Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Thomas J. Tighe, Esq.
  • Patent number: 7722442
    Abstract: Two counter-rotating, intermeshing, toothed wheels grind opposite sides of an interposed blade to create or burrlessly sharpen a knife-edge on the blade. The wheels can be solid or comprised of a fixed stack of toothed disks, concentrically aligned, the teeth of each succeeding disk angularly offset in a common direction from the teeth of the next preceding disk to create a wheel having a plurality of uniform, elongated composite teeth around the circumference of the stack, the teeth being angled from the wheel's axis. Two such wheels, one with teeth angled in an opposite direction, can be counter-rotated and because of the oppositely angled teeth, are capable of intermeshing. The degree of intermeshing can be selectively varied to correspondingly vary the sharpening angle. The apex ridges of both the solid and composite teeth can be selectively profiled to sharpen non-uniformly, e.g. serrating a blade edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: GT Knives, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd Jones
  • Patent number: 7484032
    Abstract: A computing hardware and software device called a Meta Mentor Central Processing Unit. The Meta Mentor purpose is to control memory, input/output interfaces, defining the operating system, the scheduling processes and the parsing of individual threads to an array of slave Processing Units that are uniquely connected, thus creating a highly optimized computing core. In effect, the Meta Mentor tells the array of slave processors what to process by controlling all external and internal system input/output and individual processor scheduling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Inventor: Roger A. Smith
  • Patent number: 7267001
    Abstract: A bottle plate mates or is integrated with brackets for mounting a gas bottle atop the plate. An aft end of the bottle plate is spacedly affixed to a top of a base plate, the bottle plate being bendable about its aft end corresponding to the weight of a bottle mounted thereon. A plurality of guide pins disposed at a fore end of the bottle plate prevents lateral movement of the fore end with respect to the base plate, but allows to a limited extent displacement of the fore end due to bottle weight. Any displacement of the fore end due to bottle weight is converted to a corresponding bottle weight and a display indicates same to a user. The base plate is used to securely mount the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Inventor: Daniel J. Stein
  • Patent number: 7209701
    Abstract: A cleaning blade system for a variety of electrophotographic apparatuses. A preferably reversible, elongated, elastic wiper blade is longitudinally supported by a relatively rigid, elongated holder. The wiper holder is universally adaptable to a variety of differently configured cleaning blade mounts by a plurality of mounting adapters which all have a uniform interface with the wiper holders so that all wipers and wiper holders can be uniform. Each mounting adapter has a second interface for fastening it to at least one of the varied cleaning blade mounts in the same way that a conventional cleaning blade is fastened. The holder and mounting adapters include provisions for locating and stabilizing the disposition of wipers relative to the drums. Preferably the holder includes an interlock securing a wiper blade without adhesives. The wiper blade may include flared edges to enhance contact pressure against the drum and extend its useful life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Inventor: Eugene Francis Kopecky
  • Patent number: 7153216
    Abstract: A laser assembly is removably attached to the shaft of a putter slightly above the head. The position and orientation of the laser assembly is adjusted to direct the laser horizontally in a plane passing through the sweet spot of the putter's face and perpendicular to the face when a user is addressing a golf ball with the putter. Once adjusted, the laser then can give accurate indications, against a backdrop, of the alignment of the putter with respect to a selected target hole, because the laser will illuminate a spot on the backdrop which is in accurate alignment with the putter, and thus allowing the golfer to compare his or her alignment prior to activating the laser. The laser is preferably momentarily actuated by a finger button attached to the putter at or near the grip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Inventor: Norm Pressley
  • Patent number: 7100983
    Abstract: A buttocks seat is supported by a post tiltably affixed at a lower end to an upper face of a base. The post is also axially rotatable relative to the base, and threadably engaged with an underside of the seat for supporting the seat on the post, the seat squarely facing upright when the post is vertical. A hand wheel is affixed to the post for rotating the post relative to the seat and the base for selectively raising or lowering the seat relative to the base. A resilient bias urges the post to be vertical unless a seated user flexes his or her lumbar with sufficient force to overcome the bias. Preferably the post is tiltable over a conical range and the bias comprises a resiliently compressible, cylindrical ring coaxial with the post, and extending between and abutting the base and the underside of the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Inventor: Richard A. Gant
  • Patent number: 6813466
    Abstract: A cleaning blade system for a variety of electrophotographic apparatuses. A preferably reversible, elongated, elastic wiper blade is longitudinally supported by a relatively rigid, elongated holder. The wiper holder is universally adaptable to a variety of differently configured cleaning blade mounts by a plurality of mounting adapters which all have a uniform interface with the wiper holders so that all wipers and wiper holders can be uniform. Each mounting adapter has a second interface for fastening it to at least one of the varied cleaning blade mounts in the same way that a conventional cleaning blade is fastened to said one. The holder and mounting adapters include provisions for locating and stabilizing the disposition of wipers relative to the drums. Preferably the holder includes an interlock securing a wiper blade without adhesives. The wiper blade may include flared edges to enhance contact pressure against the drum and extend its useful life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Inventor: Eugene Francis Kopecky
  • Patent number: 6762942
    Abstract: Two substrate leaves are coupled by a folded flexible circuit medium. Integrated circuit components can be mounted to opposite faces of both leaves. A signal terminal projects from one of the leaves. Both leaves include paths for communicating signals between their respective components and the terminal. Preferably the leaves are formed by two outer, rigid substrates each laminarly affixed to a respcective inner substrate, the inner substrates being separate sections of the folded circuit medium and the outer substrates being separated sections of a rigid circuit medium. Components are mounted to the exposed faces of the substrates. The fold includes paths for communicating signals between the leaf distal from the terminal and the terminal, the signal paths between one leaf and the terminal being closely matched in length and impedance to corresponding paths between the other leaf and the terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Inventor: Gary W. Smith
  • Patent number: 6608492
    Abstract: The output of a preamplifier is communicated to an active feedback circuit which drives the primary of a balancing transformer the secondary of which is connected in series with an impedance under test (IUT), the terminals of the series connection are communicated to respective differential inputs of the preamplifier. The feedback circuit automatically drives the preamplifier input toward balance, balance being achieved when the signal across the secondary equals the signal across the IUT in magnitude but opposite in phase. A DC blocking circuit is interposed between the series connection and the preamplifier for blocking preamplifier bias current from loading and heating the IUT. At balance an active equalizing transfer function circuit nulls any potential across the blocking circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Inventor: Richard Carl Entenmann
  • Patent number: 6599134
    Abstract: A low profile, 1U expansion PC board for mounting at least two PCI connectors, mountable by a male-to-male connector to a PCI matrix on the transverse side of a 1U PICMG computer backplane. Additional mechanical security is provided by mounting stanchions between the board and the backplane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Inventors: Frank Duarte, Frank Davis
  • Patent number: 6598417
    Abstract: A cooler for cooling a plurality of brands of liquid beverages for delivery at taps for dispensing to customers at a desired chilled temperature. The cooler has a heat exchanger with a shell having channels passing through it, each communicating with a keg containing a beverage and a dispensing tap. Chilled coolant, controlled by the heat exchanger flows through the shell to cool the beverage flowing through the channels to the desired temperature. The temperature of the coolant is controlled by a temperature controller to maintain a narrow desired temperature range, just above the freezing temperature. The cooler is capable of cooling each of the channels without having to be installed in a walk-in cooler, allowing its installation proximate the serving taps. Also, the kegs containing the various brands of beer which are connected to the heat exchanger do not have to be kept in a walk-in cooler. 30° F. to 34° F. range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Inventor: Oscar Wilkes
  • Patent number: 6247180
    Abstract: A display banner that may be attached to headgear and adjusted to provide weather protection for the back of the head, neck, ears and portions of the back and shoulders. It may allow the top of the wearer's head and hairstyle to remain uncovered, well ventilated and well groomed. Its shape and insertable supports enhance its inherent potential area for displaying promotional material and/or the preferred art of the wearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Inventor: Richard Gordon Heinz
  • Patent number: 6155076
    Abstract: For gas liquefaction processes, thermodynamic expansion is optimized by use of a hydraulic turbine expander for liquefied gases which can be adjusted to different flow rates and differential pressures by varying the rotational speed and/or guide vane position. The turbine expander is disposed in-line between an upstream system for gas liquefaction and a downstream system for liquefied gas handling including a terminal vessel for storage or phase separation. The invention further includes a device to measure the terminal pressure at an inlet pipe of and/or inside the terminal vessel, and a device to control the turbine expander in response to pressure measurements. The turbine controller sets the rotational speed and/or the guide vane position of the expander depending on changes in the terminal pressure such that the pressure inside the terminal vessel remains constant at a certain target value for different thermodynamic, hydraulic or chemical conditions of the gas liquefaction process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Inventors: David M. Cullen, Hans E. Kimmel
  • Patent number: 5626527
    Abstract: A strong, resilient, thin-walled material in a tubular shape stretchably fits over a pre-existing golf club grip for enveloping and frictionally engaging the pre-existing grip. The tubular body has a butt end which, when installed, abuts a butt end of the golf club grip, and an opposite open end that overlaps a distal end of the pre-existing grip, distal from the butt end. Projecting outwardly from the tubular body are two ridges for assisting a golfer in the proper positioning of his or her thumbs, and a plurality of semicircular ridges for assisting a golfer in the proper positioning of his or her fingers. Preferably the tubular body is elastic and can be stretched, over a range, to a length that matches a desired hand size, and further includes a plurality of catches for holding a selected stretch of the tubular body. The catches can be inner ribs proximate a distal (from a butt end) end of the grip that can be individually caught by the distal end of the pre-existing grip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Inventor: Timothy Eberlein
  • Patent number: 5604509
    Abstract: A monitor is remotely coupled to a source of display data for real-time display of the data thereon. The display is real-time in that the received data is converted to pixel values and is displayed by the remote monitor almost instantaneously except for some minor data hand-off and transmission delays. The remote monitor can be any kind of conventional text and/or graphics display device, e.g. a cathode ray tube device, but preferably is a flat panel, digital display. Preferably the system couples to a pre-existing data bus, e.g. an ISA, EISA, VLB or PCI bus, and an interface circuit communicates with the source of the display information, such as a processor on the bus. Digital pixel values are stored in a local frame buffer. A transmit controller transmits the stored pixel values over a preferably serial, optical transmission medium, to a remote circuit which stores them in a remote frame buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1997
    Assignee: Advent Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald L. Moore, Thomas P. Rittmaster, Thomas H. Lupfer