Patents Examined by Conrad L. Berman
  • Sunshade--foldable and hand-transportable
    Patent number: 4082102
    Abstract: This invention presents a foldable and portable shielding device, which serves to protect the head, in particular the face, of a person against sunburning while sunbathing. Also, to protect small animals, sensitive flowers, objects like cameras, etc., from direct sunlight. At the same time the surface of the shielding elements may contain eye attracting matters, like names, slogans, pictures, decals, advertisements, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1978
    Inventor: Hans Herbert Heuer
  • Three-stage collapsible umbrella
    Patent number: 4080976
    Abstract: A three-stage collapsible umbrella of the type which has rib assemblies each comprising a main rib, support rib, roof rib and auxiliary support rib, which are arranged and mutually related so that the ribs are stretched and closed automatically in response to umbrella opening and closing operations, additional tip ribs pivotally connected to the ends of roof ribs which form, when the umbrella is opened, extensions of roof ribs and is folded, when the umbrella is closed, alongside the roof ribs, and elongate sliding means which are operatively connected to the rib assemblies and tip ribs so that the tip ribs are stretched automatically by the pulling action of the sliding means when the rib assemblies are stretched. Each of the elongated sliding means is supported so that the sliding means is independently movable by a small distance along the lengthwise direction thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1978
    Assignee: Asahi Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaaki Hirai
  • Vacuum cleaner wand
    Patent number: 4079965
    Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an improved wand for connecting a vacuum cleaner suction nozzle having an electric motor therein to a suction hose. A wand of this type normally serves as both a rigid handle for manipulating the nozzle and as a conduit for the passage of air from the nozzle to the hose. In addition, the present wand is provided with a sheath of preferably electrical insulating material for retaining an electric cord for supplying current to the motor in the nozzle from conductors carried by the suction hose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1976
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1978
    Assignee: Consolidated Foods Corporation
    Inventors: John J. Moughty, John T. Ferraris, William P. Ritzau, J. Fred Collins
  • Portable shelter
    Patent number: 4078572
    Abstract: A tent that has three radially disposed alcoves, each with sufficient space to accommodate two people so that it can serve as a six-man tent. The frame is a free-standing vaulted pole system of fiber glass rods and aluminum tubing connected by ferrules or hub-like members, and the cover is a suitable light-weight flexible material which can be fitted on the frame assembly to be distended thereby. The aerodynamic design of the erected tent deflects heavy wind loads, and the light weight of the components and their compactness when disassembled provides a highly desirable back-pack tent for use by as many as six campers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1976
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1978
    Inventor: Charles W. Moss
  • Shortenable umbrella
    Patent number: 4077420
    Abstract: A shortenable umbrella with blades carrying the umbrella canopy, the blades being shortenable by telescoping and/or folding, of which the innermost blade parts are pivoted on a crown secured on a shortenable rod assembly and respectively are horizontally pivotable by means of at least one fork by means of at least one slider, whereby each outermost blade part is hinged foldable onto the adjacent blade part by means of a control rod which acts on an extension of the outermost blade part. The inner-lying end of each control rod surrounds the fork associated therewith by means of a guide opening which is large in area with respect to the cross-section of the fork, the guide opening making possible a displacement of the inner-lying end of the control rod in the longitudinal direction of the fork and/or of the control rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1978
    Assignee: Kortenbach & Rauh Kommanditgesellschaft
    Inventors: Tilmann Schultes, Joachim Seidel
  • Awning apparatus for travel trailers, mobile homes, and the like
    Patent number: 4077419
    Abstract: Awning apparatus for travel trailers, mobile homes, and the like for canopy awnings of the type having a canopy attached at a fixed rail on the vehicle and at a wind-up roller bar. The roller bar includes springs for asserting wind-up tension on the canopy at all times such that movement of the roller bar from the canopy in-use position spaced from the vehicle to a storage position adjacent the vehicle is accompanied by an automatic wind-up of the canopy around the roller bar. A four point suspension system is provided for supporting the roller bar which includes side arms engageable with respective opposite ends of the roller bar and rafter arms engageable with the roller bar at positions intermediate the ends of the roller bar. To accommodate adjustment and connection of the rafter bars, the roller bar is provided with a slot engageable with an enlarged ball end portion of the rafter bars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1975
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1978
    Inventor: Phil Lux
  • Combination tent and frame therefor
    Patent number: 4077417
    Abstract: This invention relates to a novel tent construction characterized by at least two, and preferably four, identical subframes, each pair of which is connected together at the adjacent upper outside corners to produce in unfolded condition an inverted generally V-shaped frame when the lower marginal edges thereof are maintained in maximum fixed-spaced relation to one another by a foldable fabric floor stretched therebetween. When four subframes are employed, the second pair is connected to the first in end-to-end relation so as to double the length of the resulting frame. Each subframe includes a unique molded hub at the center thereof having four equiangularly-spaced sockets therein shaped to receive a ball on the inner end of a springable rib-forming strut for movement between a folded position nested alongside one another and an unfolded position arching radially therefrom in umbrella-like fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1976
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1978
    Assignee: T. A. Pelsue Company
    Inventor: Allan E. Beavers
  • Shortenable umbrella
    Patent number: 4077421
    Abstract: A shortenable umbrella with frame or blade parts carrying the umbrella canopy in opened condition, the frame parts being shortenable at least by a factor of two by telescoping or folding, of which the innermost parts are pivoted on a crown secured on a shortenable rod assembly and are horizontally pivotable by means of at least one slider by means of at least one set of forks, whereby each outermost blade part is hinged foldable on the adjacent blade part by means of a control rod which acts on an extension of each outermost blade part. A control piece is formed as a slide hinge which is displaceably guided on the fork, the slide hinge being articulated on the middle hinge by means of a connection portion spaced from the articulation point of the fork. The inner end of the control rod is articulated pivotally on the control piece, the movement of the fork actuating the control piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1978
    Assignee: Kortenbach & Rauh Kommanditgesellschaft
    Inventors: Tilmann Schultes, Joachim Seidel
  • Door closer
    Patent number: 4075734
    Abstract: A door closer has an inner cylinder receiving a piston slidably therein, an outer cylinder surrounding the inner cylinder to define a space therebetween, which space communicates with the interior of the inner cylinder at the opposite ends thereof, a piston rod extending from the piston out of one end of the inner cylinder and for connection to a door to urge it to the closed position, a valve mechanism disposed in the other end of the inner cylinder to control oil flow between the interior of the inner cylinder and the space. The door closer is mounted horizontally and a portion of the space is filled with high pressure gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1978
    Assignee: Tokico Ltd.
    Inventor: Tosiro Nagase
  • Collapsible tent frame
    Patent number: 4074682
    Abstract: A collapsible tent frame has all of its parts permanently connected to one another to provide a complete single unit and is easily changeable between a fully deployed condition, a partially deployed condition and a compact collapsed condition by simple manual manipulations. In either its fully deployed condition or its partially deployed condition, the frame is adapted to receive and support a tent fabric or other covering to provide a shelter lending itself to a variety of uses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1978
    Inventor: Chong J. Yoon
  • Walker with tray
    Patent number: 4074683
    Abstract: A walker for infirm individuals with provision for supporting a cradle for a removable tray, and the tray at the front of the walker. The cradle may be arranged to swing to remain level at all times or may be rigidly secured to the walker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1978
    Inventor: Anthony J. Di Chiara
  • Door closing device
    Patent number: 4073033
    Abstract: A door closing device of the type having a piston and cylinder is described, the piston being movable within the cylinder under the bias of a spring and being connected to an arm mechanism which is arranged to transmit movement of the piston into pivoting movement of a door and vice versa, the device including a number of by-pass channels arranged to bring portions of chambers separated by the piston into communication with one another, whereby to limit the speed of flow of a dampening medium contained in the cylinder and passing through the channels as the piston is reciprocated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1978
    Assignee: Stilexo Johansson & Co. Aktiebolag
    Inventor: Sven-Olof Lexnas
  • Tent having veranda-style extension
    Patent number: 4072158
    Abstract: Novel portable shelter apparatus including a side portion which can be detached along three of its four sides and raised to a substantially horizontal position, an extendable floor portion that can be unrolled from its normal storage position to an extended floor position underneath the raised side portion, and side wall netting operable to interconnect the raised side and extended floor portions to provide, within an insect-proof environment, a substantially increased floor space and increased user visibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1977
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1978
    Assignee: Thomas J. O'Brien
    Inventors: Thomas J. O'Brien, David A. Parsons, Virginia R. Harger
  • Collapsible wind and/or sunshade screen
    Patent number: 4069833
    Abstract: A collapsible wind and/or sunshade screen of the type comprising a screen sheet and a stand supporting the sheet. The stand includes a hub and a pair of outer ribs and an intermediary rib kept together at one end at the hub. The ribs are pivotally carried by the hub on axles in parallel relationship and at least approximately perpendicular to the portion of the screen sheet adjacent the hub. The screen includes means interconnected between the outer ribs and the intermediary rib for releasably maintaining the sheet in a fixed stretched condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1978
    Inventor: John Valter Johansson
  • Glide castors
    Patent number: 4069543
    Abstract: A glide castor comprises a two-part body assembly consisting of lower and upper mouldings fitted together. The lower moulding has a convex bottom ground-engaging surface and an integral upstanding boss with a bore for a mounting spindle. The upper moulding is of cap-like form and seats on a peripheral seating on the lower moulding. An integral inwardly projecting lip of the upper moulding provides snap-on engagement with said boss, thereby to hold the two mouldings together as an assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1978
    Assignees: Michael Joseph James, William Holroyd Thomas Baggs
    Inventor: Michael Joseph James
  • Castor fork assembly with protective surface
    Patent number: 4068343
    Abstract: A castor wheel having a fork at which upper part a rolling bearing is applied and being provided with a support means or support plate to which by bolt fastening a load or carriage can be connected, the support means being provided with a relatively thin, slightly deformable layer having projections which fit around the support means wherein the layer has projections which fit through bolt openings of the support means by means of a rim-part which resiliently fits over the edge of a bolt opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1978
    Assignee: SKF Industrial Trading and Development Company B.V.
    Inventor: Hendrikus Jacobus Maria Timmer
  • Awning type sunshade
    Patent number: 4068673
    Abstract: An awning type sunshade particularly for beaches, gardens and the like, comprising a supporting frame associated with a support member. At an intermediate point of the supporting frame the ends of a pair of telescoping arms are articulated. At their other ends, the arms are connected with the ends of a front member which is movable with respect to the supporting frame. The arms are pivotable at an intermediate point about a substantially perpendicular axis with respect to the front member direction of movement. The end of an awning is connected with the front member. The awning is connected at the other end thereof, with a take-up roller rotatably supported by the supporting frame. A means is provided for blocking or locking the rotation of the arms and/or the telescoping movement thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1978
    Inventor: Dario Bernardi
  • Inflatable umbrella
    Patent number: 4068675
    Abstract: An inflatable umbrella comprising a flexible canopy having at least one enclosed space adapted to be filled with a fluid for inflating the umbrella to an open condition. A self-contained compressible reservoir containing a fluid supply communicates with the enclosed space, and means are provided for compressing said reservoir, which may either be of the manual or automatic type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1978
    Inventor: George Pappanikolaou
  • Caster support structure
    Patent number: 4068342
    Abstract: An effective, relatively inexpensive, improved caster support structure can be manufactured by molding an appropriate polymer, preferably polypropylene, around a retainer forming a part of a conventional bearing into the shape of a housing. The housing is preferably shaped so as to include an elongated first cylinder which is coaxial with a second cylinder of greater diameter than the first. The bearing is located within a cavity at the end of a second cylinder remote from the first cylinder and is held in place because the portion of the retainer adjacent to the end of the second cylinder remote from the first is of smaller diameter than at least another portion of the retainer. The retainer is held against movement in such a way that it cannot be displaced by the shape of the retainer and housing and by a compressive type force resulting from a polymer orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1978
    Inventor: Vernon J. Carrier
  • Campers tenting with a combination of entry and support means
    Patent number: 4068674
    Abstract: An improvement in a lightweight camper's tent having a special combination of entry and support means wherein the support means opens and closes to permit the camper to enter and erect the canopies of the tent from the inside after entry. This arrangement is unique and allows the camper the alternative of sleeping in the open until the weather dictates that the tent be closed and this said closing may then be accomplished from the inside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1978
    Inventor: Hal D. Mitchell