Patents Examined by Erica B. Harris
  • Patent number: 6715623
    Abstract: A collapsible shelving display is preferably fabricated, at least in part, from corrugated paperboard. Side wall assemblies are hingedly connected to a back wall to form a stand. The stand includes foldable shelf support members that are formed from portions cut from the back wall and partially cut from inner panels of the side wall assemblies. Shelves are pivotably attached to the back wall, and swingable between positions substantially parallel to the back wall to positions oblique or perpendicular to the back wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Stone Container Corporation
    Inventor: John Quintin Broerman
  • Patent number: 6715622
    Abstract: A device for displaying and serving individual-serving-size food items, such as bite-size appetizers. The device has a pedestal, a head fixed to and supported by the pedestal, and spikes for releasably fixing a plurality of the individual-serving-size food items on the head. The pedestal comprises a base and an upwardly-extending support member having an upper end fixed to the head and a lower end fixed to the base. The base includes a receptacle for containing and serving a complimentary accouterment to the appetizer such as a dipping sauce or marinade. The receptacle is removable from the base for filling, emptying and storing the food item contained therein. Preferably, all of the components of the device can be disassembled for cleaning and compact storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Inventors: Julie E. Keenan, Timothy M. Rupp
  • Patent number: 6712228
    Abstract: Mountable hanger apparatus and a kit of parts therefore for affixing preferably to door hinges. The hanger apparatus comprises an elongated member having top, intermediate, and bottom segments, all of which are longitudinally interconnectable along the axis of the elongated member. Each intermediate segment has end portions each directly interconnectable both rotatably and longitudinally with an end portion of a remaining segment. Preferably, each segment includes a tubular member having a passageway extending therethrough. All but the bottom end segment has one end portion swaged to a reduced diameter for insertion into an unswaged end portion of another tubular member. Resultantly, each intermediate segment can swivel or rotate independent of the top and bottom end segments. Support arms are fixedly attachable to each of the segments of the elongated member, and mounting brackets are fixedly attachable to the top and bottom end segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Inventor: Richard B. Lowe
  • Patent number: 6712226
    Abstract: A wall or ceiling mountable bracket, used in pairs, for storing and displaying board-based recreational equipment includes a generally U-shaped body having structurally-reinforced elongated front and rear portions and a spacer portion extending between and rigidly interconnecting them so as to hold them in a spaced apart relationship which forms an elongated channel between them being open at one end and along opposite sides and closed at an opposite end for receiving board-based recreational equipment in the channel. The bracket also includes structures providing access through the body to facilitate fastening the body with its rear portion located against a support structure. The access providing structures define at least two bores, one through the rear portion and the other through the spacer portion and through segments of the front and rear portions aligned with and connected to the spacer portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Inventor: James E. Williams, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6705473
    Abstract: A pamphlet display/dispenser, which can have interior height adjustment and/or dividers to accommodate all paper and pamphlet sizes, has a pamphlet container unit with a cavity to contain pamphlets biased to lie against the front wall to facilitate retrieval of the rearmost pamphlet and a front window, which can contain a further pamphlet or other material. A hinge enables the dispenser to open out into a walk-forward “open” mode to further facilitate retrieval of the rearmost pamphlet and in which position the pamphlet display/dispenser can be self-supporting, or the dispenser can be “closed” as a wall mounted unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Inventor: Peter Richard Schlesinger
  • Patent number: 6698603
    Abstract: An extendable rack is adapted for retaining one or more cantilever support(s) and is also adapted for attaching to a panel via a slide. The extendable rack comprises an elongated body including, at one side, a longitudinal channel for retaining one or more cantilever support(s); and, at another side, a longitudinal passage adapted for locating almost entirely the slide and for attaching permanently one side of it. Another side of the slide is firmly secured to the panel. In one embodiment, the longitudinal channel is C-shaped in cross section. Opposing niches are formed. Each opposing niche is adapted to capture at least a flange of at least one of several cantilever supports. In another embodiment, instead of the longitudinal channel, the elongated horizontal body comprises a central longitudinal wall extending, close to its top, outwardly and upwardly and forming a longitudinal top recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Inventors: Stephen Lawson, Christopher Isfeld
  • Patent number: 6698600
    Abstract: A socket suspension rack assembly with a quick release function includes a support rack, and a slide rack slidably mounted on the support rack. The support rack has a periphery provided with multiple positioning studs and has a side wall formed with multiple receiving channels. The support rack has multiple flexible positioning plates each retractably mounted in the positioning stud and each having an extension movably mounted in the receiving channel. The slide rack has a side wall provided with multiple flexible press blocks each rested on the extension of the flexible positioning plate. Thus, the socket maybe readily mounted on and removed from the positioning stud of the support rack, thereby facilitating the user employing the socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Inventor: Daniel Lee
  • Patent number: 6695153
    Abstract: A rack is designed to hold a plurality of pistol-type lawn sprinkler nozzles and is formed of a top frame and a bottom frame. The top frame is provided with a plurality of through slots for holding the barrels of the pistol-type sprinkler nozzles. The bottom frame is provided with a plurality of locating slots corresponding in location to the through slots of the top frame. Each of the locating slots is provided with a seat, a locating projection extending from the seat, and a confinement portion. The bottom end of the hand grip of the sprinkler nozzles is seated on the seat such that the locating projection is inserted into a center hole of the hand grip. The confinement portion is used to confine the control lever of the sprinkler nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Inventor: Hui-Chen Chao
  • Patent number: 6695154
    Abstract: A rack for supporting and displaying recreational boards wherein at least a portion of design features of each of the recreational boards is simultaneously available for visual inspection. The rack includes mounting members, an elongated support member, and securing members. The angle of and distance between each securing member is such that at least a portion of design features for each recreational board is simultaneously visible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Inventor: Amy M. Jacobs
  • Patent number: 6695156
    Abstract: A rack device includes one or more shelves, each having one or more collars for being detachably secured onto one or more posts with one or more sleeves. The sleeve includes an enlarged lower portion. The collar includes a bore for receiving the sleeve, and having a narrower middle portion and two greater end portions, for allowing the collar to be invertibly secured onto the enlarged lower portion of the sleeve, and for allowing either of the upper and the lower sides of the shelf to be arranged on the upper portion for supporting various objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Inventor: Chang Chou Wang
  • Patent number: 6679392
    Abstract: A hanger assembly comprises a housing, an outer rail, an inner rail and a slide member. The housing defines a chamber with at least one longitudinal opening. Within the chamber, the outer rail is fixedly mounted in a substantially parallel position relative to the longitudinal axis of the housing. The inner rail is slidingly engaged to the outer rail. The slide member is slidingly engaged to the inner rail. At least a portion of the slide member extends from the chamber through the at least one opening in the housing. The slide member is constructed and arranged to be moveable relative to the inner rail and the inner rail is constructed and arranged to be moveable relative to the outer rail, such that when the slide member is moved relative to the inner rail, the inner rail is simultaneously moved relative to the outer rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Sidelines, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles A. Costa
  • Patent number: 6668847
    Abstract: A collapsible structure has a base panel that includes separate first and second sides, a foldable frame member having a folded and an unfolded orientation, and a fabric material covering portions of the frame member to form the base panel when the frame member is in the unfolded orientation. The structure also includes first and second loops, each loop having a foldable frame member having a folded and an unfolded orientation. The first side of the base panel is coupled to the first loop, and the second side of the base panel is coupled to the second loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Patent Category Corp.
    Inventor: Yu Zheng
  • Patent number: 6669035
    Abstract: An indexing parts rack for supporting a plurality of objects includes an elongated track having a longitudinal axis and at least one hanger assembly mounted on the track. The hanger assembly is movable along the track in a direction of the longitudinal axis and is rotatable about the longitudinal axis. The indexing parts rack also includes a stop positioned adjacent the track whereby when no object is supported from the hanger assembly, the hanger assembly assumes a first position relative to the longitudinal axis to enable the hanger assembly to move along the track past the stop. When an object is supported from the hanger assembly, the hanger assembly rotates relative to the longitudinal axis to a second position to engage the stop and prevent the hanger assembly from moving past the stop along the track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Olimpia Maria Hernandez, Mark Lyjak
  • Patent number: 6666341
    Abstract: A rack includes a flexible planar backboard to which pairs of flexible resilient loops are fixed in rows. The lower ends in each pair are spaced apart by a distance which is less than the transverse dimension of the article to be supported, while the upper ends are spaced apart at a distance which is greater than the transverse dimension. The backboard is preferably formed of sheet plastic less than 1.0 mm thick so that it can be rolled up. The loops may be formed of plastic tubing having end faces received against the backboard and retained by unformed rivets received through holes in the backboard. The loops can be formed integrally with the backboard by stamping out straps which remain attached at a proximal ends, and fixing the distal ends into apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Joey Manic, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph G. Boron
  • Patent number: 6666344
    Abstract: A book shelf support for standing on a floor and unattachably abutting against a wall. The book shelf support includes a pair of uprights and a pair of criss-cross braces. The pair of uprights stand on the floor and unattachably abut against the wall. The pair of criss-cross braces attach the pair of uprights to each other. Each upright of the pair of uprights has a lowermost end that extends inwardly away from the wall and downwardly onto the floor, and as a result thereof, allows the support to stand on the floor and unattachably abut against the wall. Each brace of the pair of criss-cross braces includes two pieces that telescope relative to each other so as to allow for length adjustment and relative orientation of the pair of criss-cross braces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Inventor: Wallace Schneider
  • Patent number: 6659291
    Abstract: An anti-theft security device locks to a display board such as pegboard or slatboard to prevent the removal of the device from the display board and to prevent rapid removal of merchandise hanging from the device. Hooks are inserted in holes in the display board to connect the base of the device to the display board. The base includes an outer member and an inner member from which a pair of parallel rods extend outwardly away from the display board. The outer member is locked to the inner member to lock the device to the display board. The end assembly may pivot about one rod to an unlocked position to allow an employee to rapidly load items of merchandise onto the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Alpha Security Products, Inc.
    Inventors: David Huehner, Robert J. Michael, Michael Jaeb, Dennis D. Belden, Jr., Todd H. Christian, Nicholas M. Sedon
  • Patent number: 6655536
    Abstract: A device for displaying merchandise on a store shelf provides for arranging articles in rows with a pusher device for pushing the remaining articles forward on the shelf as each article is removed. A coiled spring operates to drive the pusher device for each row, the spring extending along a side rail having a hollow center in which the spring rides, the rail thus acting as a shield for the spring and preventing hand contact therewith which might cause injury.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Inventors: Merit Jo, Merit William
  • Patent number: 6651831
    Abstract: A suction cup is mounted to each end of the tension rod by a mounting part. The mounting part has a body with a cylindrical recess to receive the rod end and a circular end part with a planar end surface with an opening. The enlarged hemispherical head portion of the suction cup is received in the opening such that the cup portion of the suction cup is proximate the end surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Ex-Cell Home Fashions, Inc.
    Inventor: David Samelson
  • Patent number: 6648155
    Abstract: A display rack includes two main frames (1) with a top rail (12) and a bottom rail (13). A shelf (3) has two sidebars (31) and each sidebar has two holes (311) for four posts (2) extending therethrough and connected between the top rail and the bottom rail. A threaded hole (321) is defined in each end of each of the sidebars and communicates with the hole corresponding thereto. Four bolts (33) respectively extend through the threaded holes and contacting the posts to position the shelf.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Inventor: Huei-Ming Wang
  • Patent number: 6644484
    Abstract: A clothing rack assembly and system has two or more racks each with a chassis and a pair foldable arms. A pair of support frames are detachably connected to the arms and each includes a pair of upright members made of hollow square tubing. Three sides of the tubing have a line of support holes for supporting hooks of an accessory. The accessory is preferably a hanging rod for connected two of the racks together, and for displaying hanging merchandise in the space between the racks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Inventor: Peter N. Sardis