Patents Examined by Francis J. Bartuska
  • Patent number: 4108333
    Abstract: An article vendor, particularly for food products such as sandwiches, salads, lunch platters and dessert items, wherein the articles are stocked on endless belt conveyors extending in rear-to-front direction in a cabinet having a front window for merchandising display of the articles. The conveyors are arranged in tiers one above another and side by side in each tier, and the vendor includes an elevator movable up and down at the front of the conveyors for receiving an article from any one (or more) of the conveyors and transporting it to a delivery station. Upon selection by a purchaser of an article on a particular conveyor, the elevator is raised to the level of the tier which includes the selected conveyor, and that conveyor is indexed forward one step to dispense the forward article therefrom on to the elevator, after which the elevator is lowered to the delivery station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1978
    Assignee: UMC Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Leonard P. Falk, Robert L. Stadler, James R. Alford
  • Patent number: 4106610
    Abstract: A coin apparatus including a structure for defining a coin path, a coin presence sensor adjacent the coin paths, a first gate for separating acceptable coins from unacceptable coins and a second gate for sorting acceptable coins in which the second gate is arranged to minimize coin jams which might otherwise disable the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1978
    Assignee: Mars, Incorporated
    Inventor: Frederic P. Heiman
  • Patent number: 4106674
    Abstract: The invention contemplates a pressurized container for viscous foods or other viscous products in which the body of the piston includes, adjacent the head end, a flexible circumferential band which lightly contacts or is expandable in the presence of loading pressure exerted by propellant gas. The band thus develops light sealing contact with the interior wall surface of the container, and such contact effectively isolates unexpelled product from the gas-pressure side of the piston, regardless of the extent to which product has been expelled. The piston further includes circumferentially continuous tail structure which is connected to and axially spaced from the expandable band and which serves to stabilize the piston against malfunction in the course of its single product-expelling stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1978
    Inventor: Robert S. Schultz
  • Patent number: 4105254
    Abstract: A wheel for use with a tire whose sidewalls are to be maintained in a mechanically compressed condition when it is mounted on the wheel comprises a central disc for attachment to a vehicle, a pair of circumferentially extending radially outwardly facing seating surfaces for each of the radially inward ends of the sidewalls of a tire and a pair of radially outwardly projecting flanges axially inboard of the seating surfaces. Means is provided to force the flanges away from each other after a tire has been mounted on the wheel with its radially inward sidewall ends on the seating surfaces, thereby to force the ends of the sidewalls axially apart while they remain on the seating surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1978
    Assignee: Dunlop Limited
    Inventors: Michael R. Corner, William L. Jackson
  • Patent number: 4102378
    Abstract: A tire chain having annular links and C-shaped links which are hooked into said annular links wherein one of the ends of the C-shaped link has a cross section which is decreased at the expense of its width thereby defining an introduction slot. The annular link has at least one narrowing whose shape corresponds to the shape of the end of the C-shaped link with the reduced cross section and retaining elements for the C-shaped link are provided in the narrowing. The retention elements are provided in the narrowings to prevent disconnection of the joined links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1978
    Inventor: Erhard Alfred Weidler
  • Patent number: 4096900
    Abstract: A radial ply tire and rim assembly for use on earthmoving equipment. The rim is of the drop center type having approximately six degree bead seats and an extended conical stabilizer flange. The tire when mounted on the rim and inflated has its carcass distorted radially outwardly from the natural equilibrium curvature in which it was molded.The foregoing abstract is not be taken as limiting the invention of this application, and in order to understand the full nature and extent of the technical disclosure of this application, reference must be made to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1978
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Richard J. Olsen
  • Patent number: 4095724
    Abstract: Apparatus for packaging and dispensing flowable material in which the material is contained within a soft inner container which is mounted within a rigid outer container and is dispensed by a pressurizing media located between the containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1978
    Assignee: Precision Tools Ltd.
    Inventor: Ivan Perusco
  • Patent number: 4094449
    Abstract: A one-piece handle structure for use in carrying a decanter having a lower bowl portion and an upper neck portion. The handle structure includes a collar portion embracing the neck of the decanter and a protective band embracing the bowl of the decanter. The handle is longitudinally split. The collar and band comprise C-shaped elements having their opposite ends connected to the opposite split portions of the handle at the top and bottom thereof, respectively. The front portion of the collar is continuous and underlies the pouring spout of the neck to protect the spout in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1974
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1978
    Assignee: Cory Food Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Norman H. Schlegel, Harvey R. Karlen
  • Patent number: 4093108
    Abstract: A syringe is adapted to overcome a pressure resistance at its outlet as may be provided, for instance, by a filter in communication with the outlet and through which the syringe is to pump a medium, particularly a liquid medium, for filtration. The syringe comprises a first cylinder containing a piston and a piston rod. The piston rod is fixed to a second piston sliding within a longitudinal bore in the first-mentioned piston. The bore and the second piston cooperate to define an air-filled pressure chamber connected to a first cylinder chamber, defined by the first piston and the first cylinder, by a valve. Inward movement of the piston rod produces an over-pressure (e.g. 16 atmospheres) in the pressure chamber to open the valve to apply the over-pressure to the liquid or other medium in the cylinder chamber to overcome the pressure resistance of the filter and enable the liquid to be forced through the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1978
    Assignee: Carl Schleicher & Schull
    Inventors: Wolfgang Hein, Peter Grundmann
  • Patent number: 4093123
    Abstract: An airless sprayer having the capability of replacing most if not all of the so-called aerosol sprayers with improved performance, reduced cost and elimination of potential damage to the environment from an aerosol propellant. The unit is refillable by the user at any time suiting his convenience. The liquid to be sprayed is contained in a first chamber above an internal free-floating piston powered by air pressure in a second chamber below the piston. The system includes a unique compressor unit for automatically pumping air at operating pressure into the lower chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1978
    Assignee: Dispenser Corporation
    Inventor: Victor J. Maran
  • Patent number: 4090642
    Abstract: The present invention is concerned with (a) packages for flowable materials comprising a flexible laminated tape having two layers, a series of completely sealed pockets formed between the layers at intervals along the length of the tape and containing individual doses of material, and sealed openings in one of the layers through which the contents of the pockets can be discharged onto the surface of the tape by application of pressure to the tape and (b) dispensers for use with said packages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1978
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventor: Hugh William Barnes Baker
  • Patent number: 4089400
    Abstract: A coin testing device for discriminating between acceptable coins and unacceptable coins and slugs, includes an infeed chute along which coins are fed, and a plurality of light emitting and associated light sensitive devices associated with the chute for sensing various parameters, including the diameter, thickness and surface and edge configurations of coins, slugs and the like passing along the chute, and connected to control a coin deflector device for accepting acceptable coins and rejecting unacceptable coins, slugs and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1978
    Inventor: Lester Gregory, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4089446
    Abstract: A portable water supply and dispensing unit comprises a hydraulic pump having a low-voltage electric motor for operating the pump, both of which are mountable atop a water container, the electric motor being capable of being operated by a storage battery, particularly of the type of battery used in motor vehicles, the water container being provided with a pair of wheels fixed to the underside of the water container which also supports the pump and motor, for manually moving the unit about an area by means of a suitable handle member, the unit has many uses and is especially adapted to the washing of motor vehicles which are out of reach of the general water supply, such as vehicles parked in parking lots of high-rise apartment houses and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1978
    Inventors: James H. Logan, II, Richard J. Logan, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4085750
    Abstract: An eyedrop bottle attachment has a pair of flexible arms which, in use, extend upwardly therefrom. The arms are squeezed together somewhat, and pads on the ends of the arms are pressed gently against the closed eyelids so that when released, the arms flex back to force the eyelids apart. Thereafter, the pads hold the eye open and provide a steady support for the bottle to insure accurate placement of the drops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1975
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1978
    Inventor: Barry L. Bosshold
  • Patent number: 4083475
    Abstract: Apparatus for feeding pulverulent materials comprising a hopper with an upper vibrating portion mounted on a lower portion in which a screw equipped with a recycling arm and an associated stirring device feeds the pulverulent material at a desired rate through a discharge conduit mounted at the base of the hopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1976
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1978
    Assignee: Dosapro Milton Roy
    Inventors: Etienne Venner, Daniel Lenormand
  • Patent number: 4082099
    Abstract: An apparatus for identifying and counting coins or the like comprising an optico-electronic image converter controlling a counter by means of signals analogous to the coin surfaces, which signals are fed to at least one comparator feeding the counter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1976
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1978
    Inventor: Gunter Iwersen
  • Patent number: 4081013
    Abstract: A seal between the surface of a traction shoe and the belt of a removable track for a tire in which the belt-engaging surface of the shoe has a groove extending axially of the track. An elongated sealing member is located in the groove and has a thickness greater than the depth of the groove for sealing engagement with the shoe-engaging surface of the belt. The groove may extend along the side and end edges of the shoe and the sealing member may be an endless strip of material providing a seal completely around the belt-engaging surface of the traction shoe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1976
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1978
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Eugene T. Herman
  • Patent number: 4079858
    Abstract: A nested cone holder and dispenser making use of an adjustable cone release mechanism for safely dispensing different selected sizes of fragile products such as ice cream cones, cups and the like. The device employs an elongate flexible container for holding cones, cups and the like nested items to be dispensed, together with the cooperating adjustable release mechanism which dispenses individual nested items from the bottom without crushing the edges of the same. The release mechanism includes pads of brush-like material carried at the lower end or edge margin of the container and positioned adjacent the discharge opening. The pads are mounted on rigid U-shaped clips which are readily removable and which can be disposed variously around the lower edge margin to vary the effective size of the dispensing opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1976
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1978
    Assignee: Safe-T Pacific Company
    Inventor: Gunter G. Fuss
  • Patent number: 4077455
    Abstract: A radial ply tire and rim assembly in which the tire has an aspect ratio of less than 70 percent and a bead spacing of no greater than 65 percent of the maximum axial width of the inflated tire. The rim has a pair of axially extending flanges which engage the lower sidewall of the tire and distort the carcass from its natural equilibrium curvature without causing any reversal of curvature of the carcass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1976
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1978
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Walter W. Curtiss, Jr., Joseph M. Forney
  • Patent number: 4077539
    Abstract: A plurality of lengths of wires in a hopper are fed to a drum having spaced slots which receive the wires and advance them to a station at which a terminal is attached to the end. Difficulty is experienced when moving a length of wire from the group in the hopper and delivering it to a slot in the drum. A driven belt forms the wall at the rear of the hopper for rolling the lengths of wire downwardly about a feed wheel which has a passage thereabout defined by a face of a pawl. The bottom and outer surfaces of the pawl are urged by the ends of spring pressed plungers toward the feed wheel so as to be full-floating in the plane of the belt and laterally thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1976
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1978
    Assignee: Microdot Inc.
    Inventor: Malcolm E. Buffaloe