Patents Assigned to Thomas Industries, Inc.
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Patent number: 5420775Abstract: A spray shield for temporarily covering an open face of a fixture, particularly a canister light fixture. The spray shield is conveniently outlined on and removable from a panel of cardboard shelf packaging of the canister light. The spray shield provides a disk-shaped portion surrounded by radially extending tabs which can be bent off from to the disk-shaped portion to form a resilient shallow pan which is grippingly held within an inside surface of the canister light. The spray shield as a flat panel can be easily removed from a panel of the packaging which provides a weakened line around an outer circumference of the spray shield.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 1994Date of Patent: May 30, 1995Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.Inventor: Raymond J. Kusmer
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Patent number: 5343373Abstract: A housing for a tubular lamp having a generally rectangular configuration with parallel side walls and end walls forming a box with an open top and bottom. The side walls provide a channel at a bottom end and an inwardly directed flange at a top end along their length. A V-shaped reflector having straight segments with horizontally turned end portions is resiliently inserted against each side wall where one of the horizontally turned end portions presses against the inwardly directed top flange and the opposite end portion of the reflector fits into the channel. The invention provides for quick assembly and change-out of reflectors depending on conditions.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 1993Date of Patent: August 30, 1994Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.Inventor: Kevin Tillotson
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Patent number: 5327932Abstract: A valve plate assembly is provided with a valve restraint for maintaining a valve within a recessed portion of the valve plate. The valve restraint further includes an irregular surface which contacts the surface of the valve when the assembly is in use, for example, in a compressor. The irregular surface may include through-holes at least partially through the surface which contacts the valve or may be a textured surface which contacts the valve during use. The valve plate includes a recessed portion having guides for receiving notched sections in the sidewalls of the valve and valve restraint.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 1993Date of Patent: July 12, 1994Assignee: Thomas Industries Inc.Inventor: Roy J. Rozek
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Patent number: 5325281Abstract: An adjustable lighting fixture has a power transfer means interposed between a lamp holder and the point of mounting. The power transfer means has an input shaft, which may be offset from the point of mounting, such as a fixture mounting pole, or in line therewith, and an output shaft which rotates in response to the rotation of the input shaft about its own axis. When the axis of power input is in line with the point of mounting, a physical rotation of the power transfer means will cause the rotation of the lamp holder about an axis extending through the point of mounting. When the axis of power input is offset from the point of mounting, an orbital input about the axis of the power input, or in other words an orbiting of the power input shaft about the axis extending through the point of mounting, will cause rotation of the lamp holder about said axis extending through the point of mounting.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 1992Date of Patent: June 28, 1994Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.Inventor: Ronald P. Harwood
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Patent number: 5322332Abstract: A latch assembly for use with a panic exit device, particularly a top latch having a U-shape which engages a stem portion of a T-shaped receiving lug mounted overhead to a top member of the door frame. The U-shaped top latch is pivotably mounted to the active stile of the door. The latch assembly causes the U-shaped latch to pivot upward to capture the stationary T-shaped receiving lug, or pivot downwardly to disengage from the T-shaped receiving lug. The latch member is in sliding and abutting engagement with two latch plates which slide in one direction to retain the latch member in a downward orientation to hold the latch in an open position, and slide in an opposite direction to allow the latch member to pivot upwardly upon engaging pressure by the strike. A wedge is caused to slide into blocking engagement with the latch when it is in the closed position.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 1992Date of Patent: June 21, 1994Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.Inventors: George Toledo, Petros Z. Mantarakis
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Patent number: 5243735Abstract: A device for closing swinging doors of the type utilizing a rotating member to compress a spring during door opening to store energy in the spring to effect a closing of the door is provided with a driving connection to a d.c motor/generator effective to cause rotation of the motor during a closing movement of the door. The motor/generator acts as a generator during the closing with the generated electrical energy fed back to the motor/generator to retard rotation of the rotor, providing a brake on the closing movement of the door. The feedback circuitry includes a switch disabling or diminishing the braking during the final degrees of closing movement as well as a variable setting device allowing control of braking force.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 1992Date of Patent: September 14, 1993Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.Inventor: James A. O'Brien, II
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Patent number: 5227762Abstract: A power line carrier controlled lighting system connected to an AC power line.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 1990Date of Patent: July 13, 1993Assignee: Thomas Industries Inc.Inventors: David Guidette, James V. Olson, Robert D. Munson, Willard Garnett
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Patent number: 5213125Abstract: A valve plate assembly includes a flapper valve and restraint in recessed intake and outlet ports of a valve plate. The recessed ports have guides located therein corresponding to notched sections of the flapper valve and the restraint such that a foolproof method of assembly can be achieved. In addition, a screw clearance in the top of the piston is not required since the recessed portion allows for the screw to be at or below the surface of the valve plate.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 1992Date of Patent: May 25, 1993Assignee: Thomas Industries Inc.Inventor: Shawn A. Leu
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Patent number: 5213025Abstract: A one-piece piston assembly including a hollow frusto-conical piston is secured to a crankshaft ring via a hollow joint or waist member. Preferably the joint or waist member is frusto-conically shaped as well.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 1991Date of Patent: May 25, 1993Assignee: Thomas Industries Inc.Inventor: Roy J. Rozek
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Patent number: 5193647Abstract: A device for controlling swinging doors utilizing an externally powered motor to compress a spring during door opening to store energy in the spring. The motor is not used to open the door, but only to compress the spring, thereby utilizing a minimum amount of electrical energy and allowing for a very easy opening of the door. The motor acts as a generator during the closing of the door with generated electrical energy fed back to the motor to retard rotation of the rotor, providing a brake on the closing movement of the door. The feedback circuitry includes a switch for varying the braking during the final degrees of closing movement as well as a variable setting device allowing control of braking force.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 1992Date of Patent: March 16, 1993Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.Inventor: James A. O'Brien, II
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Patent number: 5184852Abstract: A rod casing for activating vertically arranged latch bolts, the casing and latch bolts arranged in an active stile of a door and engageable to a door frame. The rod casing provides a vertically slidable actuator cam engageable by both a lock/unlock actuator and a delatch or dogging actuator. The lock/unlock actuator and the delatch actuator are rotatably mounted upon a spindle piece which itself is rotatable by a user such as by a key-activated lock cylinder. The lock/unlock actuator when rotated slidingly abuts the actuator cam and drives the actuator cam vertically upward to cause unlatching of the latch bolts. The delatch actuator, upon rotation of the spindle piece in an opposite direction underlies the actuator cam and dogs the actuator cam in its vertically risen position. To deactivate the delatch actuator, the lock/unlock actuator can be rotated to interfere and displace the delatch actuator to release the actuator cam from the dogging position.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 1991Date of Patent: February 9, 1993Assignee: Thomas Industries Inc., Builders Brass Works DivisionInventor: James O'Brien
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Patent number: 5161837Abstract: A rod casing for activating vertically arranged latch bolts, the casing and latch bolts arranged in an active stile of a door and engageable to a door frame. The rod casing provides a vertically slidable actuator cam engageable by both a lock/unlock actuator and a delatch or dogging actuator. The lock/unlock actuator and the delatch actuator are rotatably mounted upon a spindle piece which itself is rotatable by a user such as by a key-activated lock cylinder. The lock-unlock actuator when rotated, slidingly abuts the actuator cam and drives the actuator cam vertically upward to cause unlatching of the latch bolts. The delatch actuator, upon rotation of the spindle piece in an opposite direction underlies the actuator cam and dogs the actuator cam in its vertically risen position.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 1991Date of Patent: November 10, 1992Assignee: Thomas Industries Inc., Builders Brass Works Div.Inventor: James O'Brien, II
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Patent number: 5128592Abstract: An electronic circuit for receiving input electrical power at a lower frequency and for energizing a load at a higher frequency. The electronic circuit has a rectifier for rectifying the input electrical power received on an input thereof and a pre-regulator for changing the rectified AC voltage provided by the rectifier to a source voltage. The electronic circuit further has a non-resonant inverter for providing electrical power at the high frequency to the load and includes first and second switches and is connected to the pre-regulator and to the load circuit. A logic circuit is responsive to a sensed signal representing only current flowing in the first and second switches for operating the first and second switches. The frequency of current in the load circuit varies for any substantial change in the magnitude of the source voltage, for any change in load impedance, and for any change in a set point value. A device for setting the set point value is connected to the logic circuit.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 1991Date of Patent: July 7, 1992Assignee: Thomas Industries Inc.Inventors: Thomas E. Dean, Russell G. Greenwood, Sylvan E. Irwin, IV
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Patent number: 5124901Abstract: An adapter for sloped ceilings or the like mounts a recessed lighting assembly in a ceiling at an angle to the ceiling surface. A lamp mounting sleeve is pivotable on the adapter frame and is fastenable in a plurality of angular positions by a strap extending between the mounting sleeve and the adapter frame. Mounting of the lighting assembly in the ceiling is accomplished by butterfly clips which permit the used of a variety of hanger bars and brackets.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 1991Date of Patent: June 23, 1992Assignee: Thomas Industries Inc.Inventors: Boris Sojka, Raymond J. Kusmar
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Patent number: 5114192Abstract: A latch assembly for use with a panic exit device, particularly a top latch having a U-shape which engages a stem portion of a T-shaped receiving lug mounted overhead to a top member of the door frame. The U-shaped top latch is pivotably mounted to the active stile of the door. The latch assembly causes the U-shaped latch to pivot upward to capture the stationary T-shaped receiving lug, or pivot downwardly to disengage from the T-shaped receiving lug. The latch member is in sliding and abutting engagement with a latch cam which pivots in one direction to retain the latch member in an upward orientation to capture the T-shaped receiving lug, and pivots in an opposite direction to allow the latch member to pivot downwardly upon opening pressure on the door and actuation of the panic exit device, to release the latch member from the receiving lug.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 1991Date of Patent: May 19, 1992Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.Inventors: George F. Toledo, James A. O'Brien
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Patent number: 5109323Abstract: A socket arrangement for a light fixture holding a tubular lamp having contacts on opposite ends, providing a fixed socket opposite a spring loaded socket with a lamp maneuvering cavity adjacent to the fixed socket, allowing a tubular lamp to be installed nearly straight-in to the sockets, and preventing electrical shock. By providing the maneuvering cavity opposite the spring loaded socket, a first end of a tubular lamp can be maneuvered into the cavity to allow an opposite end of the tubular lamp to insert into the spring loaded contact, and further insertion causes compression of the spring loaded contact, which retracts the first end out of the maneuvering cavity a sufficient distance to swing the first end through a slot formed in a side of the fixed socket and into the fixed socket, whereupon the spring loaded socket expands to resiliently hold the tubular lamp between the two sockets.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 1990Date of Patent: April 28, 1992Assignees: Thomas Industries, Inc., Day-Brite Lighting, Inc.Inventor: Brad Waycaster
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Patent number: D356383Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 1994Date of Patent: March 14, 1995Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.Inventor: Mark A. Pickett
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Patent number: D356384Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 1994Date of Patent: March 14, 1995Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.Inventor: Mark A. Pickett
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Patent number: D356385Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 1994Date of Patent: March 14, 1995Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.Inventor: Mark A. Pickett
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Patent number: D361613Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 1994Date of Patent: August 22, 1995Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.Inventor: Carlisle A. Thomas