Patents Assigned to Hemisphere Group, Inc.
  • Patent number: 6874794
    Abstract: A braking system preferably for an in-line skate includes a brake pad mounted to a forward end of a skate frame and an elevated front wheel attached to the skate frame by two pivot arms. The pivot arms are biased forward which is in a clockwise direction with respect to their pivot point. When skating normally, the pivot arms bias the wheel against the brake pad, but the wheel is elevated from the skating surface and thus the brake is not engaged. When skating in a rearward direction, or desiring a push start, the skater rotates the toe portion of the skate downward and raises the heel. The front wheel will engage the skating surface and the reaction force on the wheel due to friction between it and the skating surface will urge the wheel forward and increase the contact pressure between it and the brake pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Hemisphere Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald A Holland
  • Patent number: 6425588
    Abstract: A braking system preferably for an in-line skate includes a brake pad mounted to a forward end of a skate frame and an elevated front wheel attached to the skate frame by two pivot arms. The pivot arms are biased forward which is in a clockwise direction with respect to their pivot point. When skating normally, the pivot arms bias the wheel against the brake pad, but the wheel is elevated from the skating surface and thus the brake is not engaged. When skating in a rearward direction, or desiring a push start, the skater rotates the toe portion of the skate downward and raises the heel. The front wheel will engage the skating surface and the reaction force on the wheel due to friction between it and the skating surface which will urge the wheel forward and increase the contact pressure between it and the brake pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: Hemisphere Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald A. Holland
  • Patent number: 6397402
    Abstract: A protective uniform for a high-risk or high-impact activity or sport has a rear rigid shell, an artificial spine which may articulate at two sections attached to the shell, and a damper mechanism between the shell and artificial spine. In addition, the artificial spine may be attached to conventional or modified back and hip pads and/or a harness such as worn by rappellers or skydivers. The shell preferably extends from the wearer's head to the tailbone and across the back. The top portion of the shell together with side shields and a face shield form a protective enclosure for the head, inside of which a conventional helmet may be worn. The side shields preferably are movably connected to the rigid shell and are also connected to conventional or modified shoulder pads. The artificial spine is preferably formed in three sections, each section being connected to the other by a limited range universal joint to provide a range of motion comparable to the human neck and the human back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Hemisphere Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald A. Holland, Joseph M. Skorpen, William L. Fowler
  • Patent number: 6149529
    Abstract: A modified football game requires that players wear in-line skates and the field has a flat surface area having a substantially rectangular shape with two straight long sides and two second convexly curved short sides, a partial circular concavely curved second surface area bounding the first area and having a lower edge and an upper edge, the lower edge being contiguous with the edge of the first flat surface area, and the upper edge being remote from the flat surface area, and an upper flat lip surface area extending around the curved second surface area contiguous with its upper edge, and lines defining end zones proximate each of the second curved short sides of the flat surface area, each end zone having a flat surface area portion and a curved surface area portion of the curved second surface. The players skate on the flat area, the curved area and the lip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignee: Hemisphere Group, Inc.
    Inventors: William L. Fowler, Ronald A. Holland, Bruce E. Austin, Joseph M. Skorpen