Patents Examined by Elizabeth A Plummer
  • Patent number: 9222261
    Abstract: Building design data is input into a computer to make a series of wall frames for a building. Operational instructions from the computer are used to fabricate members of the frames, fill the frames with insulating material and apply and external waterproof coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Weeks Holdings Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kevin Weeks
  • Patent number: 9222251
    Abstract: Concrete coupling assembly comprises a base holder for being attached to a concrete forming surface, the base holder including a central opening; a coupler having one end disposed within the central opening, the coupler having an axis for being positioned substantially transverse to the forming surface, the coupler having first and second threaded bores through the one end for attachment of a threaded rod; and a separate anchor body threadedly attached to another end of the coupler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Inventor: Thomas M. Espinosa
  • Patent number: 9216826
    Abstract: A passenger seating arrangement for an aircraft cabin that includes first and second adjacent columns of at least two seats that define a first longitudinally extending center axis that extends approximately parallel to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft cabin. The seats in the first column face away from and form an angle with the first axis of between about 1° and about 44°, and the seats in the second column face away from and form an angle with the first axis of between about 1° and about 44°. Each seat in the first column is staggered fore of a seat in the second column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Zodiac Seat Shells U.S. LLC
    Inventors: Ben Orson, Zhao Jin
  • Patent number: 9217256
    Abstract: An edge lift anchor for a concrete product, the anchor having a head portion for coupling to lifting equipment and an anchoring portion, and a separate member mounted on the anchor and having integral legs extending to each side of the anchoring portion to increase the lifting capacity of the anchor. Alternatively or in addition, the separate member may provide a mounting for a tension bar to increase the lifting capacity. The invention also provides a support chair for retaining the edge lift anchor, together with an associated shear bar and tension bar if present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Inventor: Robert Sladojevic
  • Patent number: 9215847
    Abstract: A remotely operable anchoring system for a mobile irrigation apparatus includes anchoring units mounted to irrigation towers. The anchoring units are remotely operable through a control module and have anchor members which, upon command, can be moved by the anchoring units from a retracted position to an extended position in which each anchor member penetrates and anchors itself into the soil beneath the irrigation tower. Upon command, after the danger of high wind has passed, each anchor member may be retracted from the extended position to the retracted position in preparation for future use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Inventor: Wesley Allen Bainter
  • Patent number: 9211820
    Abstract: A child safety seat has a seat bottom, a seat back coupled to the seat bottom at a seat bight region, and a seating surface defined by the seat bottom and seat back to support a child occupant. A structural element is coupled to the seat bottom, the seat back, or both. A bumper has a substantially rigid component or portion and is mounted to the structural element and protrudes from a side of the child safety seat. The bumper is positioned to redirect energy from a side impact with the child safety seat away from the seat back, the seat bottom, or both and to the structural element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Allen, Drew Kitchens, Daniel Brunick, William Conway
  • Patent number: 9206595
    Abstract: A system of integrated structural components, designed to fit and connect together using no tools other than human hands, allowing persons with little or no construction experience to assemble floored/partitioned/roofed structures of variable shape(s) and surface area(s). Flooring panels are inserted and secured into flooring frames that have been inserted and secured into frame connectors. Flooring frames may be anchored into an outdoor installation surface for long term use. Certain configurations of the frame connector allow for the installation of variable height partition supports, as well as partition panels. A special configuration of the flooring frame allows for wheeled implement/conveyance access to the floored surface from the surrounding surface. Open, unfloored areas may be created within the periphery of a structure. Roof panels are installed onto and supported by roof brackets, roof beams and integrated gutter sections. Precipitation is conveyed to downspout pipes and fittings via downspouts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Inventor: Richard Bruce Rutledge
  • Patent number: 9200437
    Abstract: A water resistant expansion joint system for installation into a building joint in vertical and horizontal configurations is designed such that it can be used for either an inside or outside corner. The system comprises open celled foam having a water-based acrylic chemistry infused therein. A layer of an elastomer is disposed on the open celled foam and is tooled to define a profile to facilitate the compression of the expansion joint system when installed between coplanar substrates. The system is delivered to a job site in a pre-compressed state ready for installation into the building joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: EMSEAL JOINT SYSTEMS LTD.
    Inventors: Lester Hensley, Bill Witherspoon
  • Patent number: 9194149
    Abstract: An improved layout for a manufacturing facility is disclosed. The layout includes a production area which includes a hub which is at least partially surrounded by a production corridor. The production corridor comprises production stages used in the manufacturing process. The hub, having direct line-of-sight to the production stages, can easily monitor the manufacturing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: BEACONS PHARMACEUTICAL PTE. LTD.
    Inventor: Wei Chak Joseph Lam
  • Patent number: 9187895
    Abstract: The disclosure concerns to rooms or buildings constructed by raising walls using prefabricated blocks made of Portland cement mortar reinforced with steel fibers. The prefabricated blocks are stable without requiring a mortar mixture, or any additional internal or external structural support for the construction of the walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Inventor: Alberto Rodriguez Carassus
  • Patent number: 9181705
    Abstract: A protective covering helps to prevent fastener leaks from roof installed fasteners, which are used to mount roofing systems, such as a solar panel installation system, to roofs with a mounting bracket attached to the roof. The protective covering is a portion of flat, malleable waterproof material molded to form a cover, forming a rounded or peaked triangular-shaped structure when viewed from the side. The triangular shaped structure includes a base and a hypotenuse portion where the line of the roof acts as a side which is covered by at least the hypotenuse portion. The hypotenuse portion meets the roof at an angle. The covering is adapted for insertion under portions of a roof shingle, and extends back in a slight rise (downwardly with respect to the roof) to cover the fastener and L-shaped bracket, which the fastener fastens to the roof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Inventor: Carlo John Lanza
  • Patent number: 9173507
    Abstract: Wall mounting assemblies and methods are disclosed. The assembly includes a bracket that has two frame members coupled at a hinge. Each frame member has a hook for engaging a recess or slot on a panel. The assembly further includes a panel that has edges that are configured to engage the edges of adjacent panels, without the need for tilting the panel to engage. Each panel has two slots for receiving the bracket. Bending the two frame members on the bracket causes the bracket's hooks to lock into the slots on the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Parallax Group International, LLC
    Inventor: Bruce A. Thrush
  • Patent number: 9175483
    Abstract: An attachment device has a first member and a second member. The first member connects to a wall or another structure and the second member connects to a component, such as a piece of molding or decking, to be mounted to the wall or the other structure. The first and second members can be joined, such as by a snap fit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Dennis M. Pierret
    Inventor: Dennis M. Pierret
  • Patent number: 9174737
    Abstract: An aircraft passenger seat configured to recline and including a seatpan pivotally attached to a seatback, a spreader defining a non-linear guide path controlling the seatpan angle as the seat reclines, translating seatback linkage defining a non-linear guide path controlling the seatback angle as the seat reclines, and a drive link arranged to translate horizontally relative to the spreader to drive seat recline motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Beroth, Javier Valdes De La Garza, Daniel Udriste
  • Patent number: 9174828
    Abstract: A portable, lightweight lift system employing one or more lift assemblies that counters effects of staging is disclosed. The lift system includes multiple lift assemblies, wherein each assembly may be connected to a lifting device such as a hydraulic or motorized jack. A lifting device comprises moving parts which are nested such that the difference in diameters of each of the moving parts is minimized. In one aspect, the lifting device is provided with an arrangement of seals such that, the working area of a smaller diameter tube is greater than the working area of a larger diameter tube causing the smaller tube to move before the larger tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Inventor: Van Stokes
  • Patent number: 9169632
    Abstract: A building support structure has a rigid support body for supporting a building, and a pressurized gas structure provided in the support body. The pressurized gas structure is provided in the support body so as to apply a vertical tension force to the support body. The pressurized gas structure may be a pressure chamber which is provided in the support body, or a saclike membrane. The saclike membrane is connected to the support body under a vertical compression force which is applied by the support body, thereby the saclike membrane applies a vertical tension force to the support body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Inventor: Tatsuya Endo
  • Patent number: 9170044
    Abstract: Example panel assemblies with frost inhibiting seal members are disclosed herein. Some example panel assemblies disclosed herein are particularly suited for creating a blast freezer (for food and other products) by using the panels in cordoning off a relatively small quick-freeze area within a larger freezer room. In some examples disclosed herein, a touch-and-hold fastener (e.g., VELCRO) connects two or more insulated flexible panels along their adjoining vertical edges to span the width of a supporting frame that is wider than a width of a single panel. To seal the joint and/or inhibit frost from developing along the joint, some example panel assemblies disclosed herein include a seal member with touch-and-hold elements plus sealing edges extending laterally in opposite directions. In some examples disclosed herein, the touch-and-hold elements couple two panels together while the sealing edges (e.g., foam strip or double looped sheet of material) block air from flowing through the touch-and-hold elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: RITE-HITE HOLDING CORPORATION
    Inventor: David J. Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 9169650
    Abstract: The present disclosure concerns embodiments of a stair tread which can be installed on a staircase. The stair tread has a metal core at least partially covered with high-strength concrete. In an exemplary embodiment, the core portion has first and second horizontally extending metal plates that are spaced apart vertically from each other, and a grid of vertically extending metal support walls positioned between the first and second metal plates. The core portion can also include retention elements extending upwardly from and distributed across the top of the upper plate for securing the concrete covering to the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Inventor: William Gardner
  • Patent number: 9166087
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the photovoltaic generation of electrical energy. The present invention relates more particularly to photovoltaic arrays for use in photovoltaically generating electrical energy. Aspects of the present invention provide a variety of photovoltaic roofing elements and systems that include, for example, interlocking geometries to provide for water handling and integration with conventional roofing materials; wire management features that can protect wiring and associated electrical components from physical and/or environmental damage; and wind clip and ledge features configured to prevent against wind uplift of the photovoltaic roofing elements when installed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: CertainTeed Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Chihlas, Robert Jenkins, Robert Livsey, Chris Fisher, Alex Nash
  • Patent number: 9163407
    Abstract: A split-flashing composition for covering a protrusion from a roof, having a flange for sealing to a roof surface with an in-plane spiral closed-loop opening with first and second end portions connected together in an off-set manner, and a generally conical collar portion that extends from the flange portion, the collar portion having a curved wall section and a planar wall section that define an internal volume within the collar portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: SEAMAN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jerry Beall