Patents Examined by Douglas D. Watts
  • Patent number: 6568086
    Abstract: A pipe cutting apparatus comprises at least one work-holding fixture and a cutting device pivotable about the axis of the pipe to be cut and having a cutting tool and drive. The cutting device is movable manually and/or by means of at least one transmission gearing for the feed of the tool about the pipe to be cut. The transmission gearing has a spur gear interacting with a crown gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Georg Fischer Rohrverbindungstechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Herbert Kramer
  • Patent number: 6568081
    Abstract: An electrical shaver particularly useful for wet shaving includes a manually-grippable housing, and a cutter head removably attachable thereto along the outer edge of the cutter head. The cutter head includes at least one relatively sharp scraper edge located between the outer side of at least one cutter unit and the outer edge of the cutter head, but does not extend to the inner side of the cutter unit facing an adjacent cutter unit, such that the scraper edge is pressable into the skin, forwardly of the respective cutter unit, to erect hairs in the skin and to tauten the skin in advance of the respective cutter unit, with minimal irritation of the skin, as the cutter head is moved across the skin in the direction from the outer side towards the inner side of the respective cutter unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Inventor: Benjamin J. Barish
  • Patent number: 6568089
    Abstract: A reciprocating power tool includes a motor operatively connected with a drive assembly for driving a reciprocating shaft, on which a working tool is supported. The reciprocating power tool includes a base so that the tool may stand upright when resting upon the base without the use of external supports. A counterweight positioned inside of the drive housing minimizes vibration. The motor is preferably positioned so that its rotational axis is angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of the reciprocating shaft. This configuration of the motor produces a compact configuration for a reciprocating power tool and helps the tool stand upright upon the base of the tool. A battery may be provided in a cordless embodiment and is advantageously positioned for balancing the tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Porter-Cable/Delta
    Inventors: Matthew George Popik, Earl Roger Clowers, Mark Alan Etter, Thomas Arnold Mooty, Michael Anthony Lagaly, James Pierce Nichols, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6568090
    Abstract: A cosmetic pencil and sharpener comprises a cap and pencil portion having a sharpened head on a first end portion of the pencil, an elongated body and a second end portion. The cap includes a recess at one end to engage and cover the pencil head, an intermediate portion and a second closed end portion. The intermediate portion includes a raised angular section located adjacent a longitudinal slot in the cap wall. A blade is mounted to the angular section and extends downwardly into the slot. Rotation of the pencil sharpens the head against the blade while shavings drop outwardly from the slot due to a self-cleaning chisel point protrusion on the cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Inventors: Robert Sheffler, Charles Chang
  • Patent number: 6568085
    Abstract: An apparatus for removing golf club grips. The apparatus (10) includes a body (12) with an integral handle (14). The body further includes a shaft guide (16) with concave portions (18) and (20) for guiding the apparatus along the shaft of the golf club. The apparatus includes a pair of brackets (26) and (28) that are operative to releasably and adjustably hold inwardly curved blades (30) and (32). The apparatus is used to remove golf grips by placing the end of the golf club on the ground. The shaft of the club may then be placed adjacent the concave portions of the shaft guide. By pushing the apparatus along the club shaft the blades are operative to create two parallel slices in the grip along the club shaft. The cut out portion of the grip between the parallel slices is directed away from the shaft by a ramp (56).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Inventor: James M. Bede
  • Patent number: 6560877
    Abstract: A tool for preparing and treating food, such as knife, large fork, ladle, chopping board, etc., personalizable depending on the expected specific use, comprises a portion intended to come into contact with the food and a handle portion intended to allow the gripping of the tool by a user. The handle portion comprises at least one housing intended to house a distinguishing insert. The tool of the invention can thus be personalized by the user depending on the type of foodstuff for which it must be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Fiskars Montana S.r.l.
    Inventor: Gian Battista Sanelli
  • Patent number: 6560880
    Abstract: A versatile saw that can be used as a high-branch-pruning saw, etc., employing an annular internal toothed saw disk having internal teeth on its internal circumference. Each of a pair of openable holders support the periphery of an annular two-piece internal toothed saw disk and maintain the internal toothed saw disk in an annular form with the holders closed. An object is cut by the internal teeth by rotating the internal toothed saw disk maintained in an annular shape while being held by the holders along its periphery. The rotating internal toothed saw disk is capable of stopping at a prescribed position of the holder. Split internal toothed saw disks are held by the holders which are openable. The holders are opened to facilitate the placing of the object inside the internal toothed saw disk. In order to introduce the object inside the internal toothed saw disk, one part of the annular internal toothed saw disk can incorporate a cut section so that the saw disk can be opened at this cut section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Itoh Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuo Itoh
  • Patent number: 6560881
    Abstract: A shaving razor has a blade carrier, which may be part of a replaceable blade cartridge, pivotally supported by a main component or handle assembly, the main component and the blade carrier having cooperating convex and concave arcuate bearing surfaces whereby the carrier is movable about the pivot axis by sliding movement of the convex and concave bearing surfaces over one another, and a spring mechanism both holds the convex and concave bearing surfaces in engagement with one another and resiliently biases the carrier in one direction about the pivot axis toward a limit position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Warner-Lambert Company
    Inventor: David C. Coffin
  • Patent number: 6557262
    Abstract: A cutting apparatus having a pivotable blade holder includes a blade housing with an internal blade cavity with a blade opening to the outside of the housing. A blade holder adapted for removably retaining a cutting blade having a cutting edge is pivotally mounted within the housing for pivotal movement about a lateral pivot axis between a fully retracted position and a cutting position. The fully retracted position is such that the cutting edge of a cutting blade retained by the blade holder does not protrude through the blade opening to the outside of the blade housing. A cutting position is one in which the cutting edge of the cutting blade extends through the blade opening to the outside of the housing. A blade actuator accessible to a user from the exterior of the housing, when depressed, urges the blade holder into a cutting position while a biasing member normally biases the blade holder toward its fully retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Hyde Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Richard M. Clemence, Richard M. Farland, Eric Wilhelm
  • Patent number: 6553668
    Abstract: A rotary electric shaver with a plurality of individually rotating cutting elements contained within a circular head frame that provides planetary motion to the cutting elements by rotating the head frame around the single central drive shaft of a single electric motor within the shaver body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Inventor: Hy Steinberg
  • Patent number: 6553592
    Abstract: The object of this invention is to provide a nail clipper with supplementary functions. In the nail clipper, a folding plate (34) is rotatably mounted to the rear joint of the clipper's body such that it is rotatable between its folded position and its exposed position. A housing (30) is provided at the free end of the folding plate (34), with a flexible extension (39) extending from the housing (30) and designed to be changeable in its length and bent to be curved as desired. A light emitting device (31), used for illuminating a target place while clipping the nails, is set at the tip of the extension (39). The nail clipper also has a melody chip (42) for producing a melody, in addition to having a battery (40). In another embodiment, the light emitting device (31), melody chip (42) and battery (40) are held on a casing (50) covering the rear portion of the clipper's body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Inventors: Moonchill Yang, Moonsuk Yang
  • Patent number: 6553672
    Abstract: A folding knife locking mechanism is provided which prevents the inadvertent closure of a knife blade by utilizing a releasable tang which is compressed between the heel end of the folding knife blade and a stop pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Spyderco, Inc.
    Inventors: Louis S. Glesser, Peter H. Jhones, Vince Ford
  • Patent number: 6553673
    Abstract: A knife includes a casing and a blade which can have two positions, an extended position in which the blade projects outside the casing and a retracted position in which the blade is disposed within the casing, a blade carrier to which is connected the blade, a housing on which is slidably mounted the blade carrier and that is removably mounted within the casing, and a finger piece-pusher mounted slidably on the casing to move forwardly the blade carrier to place the blade in a cutting position. The blade carrier and finger piece-pusher are returned to the retracted position by return springs. Components are provided to secure the finger piece-pusher and the blade carrier together to place the blade in the extended position. The components are uncoupled by a conjoint action of rotation and extraction of the blade carrier relative to the finger piece-pusher, resulting from the cutting action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Mure & Peyrot, Societe a Responsabilite Limitee
    Inventors: Jean-Claude Peyrot, Marc Michiels
  • Patent number: 6553671
    Abstract: The present invention is an improved folding knife having a handle with opposing first and second sides and a rotatable blade coupled with the handle and moveable between a locked position at which the blade extends from the handle and an unlocked position. A slot is defined in the blade. A locking bar is coupled with the first side of the handle and has a free end biased toward the blade. The free end of the locking bar is received within the slot when the blade is in the locked position. An actuator member is disposed within the slot and is moveable with respect to the sides of the handle when the blade is in the locked position. The free end of the locking bar is forced from the slot of the handle when the actuator member is moved toward the first side of the handle so that the blade is rotatable to the unlocked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Inventor: Gary R. Blanchard
  • Patent number: 6550141
    Abstract: Razor heads comprising at least one blade and a plurality of guard elements over the leading edge at a plurality of intermediate portions. According to preferred embodiments, the guard elements are integrally molded with at least one or more of a blade support, spacer element(s), forward guard member and cap member. The use of integrally molded guard elements facilitate efficient, quicker and less expensive manufacturing, provide greater design flexibility, and provide greater blade stability. Additionally, in preferred embodiments, when the molded guard elements are aligned with spacers, these guard elements do not interfere with the rinsability of the razor head. The intermediate guard elements also provide additional sites for the placement of shaving aids and other skin flow control materials such as materials having a relatively high coefficient of friction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Warner-Lambert Company
    Inventors: David F. Rivers, Andrew Pennella, Paul D. Richard
  • Patent number: 6550148
    Abstract: A shaving razor comprises a finger grip consisting of a body having contoured sides, a top surface and a base. A razor head is affixed to the top surface. The finger grip sides are concave in shape to conform to and accommodate the shape of the user's fingers. When the finger grip is held between the user's fingers and the razor head is placed against the skin, the user's fingers are capable of contacting the skin adjacent to the razor head to provide sensory feed back to the user. The razor head is adapted to contain one or more blades, or pairs of blades, extending in a single direction for unidirectional shaving; or alternatively, the head may contain more than one blade, or pairs of blades, extending in opposite directions for bi-directional shaving. In different embodiments, the finger grip razor may be fitted with non-replaceable blades and is disposable or the razor grip may be fitted with replaceable blades and is reusable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Inventor: Corbett W. Cecil
  • Patent number: 6546633
    Abstract: A reciprocating saw includes a saw blade that is connected to a hand held driver for reciprocating the saw blade to perform a cut. A bit holder and a blade holder is used to provide connection between the saw blade and the handle of the hand held driver. The bit holder includes connecting mechanism for connecting the bit holder to the hand held driver. The blade holder provides a connection between the saw blade and the bit holder. The blade holder includes a holder body and a hex-shaped shank extending rearwardly from the holder body. The shank further includes a first holding mechanism for coupling the holder to the bit holder at the rear end and a second holding mechanism for coupling the saw blade to the holder at the forward end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Kelton W. Lovell, Timothy T. McKenzie, Jason Melvin
  • Patent number: 6546630
    Abstract: A hand-held measuring and cutting device for pliable tubing, man-made or natural cordage, roping, etcetera. The device comprises a plurality of demountably conjointed and diametrically opposing rigid substrates that house or provide surfaces for insertion therein or attachment thereto, a plurality of elements including a conventional type linear measuring counter for measuring pliable material prior to being cut. A blade and blade plunger, handle, compressor member, and feed hole being so disposed, attached or inserted therein or thereto, provide for single-hand operation of the measuring and cutting operation of the device. The device safely shrouds the cutting blade, and provides for quick and easy disassembly of the unit to change the blade or to access other internal mechanisms. Easy access to the complete interior including the waste ejection port, blade recess and all moving parts makes maintenance simple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Inventor: Francis J. Davison
  • Patent number: 6546631
    Abstract: An engine cutter which is simple in structure and low in manufacturing cost. This engine cutter comprises a disk cutter, an air-cooled internal combustion engine for rotating the disk cutter, a safety cover partially encasing the disk cutter, and a dust-trapping portion which is mounted on the safety cover for trapping and discharging dust to be generated from a cutting work by the disk cutter; and is characterized in that only single fan to be driven by the engine is provided not only for generating an air flow for sucking and discharging the dust that has been trapped in the dust-trapping portion but also for generating a cooling air flow for cooling the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Kioritz Corporation
    Inventors: Giichi Iida, Hirofumi Yamami
  • Patent number: 6543141
    Abstract: A safety ruler and guide used with a rotary cutter or the cutting tool for cutting fabric, the ruler designed to protect a user's first hand when holding the ruler on top of the fabric while the second hand is cutting the fabric with the cutting tool. The ruler has a vertical guard mounted exactly upright to a base guide, dividing the base equally into a first side and a second side. Each first side and second side display grids, ruler measurements and measuring scale to enable a right or left handed user to properly read and measure length and width of the fabric being cut. The first side and second side also include a ruler edge for measuring the length of fabric being cut, and serving as a guide and cutting edge for the rotary cutter. The user may then cut the fabric using the cutting tool without the cutting tool or fabric moving during cutting. In the event the cutting tool slips while cutting, the hand holding and applying pressure to the ruler is protected by the vertical guard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Inventor: Shirley Biehl