Patents Assigned to The Fire Products Company
  • Patent number: 7131757
    Abstract: A signal light supporting apparatus for emergency vehicle warning signal lights employing light emitting diodes provides a secure and removable mounting for one or more of the light emitting diodes and an optic of each light emitting diode to a support casing that functions as a heat sink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: The Fire Products Company
    Inventor: W. Kenneth Menke
  • Patent number: 6814478
    Abstract: An electric current path for an oscillating warning light of an emergency vehicle includes a spring that is connected between a stationary base of the warning light and an oscillating assembly of the warning light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: The Fire Products Company
    Inventor: W. Kenneth Menke
  • Patent number: 6507154
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to an electrical circuit for operating warning lights that are commonly used on emergency and service vehicles. The electric circuit enables the use of pairs of 21 volt DC halogen lamps on a light bar installed on an emergency vehicle equipped with a 42 volt electrical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: The Fire Products Company
    Inventor: W. Kenneth Menke
  • Patent number: 6502962
    Abstract: A removable, reusable cover assembly for a light assembly has a light filtering cover with an interior that surrounds a lamp of the light assembly and a connector that attaches to the light assembly. The cover assembly has first and second vent holes that communicate with the interior of the cover. During energization of the lamp, the air in the interior of the cover is heated and escapes through the first vent hole. Cooling air is drawn through the second vent hole into the interior of the cover to cool the lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Fire Products Company
    Inventors: W. Kenneth Menke, W. Kenneth Menke, III
  • Patent number: 5842768
    Abstract: An oscillating signal light mechanism is comprised of at least one signal light assembly mounted on a base for rotation of the light assembly relative to the base, a source of motive power including an output shaft selectively rotated in opposite directions of rotation, and a mechanism mechanically connecting the output shaft to the signal light assembly for converting the rotation of the output shaft in opposite directions of rotation to cycling movements of the signal light assembly through two different arc segment oscillations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: The Fire Products Company
    Inventor: W. Kenneth Menke
  • Patent number: 5716127
    Abstract: A signal light housing is comprised of three basic component parts; a back plate, a mounting plate and a lens cover. The back plate is provided with a substantially flat exterior surface to enable the signal light housing to be mounted flush against the exterior surface of a vehicle. The lens cover encloses an interior volume of the housing and can be removed from the housing without removing the housing from the vehicle surface. The mounting plate is removably attached to the back plate and provides a sufficient area to support a variety of different types of signal light assemblies thereon within the interior volume of the housing. The mounting plate is easily removed from the back plate to remove a defective signal light assembly from the housing, and enable its replacement with an operative signal light assembly attached on a like mounting plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1998
    Assignee: The Fire Products Company
    Inventors: W. Kenneth Menke, W. Kenneth Menke, III
  • Patent number: 5697691
    Abstract: An oscillating signal light mechanism is comprised of at least one signal light assembly mounted on a base for rotation of the light assembly relative to the base, a source of motive power including an output shaft selectively rotated in opposite directions of rotation, and a mechanism mechanically connecting the output shaft to the signal light assembly for converting the rotation of the output shaft in opposite directions of rotation to cycling movements of the signal light assembly through two different arc segment oscillations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Assignee: The Fire Products Company
    Inventor: W. Kenneth Menke
  • Patent number: 5676447
    Abstract: An oscillating signal light mechanism comprises a base, at least one signal light assembly mounted on the base for rotation of the light assembly relative to the base about an axis, a source of motive power having a rotating output shaft, a drive wheel, an oscillator, a driven wheel, and a belt. The drive wheel is operatively mounted on the base for rotation relative to the base. The oscillator is operatively connected to both the drive wheel and the motive power source output shaft and is configured to oscillate the drive wheel in response to rotation of the motive power source output shaft. The driven wheel is operatively connected to the light assembly for rotating the light assembly. The belt engages the periphery of the drive wheel and engages the periphery of the driven wheel to cause oscillation of the driven wheel upon oscillation of the drive wheel. The belt is securely fixed to a first portion of the driven wheel to prevent radial separation of the belt from the first portion of the driven wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: The Fire Products Company
    Inventor: W. Kenneth Menke
  • Patent number: 5664865
    Abstract: An oscillating signal light mechanism producing substantially constant angular velocity oscillation cycles of a single light is comprised of at least one signal light assembly mounted on a base for rotation of the light assembly relative to the base, a source of motive power including an output shaft rotated at a constant velocity in a single direction of rotation, and a mechanism mechanically connecting the output shaft to the signal light assembly for converting the constant velocity single direction rotation of the output shaft to cycling movements of the signal light assembly through arc segment oscillations at substantially constant angular velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: The Fire Products Company
    Inventor: W. Kenneth Menke
  • Patent number: 5570948
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a flashlight for use by fire fighters and for use in other areas where it is desirable to interchangeably use a flashlight either carried in hand or hands free with a lamp portion attached to the user's clothing or helmet and the body portion separately attached elsewhere to the user's clothing. More particularly, the present invention relates to a flashlight comprising a body portion configured to contain batteries and an illuminating lamp section wherein the lamp section is separable from the body of the flashlight. The present invention permits the lamp section to be attached directly to the body of the flashlight in several different adjusted positions, or to be separated from the body of the flashlight and attached elsewhere such as clothing, helmets, belts, or other structures that may not be sufficiently stable to support the weight of the entire flashlight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1996
    Assignee: The Fire Products Company
    Inventors: W. Kenneth Menke, W. Kenneth Menke, III
  • Patent number: 5537298
    Abstract: An oscillating signal light mechanism producing substantially constant angular velocity oscillation cycles of a single light is comprised of at least one signal light assembly mounted on a base for rotation of the light assembly relative to the base, a source of motive power including an output shaft rotated at a constant velocity in a single direction of rotation, and a mechanism mechanically connecting the output shaft to the signal light assembly for converting the constant velocity single direction rotation of the output shaft to cycling movements of the signal light assembly through arc segment oscillations at substantially constant angular velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1996
    Assignee: The Fire Products Company
    Inventor: W. Kenneth Menke
  • Patent number: D400459
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: The Fire Products Company
    Inventors: W. Kenneth Menke, W. Kenneth Menke, III