Patents Examined by Gary S. Hartmann
  • Patent number: 11542673
    Abstract: An apparatus including a collapsible body, a base, and a cap. The body including a spring element coupled to the body to apply an extension force. The spring element having a helical geometry. The collapsible body has a high visibility characteristic. The base is coupled to a first end of the body and has a shape to secure the body and the spring element relative to the base and to receive the body in a collapsed state. The base includes a base coupling element to secure the body in the collapsed state. The cap is coupled to a second end of the body opposite the first end, the cap to, at least partially, close the second end of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: DCSS LLC
    Inventors: Steven G. Stokes, Stephen Crosby
  • Patent number: 11535987
    Abstract: A support structure for a float pan for floating a concrete surface provides an interface between the float pan and a rotating machine. The support structure is characterized by a hub configured for concentric attachment to a rotor, and by trusses that extend radially from the hub, each providing a float pan contact surface and means for attachment to the float pan. Perimetric bracing links the trusses about the perimeter of the support structure. A machine similar to a walk-behind or ride-on trowel but without rotor blades, may incorporate the support structure and operate as a dedicated power flotation machine. Under weight of the machine, the contact surfaces of the trusses conform the float pan to a desired shape or radius of curvature for optimizing a flotation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Multiquip Inc.
    Inventors: Larry Jake Chapple, Benjamin Eric Ward
  • Patent number: 11535318
    Abstract: A swing leg assembly, coupled to a paving machine for spreading, leveling and finishing concrete, includes a pivotable swing leg coupled to the paving machine. The swing leg may pivot between multiple angular orientations relative to the paving machine. A jacking column is coupled to the swing leg, and a crawler track is coupled to the jacking column. A slew drive coupled to the jacking column and crawler track rotates the crawler track relative to the jacking column between multiple angular orientations. A processor using sensors determines the angular positions of the swing leg and crawler track, and in response to determining a change in angular orientation of the swing leg controls the slew drive to cause the crawler track to rotate relative to the jacking column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Guntert & Zimmerman Const. Div., Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald M. Guntert, Jr., Gerald L. Dahlinger, Richard Wood Francis
  • Patent number: 11525223
    Abstract: An aggregate spreading device includes a hopper, a conveyor system disposed below the hopper, and a spreader system extending from at least one side of the aggregate spreading device and configured to receive aggregate from the conveyor system. The spreader system includes a vertical support coupled to a frame of the aggregate spreading device, a first wall extending from a first end attached to the vertical support, and a second wall extending from a second end of the first wall. A lift actuator is configured to adjust the vertical placement of the spreader system and causing the first and second walls to move vertically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Road Widener LLC
    Inventors: Devin Wolf, Devery G. Beal, Michael Schutte
  • Patent number: 11519145
    Abstract: A utility vehicle to remove a matter from a surface may include an articulated collector attached to a front section of the utility vehicle. The articulated collector is movable. The articulated collector is also configured to remove the matter from the surface. A matter container is also connected to the utility vehicle. The articulated container is also connected to the matter container. The matter container is configured to receive and hold the matter. Furthermore, an articulated depositor is connected to the matter container. The articulated depositor is configured to deposit the matter to a disposal site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Inventor: Fabio Fajardo Garcia
  • Patent number: 11519138
    Abstract: A soil processing machine includes a machine frame with two longitudinal beams substantially extending in the longitudinal direction of the machine and two transverse beams substantially extending transverse to the longitudinal beams. A soil-processing roller is supported in the longitudinal direction between the transverse beams on the longitudinal beams so that it can rotate about an axis of rotation of the roller. A coupling arrangement is provided on the machine frame for attaching the machine frame to a further machine frame of the soil-processing machine or to a further machine. A lifting/supporting arrangement is provided on the machine frame for lifting and/or supporting the machine frame in relation to the ground. One of the transverse beams is supported on the two longitudinal beams so that it can rotate about a swivel axis substantially parallel to an axis of rotation of the roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: HAMM AG
    Inventors: Matthias Meier, Christopher Prechtl
  • Patent number: 11519159
    Abstract: A ground engaging tip of a ground engaging tip assembly includes an adapter configured for attachment to the base edge of the implement and having a forwardly extending adapter nose. The ground engaging tip has a rear edge, a top outer surface, and a bottom outer surface. The top and bottom outer surfaces extend forward from the rear edge and converge at a front edge of the ground engaging tip. The tip has first and second side outer surfaces extending forward from the rear edge of the ground engaging tip to the front edge. The tip has a nose cavity for receiving the adapter nose therein. The tip has a support rib on at least one of the first or second side outer surfaces, the support rib being positioned at the rear edge and extending lengthwise from the bottom outer surface toward the top outer surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Serrurier, Eric Sinn, Mihai Mircea Balan, Jason Jura
  • Patent number: 11519143
    Abstract: Reflective pavement markers held fixedly to a roadway by epoxy or adhesive include reflectors and a body with spaced top and bottom mounting faces, transverse forward and rearward faces, and lateral side faces. A recess formed in the forward and rearward faces of the body may receive and vertically mount a reflector therewithin. The reflectors have vertical outer faces that are orthogonal to the body mounting faces and angled 30°±15° relative to an orthogonal line from a lateral side face such that the marker generally has a parallelepiped shape. An array of openings, which may be closed or open, extend inwardly into the body from the top and bottom faces and have constricted openings to positively lock in the fixing adhesive and prevent the marker from easily lifting from the pavement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Inventor: Harry E. Lowe
  • Patent number: 11505913
    Abstract: A grading machine includes a machine body, a grading blade, a drawbar connecting the grading blade to the machine body, a blade sideshift cylinder and a blade sideshift cylinder rod, a user interface, and a control system. The control system may be configured to receive an input from the user interface and extend or retract the blade sideshift cylinder to adjust a sideshift of the grading blade to one of a plurality of predetermined sideshift positions based on the input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Michael C. Gentle, Ethan M. Tevis
  • Patent number: 11505900
    Abstract: Structures and methods for controlling road temperature over an underpass space are disclosed, including a structure comprising: footings underlying the road supporting a support assembly comprising: an inner shell; a plurality of beams surmounting the inner shell; an insulating material for thermally isolating the road and the remainder of the support assembly from the underpass space; an outer shell; a temperature control assembly; temperature sensors disposed in the road and the support assembly; and a computer processor configured to receive temperature and weather forecast data; predict changes to the temperature of the support assembly and the road based on the temperature and forecast data; and control the application or removal of heat to the support assembly, based on the predicted changes to the temperature of the support assembly and the road, resulting in the road maintaining a temperature within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Inventor: Rupert R. Thomas, Sr.
  • Patent number: 11499298
    Abstract: A corner segment, configured to be mounted to a work implement, may include a body having a plurality of surfaces including a rear surface, an upper surface, a front surface, a bottom surface, an outer side surface, an inner side surface, and a corner surface that is adjacent to each of the front surface, the outer side surface, the upper surface, and the bottom surface. A portion of the bottom surface forms a bottom surface wear zone, and a portion of the front surface forms a front surface wear zone, The corner segment may also include a plurality of protrusions provided on wear zones, the wear zones including the bottom surface wear zone and the front surface wear zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Congdon, Nathan Bjerke
  • Patent number: 11492784
    Abstract: A locking pin assembly for securing a wear member to a support structure may include a body portion and may include a shaft member partially disposed within and extending from the body portion and rotatable between a first position that mechanically inhibits removal of a ground engaging member from a support structure and a second position that permits removal of the ground engaging member from the support structure. A wear member for receiving a locking pin assembly may include a bore extending laterally through the bore member with a proximal opening and a distal opening, an installation ramp and a removal ramp may be disposed at the proximal opening for engaging a tang of a shaft member of the locking pin assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Hensley Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Mohamad Youssef Bilal
  • Patent number: 11484901
    Abstract: A chute for a drop spreader assembly that includes a body having a vertical axis. A funnel portion of the body has an open top to receive flowable material, a dispensing chute portion of the body has a distal dispensing opening and extending along an angle with respect to the vertical axis, and a plurality of directional vanes of the body protrudes into a flowpath within the dispensing chute portion to direct flowable material to an even distribution pattern through the distal dispensing opening. In some forms, the dispensing chute portion can be divided into a central portion and lateral portions separated from the central portion by gaps adapted to receive structure associated with a snow removal device therethrough. Each of the central and lateral portions can have a plurality of directional vanes protruding into a flowpath thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: THE TORO COMPANY
    Inventor: Stephen David Veihl
  • Patent number: 11486113
    Abstract: A grading machine includes a machine body, a grading blade, and at least one grading blade sensor configured to sense a position and orientation of the grading blade. The grading machine also includes a drawbar connecting the grading blade to the machine body, at least one drawbar sensor configured to sense a position and orientation of the drawbar, a user interface, and a control system. The control system may be configured to receive an input from the user interface and perform an automatic turnaround operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Michael C. Gentle, Ethan M. Tevis
  • Patent number: 11486104
    Abstract: A vehicle restraint device has an outer housing. An inner housing is positioned within the outer housing. A plurality of spikes is removably attached to the inner housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: MADMEX, LLC
    Inventors: Martin Martinez, Steven Floyd
  • Patent number: 11486106
    Abstract: A brush retrofit for mounting behind a snow plow blade of a snow removal vehicle is disclosed. The brush retrofit includes a base frame, a stationary brush assembly, a retrofit mount, a brush elevation actuator, and a retrofit mount. The stationary brush assembly is movably mounted to the base frame. The retrofit mount is configured to secure the base frame to a support structure of the snow removal vehicle behind the snow plow blade. The brush elevation actuator when activated, moves the stationary brush assembly relative to the base frame between a raised storage position and a lowered in-use position. The retrofit mount is configured to secure the base frame to a support structure of the snow removal vehicle behind the snow plow blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Inventors: Robert Chaput, Brennen Chaput, Patrick Ratthe
  • Patent number: 11479947
    Abstract: A fastening device for wear elements in earth-moving machines, related to a fastening device of the type that is arranged between two parts, components or elements of an earth-moving machine for the fastening or coupling between both parts or elements. The device has at least one mobile blocking element and autonomous activation mechanism of the mobile blocking element, which enables the mobile blocking element to be activated such that, once the fastening device is inserted in a housing for this purpose in any of the parts to be coupled, the effective coupling is achieved at a certain distance from the fastening device, and even from the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: METALOGENIA RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGIES S.L.
    Inventors: Javier Triginer, Nil Vallvé, Justo Jesús Ortiz García, Jordi Marquez Llinas, Albert Gimeno Tordera, Jorge Triginer Boixeda, Ester Alonso Frigola
  • Patent number: 11479933
    Abstract: Vehicle impact barrier system (300) comprising a series of impact barrier units (310) and at least one linkage means (332). A first impact barrier unit is linked to at least one other impact barrier unit by said at least one linkage means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Inventor: Mark A. Stone
  • Patent number: 11473264
    Abstract: Enclosure cover assemblies for use with direct burial enclosures are provided. The enclosure cover assembly includes a frame that is secured to the enclosure and a cover separately secured to the frame. The frame and cover are made of metal while the enclosure is made of a high strength material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: HUBBELL INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Gregory Glenn Isaacson, Robert Brian Denning
  • Patent number: 11466427
    Abstract: A grading machine include a machine body, a grading blade, at least one grading blade sensor configured to sense a position and orientation of the grading blade, a drawbar connecting the grading blade to the machine body, a drawbar centershift cylinder, a user interface, and a control system. The control system is configured to receive an input from the user interface and position and orient the grading blade and the drawbar to one of a plurality of predetermined maintenance positions based on the input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Michael C. Gentle, Ethan M. Tevis