Patents Represented by Attorney Richard L. Miller
  • Patent number: 6208592
    Abstract: A clock with novelty hands that exhibit a different configuration at each time change when viewed from a same elevation, and by memorizing the different configurations, a viewer can tell time without having to consult its clock face. The clock includes a base, a clock face, a specifically configured second hand rotatably mounted to the base, a second apparatus, a specifically configured minute hand, minute apparatus, a specifically configured hour hand, hour apparatus, and a bell jar. The clock face disposed on the base. The specifically configured second hand is rotatably mounted to the base. The second apparatus rotatably mounts the second hand to the base. The specifically configured minute hand is rotatably mounted to the base. The minute apparatus rotatably mounts the minute hand to the base. The specifically configured hour hand is rotatably mounted to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Inventor: Russell S. Turner
  • Patent number: 6189415
    Abstract: A device for providing proper clearance when driving a nail having a head into a surface. The device includes a handle, a blade, an anvil, and apparatus that rotatably attaches the blade to the handle. The handle is held in a hand of a user. The blade extends rotatably from, and is replaceably attached to, the handle and captures the nail between the head of the nail and the surface when the nail is being driven into the surface. When the nail is driven into the surface, the blade provides the proper clearance. The anvil is disposed on the handle, opposes the blade, and is hit sideways to free the blade from between the head of the nail and the surface after the nail has been driven into the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Inventor: Thomas McQuillin
  • Patent number: 6183041
    Abstract: An air deflector that includes a frame, multiple airfoils, and apparatus for adjusting the angle of attack of the air deflector. The frame includes a pair of side fences. The multiple airfoils include three airfoils, each which has a negative chamber for increasing downward force and traction and extends perpendicularly laterally from one side fence to another side fence. The three airfoils are disposed in such a tandem orientation that airflow thereacross is laminar which eliminates turbulence so as to minimize boundary layer separation and eddies resulting thereby and slip caused thereby. Air flowing over a forwardmost airfoil flows through a first air space and under an intermediate airfoil and air flowing over the intermediate airfoil flows through a second air space and under a rearwardmost airfoil so as to eliminate wake formation at the trailing edges of the forwardmost airfoil and the intermediate airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Inventor: Stephen T. Wilson
  • Patent number: 6158933
    Abstract: A diet cap device for visually indicating rotation of a fastener and for keeping the fastener clean. The device includes a base and a receptacle. The base has a central portion that is circular-shape and has a circumference and a extended diameter that extends past the circumference and an extended diameter that extends past the circumference thereof. The receptacle is disposed on the base and receives the fastener and includes a collar that is concentrically disposed on the central portion of the base and spaces the base away from direct contact with a wheel and a cap that is concentrically disposed on the central portion of the vase, opposes, and is coaxial with, the collar and cover and protects the fastener from dirt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Inventor: Orv Nicholson
  • Patent number: 6158052
    Abstract: A device for suspending from the neck, immediately below the chin, and for minimizing dribbling, dropping, and spilling of food, without use of hands. The device includes a suspender that hooks the neck and a tray that is suspended from the suspender and holds the food. The suspender is tubular and made from a semi-rigid wire that is enclosed in a foam material. The suspender includes a first portion that extends horizontally to a second portion that extends horizontally forwardly from the first portion, to a third portion that extends horizontally from the second portion, to a fourth portion that extends horizontally from the third portion and which define an opening. A fifth portion is pivotally mounted to the fourth portion, by a pivot joint, and extends generally upwardly therefrom in a hook-like fashion for hooking the neck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Inventor: Ross W. Smith
  • Patent number: 6155764
    Abstract: A support for wearing on the torso and supporting and raising a ceiling panel. The support includes a harness that engages the torso and a frame that is operatively connected to the harness and supports and raises the ceiling panel. The frame includes a pair of rods that extend upwardly and aligningly along the harness and an H-pipe that has a pair of uprights. Termination ends of the pair of rods extend snugly through lower restricted bores in the H-pipe. The frame further includes a pair of coil springs that are captured in the pair of uprights of the H-pipe and sit on the termination ends of the pair of rods. Upper ends of the uprights of the H-pipe contain ball sockets. The frame further includes a pair of balls that are rollingly received in the ball sockets in the H-pipe so as to form ball joints. The pair of balls have necks that extend freely through upper restricted bores in the H-pipe and supporting portions that diverge from the necks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Inventor: Angelo Russo
  • Patent number: 6154881
    Abstract: An improved face protector of a type having a head-engaging strap, a forehead engaging-stiffening member, a facing protecting-lens, and pivoting apparatus. The improvement includes the pivoting apparatus including a pair of studs that extend outwardly through associated pivoting-throughbores in the head-engaging strap, outwardly through associated pivoting-throughbores in the forehead engaging-stiffening member, and outwardly through associated pivoting-throughbores in the facing protecting-lens, and a pair of flat-head screws threadably engaging in the associated shafts of the studs from a direction of the facing protecting-lens and having heads disposed adjacent to the facing protecting-lens for setting friction level of the pivoting apparatus. The shafts of the studs have flats along a portion of their lengths extending from ends thereof so as to form flat portions having D-shaped lateral profiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Inventor: Yhan G. Lee
  • Patent number: 6154962
    Abstract: A head for attachment to the body of the electric shaver. The head comprises a guard comb that attaches to the body of the electric shaver, a rotary shaft that extends axially in the guard comb, a plurality of blades that are individual, parallels inclined, and extend in, and to, the guard comb. The plurality of blades have centers through which the rotary shaft extends for rotation therewith, and when rotated by the rotary shaft, the plurality of blades traverse an elliptical path, in a sweeping back and forth motion, by virtue of their incline. The head further includes a sliding trimmer that is slidably mounted in an axial slot in the guard comb, and is operatively connected to a periphery of a blade for axial sweeping back and forth motion as the blade rotate, by virtue of their incline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Inventor: Yashar Ilkhanov
  • Patent number: 6146296
    Abstract: A multiple speed transmission for connecting an air conditioner compressor of an automobile to a prime mover of the automobile. The transmission includes driving apparatus, driven apparatus, and mounting apparatus. The driving apparatus operatively connects to the prime mover of the automobile. The driven apparatus is operatively connected to the driving apparatus for operatively connecting to the air conditioner compressor of the automobile. The mounting apparatus mounts the driving apparatus and the driven apparatus to the prime mover of the automobile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Inventor: Mauricio C. Apostolo
  • Patent number: 6139108
    Abstract: A chair frame that includes a seat portion, a seat back portion extending upwardly from the seat portion, a plurality of legs depending from the seat portion, and bracing extending from the plurality of legs. The seat portion includes a front seat rail, a rear seat rail, and a pair of side seat rails that form a continuous rectilinear configuration for the seat portion. The seat back portion includes a pair of stiles and a back rail, and together with the rear seat rail, forms a continuous rectilinear configuration for the seat back portion. The plurality of legs include a pair of front legs and a pair of back legs. The bracing includes a rear stretcher and a pair of diagonal braces. Each diagonal brace extends from the free terminal end of an associated rear leg to the midpoint of the front seat rail, and together with the rear stretcher of the bracing, forms a triangular configuration for the bracing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Inventor: Wallace Schneider
  • Patent number: 6132691
    Abstract: A station for soaking intracavity probes is disclosed. The station includes a housing that either rests on a generally horizontal surface or mounts to a generally vertical surface, and at least two containers that are replaceably positioned in the housing and contain a disinfectant and a rinsing agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Inventor: Philip R. Coles
  • Patent number: 6125998
    Abstract: A whistle case that is adapted to house and keep clean and quiet a whistle that has a mouthpiece portion and a remaining portion with a slot and a loop that extends therefrom and a ball that is movably contained therein. The whistle case includes a case sized and shaped so as to be adapted to snugly yet replaceably house the whistle therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Inventor: Christina Batista
  • Patent number: 6123046
    Abstract: A device for disposing of feces from an animal by utilizing a disposable plastic bag. The device includes a handle held in the hand and an arm arrangement that removably engages the disposable plastic bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Inventor: Virgilo C. Gemeniano
  • Patent number: 6122830
    Abstract: A self-powered device for cutting foliage that includes a backpack portion, a foliage cutting portion, and a coupling portion. The backpack portion includes a frame, a gas engine, and a flexible shaft. The coupling portion includes a power portion and a tool portion. The power portion includes a collar that is crimped on the sheathing of the flexible shaft of the backpack portion and a stop that extends fixedly and axially from the collar of the power portion. The tool portion includes a collar that is crimped on the casing of the flexible drive shaft of the foliage cutting portion with the end thereof having a blind bore extending axially therethrough which fixedly receives the end of the flexible shaft of the backpack portion. The collar of the tool portion has an inner periphery that fixedly receives the stop of the power portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Inventor: Richard J. Jarzombek
  • Patent number: 6115950
    Abstract: A rotating display that includes a fixed frame, a rotating frame that is rotatably mounted to the fixed frame, and apparatus that rotatably moves the rotating frame relative to the fixed frame. The apparatus includes a pool that contains water, eight movable arms that receive associated ends of associated fixed arms and move radially along the associated fixed arms, four joining bars that fixedly join and extend radially along aligned associated pairs of moveable arms, eight weights that are affixed on associated ends of associated joining bars, eight air pumps that have housings that are fixedly attached to associated bars and contain bellows, eight tubes that extend from inner terminal ends radially outwardly from the housings of associated air pumps to outer terminal ends, with the inner terminal ends thereof being in fluid communication with the bellows of the associated air pumps, and eight balls that are in fluid communication with the outer terminal ends of associated tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Inventor: Saud Shanar Al-Mutairi
  • Patent number: 6102359
    Abstract: A skid plate for protecting the base of a central air-conditioning unit from damage caused by transport and corrosion, wherein the base of the central air-conditioning unit has feet depending therefrom with holes therein. The skid plate includes a plate that is slender, elongated, flats and rectangular-parallelepiped-shaped, and has an uppermost face for contacting at least one foot of the feet on the base of the central air-conditioning unit, a lowermost face for contacting a concrete slab upon which the central air-conditioning unit is to rest, and a pair of throughbores that extend from the uppermost face of the plate to the lowermost face of the plate and which are axially spaced apart a distance equivalent to that distance between, and alignable with, a pair of adjacent holes of the holes in the feet on the base of the central air-conditioning unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Inventor: Jeffrey Almeida
  • Patent number: 6102159
    Abstract: A portable system for removing oil from an oil containing device. The system includes a pump, fluid conduit apparatus, and power conduit apparatus. The pump pumps the oil out of the oil containing device. The fluid conduit apparatus is in fluid communication with the pump and with the oil containing device. The power conduit apparatus is in electrical communication with the pump. The pump is in fluid communication with a receptacle for the oil, with circumferential threads around the pump threadably engaging a pre-existing threaded hole in the lid of the receptacle. The pump further has a lower vent hole in fluid communication with the receptacle and an upper vent hole in fluid communication with the lower vent hole and the ambient, which allows the pump to be self-venting. The fluid conduit apparatus comprises a tube that is in fluid communication with the pump and interfacing apparatus disposed on the tube and in fluid communication with the oil in the oil containing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Inventor: Steven Rogate
  • Patent number: 6094778
    Abstract: A portable vacuum cleaner for attaching to a can of compressed gas having an output for creating a suction. The cleaner includes a body, a nozzle attached to one end of the body, and a receptacle attached to the other end of the body. The body includes a cap for attaching to the can of compressed gas, and which has a throughbore. The body further includes an external tube that has an intermediate portion, a forward portion, and a rear portion. The receptacle includes a tube and an air permeable bag. The body further includes an internal tube, a valve, and a trigger, which when pressed, opens the valve which allows compressed gas in the can of compressed gas to exit through its output and flow through the internal tube into the rear portion of the external tube and thereby create a suction in the external tube which causes dirt to be drawn through the nozzle, through the external tube, through the tube of the receptacle, and be captured in the air permeable bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Inventor: Alex Boukas
  • Patent number: 6091326
    Abstract: A device for reminding a driver of a vehicle of the expiration date of the associated inspection sticker. The device includes a housing, a microprocessor, a LCD, a calendar chip for generating a date, a clock chip for generating a time, an alarm chip the provides a visible alarm and an audible alarm, a select button that selects either the clock chip, the calendar chip, or the alarm chip, and a value button that sets either the clock chip, the calendar chip, or the alarm chip that was selected by the select button. The device further includes a piece of two-sided tape that is attached to the rear wall of the housing and attaches the housing to the windshield of the vehicle, behind the inspection sticker. The audible and visible alarms have duty cycles with frequencies and durations that are selected by a menu brought up on the LCD display by the select button and set by the value button. The duty cycles are intermittent as opposed to constant for preventing drain on the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Inventor: Antonio Castellano
  • Patent number: 6086439
    Abstract: An adjustable depth marker buoy for marking a spot beneath the surface of water. The buoy includes a float for floating on the surface of the water and a reel assembly disposed in the float. The bottom wall of the float has a weight depending therefrom that maintains an upright orientation for the buoy when it is in the water. The reel assembly includes a spool of anchor line, a non-threaded rod, a threaded rod, a nut assembly that threadably moves along the threaded rod and slidably along the non-threaded rod, and a pointer assembly that moves slidably along the non-threaded rod. When the spot is located, its depth is determined. The pointer assembly is then slide along the non-threaded rod, until its pointer points to depth scale indicia on the depth plate corresponding to the depth of the spot beneath the surface of the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Inventor: Benedetto Vasile