Patents Assigned to Graco Metal Products, Inc.
  • Patent number: 5144717
    Abstract: A double wheel caster for being rotatably mounted on a leg of a transport carrier includes a support rod having a center portion and opposite first and second end portions. The center portion of the support rod is rotatably positioned within an opening located in a wheel caster trailing housing. A pair of caster wheels are rotatably positioned on the first and second end portions of the support rod. Each caster wheel has an aperture generally centrally located therethrough and a plurality of fingers extending radially inward and into engagement with the support rod such that the caster wheels are frictionally mounted on the support rod. Upon movement of the transport carrier in a direction which forces one caster wheel to rotate faster than the other, the frictional mounting inhibits the one caster from freely rotating with respect to the other to thereby prevent shimmying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1992
    Assignee: Graco Metal Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Devon T. Siesholtz, Nathaniel Saint
  • Patent number: 4856809
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a collapsible stroller with a stowable tray. The tray mechanism is associated with the stroller. The tray mechanism includes a tray portion, a swivel mechanism located at one end of the tray portion, and a latching mechanism located at an opposite end of said tray portion. The swivel includes a sleeve which engages a member of the stroller and is adapted to allow the sleeve to rotate about the member. A pin is affixed to the tray portion and is perpendicular to the member of the stroller. The tray portion engages the pin and is adapted to rotate with the pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1989
    Assignee: Graco Metal Products Inc.
    Inventors: Louis M. Kohus, John V. Mariol, David Saint
  • Patent number: 4811437
    Abstract: Foldable playyard comprising upper and lower frame assemblies. The lower frame assembly comprises a unitary central hub member, corner leg connecting members preferably in the form of support feet, and hub legs diverging radially outwardly from the hub member. The upper frame assembly includes corner rail connecting members and pairs of in-line side rails which are pivotably coupled at their outer ends to adjacent corner rail connecting members and at their inner ends to a medial rail connecting member. Corner legs interconnect and are freely coupled to the upper and lower frame assemblies. In one embodiment, the medial rail connecting member houses a hand releasable latch mechanism. In other embodiments, a hand releasable latch mechanism is rotatable with the side rails between latched and released positions. When the playyard is erected, the hub legs and side rails maintain the corner legs upstanding in a spread configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1989
    Assignee: Graco Metal Products, Inc.
    Inventors: James M. Dillner, Nathanael Saint
  • Patent number: 4589657
    Abstract: A swing carriage is supported by a frame for oscillation by mating structures at each end thereof. Each mating structure includes an inverted V-shaped projection having a rounded apex in line contact with a generally straight top edge of a hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1986
    Assignee: Graco Metal Products, Inc.
    Inventor: David Saint
  • Patent number: 4573224
    Abstract: A folding playpen having frame portions and platform sections which pivot in opposite directions as leg frames move between extended and collapsed positions. Angled links assisted by meshed gears on at least one pair of leg frames cause said pivotable movement to eliminate the problem of members pivoting inwardly when they should pivot outwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1986
    Assignee: Graco Metal Products Inc.
    Inventor: David Saint
  • Patent number: 4568120
    Abstract: The baby seat has a forwardly projecting anchor member which is adapted to overlie a table or the like and a pair of gripping members below said anchor member for gripping a bottom surface of a table or the like. A latch extends between the grip members and the back of the baby seat for latching the grip members in position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1986
    Assignee: Graco Metal Products Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald R. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 4452446
    Abstract: A battery-operated child's swing is driven by a motor with a worm mounted on the motor shaft. The worm drives a gear, on which is mounted a crank. The end of the crank is constrained in one sleeve of a two-way slider. A second sleeve of the slider, which is mounted at right angles to the first sleeve, receives one end of an over-travel torque spring. When the motor is energized, the worm turns the gear which drives the crank. The crank, via the slider, puts side pressure on the over-travel torque spring, directed first toward the front of the swing and then toward the rear of the swing. The force is applied above the horizontal pivot line of the swing carriage and causes a rocking motion in the carriage. The over-travel torque spring is stiff enough to transmit the driving force from the crank to the swing carriage while being resilient enough to twist, if necessary, due to stoppage of the motor to prevent damage to the mechanism in the event that the motor is stopped while the carriage is still swinging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1984
    Assignee: Graco Metal Products, Inc.
    Inventor: David Saint
  • Patent number: 4357735
    Abstract: A cover at one end of a rod member is pivotably connected to one end of a bracket by a pin. The bracket and cover are U-shaped in transverse section. A portion of the cover overlies a portion of the bracket in all positions of the cover. The cover is journaled on bosses on the bracket and circumscribes the pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1982
    Assignee: Graco Metal Products, Inc.
    Inventors: David Saint, James Eldon, III, Thomas L. Latone
  • Patent number: 4325578
    Abstract: The swing seat assembly includes a back portion adjustably connected to the bottom wall of a seat portion with said portions being molded in one piece with an integral hinge. Said portions having overlapping downwardly curved flanges thereby defining a tunnel on each side of the seat portion. A hanger for suspending the seat from above includes a pair of arms with each arm being connected to said seat portion at each tunnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1980
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1982
    Assignee: Graco Metal Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert L. Borucki
  • Patent number: 4324432
    Abstract: An infant carrier has a handle which can be detachably coupled to a hanger on a swing. The handle is U-shaped and pivotably connected at its free ends to the carrier shell body by a latch means so that the handle can be latched in different angular positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1980
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1982
    Assignee: Graco Metal Products, Inc.
    Inventors: James Eldon, III, David Saint, Thomas L. Latone
  • Patent number: 4165872
    Abstract: A motor operated swing or the like is disclosed which includes a canopy supported by legs which in turn has mounted therein a reciprocable closed carriage which supports a swing seat, cradle or the like and encloses the motor mechanism and the controls therefor. The canopy has outer enclosing end plates and inner end plates which are readily assembled to the canopy, with the inner end plates supporting a spring winding shaft with a spring tube thereon surrounded by the motor spring. A friction free escapement of synthetic plastic is provided which includes a toothed ratchet wheel, a gravity actuated safety pawl, a gravity actuated safety dog and a gravity actuated actuator for successively actuating said pawl and dog, the motor spring being connected at one end to the carriage and at the other end to the ratchet wheel. The escapement has double safety provisions for the pawl and dog, is constructed so as to be readily assembled without extra parts, and has accessible provisions for unwinding, if desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1979
    Assignee: Graco Metal Products, Inc.
    Inventor: David Saint
  • Patent number: 4105247
    Abstract: A high chair is provided having tubular metal arms of special configuration and with spaced grooves for locking a tray, the tray having resiliently urged locking hooks for engagement below the arms in a plurality of positions by one or the other of double hook portions, one of which hook portions retains the tray against separation from the arms and the other of which retains the tray against separation from the arms and also locks the tray against forward or rearward movement, the tray being readily removed by manual retraction of the locking hooks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1978
    Assignee: Graco Metal Products, Inc.
    Inventor: David Saint
  • Patent number: 4025083
    Abstract: A baby walker is disclosed which has a tray with an opening within which the baby is seated, the tray having a seat supported thereby below the opening, the tray being supported from a base frame by foldable legs, the base frame in turn being carried on casters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1975
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1977
    Assignee: Graco Metal Products, Inc.
    Inventor: David Saint
  • Patent number: 4022510
    Abstract: A seat construction for a baby swing is disclosed having a flexible fabric seat and back supported by a wire frame, a molded synthetic plastic tray being provided in front of the flexible seat and which has the wire frame engaged therewith, the frame and tray being constructed to facilitate assembly and folding for storage, the seat construction being supported from a swing frame by rods at the front extending through the tray and engaged with the frame and at the back by hooked supports engaging the frame at upper corners thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1975
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1977
    Assignee: Graco Metal Products, Inc.
    Inventor: David Saint
  • Patent number: D254409
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1978
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1980
    Assignee: Graco Metal Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert L. Borucki
  • Patent number: D304523
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1989
    Assignee: Graco Metal Products Inc.
    Inventors: James M. Dillner, Nathanael Saint
  • Patent number: D305522
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1990
    Assignee: Graco Metal Products Inc.
    Inventors: Louis M. Kohus, John V. Mariol, David Saint