Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Vanophem Meehan & Vanophem, P.C.
  • Patent number: 6346159
    Abstract: An improved process for permanently attaching an overlay to a wheel disc, wherein the overlay is aligned and spaced apart from the wheel disc. A mold is created by a combination of the overlay, wheel disc and localized nests that engage at predetermined times during foam filling to close the mold. The mold is adequately sealed so that there is no foam leakage as the foam expands to fill the mold and, therefore, no final trimming of excess foam is required. The improved process is capable of accommodating a wheel having turbine openings therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2002
    Assignee: Lacks Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Lee A. Chase, Douglas Louis Neeb, Robert E. Shea
  • Patent number: 6256857
    Abstract: A tool retention apparatus for retaining a cutting tool in a tool holder which has a wedged shaped securing arrangement to hold the cutting tool against a pair of precision ground supports. The securing member provides both a vertical securing force and a radial location of the cutting tool to facilitate installation and removal of the cutting tool from a machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Utica Enterprises Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Roseliep
  • Patent number: 6232464
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for isolating nucleic acids from biological fluids and suspensions containing nucleic acids, a reaction compartment 17 for receiving an adsorption medium 100 being connected to a removal compartment 50, and the nucleic acids being able to be moved and enriched from the reaction compartment 17 into the removal compartment 50 by an electrophoresis apparatus 20a, 20b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Inventor: Hans Lange
  • Patent number: 6200660
    Abstract: A thermal protection device (9) adapted to extend along a surface to be protected from a thermally and mechanically severe external environment, having an inside face (9A) adapted to face the surface to be protected and an outside face (9B) adapted to be exposed to the external environment, includes a composite layer (6) containing a refractory armature (2) buried in a thermally insulative material matrix, the device further including a ceramic, metal or metalloid external layer (7) of which the outside face is part and which is attached to the composite layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: Aerospatiale Societe Nationale Industrielle
    Inventor: Jacques Fages
  • Patent number: 6196682
    Abstract: An eyewear assembly that is capable of biasing a temple arm tightly against a rim frame so as to pinch a storage surface therebetween for storage purposes. The eyewear assembly includes the rim frame having at least one pivot axis through the rim frame. The temple arm includes a pivot axis through the temple arm, with the pivot axis being coaxially disposed with the pivot axis of the rim frame. A device for clasping the temple arm and rim frame together in both an open and closed position is mounted proximate the pivot axes. The rim frame engages the temple arm to bias the temple arm against the rim frame—thereby establishing a predetermined load on the rim frame in the closed position. The device for clasping further includes a clasping feature located on the rim frame and a clasping feature located on the temple arm, with one of the clasping means including a detent and the other clasping feature including a pawl that engages the detent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Inventors: Steven Benjamin Walmsley, Nelson David Bove
  • Patent number: 6193283
    Abstract: An engagement device for a cantilevered conduit connection that provides an assembler with visible, audible, and tactile redundant verification that the connection is completely engaged. The engagement device assists in holding a connecting block in place to a housing. The housing includes a fastener port with a fastener fastened therein. The engagement device includes a locking portion at one end thereof, and circumscribes a portion of the fastener. The connecting block mounts to the housing and includes a fastener passage through the connecting block that mounts around the engagement device. The connecting block further includes an engagement surface that mates with the locking portion of the engagement device to assist in fastening the connecting block to the housing. The locking portion of the engagement device expands against the engagement surface of the connecting block to provide visible, audible, and tactile verification that the connecting block is completely engaged to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Automotive Fluid Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Matthews Pickett, Jr., Robert Jay Slais
  • Patent number: 6193742
    Abstract: A pacifier having a bulbous nipple mounted to a body portion. The body portion houses a motion generator that causes vibrations that pass through the nipple to the baby's gums thereby soothing the gums. The vibrations are generated by an unbalanced weight that is set into movement by a motor or a system of gears. A switch activates the pacifier. In the geared embodiment, the motion generator is actuated by winding the gears. A sound generator can be used to generate a melody in addition to the vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Inventor: David J. Moriarty
  • Patent number: 6190030
    Abstract: A headlamp and/or taillamp system having an impact-absorbing bumper that is designed to be mounted substantially flush with the surrounding vehicle body panels and bumper, while also being capable of deflecting with the stroke of the impact-absorbing bumper during impact to obviate the need for the headlamp and/or taillamp to pivot about an anchor point or to be mechanically displaceable with additional hardware. The headlamp and/or taillamp is preferably formed from resilient, impact resistant material, such as a high impact plastic, in combination with a deformable flexure member that is located selectively between the lens and the vehicle to resiliently respond to impact. The material for the flexure member must be selected to have a yield strength that is adequate to sustain a predetermined degree of deformation, corresponding to the amount of deflection required to deflect with the bumper stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Lacks Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Lee A. Chase
  • Patent number: 6168688
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for the thermolysis of solid waste within an enclosed thermolysis chamber in the absence of free oxygen which produces a thermolysis off-gas. The thermolysis off-gas is removed from the thermolysis chamber and injected into a cyclone where it is washed with water and cooled. The washed and cooled thermolysis off-gas is divided into two portions. One portion of the washed thermolysis off-gas is further cooled in a heat exchanger and then injected into a burner and combusted, while the remaining portion of the washed thermolysis off-gas is passed into indirect heat exchange with the hot off-gas resulting from the combustion of the other portion of the thermolysis off-gas in the burner and recycled back into the enclosed thermolysis chamber. This in-situ recycling of hot thermolysis off-gas helps prevent the creation of hot spots in the thermolysis chamber and the possibility of an explosive reaction between oxygen and hydrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Societe Francaise de Thermolyse
    Inventors: Guy Clot, Jean Roure
  • Patent number: 6167720
    Abstract: A dome-shaped baffle for an accumulator molded from desiccant material, which baffle separates and dries liquid and vapor components of an incoming flow of refrigerant while preventing the liquid refrigerant from entering an outlet tube. The dome-shaped baffle forces all of the refrigerant to contact the desiccant and has a barrier layer attached underneath that prevents liquid refrigerant from flowing through the baffle and directly into an inlet end of the outlet tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Automotive Fluid Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Jerry H. Chisnell
  • Patent number: 6164037
    Abstract: A formliner for use in manufacturing a decorative panel made up of a layer of concrete or other cementitious material interconnecting a layer of spaced apart bricks or other decorative elements, secured in the cementitious material. The formliner is made of a resilient elastomeric material and has a generally planar layer with a plurality of upstanding laterally and transversely extending ribs that extend from the generally planar layer to define a plurality of brick receiving recesses. Each brick is received in a respective recess with its front face positioned toward the generally planar layer. The ribs extend partly up the sides of the brick from the generally planar layer to allow cementitious material to partly fill the spaces between the sides of the bricks. Cementitious material is prevented from reaching the front faces of the bricks within the recesses by a plurality of ridges that extend from the ribs to sealingly engage an adjacent surface of the brick within the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Inventor: James Kenneth Passeno
  • Patent number: 6165772
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle for the transport of molecular substance, such as DNA, RNA, protein, PNA, pharmaceuticals of lipophilic and lipophobic character, into eukaryotic cells comprising at least one capsomere derived or originating from a virus, which on one of its sides interacts with the molecular substance such that the molecular substance can be bound or added to the capsomere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Inventor: Wolf Bertling
  • Patent number: 6129371
    Abstract: A dual level hitch adapted to be connected to the front or rear of a vehicle. The hitch is provided with an upper and lower receiver adapted to receive either a ball mount or a platform for storing cargo. The upper and lower receivers are connected together utilizing a vertical extension bar. The vertical extension bar can be tilted in both the forward as well as the rearward direction to facilitate the opening and closing of a tailgate of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Inventor: Richard A. Powell
  • Patent number: 6125651
    Abstract: An accumulator and a method of manufacturing same for use in an air-conditioning system wherein the accumulator is manufactured having a seamless housing and a cartridge that incorporates an inlet passage, an outlet passage and a baffle member into an integral cartridge which is inserted in an open end of the housing during production and secured in place by clips caught by a shoulder formed in the housing. A connector is used to complete the outlet passage of the cartridge of the accumulator. The open end of the housing is spun-closed shut to provide a nearby seamless accumulator. In an alternative embodiment the housing is manufactured to have an open end and a closed end and a disk having inlet and outlet holes is welded or brazed to the open end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Automotive Fluid Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerry A. Tack, Daniel F. Kiblawi
  • Patent number: 6120567
    Abstract: A heating system for producing heat by the gasification of solid, organic biomass materials. A mass of such materials is maintained on a grate in a primary oxidation chamber of the catalytic type, and materials in such mass are gradually heated in a deficiency of oxidation for full oxidation of such materials to produce a gaseous, combustible effluent. The gaseous combustible effluent is transferred through an insulated exit duct to a secondary oxidation chamber where it is further oxidized to a fully oxidized state by burning. In one embodiment, the insulated exit duct has a restricted inlet portion within the primary oxidation chamber to serve as a flame deflector. The gaseous effluent from the secondary oxidation chamber is used as a heat source for a water tube boiler. A storage hopper is provided to store the biomass feed materials for delivery to the primary oxidation chamber. The bottom of the storage hopper is inverted and reciprocating plates are provided along the bottom of the storage hopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Enviro-Combustion Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Henry L. Cordell, David G. Galer
  • Patent number: 6114051
    Abstract: A method for plating a high impact resistant plastic, particularly a polycarbonate substrate which has been modified with up to about 50 percent by weight of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene. The surface of the plastic is first conditioned with a halogenated organic solvent conditioner, preferably 1-3-dichloro-2-propanol, prior to the electrochemical deposition of the desired metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Lacks Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger James Timmer, Lee Alan Chase
  • Patent number: 6082678
    Abstract: A satellite designed to be spin-stabilized in geostationary orbit which has, coaxial with a spin rotation axis, a satellite body surrounded with a cylindrical solar generator, an apogee maneuver system disposed along the axis and two axially disposed equipments. The apogee maneuver system has opposite one of the equipments at least two thrusters oriented parallel to the axis but offset relative thereto by the same distance. Equi-angularly spaced around the other of the two equipments, the thrusters are connected to a common liquid propellant feed system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: Aerospatiale Societe Nationale Industrielle
    Inventor: Patrick Maute
  • Patent number: 6082829
    Abstract: A wheel and overlay assembly employing an overlay configured to more fully control the aesthetic appearance of the assembly. The wheel and overlay assembly employs an overlay that more completely establishes the decorative appearance of the assembly, thereby enabling the use of a standardized wheel whose design and construction considerations are based almost solely on the structural requirements of the assembly. As such, the overlay is adapted to enable the functions of structural integrity and outward appearance of the assembly to be addressed separately, resulting in a more fully integrated appearance in which the two-component construction of the assembly is fully concealed, such that a substantial reduction in manufacturing costs is achieved due to the reduced functional demands on the wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: Lacks Industries Inc.
    Inventor: Lee A. Chase
  • Patent number: 6071395
    Abstract: Described is an apparatus for the contamination-free isolation of nucleic acids from biological fluids and suspensions containing nucleic acids comprising: a reaction compartment for holding an adsorption medium laden with nucleic acids; connected via a channel to a removal compartment; wherein the nucleic acids can be moved by an electrophoresis device from the reaction compartment into the removal compartment and enriched there; and the reaction compartment can be charged via a charging orifice and drained via a draining orifice being located essentially opposite of the charging orifice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Inventor: Hans Lange
  • Patent number: D450912
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Inventors: Nathan W. Parsons, James E. Waring