Patents Assigned to Alpha Enterprises
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Patent number: 5215189Abstract: A reusable molded plastic package for securely holding and displaying cassettes and in particular audio cassettes. A housing forms a storage compartment and has two pairs of spaced ramps adjacent a front end opening which permits a cassette to be forced past the ramps and into the storage compartment, yet prevent removal of the cassette back out of the compartment through the front end opening. A lock retaining plate is movably mounted on the housing and is movable between a lock position where it covers another opening formed in the top wall of the housing and an unlocked position which enables the cassette to be removed from the storage compartment when sold at a retail store. After sale, the retaining plate can be moved to the locked position enabling the package to be reused with another cassette being loaded into the package by automatic loading equipment through the front end opening.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 1992Date of Patent: June 1, 1993Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: James T. Weisburn, Andrew W. Moock, Nicholas M. Sedon
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Patent number: 5211287Abstract: A sleeve for storing and displaying a videocassette comprises a clear flexible plastic, elongated rectangular one-piece member, formed with an interior storage chamber completely enclosed except for an end opening through which a videocassette is inserted into and removed from the chamber. A chipboard cover having printed indicia thereon identifying a prerecorded program on the videocassette is retained within the chamber and slidably receives the videocassette therein. A pair of juxtaposed, elongated, preferably convex flanges, is formed on a spaced-apart pair of front and rear walls of the sleeve and extend partially across the end opening to retain the videocassette within the chipboard sleeve.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 1990Date of Patent: May 18, 1993Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: James T. Weisburn, Gale W. Essick
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Patent number: 5211283Abstract: A reusable plastic package for securely holding and displaying a compact disc. A housing forms a storage compartment having an access opening for receiving and retaining therein a plastic storage box containing a compact disc. A slide plate is mounted on the housing and is slidably moved across the access opening between locked and unlocked positions to retain the box within the storage compartment. The slide plate has locking projections which engage locking tabs on the housing to maintain the slide plate in locked position until released by a manually operated key. A pair of orienting tabs are formed on the slide plate and move through openings formed in a rear wall of the storage compartment and into offset openings formed in the compact disc storage box when the slide plate is moved to the locked position to ensure that the storage box is oriented in the desired position in the storage compartment for viewing of graphics cards contained thereon.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 1992Date of Patent: May 18, 1993Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: James T. Weisburn, John P. Hoerger
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Patent number: 5205401Abstract: A security container for holding and displaying an article such as a package containing a compact disc, audiocassette or videocassette, comprised of a base and a pivotally mounted lid. The base has an external size and shape generally equal to that of the article to be secured within an interior compartment formed by the base. The lid is pivotally mounted on the base by a pair of posts located on side walls of the base which are spaced from one of the end walls a sufficient distance to provide an end of the container having a thickness equal to the thickness of the article contained therein. This thickness of the end of the container enables the container to be placed within a display rack heretofore useable only for an unsecured package. A recess is formed in an inside surface of the lid for receiving and protecting a security detection device within the container.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 1991Date of Patent: April 27, 1993Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: James T. Weisburn, John P. Hoerger
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Patent number: 5177936Abstract: A machine and method for automatically loading a cassette into the storage compartment of a security package at a load station. A package and a cassette are moved simultaneously toward each other from a supply of such packages and cassettes by power actuated slide plates with the cassette being located above the level of the package. In a first embodiment a pivotally mounted pressure actuated cam plate forces a front end of the cassette in an angular direction partially into the storage compartment and then force the remainder of the cassette completely into the storage compartment as the slide plate continues to move the package toward the load station. In a second embodiment the slide plate moves the cassette along a cam plate and partially into the storage compartment, afterwhich, a pressure actuated plunger forces the remainder of the cassette into the storage compartment.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1991Date of Patent: January 12, 1993Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: David L. Myers, Bruce M. Rothacher, Gale W. Essick, David J. Dillon
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Patent number: 5044497Abstract: This invention relates to an improved audiocassette storage container adapted to storing one to four audiocassettes in positively restrained relation. The rectangularly-shaped hollow container is preferably formed of plastic material having twin pairs of mounting post members formed integrally on the interior surfaces of both its bottom and top walls in parallel spaced-apart relation. The pairs of mounting post members are spaced apart laterally when the container is closed so that the extremities of the post members may physically contact an adjacent facing cassette for its firm retention. The posts are offset from facing pairs having a vertical dimension greater than the cassette thickness for prevention of both tape unwinding and shifting movement of cassettes in facing arrangement. The facing pair of posts is sufficiently long to contact an oppositely-disposed cassette side surface to prevent axial movement of such cassette on its mounting posts and any lateral movement.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 1990Date of Patent: September 3, 1991Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: James T. Weisburn, Ronald K. Burdett
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Patent number: 4998985Abstract: The present invention relates to a videocassette storage and display sleeve having identifying indicia thereon for use with or without the videocassette. The sleeve is convertible from its rectangular box-like original form to a flattened display form with portions removed and then back to its reformed rectangular form with an adhesively-attachable tab member to form a partial sidewall to form the reconstituted rectangular box or cover. The method of reestablishing the original cover by reforming the rectangular form is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 1990Date of Patent: March 12, 1991Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventor: James K. Sankey
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Patent number: 4987999Abstract: A sleeve for storing and displaying a videocassette comprising a clear plastic, elongated rectangular one-piece member formed with a hollow interior storage chamber completely enclosed except for an end opening through which a videocassette is inserted into and removed from the chamber. A chipboard cover having printed indicia thereon identifying a pre-recorded program on the videocassette is retained within the chamber and slidably receives the videocassette therein. A pair of diametrically-disposed interiorly-facing lug member is formed on the front and rear walls of the sleeve and extend into the end opening to retain the videocassette within the chipboard sleeve. Aperture means is formed in the rear wall of the sleeve to permit removal of the videocassette from the sleeve. Such aperture means comprises one or more finger holes to permit application of finger pressure on the videocassette to overcome the frictional engagement of the videocassette by the lug means.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 1990Date of Patent: January 29, 1991Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventor: Bruce A. Hehn
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Patent number: 4988000Abstract: A sleeve for storing and displaying a videocassette comprises a clear flexible plastic, elongated rectangular one-piece member, formed with an interior storage chamber completely enclosed except for an end opening through which a videocassette is inserted into and removed from the chamber. A chipboard cover having printed indicia thereon identifying a prerecorded program on the videocassette is retained within the chamber and slidably receives the videocassette therein. A pair of juxtaposed, elongated, preferably convex flanges, is formed on a spaced-apart pair of front and rear walls of the sleeve and extend partially across the end opening to retain the videocassette within the chipboard sleeve.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 1990Date of Patent: January 29, 1991Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: James T. Weisburn, Gale W. Essick
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Patent number: 4928825Abstract: A container for storing a tape cassette of the type having a pair of spaced tape reel hubs. Each hub has a cylindrical sidewall which defines a recess in the hub. The storage container includes enclosure means for receiving and enclosing a cassette in the container. Diametrically opposed pairs of fingers are molded integrally with a bottom wall of the container and project into the hub recesses through an aligned access opening formed in a bottom wall of the tape cassette upon placing the cassette into the container. The fingers are formed with a concave inner edge, and a convex outer edge having an elongated straight portion and an undercut formed thereon adjacent to the container bottom wall. The convex outer edge of the fingers are engaged by the hub sidewall, whereby the combination of the undercut and curved inner edge enables the fingers to flex inwardly upon initial placement of a cassette into the storage container.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 1989Date of Patent: May 29, 1990Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventor: Bruce A. Hehn
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Patent number: 4923062Abstract: An insert construction for receiving an audio cassette single which is generally contained in a cardboard sleeve and sealed in a clear heat-shrink wrapped plastic cover and which is smaller than the usual plastic case which houses the multiple play audio cassette, enabling the cassette singles to be safely stored and displayed in the security packages heretofore used for the larger plastic cases. At least one generally U-shaped cross-sectional channel is formed in the insert and has a width generally equal to the thickness of an the wrapped audio cassette single for trapping and retaining the cassette within the insert.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 1989Date of Patent: May 8, 1990Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: Bruce A. Hehn, James T. Weisburn
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Patent number: 4889244Abstract: A storage container for audio cassette tape boxes and digital audio compact disc boxes. The storage container is an integral one-piece member formed by spaced, parallel top and bottom walls, a pair of spaced, parallel sidewalls, a partial rear wall, and an open front which provides access into the container. A pair of spaced, parallel partition walls equally divide the container into a pair of outer compartments and a center compartment. A plurality of spaced, parallel elongated first ribs extend inwardly of the top and bottom walls into the compartments for receiving a plurality of the compact disc boxes in each of the compartments. A plurality of spaced, parallel elongated second and third ribs extend inwardly of each of the pair of sidewalls into the outer compartments, and inwardly of each of the partition walls into the center compartment and a respective one of the outer compartments, for receiving a plurality of cassette tape boxes in each of the compartments.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 1988Date of Patent: December 26, 1989Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: Bruce A. Hehn, James K. Sankey
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Patent number: 4871064Abstract: A container for storing a tape cassette of the type having a pair of spaced tape reel hubs. Each hub has a bottom wall and a cylindrical sidewall which define a recess in the hub. The storage container includes enclosure means for receiving and enclosing a cassette in the container. Toggle pairs are mounted on a bottom wall of the storage container and project into the hub recesses through an aligned access opening formed in a bottom wall of the tape cassette upon placing the cassette into the container. The toggle pairs are engaged by the bottom wall of the tape reel hub upon placement of a cassette into the storage container and move outwardly toward an expanded position and into engagement with the cylindrical sidewall of the reel hubs to prevent rotation of the hubs and resultant unwinding of and possible damage to the tape contained thereon.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 1988Date of Patent: October 3, 1989Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: Bruce A. Hehn, James T. Weisburn, Richard R. Lewellen, Mark W. Geis
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Patent number: 4871065Abstract: A reusable one-piece molded plastic package for securely holding and displaying digital audio compact discs. A housing forms a storage compartment having an access opening for receiving a container of the type having opposite end portions and a compartment formed in at least one of the end portions for receiving a rectangular storage box containing a compact disc. A cover is hingedly mounted on the housing and is pivotally moved toward the storage compartment to a closed position to secure a compact disc container therein. A pair of locking projections, are formed on the cover and engage camming surfaces and locking tabs formed on the housing to lockingly engage the cover with the housing. A manually operated key releases the locking tabs from engagement with the locking projections enabling the cover to be disengaged from the housing and moved to an open position.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 1988Date of Patent: October 3, 1989Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: Bruce A. Hehn, Andrew W. Moock
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Patent number: 4834238Abstract: A reuseable one-piece molded plastic package for securely holding and displaying cassettes. A housing forms a storage compartment having an access opening for receiving a cassette. A slide plate is hingedly mounted on the housing and is slideably moved toward the storage compartment to secure a cassette therein. A plurality of slide projections and locking projections are formed on the slide plate and engage slide channels and locking tabs, respectively, formed on the housing to secure the slide plate in locked position. A manually operated key releases the locking tabs from engagement with the locking projections enabling the slide plate to be moved to the unlocked position. In one embodiment the slide plate moves into the access opening to prevent removal of a cassette therefrom, wherein a second embodiment the slide plate engages a hinged cover which forms part of the storage compartment to secure the cover in the closed position.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 1987Date of Patent: May 30, 1989Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: Bruce A. Hehn, James T. Weisburn
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Patent number: D319540Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 1989Date of Patent: September 3, 1991Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventor: Bruce A. Hehn
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Patent number: D328388Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 1990Date of Patent: August 4, 1992Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: James T. Weisburn, Gale W. Essick
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Patent number: D333381Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 1991Date of Patent: February 23, 1993Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: James K. Sankey, James T. Weisburn, Andrew W. Moock
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Patent number: D333562Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 1991Date of Patent: March 2, 1993Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: James T. Weisburn, John P. Hoerger
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Patent number: D333563Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 1991Date of Patent: March 2, 1993Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: James T. Weisburn, John P. Hoerger