Patents Examined by Daniel Gambrill
  • Patent number: 5904344
    Abstract: A floor lock assembly for a playpen prevents collapse of the apparatus when it is occupied by a child, whereby a potential safety problem is obviated. In a typical playpen collapsible frame, a lower frame assembly is comprised of a pair of parallel connecting rod units pivotally joined to a pair of crossing rod assemblies. The floor lock assembly extends between the pivoting intersections of the crossing rod units, and includes a pair of rigid linking members extending in opposed relationship from a lock bracket, each linking member pivotally joined to one of the pivoting intersections of the crossing rod units. Each linking member is limited in angular range in its pivoting relationship to the lock bracket, whereby the lock bracket may be supported by the linking members (when the lower frame is in a deployed configuration) in a generally horizontal overcenter disposition beneath a medial portion of the floor panel of the playpen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1999
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Lenard E. Pope, Robert John Warner, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5896688
    Abstract: A scrolling sign that includes a plurality of webs each having indicia which are displayed through a window on the sign face. The plurality of webs are disposed in vertical and horizontal alignment with one another. Each of the webs are disposed between a forward and a reverse web roll. A plurality of forward and reverse web rolls are rotatably mounted to a modular unit such that the individual web rolls are aligned. A drive shaft passes through each of the web rolls and is engageable with only one of the web rolls at a time. The engagement of the drive shaft with the web rolls, as well as rotation of the individual web rolls is manual. The drive shaft includes a driving mechanism which prevents the drive shaft from being rotated in an improper direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Milwaukee Sign Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Robert B. Aiken, Robert C. Clapper
  • Patent number: 5896690
    Abstract: Base mouldings useful to form shadow boxes from a multitude of commonly-available decorative frame parts comprise three-dimensional lengths of wood or the like provided with an eight-sided, right-angled cross-section comprising a top side, a bottom side, a left side, a right side, an upper two-sided rabbet between the top side and the right side and a lower two-sided rabbet between the bottom side and the right side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: T I Industries Inc.
    Inventor: Herbert Suesholtz
  • Patent number: 5896687
    Abstract: A double-layered and bi-directional rotary decoration including a base seat assembly, a driving mechanism, a lower rotary mechanism and an upper rotary mechanism. When a driving motor of the driving mechanism drives a first gear to rotate, a second and a third gears are rotated in a reverse direction and a fourth gear is rotated in the same direction as the first gear so that the lower rotary mechanism disposed with first decorative articles and the upper rotary mechanism disposed with second decorative articles are rotated in reverse directions to achieve a double-layered and bi-directional live visual effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Inventor: Szu Wei Lo
  • Patent number: 5890749
    Abstract: A connector is provided for a small diameter pipe that has been formed to include an annular swelled part near the end of the pipe. The connector includes a body with a communication hole extending axially therethrough. A chamber extends axially into one end and joins the communication hole. A window is formed through portions of the connector body defining the chamber, and a pawl extends across the window. The pawl includes a central portion that projects into the chamber. The pawl is configured to engage the annular swelled part of the pipe for holding the pipe in the connector body. The connector further includes a releasing member rotatably mounted around the connector body in proximity to the pawl. Outer circumferential portions of the releasing member define a cam wall configured such that rotation of the releasing member into a selected rotational orientation will deflect the pawl outwardly to enable release of the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1999
    Assignee: Usui Kokusai Sangyo Kaisha Limited
    Inventors: Kazumi Fukaya, Hideo Ryuu
  • Patent number: 5875521
    Abstract: An apparatus for operating a front door of a VCR to enable the front door to pivot inward and outward with respect to the VCR. The apparatus has a door supporting member integrally formed at ends thereof with a first pivot shaft and a second pivot shaft respectively, a first bracket for rotatably supporting the first pivot shaft, a second bracket for rotatably supporting the second pivot shaft, a first spring device for returning the door to an initial position where the door closes the cassette inlet, and a second spring device for pivoting the door inward. The first spring device has a first flange and a first spring, and the second spring device has a second flange and a second spring. The apparatus can simplify the structure of a VCR and can prevent a door and a VCR case from colliding with each other, thereby reducing the noise generated by the VCR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Daewoo Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ji-Sung Woo
  • Patent number: 5865472
    Abstract: A compensator 11 comprises a housing 14 and a sliding ram 13, which is displaceable along a sliding seat 17. The sliding ram 13 includes a flow channel portion 21, which transitions into an elbow bend 30, which, in the operating state, i.e., when hot polymer melt flows through the compensator, is congruent with a further flow channel portion 20. The two flow channel portions 20, 21 have flanges 28 and 29 at their end faces for the installation of the compensator 11 at a bend in a melt line through which a polymer felt flows, to compensate for linear expansions of the melt line due to the increased temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Assignee: Hoechst Trespaphan GmbH
    Inventor: Albrecht Freynhofer
  • Patent number: 5848488
    Abstract: A sign adapted to be quickly and easily attached to and removed from a rope. The sign has a split-T portion defining flexible arms. The arms are bent to allow the rope to slide through transition slots to ultimately enter rope engaging channels. The arms are then released so that the transition slots have a width which restricts passage of the rope, thereby confining the rope to the rope engaging channels. The deflecting portions of the arms are located near the center of the sign to correspond with the natural position of a person's thumbs when holding the sign. The sign allows a new method for attaching a sign to a rope to be used, in which both arms are simultaneously bent from the center of the sign to insert the rope in the rope engaging channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Assignee: Interstate Graphics
    Inventor: John V. Norwood