Patents Examined by Allan M. Shoap
  • Patent number: 5449086
    Abstract: A filler neck cap is provided for closing a threaded filler neck of a tank. The cap includes a housing having threads for engaging the filler neck, a seal for sealingly engaging the filler neck upon rotation of the housing in a first direction, and a handle for rotating the housing relative to the filler neck. The handle includes a top wall and an appendage directly appended to the underside of the top wall and cantilevered downwardly therefrom at a point spaced apart from the axis of rotation of the handle. The cap further includes a delayed actuation mechanism for providing a lost-motion driving connection between the handle and the housing. The delayed actuation mechanism includes an annular ring engaging the housing and a driven lug appended to the annular ring. The driven lug engages a terminal portion of the appendage during rotation of the handle about its axis of rotation to provide the driving connection between the handle and the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 12, 1995
    Assignee: Stant Manufacturing Inc.
    Inventor: Robert S. Harris
  • Patent number: 5297872
    Abstract: A shopping bag and carrying pouch therefor in which the pouch is of unique construction comprising a generally circularshaped rear panel, a pair of arcuately shaped, band-like members are connected to the rear panel member, and top and bottom front panel members connected to the front edges of the band-like members. The members which make up the panels are interconnected in such a manner as to provide secure overlocking closure of the pouch for compact storage of a shopping bag without requiring the use of a fastener on the pouch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1994
    Inventor: Theodore L. Caligiuri
  • Patent number: 5292058
    Abstract: A package (10) of a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape is disclosed including a liner (14) inside of a carton (12). A first score line (72) extends from the free edges (47, 96) of the front and back top closure panels (48, 60) and onto the front and back panels (18, 28) parallel and intermediate the side edges (20, 22, 26, 30, 50, 52, 59, 64) thereof. Second and third score lines (74, 76) are further located in each of the front and back panels (18, 28) and extend at an obtuse angle from and on opposite sides of the first score lines (72), with the score lines (72, 74, 76) having a Y-shape. The bottom of the carton (12) holds the bottom edges (40, 44) of the front, back, and side panels (18, 24, 28, 32) in a rectangular configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 8, 1994
    Assignee: General Mills, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Zoss, Francis M. Snee
  • Patent number: 5265755
    Abstract: A trash receptacle including a vent means mounted in the bottom therefore for eliminating the formation of a vacuum when a filled flexible trash bag liner is removed from the receptacle. The air vent holes are placed superiorly in a central vertical stalk. The base has one or more air channels that allow air ingress and egress from the outside atmosphere to the raised central stalk area. The central vertical vent stalk has a dome shaped roof with an overhang to channel spilled liquids away from the air vent holes onto a sloping floor which in turn diverts the liquid to the outer corners of the inner receptacle base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1993
    Inventors: Daniel L. McArthur, Jr., Douglas R. McArthur
  • Patent number: 5251778
    Abstract: In a dispenser box for containment of graduated vessels of a type having an inlet opening for receiving fluids to be tested such as blood, blood plasma or the like, with the dispenser box having a longitudinal side provided with an ejection slot and a top side provided with spaced and parallel rectangular openings, wherein the inlet openings of the vessels face the openings in the top side, a sheet is removably secured between the top side of the housing and the vessels and covering the inlet openings of the vessels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1993
    Assignee: Heinrich Amelung GmbH
    Inventor: Wilfried Eggl
  • Patent number: 5115572
    Abstract: A guide to aid in attaching a vehicle to a trailer. A hitch guide is comprised of a cross member 20, a forward member 30 adjustably attached to cross member 20 mounted substantially perpendicular to cross member 20. Forward member 30 has a second cross member 40 adjustably attached thereto. Second cross member 40 is mounted perpendicular to forward member 30 and thus substantially parallel to cross member 20. A wire 22 can be provided on cross member 20 to be located directly underneath the ball of the hitch. Forward member 30 is then adjusted to touch the oustide of wheel 62 and the towing vehicle is moved backwardly until wheel 62 just touches the second cross member 40.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1992
    Inventor: Robert T. Harbison
  • Patent number: 5115756
    Abstract: A pennant assembly (10) including a pennant unit (11) rotatably supported on a pole unit (12) by a support unit (13) and further including a noise making unit (14) operatively deployed between the support unit (13) and the pole unit (12) whereby noise will be generated as the support unit (13) rotates relative to the pole unit (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1992
    Inventor: John J. Maffei
  • Patent number: 4873865
    Abstract: A fuel sender assembly using a wiper contact to generate a resistance proportional to fuel level in a fuel tank has a bent float rod engaged by a fork and a bore of a carrier element which rigidly carries a spring contact. The spring contact slidably engages a resistor on a resistor card within a housing. The carrier element extends through a slot in the housing such that it abuts the ends of the slot to provide rotational limits for the float rod. The resulting fuel sender assembly can be installed in a fuel tank with no electrical calibration being needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1989
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventor: Robert D. Gaston
  • Patent number: 4759555
    Abstract: A split ring seal assembly including a split ring seal having a first and a second free end and a connecting member in the shape of a ring segment having first and second ends. The split ring seal and the connecting element have mating E-shaped transverse cross sections such that the connecting element fits within the split ring seal. The E-shaped cross section includes a middle arm portion formed by a curved loop and two outer arms formed by sinuous flanges. The first end of the connecting member is fixedly attached to the first end of the split ring seal. The second end of the connecting member is slidably received within the second end of the split ring seal. This enables the split ring assembly to expand and contract relative to its housing groove as it is exposed to varying temperatures and pressures and to compensate for the accumulation of tolerances in the members forming the joint. The connecting element has a thickness less than the thickness of the split ring seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1988
    Assignee: EG&G Pressure Science, Inc.
    Inventor: Horace P. Halling
  • Patent number: 4702483
    Abstract: A mechanical shaft joint boot of a polymeric elastomer is provided with bellows between a large-diameter ring and a small-diameter ring, a first crest of the bellows being formed between the large-diameter ring the small-diameter ring after the first trough and a second trough being formed so as to have a smaller apical diameter than that of the first trough, and a circumferential convex strip is formed on the sidewardly inclined surface of the first crest on the inner side of the first trough and/or on the respectively opposed inside surface of the second trough. Therefore, the second trough is pushed toward the side of the small-diameter ring and is not held between the first trough and the driving shaft on the compressed side during a crossing movement, which reduces the compression distortion and increases the durability of the boot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1987
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mikio Ukai, Ryoji Okumoto