Patents Represented by Law Firm Rhodes, Coats & Bennett
  • Patent number: 6153335
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a lead-acid battery cell construction including a container; a plurality of positive plates positioned in the container; and a plurality of negative plates arranged in alternating order with the positive plates. A plurality of separators are provided with the plate separators being wrapped around the positive or the negative plates such that the vertical side walls of the wrapped plates are covered with at least a single layer of separator material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: Douglas Battery Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: David G. Vutetakis, Christopher R. Cestone, Stanley K. Wilkie
  • Patent number: 6141924
    Abstract: A hotel-restaurant structure including a shared area formed by an overlapping corner portion common to the hotel and the restaurant. The overlapping portion is defined by a corner of the hotel structure that overlaps the restaurant structure and a corner of the restaurant structure that overlaps the hotel structure. The structure includes an access from the hotel structure through the overlapping portion into the restaurant structure such that the shared area comprises less than 50 percent of the floor area of the hotel structure and less than 50 percent of the restaurant structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: Quaintance-Weaver Hotels, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Dennis W. Quaintance
  • Patent number: 6128875
    Abstract: A room arrangement for dividing and providing privacy between adjacent living areas in a hotel room, apartment or other similar facility. The room arrangement includes a first room or hallway and an adjoining second room, such as a dressing room with an attached closet or storage area. A bi-directional door is positioned between the first room and the second room. The bi-directional door is selectively positionable between a first position for providing a partition between the second room and the storage area and a second position providing a partition between the first room and the second room. A "two way" catch mechanism maintains the bidirectional door in one of the first and the second positions. In the preferred embodiment, a third room, such as a bathroom, adjoins the second room wherein when the bi-directional door is positioned in the second position, the third room and the second room and the storage area are separated from the first room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignee: Quaintance Weaver Hotels, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Dennis W. Quaintance
  • Patent number: 6117548
    Abstract: A self-coating stabilizing yarn for use with conventional effect yarns in the construction of outdoor fabrics. The self-coating yarn includes a low melt constituent and a high melt constituent. After being woven with the effect yarns and exposed to a pre-selected heating temperature, the low melt constituent melts, flows through the fibers or filaments of the stabilizing yarns and onto the adjacent effect yarn, thus firming bonds and stabilizing and strengthening both the stabilizing yarns, the effect yarns, and the resulting fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Glen Raven Mills, Inc.
    Inventors: David N. Swers, Johnny E. Parrish
  • Patent number: 6110551
    Abstract: A wallet size card book which has been adapted to hold a card having the dimensions of a conventional credit card, and is particularly designed to be carried in the credit card compartment of a wallet or similar size compartment holder. The use of an adhesive strip extending along the marginal edges between a first and second leaf in the card book makes it possible to create a properly formed pocket for holding and protecting the card. The preferred adhesives for the strip include latexes of polyvinyl ethylene, polyvinyl acetate, other acrylics, and copolymers thereof. The preferred adhesive is a polyvinyl acetate copolymer latex having a glass transition temperature (Tg) approximately room temperature or below.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: William Exline, Inc.
    Inventors: William B. Exline, Michael P. Exline
  • Patent number: 6092663
    Abstract: A book-type carton for holding and displaying an article, the carton including a base carton and a tray. A cover flap selectively positionable between an open position and a closed position is hingedly connected to the base carton. The tray is slidably mounted in the base carton and is selectively positionable between an extended position and a retracted position. One of the tray and the cover flap has a closure tab forming a part thereof. The other of the tray and the cover flap has a slot forming a part thereof. The closure tab and the slot are relatively arranged and configured such that, when the tray is in the retracted position and the cover flap is in the closed position, the slot and the closure tab engage to releasably lock the cover flap in the closed position. A partition may be provided in the base carton to align the tray. A stop tab and limiter tab may extend from the tray to resist removal and overinsertion of the tray with respect to the base carton.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: Mebane Packaging Group
    Inventor: Rodney Dixon
  • Patent number: 6092563
    Abstract: A decorative outdoor fabric including a woven structure formed of acrylic warp yarns and at least some of the fill yarns comprising self-coating yarns formed of high melt and low melt yarn constituents. When the fabric is tentered, the low melt constituents melt and cross-flow to the other fibers in the fill and warp yarns. The warp yarns have deniers of at least 150 d and the fill yarns have deniers of at least 400 d. Because of the cross-flow of the low melt constituents, the resulting fabric achieves acceptable abrasion resistance, stability, and load recovery and hand without the need for a latex backing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: Glen Raven Mills, Inc.
    Inventors: David N. Swers, Johnny E. Parrish
  • Patent number: 6089608
    Abstract: An improved booklet of the present invention comprises: (a) a cover having a fold which divides the cover into a front cover panel and a rear cover panel wherein each panel has an inner and an outer surface where at least one of said inner surfaces is vinyl treated latex saturated paper substrate; (b) a vinyl sheet heat sealed along three adjacent edges to said surface of said vinyl treated paper substrate thereby forming a pocket between said vinyl sheet and said vinyl treated paper substrate and further leaving one non-sealed edge; and (c) a plurality of leaves each attached along at least one marginal edge to the fold, the leaves forming pages in the booklet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: William Exline, Inc.
    Inventor: William B. Exline
  • Patent number: 6082801
    Abstract: An extension mechanism for mounting on a tailgate of a vehicle that is selectively positionable between a variety of orientations. The extension mechanism includes a tailgate protector mounted onto the vehicle tailgate, an extender frame movably attached to the tailgate protector allowing for separate movement of the extender frame relative to the tailgate protector. Support arms extend between the vehicle and the extender frame for selectively positioning said extender frame relative to the vehicle tailgate and also supporting the extender frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Inventors: James M. Owen, J. Ben Owen
  • Patent number: 6080797
    Abstract: There is disclosed a porous moisture-absorbing and desorbing polymer, characterized in that, said polymer is an organic polymer containing 2.0-12.0 meq/g of carboxyl-groups of a salt type, having a cross-linking structure and having macropores of not less than 1 m.sup.2 /g of specific surface area and 0.005-1.0 .mu.m of average pore size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Japan Exlan Company Limited
    Inventor: Ryosuke Nishida
  • Patent number: 6054527
    Abstract: A single adhesive composition for use in bonding more than one class of rubber polymer to textiles, in particular nylon and polyester fabric. The composition comprises an aqueous mixture of: a) about 85 to about 90 weight % polychloroprene latex; b) about 2 to about 6 weight % of at least one prepolymer of resorcinol with formaldehyde; c) about 4 to about 8% by weight of at least one blocked diisocyanate compound; and d) sufficient water to adjust the solids content of the mixture to about 15 to about 40% by weight; wherein the percentage of solids add-on on fabric treated with the composition ranges between about 5 and about 20% based on the weight of the untreated fabric. The preferred blocked diisocyanate compound is caprolactam blocked methylene-bis-(4-phenylisocyanate). The end-products that are contemplated for the present invention include, but are not limited to, diaphragms, molded articles, V-belt covers, conveyor belts, bead wraps for tires, hose wrap, dodge couplings and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Inventors: Gary D. Voss, Benny B. Smith
  • Patent number: 6041310
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and system for facilitating a transaction between a customer and an automobile dealership. The system includes a kiosk including an input/display terminal and a terminal processor for formulating a multilevel customer query of automobile inventory. The query searches a storage device containing automobile data and images to return a selected inventory to the input/display device. The practice of the invention includes storing customer data, selected inventory information for later access by a marketing follow-up application and a financing and insurance application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: Green Ford, Inc.
    Inventors: H. Dean Green, George J. Salquero, Lowell Lang, deceased
  • Patent number: 6032793
    Abstract: A package for an article of hosiery including a card having a body and a header adjacent the body. Indicia relating to the article is disposed on the header. The body is sized and shaped to receive the article thereabout such that, when the article is mounted on the body, the article conceals the body but not the header, whereby the article is supported by the body while each of the header and at least a portion of the article are displayed. The present invention is also directed to a method of packaging an article of hosiery having an opening. The method includes the step of mounting the article on a package having a body and an indicia bearing header adjacent the body such that the article of hosiery surrounds the body and the header extends outwardly from the opening of the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Inventor: Thurman Oakley
  • Patent number: 6026868
    Abstract: The present invention solves these problems by providing a fueling system capable of distinguishing between types of transponders based on the type of signals transmitted or information transmitted therein. Based on the type of transponder, the system may control dispenser functions accordingly. For example, certain applications may allow transponders carried on a person to be moved about the fueling environment during a fueling operation, but stop fueling and provide warning or instructional information if a vehicle mounted transponder begins or starts to move during the fueling operation.The fueling system may use many various techniques to determine transponder movement within the fueling environment, and in particular, with respect to the fuel dispenser at which the fueling operation is taking place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Gilbarco Inc.
    Inventor: William S. Johnson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6023705
    Abstract: A method for updating detecting and loading CD volume indexes from a multiple-CD set to a cumulative volume table contained in a computer memory. The method employs an volume index file on each intermediate CD of the set along with a dual index file feature on the last CD of the set. The second index file on the last CD is a cumulative file of all the index files contained on all the CDs of the set. The cumulative index file on the last CD is compared to the cumulative volume table to generate a list of missing volumes which have not already been loaded into computer memory. The method permits determining whether a given CD is a single CD or a CD that is one of a multiple-CD set by detecting the presence of a second volume index file on the CD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Wachovia Corporation
    Inventors: David T. Bellinger, Andrew J. Garner, IV
  • Patent number: 6014008
    Abstract: The present invention entails a battery identification system to be utilized by cellular telephones, battery chargers, and other electrical devices for identification of the battery types employed within such devices. The battery identification system comprises a battery type identification circuit that includes one or more input switches that are coupled to a voltage divider network that is made up of a series of voltage divider segments. Each voltage divider segment is designed to produce a signal that is indicative of the on/off state of a particular input switch. To actuate the input switches, the employed battery is provided with one or more switch actuators, where the position and spacing of the switch actuators on the battery in effect uniquely identifies the battery type. Various switching and actuating configurations are contemplated, including mechanical, galvanic, magnetic, and optical systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Ericsson, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick D. Hartzell, Brian D. Miller, Tina M. Lee, John W. Northcutt, Fred P. Nading
  • Patent number: 6001506
    Abstract: An improved terminal post assembly for lead/acid batteries in which the conventional cast lead connecting pad which connects the battery post with the threaded terminal has been replaced by a prefabricated connector formed of a lightweight material having high current capacity and creep resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Concorde Battery Corporation
    Inventors: John B. Timmons, Edward F. Koss
  • Patent number: 5996145
    Abstract: A bed frame system for supporting a mattress. The bed frame system includes length and height adjustable bed rails. A groove is provided in each bed rail for receiving the end of a transverse support slat. A length adjustable support slat is provided. Unique height adjustable support feet are removably coupled to the bed rails and/or slidably mounted beneath the slats. Preferably, the bed rails, the slats and the support feet are formed of moldable polymeric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignees: Harry A. Taylor, T. Michael Rusher, H. Thomas Keller, Rosemary P. Keller
    Inventor: Harry A. Taylor
  • Patent number: 5980598
    Abstract: A filter cleaning apparatus for removing dust and debris from a stationary filter having a dust and debris collecting surface. The apparatus includes a longitudinally extending duct having a lengthwise slot formed therein. A belt in the duct extends across the slot whereby the duct and the belt together define a plenum. The belt has an opening formed therein adjacent the slot and in fluid communication with the plenum. The belt is mounted for movement along the slot such that the opening may be repositioned along the length of the slot. A nozzle is mounted on the belt for movement therewith and extends outwardly from the belt. The nozzle has an inlet distal from the belt. The inlet has a width substantially transverse to the length of the slot which is greater than a corresponding width of the opening in the belt. The inlet is in fluid communication with the opening and thereby the plenum. The apparatus further includes a belt driver for moving the belt along the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Carolina Air Filtration, Inc.
    Inventor: Ivan J. Horvat
  • Patent number: D421354
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Thomasville Furniture Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Guy A. Walters, Avis Edward Tobin, Jr.