall with a lateral handle receiving notch and a cup bottom wall drivably connected to the chuck gripping stem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Inventor: Richard P. Herrick
  • Patent number: 7814585
    Abstract: A show head water pick apparatus includes a first pipe segment for attachment to a shower pipe protruding outwardly from shower stall wall and having a first pipe segment outward end; a switch valve having a switch valve intake end connected to the first pipe segment outward end, and having a shower head output branch to which a shower head is connected and a water pick output branch, and having a valve operation handle for delivering water flow alternately to the shower head and to the water pulsing and pick assembly; a water pulsing unit connected to the water pick output branch; a water pick tube having a tube first end and a tube second end, the tube first end being connected to the water pulsing unit; and a water pick secured to the tube second end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Inventor: Bonnie E. Reich
  • Patent number: 7810242
    Abstract: A pair of scissors has first and second cutting panels operationally interconnected with both pins and pin guide slot\s so that the first and second cutting edges of these panels simultaneously pivot and slide longitudinally when closing together onto an item to be cut to enhance the effectiveness of the cutting action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Inventor: John Berrien Lynch
  • Patent number: 7727386
    Abstract: A voraxial separation system having an auxiliary filter is disclosed for separating flowable composite media into components. The voraxial separation system receives a flowing stream of composite media and utilizes centrifugal force to separate the stream into component radial layers according to specific gravity whereafter one or more radial layers may be extracted from the stream. An auxiliary filtration apparatus includes a conduit having a flowable media input, a generally cylindrical filter disposed within the conduit, and filtered and unfiltered media outlets. An elongate spray tube is disposed within the tubular filter substantially adjacent to the radially inner surface of the filter. The spray tube is fluidly connected to a pressurized fluid source and defines a plurality of spray outlets disposed in a direction radially outward so as to direct pressurized fluid onto the cylindrical filter from the filter interior thereof to clean the filter of accumulated substances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Inventors: Alberto DiBella, Michael Anthony
  • Patent number: 7607848
    Abstract: A modular marker kit for delivering pigment onto a receiving surface includes a first modular marker and a second modular marker, each module marker including a tubular housing having a housing proximal end and a housing distal end, a quantity of pigment material contained within the housing, and first and second arm sets of interconnection arms connected to and protruding laterally from the housing in opposing directions for engaging an adjacent such marker, the arms forming each arm set being staggered in that they are spaced apart from each other along the length of the housing from which they protrude, each arm set including an upper arm and a lower arm; so that spaced apart upper and lower arm pairs interconnect the first and second markers, preventing the first and second markers from pivoting relative to each other when interconnected, and so that the upper arm of one arm set on the first marker combines with the upper arm of an adjacent arm set of the second marker, and so that each arm set contribute
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Inventors: Cynthia G. Ahmed, Kazi M. Ahmed
  • Patent number: 7574829
    Abstract: A rain draining apparatus for a sliding window assembly of a building mounted within a window opening and having a track and windows slidably retained within the track includes a drain conduit having a linking segment extending from and in fluid communication with a window track inside a building, and having an upright segment extending from and in fluid communication with the linking segment and extending below the window track and opening outside the building, the upright segment being in fluid communication with a check valve; and a pressure equalizing vent structure for equalizing air pressure throughout the drain conduit extending from and opening within the building into the drain conduit upright segment; so that water in the track flows into the upright segment and accumulates as a column above the check valve and then drains through the check valve when the column reaches a sufficient weight to overcome the opposing force of outside air pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Inventor: Melvin Prager
  • Patent number: 7469701
    Abstract: A method of mounting a hairpiece including a hairpiece strip of flexible sheet material and hairpiece strands secured to the strip using an anchor tube, includes the steps of providing anchor tube; parting wearer hair along a part line; placing the hairpiece strip against the part line; piercing the hairpiece strip to form a first hair port; drawing a first bundle of wearer hair strands outwardly through the first hair port; fitting the first bundle into the anchor tube and advancing the anchor tube along the first bundle into close proximity with the hairpiece strip; looping the first bundle back toward the strip and outward again through the anchor tube; tying the first bundle to the anchor tube; and crimping the anchor tube to engagingly grip the first bundle and thereby secure the hairpiece strip relative to the wearer scalp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Inventor: Marie Bernard
  • Patent number: 7434861
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising guide rails and rolling brackets mounted on opposite side panels extending up from the bed of a truck, and longitudinally extensible and retractable arm members for engagement removably to respective joints on said rolling brackets, for rolling a trunk and a pair of reclinable seats until retained in place either in the middle of the truck bed or on the end of said bed next to the cab of the truck is disclosed. The joints, which receive the arm members with which the trunk and the seats are secured to the side panels, can be set at different distances from the top of said side panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Inventor: Antonio M. Arias
  • Patent number: 7409895
    Abstract: Rotary pliers include a guide tube having a guide tube wall and a guide tube longitudinal axis and a guide tube proximal end connected to a radially protruding tube rotation lever and having a tube distal end with a distally protruding plier outer jaw radially spaced from the guide tube longitudinal axis; and a torque transmission shaft rotatably retained within the guide tube having a shaft proximal end connected to a radially protruding shaft rotation lever adjacent to the tube rotation lever and having a shaft distal end with a distally protruding plier inner jaw circumferentially aligned with the plier outer jaw; so that rotation of the torque transmission shaft relative to the guide tube by pivoting the tube rotation lever and shaft rotation lever relative to each other rotates the plier inner jaw along a circumferential path which is one of: toward or away from abutment with the plier outer jaw to grip or release an object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Inventor: Richard P. Herrick
  • Patent number: 7409915
    Abstract: An item locking apparatus for releasibly anchoring personal items to beach sand includes an auger having an upright auger shaft with a shaft lower end and a shaft upper end and a ramped auger screw flange below the shaft upper end for screwing into beach sand; a lug structure fixedly secured to the shaft upper end; a locking post extending upwardly from and free spinning relative to the lug structure and having a padlock engaging structure through which a padlock bolt can pass; a shield disk having a central disk port through which the auger shaft upper end passes so that the shield disk is rotatably mounted immediately below and is retained by the lug structure and a free spinning shield dome lockingly covering the lug structure having a dome port through which the post extends upwardly, so that the shield disk and shield dome spin freely around the auger shaft and prevent unauthorized persons from gripping and rotating the auger shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Inventor: Jay W. Hagar
  • Patent number: 7398607
    Abstract: A heel strap apparatus for securing the rear portion of a strapless shoe to the ankle of a wearer foot includes a linking strap segment having a linking strap segment first end and a linking strap segment second end, for wrapping around the back of a wearer heel; an ankle engaging portion extending from the linking strap segment for wrapping around the front of the wearer ankle to engage the ankle; and a shoe engaging portion extending from the linking strap segment for fitting around the bottom of the shoe to engage the shoe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Inventors: Grace A. Garcia, Michael E. Cummings
  • Patent number: 7331849
    Abstract: An apparatus for tenderizing, progressively flattening and smoothing food items includes a roller set of substantially parallel rollers arrayed laterally for contacting, mechanically advancing and tenderizing a first side of a food item; and a compressing conveyor belt opposing and spaced apart from the roller set for contacting and advancing a food item second side, the roller set and the compressing conveyor belt converging toward each other to define a gap between the roller set and the conveyor belt tapering from a wider gap end to a narrower gap end for progressively flattening food items fed into the wider gap end; the roller set and the conveyor belt defining a roller set and conveyor belt combination. A second version includes a series two or more opposing compressing conveyor belt pairs having decreasingly coarse outer surface textures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Inventor: Phil Bifulco
  • Patent number: 7328460
    Abstract: A reinforced pant leg system includes pants having two pant legs, each pant leg having a pant leg lower end with a lower end rearward portion; a pair of open back shoes, each open back shoe including a shoe heel having a certain heel height; and a pant leg reinforcing structure fastened to each pant leg lower end rearward portion with a reinforcing structure fastening mechanism and having a height of at least twice the certain heel height; so that the pant leg reinforcing structures prevent the lower end rearward portions from bending sufficiently to become caught between the corresponding open back shoe and a user foot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Inventor: Cheryl Mancini
  • Patent number: 7284334
    Abstract: A geometrical layout tool and method for locating a plurality of target points spaced apart over a particular area from a single reference point located within that area which is defined by the intersection of mutually perpendicular lines. A template placed over these lines has a central opening at the intersection and indicia at its periphery which register respectively with the lines. A center anchoring pin holds the template against movement, and a target line indicator is rotatably adjustable about the pin for alignment with a selected target point. A chalk line and tape measure or a laser may be mounted on the pin to make direction and distance determinations of the selected target point from the reference point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Inventor: Daniel Edward O'Brien
  • Patent number: 7225484
    Abstract: For use on a bed mattress, a baby protector having a mounting sub-assembly and a baby holding sub-assembly. The mounting sub-assembly has a central portion adapted to overlie the mattress, and adjustable length straps extending from the central portion on opposite sides down to fasteners (preferably snap hooks) for attachment to the bed rail. The baby holding sub-assembly has a short fabric strap affixed at one end to the central portion of the mounting sub-assembly, a snap hook on the free end of this strap, and a self-contained fastener (preferably a safety pin) on this snap hook for attachment to the baby's diaper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Inventor: Hector F. Ortiz