Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Roddy M. Bullock
  • Patent number: 5938013
    Abstract: A resealable pack having a body portion formed substantially of flexible sheet material and defining an article-receiving cavity. The body portion comprises a first end defined by an end wall and tapers to a second end spaced apart from the first end. The body portion also comprises a face in which is defined a dispensing opening. A resealable sealing member is secured to the body portion and, in a closed position, covers the opening in sealing contact with the body portion around the periphery of the opening. A plurality of sheet-form articles is disposed within the cavity in the form of a flattened roll, with one end of the roll being capable of extending through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Co.
    Inventors: Gianfranco Palumbo, Giovanni Carlucci, Aldo Amicone
  • Patent number: 5932316
    Abstract: The present invention pertains, in a preferred embodiment, to a method for forming a nonwoven web exhibiting a plurality of surface energy gradients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: James W. Cree, Luis E. Ravaglia
  • Patent number: 5928210
    Abstract: A fluid pervious topsheet suitable for use on an absorbent article is disclosed. The topsheet includes an apertured, three-dimensional, macroscopically expanded, fluid pervious web having a textured wearer-contacting surface. The composite web permits liquids to penetrate while providing an improved, less plastic-like feel and visual aesthetics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: William R. Ouellette, Brian F. Gray, Michael J. Schettler, Gregory Ashton
  • Patent number: 5927648
    Abstract: The system and apparatus of this invention provides for a rapidly loaded, palletized, non-dedicated fixed or rotary wing aircraft based, manned observation, sensor launch system, with self-powered sensing and targeting pod, multi-frequency antenna array, and with C4I analysis and control capabilities. The system may be used to deploy and manipulate autonomous and remote control vehicles, for the purpose of recovering and protecting persons in peril; containing/remediating toxic spills; sensing/detection; fire fighting; ship towing; or surface based refueling and support. Although not the primary purpose, this system can also be used for to support an offensive weapons system which could be used to selectively eliminate various targets with a standoff delivery capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Inventor: Richard Lawrence Ken Woodland
  • Patent number: 5914084
    Abstract: The present invention provides a stable nonwoven web having enhanced extensibility and a method for making the same. A neckable nonwoven web is fed in a first direction. The neckable nonwoven web is subjected to incremental stretching in a direction perpendicular to the first direction. A tensioning force is applied to the neckable nonwoven web to neck the nonwoven web. The necked nonwoven web is then subjected to mechanical stabilization to provide a stabilized extensible necked nonwoven web. The stabilized extensible necked nonwoven web is easily extended in a direction parallel to the direction necking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1999
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Douglas H. Benson, John J. Curro
  • Patent number: 5906602
    Abstract: Disclosed is a shaped absorbent core suitable for absorbing and retaining aqueous body fluids. The absorbent cores comprise a front panel and a back panel. The front and back panels are made from fluid absorbent material, and each has an inner end, an outer end, and two sides. The inner and outer ends of each front and back panel have a length, with the inner end of each being shorter than the outer length of each. The front and back panels may comprise multiple layers of absorbent material. The absorbent cores also comprise a center section made from fluid absorbent material having first and second ends. The first end of the center section is in fluid communication with the front panel by overlapping the front panel intermediate the front inner and outer ends, and the second end is in fluid communication with the back panel by overlapping the back panel intermediate the back inner and outer ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Gerald Martin Weber, Gerald Alfred Young, Gregory Wade Taylor, Gary Dean La Von
  • Patent number: 5899447
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming a stack of interleaved, partially overlapping discrete sheets suitable for a pop-up dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Delmar Ray Muckenfuhs
  • Patent number: 5876393
    Abstract: A disposable absorbent article having an expandable component is disclosed. The expandable component can be inflatable, and includes a gas evolving material and an activating material separated from the gas evolving material by a breakable barrier. The barrier is broken to combine the materials and inflate the component at the point of use of the disposable absorbent article. The inflatable component can include a spacer for maintaining a fecal void space in a disposable absorbent article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Nicholas Albert Ahr, Gary Dean Lavon
  • Patent number: 5843055
    Abstract: The fluid absorbent members according to the present invention preferably comprise three basic components: chemically stiffened, twisted, and curled bulking fibers, high surface area fibers, and a binder additive such as thermoplastic fibrous material or chemical binders. Fluid absorbent members according to the present invention use a high surface fiber and refining to provide capillary pressure (or suction) to the fluid absorbent member. These high surface area fibers are generally small and highly conformable. They provide the substrate with capillary pressure well in excess of the capillary pressure found in the bulk-providing chemically stiffened, twisted, and curled fibers (unrefined) alone. A presently preferred fiber for this high surface application is the eucalyptus family of wood pulp fibers. Eucalyptus provides desirable capillary pressure characteristics in combination with the chemically stiffened, twisted, and curled fibers and will not easily pass through a forming screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Geoffrey Eugene Seger
  • Patent number: 5820730
    Abstract: A paper web is disclosed. The paper web includes at least three regions disposed in a nonrandom, repeating pattern. The three regions are distinguishable from each other by at least one property selected from the group consisting of basis weight, density, and fiber composition. The paper web has a relatively high basis weight background portion and decorative indicia. The decorative indicia comprise one or more relatively low basis weight regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Dean Van Phan, Paul Dennis Trokhan, Jane Ann Hooper
  • Patent number: 5817377
    Abstract: The invention comprises a method for applying a curable resin, such as a photosensitive resin, to a substrate such as a papermaker's dewatering felt. The method comprises the steps of providing a substrate; providing a curable liquid resin; providing a second material different from the curable liquid resin; applying the second material to the substrate to occupy at least some of the voids in the substrate intermediate the first and second surfaces of the substrate; applying the curable resin to the substrate; curing at least some of the resin to provide a resin layer on the substrate; and removing at least some of the second material from the substrate, wherein at least some of the second material is removed from the substrate after applying the curable resin to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Paul Dennis Trokhan, John Robert Powers, James Daniel Miller, II, Glenn David Boutilier
  • Patent number: 5814190
    Abstract: A paper web and method of making the paper web are disclosed. In one embodiment the paper web includes a continuation relatively thinner region and a plurality of discrete relatively thicker regions. The relatively thicker regions are disposed in the plane of the relatively thinner region. The paper web can have a relatively patterned face and a relatively smooth face. The paper structures can be dried relatively quickly and efficiently, and can provide enchanced absorbency and bulk density while having a relatively smooth face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1998
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Dean Van Phan
  • Patent number: 5804036
    Abstract: A method of making the paper web is disclosed. The paper web includes at least three regions disposed in a nonrandom, repeating pattern. The three regions are distinguishable from each other by at least one property selected from the group consisting of basis weight, density, and fiber composition. The paper web has a relatively high basis weight background portion and decorative indicia. The decorative indicia comprise one or more relatively low basis weight regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Dean Van Phan, Paul Dennis Trokhan
  • Patent number: 5800416
    Abstract: The fluid absorbent members according to the present invention preferably comprise three basic components: chemically stiffened, twisted, and curled bulking fibers, high surface area fibers, and chemical binder additive. Fluid absorbent members according to the present invention use a high surface fiber and refining to provide capillary pressure (or suction) to the fluid absorbent member. These high surface area fibers are generally small and highly conformable. They provide the substrate with capillary pressure well in excess of the capillary pressure found in the bulk-providing chemically stiffened, twisted, and curled fibers (unrefined) alone. A presently preferred fiber for this high surface application is the eucalyptus family of wood pulp fibers. Eucalyptus provides desirable capillary pressure characteristics in combination with the chemically stiffened, twisted, and curled fibers and will not easily pass through a forming screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Geoffrey Eugene Seger, Daniel Edward Buenger
  • Patent number: 5792404
    Abstract: The present invention pertains, in a preferred embodiment, to a method for forming a nonwoven web exhibiting a plurality of surface energy gradients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: James W. Cree, Luis E. Ravaglia
  • Patent number: 5788686
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to an absorbent article. The absorbent article includes a topsheet, a backsheet joined to the topsheet and an absorbent core positioned between the topsheet and the backsheet. A coversheet is joined to the topsheet. The coversheet includes a line of weakness defining a flap to be at least partially separated from the remainder of the coversheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Nick A. Ahr, Patricia L. Christon, Allison K. Hunter
  • Patent number: D399062
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Lester Charles Sporing
  • Patent number: D400716
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Lester Charles Sporing, Patricia Lynn Neiheisel
  • Patent number: D401420
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Lester Charles Sporing, Patricia Lynn Neiheisel
  • Patent number: D409389
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Jane Grote May, Patricia Lynn Neiheisel, Lester Charles Sporing