Patents Examined by Frances Han
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Patent number: 5863073Abstract: A secure manner for issuing travellers cheques and other instruments is provided which overcomes many of the shortcomings associated with known devices. In particular, the present invention provides a device which permits an issuer of prepaid instruments to securely provide credit, replacement, or reimbursement to a purchaser who has lost or had stolen a prepaid instrument.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1996Date of Patent: January 26, 1999Assignee: American Express Travel Related ServicesInventor: John M. Taskett
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Patent number: 5862581Abstract: A joint for coupling corrugated or ribbed pipe segments, including helical ribbed pipe segments, end-to-end includes a segment of corrugated or ribbed pipe having a plurality of corrugations or ribs spaced axially along the segment's outer surface, a spigot portion at an end of the segment where the corrugations or ribs have been partially removed to form annular bosses, an annular gasket positioned in the spigot portion, and a cylindrical coupling positioned over the spigot portion and gasket. The outer diameter of the coupling is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the corrugations or ribs, and the inner diameter of the coupling is larger than the outer diameter of the bosses such that a gap is formed between the coupling and the spigot portion. The gasket is sized to have a radial thickness slightly larger than the gap such that the gasket forms an air-tight seal between the spigot portion and the coupling when the spigot portion and gasket are inserted into the coupling.Type: GrantFiled: December 24, 1996Date of Patent: January 26, 1999Assignee: Contech Construction Products, Inc.Inventors: Lyle Eugene Miller, James William Shade
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Patent number: 5863072Abstract: A data tag(1) for a writing implement (8) fitted with a clip (7). The clip has a longitudinal recess in its underside facing the writing implement (8). The tag is a strip of material (1) with a tab (2). The tab is insertable into the clearance between the writing implement (8) and the clip (7). The tab (2) is fitted at its top side facing the clip (7) with a folded and raised lip (5) which, in the insertion mode of the tab (2), snaps into the recess (11) and rests against the clip (7) in a direction opposite that of insertion. A resting edge (3, 4) is present on each side of the tab (2) and can be made to abut both the affixing end (10) of the clip (7) and the clip bead resting against the writing implement (8) for the purpose of limiting depth of insertion of the tab (2).Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 1996Date of Patent: January 26, 1999Assignee: Pelikan GmbHInventor: Gerhard F. Sommer
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Patent number: 5862579Abstract: A method of manufacturing a file fastener from a flat metal strip having top and bottom surfaces with narrow side surfaces therebetween, includes providing an elongate body portion. A prong extends from each end of the body portion, with at least the side surfaces of the prongs having a protective coating. The invention extends to a method of manufacturing a string of file fasteners, each file fastener being of a flat metal strip having an elongate body portion. A prong extends from each end of the body portion, with the file fasteners being connected via frangible bridges.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 1997Date of Patent: January 26, 1999Assignee: Press Engineering (Proprietary) CompanyInventor: Murray B. Blumberg
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Patent number: 5857706Abstract: A puzzle book having a front cover, a back cover, a plurality of pages disposed between the front and back covers, and a puzzle disposed on the exterior side of the front cover. The puzzle is composed of a plurality of interlocking puzzle pieces which are disposed in a cavity formed in the exterior side of the front cover. Each of the puzzle pieces has a portion of a printed image formed thereon and a plurality of interlocking portions. The cavity in which the puzzle pieces are disposed may have a shape defined by an internal perimeter of a border area, and the border area may have a plurality of interlocking portions which mate with the interlocking portions of the puzzle pieces to help hold the puzzle pieces within the cavity when the front cover of the puzzle book is opened. The puzzle book may also be provided with a single sheet of transparent material which covers at least a portion of the puzzle and which is removable from the front cover.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 1997Date of Patent: January 12, 1999Assignee: R. R. Donnelley & Sons CompanyInventor: Thomas P. McQueeny
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Patent number: 5855396Abstract: A postcard comprising a generally planar portion having a front face adapted to receive and hold a photographic print, the postcard further comprising a stand extendible from the reverse face of the planar portion and operable to permit the planar portion to be stood on its side.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 1996Date of Patent: January 5, 1999Assignee: Patrick Simpson-JonesInventors: Patrick Simpson-Jones, Jean-Jacques Degas
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Patent number: 5855395Abstract: A printer blank for a computer system printer is disclosed. The blank has a contiguous pressure adhesive backed label section and may also have a larger plain paper section separated from the label section by a perforation line. The label section is comprised of a plurality of adhesive backed labels and a backing sheet, including a main label portion and at least one smaller auxiliary label. A preferred blank comprises a plurality of auxiliary labels. In use, at least one, but preferably not all, of the auxiliary labels on such a preferred blank are simultaneously removed from the backing sheet with the main label portion. Any auxiliary label(s) simultaneously removed with the main label but not printed upon are readily separated from the main label.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 1997Date of Patent: January 5, 1999Assignee: Automatic Business Products, Inc.Inventors: Richard W. Foote, Richard Young
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Patent number: 5852858Abstract: A non-toxic highly frangible training round bullet, and a method of making same, in which a plurality of segments of non-toxic metal selected from a group including zinc, iron, steel and copper are grouped or arranged within pressure-molding equipment and sufficient pressure is applied thereto to cause such segments to inter-engage and cohere, one to another, while being formed into a desired shape of bullet and retaining their individuality at least to a limited extent. Upon impact with a target, such a bullet fragments to a large extent along at least some of the original physical boundary lines of the original segments into new segments which are relatively small as compared to the size of the original segments. There is no substantial ricocheting or "bounce-back" activity associated with such fragmentation and, of course, there are no toxic effects.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 1996Date of Patent: December 29, 1998Assignee: Federal-Hoffman Inc.Inventors: John M. Hallis, Richard W. Proulx
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Patent number: 5848809Abstract: An assembly for mailing an article requiring special services and a method for mailing same are provided. The assembly includes a single sheet constructed in such a way that one portion of the sheet provides a label and the other portion provides a return postcard or other special service form for attachment to an envelope in its assembled position. The return postcard is integrally formed, but removably attached, such that the return postcard remains attached to the envelope until received by the addressee, at which time the return postcard may be removed.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 1997Date of Patent: December 15, 1998Inventor: Glenn Petkovsek
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Patent number: 5845941Abstract: A clip binder for holding paper which does not require damaging the material to be held within the clips. The clip binder has a front cover, a binder spine, a back cover and a pair of clips mounted on each end of the binder spine. The clips have a clip spine and two retainer walls which together define the jaws within which the paper is inserted. The clips are positioned perpendicularly to the binder spine such that the jaws face each other and are at right angles to the binder spine. The height of the retainer walls are constructed low so that the papers can be easily leafed through and without and fold back problems. In an alternative embodiment, the clips are slidably mounted to the binder spine. In yet another embodiment, the clips are rotatably mounted to the binder spine.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 1996Date of Patent: December 8, 1998Inventor: Shivi Fotedar
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Patent number: 5842807Abstract: A ring binder adapted to be secured to an article by at least one integral rivet, the ring binder comprising a substantially rigid integral upper plate supporting a pair of pivotable lower plates to which a plurality of ring members are mounted, the rivet comprising (1) a barrel that is in direct engagement with the upper plate and (2) a plurality of claws for securing the article, wherein at least 75% of said claws extend away from a longitudinal axis of the barrel. Also disclosed is a rivet adapted to secure a ring binder to an article, the rivet comprising (1) a barrel for engaging the ring binder and (2) a plurality of claws for securing the article, wherein at least a majority of the claws generally extend away from a longitudinal axis of the barrel.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 1996Date of Patent: December 1, 1998Assignee: World Wide Stationery Manufacturing Company LimitedInventor: Chun Yuen To
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Patent number: 5836711Abstract: An adapter for holding a spiral bound booklet in a multiple ring notebook. The adapter comprises a flat carrier with holes to receive the notebook rings and supports an elongated rod which passes through the spirals of the spiral binding. End crowns are removable to allow removal of the elongated rod from the spirals.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 1997Date of Patent: November 17, 1998Inventor: Richard M. Stewart
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Patent number: 5829790Abstract: A single unit greeting card kit is provided having associated stickers for customizing and personalizing a greeting card portion. An integrated envelope may also be provided.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 1996Date of Patent: November 3, 1998Assignee: NCR CorporationInventor: Richard L. Phillips
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Patent number: 5829115Abstract: Riveting apparatus wherein a planetary roller screw delivers the high forces required for actuating the fastener upset tooling. In order that precise control of the entire upset operation may be obtained, a servo-controlled electric motor operates the actuator. In order that different machining operations may be performed on a workpiece without having to provide an actuator for each tool, the tools are engaged in turn by the actuator for performing riveting and other machining in succession.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 1996Date of Patent: November 3, 1998Assignee: General Electro Mechanical CorpInventors: Thomas H. Speller, Jr., Bernhard Kittelberger, Robert J. Kellner, Mark J. Andrews, Bradley M. Roberts
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Patent number: 5827004Abstract: A sliding loose leaf binder having a fixed part and a movable part is provided. The fixed part comprises a first base member, a plurality of mounting apertures, a plurality of a first top and bottom members of mating tracks, a plurality of first ring elements, and first elements of releasable locking means. The movable part comprises a second base member, a plurality of second top and bottom members of mating tracks, a plurality of second ring elements, and second elements of releasable locking means.The sliding loose-leaf binder can be open or closed by sliding the movable part in or out toward the fixed part along the mating tracks.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 1997Date of Patent: October 27, 1998Inventor: Dong Chan Kim
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Patent number: 5827003Abstract: A ring binder having an upper and a lower cover blank joined by a flexible rear blank. The binder has at least two aligning tongues extending from the lower cover blank to the upper cover blank for retaining perforated paper. Each aligning tongue is formed as a leaf spring and has a root section, a center section and a tip section, wherein the sides of the center section being narrower than the root. The binder has U-shaped brackets on the upper cover blank for receiving the aligning tongues. A tie section of U-shaped cross section is attached substantially perpendicular to the root section. The tie section has legs having flanges extending outwardly from the free end of the legs. The aligning tongues are configured to be integral with one of the flanges via a reduced cross section in the lower portion of the aligning tongues.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 1996Date of Patent: October 27, 1998Assignee: Off Data GmbHInventor: Winfried Konig
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Patent number: 5823573Abstract: The present invention is a new design for loose-leaf pages which can store for easy retrieval both photographs and corresponding films on the same page so that we can quickly get the right film for a particular photograph. The main structure of the present invention includes three sections of pockets for storing photographs and their corresponding film. The loose-leaf page includes a first section with six pockets that can store six photographs arranged in two columns and three rows on each page. The second section of the page has pockets with an open edge in the center for storing either three, four, five or a maximum of up to six consecutive films. The third section of the page has a pocket for holding a single film or two consecutive films.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 1996Date of Patent: October 20, 1998Inventor: Jih-Cheng Chang
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Patent number: 5823575Abstract: An advertising check (10) having a checking account name (12A) printed thereon. The advertising check (10) further has a check pay endorsement (14A) printed thereon. The advertising check (10) further has a check date (14B) printed thereon positioned above and adjacent to the check pay endorsement (14A). The advertising check (10) further has a check pay amount box (14C) printed thereon. The check pay amount box (14C) further has a correlating check pay amount box script (14CA) printed adjacent thereto. The advertising check (10) further has a check financial institute clearing code (14E) printed thereon positioned along a bottom edge. The advertising check (10) further has a retail product graphical display (16A) printed thereon. The retail product graphical display (16A) further has a correlating retail product graphical display textual information (16AA) printed adjacent thereto.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 1996Date of Patent: October 20, 1998Inventor: John E. Ives
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Patent number: 5823572Abstract: A self defense weapon for use by a victim subject to being attacked by a perpetrator includes a memo pad having a plurality of pages. The memo pad has a plurality of edges and an indentation in at last one of the edges adapted to accept at least part of at least one finger or the victim's hand such that the indentation facilitates the victim's capability to firmly grasp and hold the memo pad in the victim's hand, whereby the memo pad can thereby be used by the victim as a self defense weapon to ward off perpetrators.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 1996Date of Patent: October 20, 1998Inventor: Yoshiro NakaMats
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Patent number: 5820095Abstract: The present invention relates to a holder device that is mountable on a support and adapted to removeably secure elongated writing implements thereto. The holder device includes a base portion adapted to mount on the support and a pair of wing portions extending away from the base portion and converging toward on another to terminate in a free wing edge so that the wing portions and the base portion define a longitudinally extending channel sized to receive an elongated writing implement. The channel has a longitudinal mouth located between the wing edges whereby the writing implement may be inserted through the mouth into the channel. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the channel has grooves therein to permit a variety of sizes of writing implements to be mounted. The invention includes alternative mounting structure, one embodiment has an adhesive layer on the base portion; another embodiment includes a clip structure for removeably mounting the device.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 1993Date of Patent: October 13, 1998Inventor: John W. Stone