Patents Examined by Heather Shackelford
  • Patent number: 6824329
    Abstract: For installing a cable duct around a cable buried in the ground, the duct is propelled by a propelling device formed of a solenoid and a corresponding core member of a magnetic material, and a duct transporting device. The core member is provided with a coupling which couples to a free end of the cable. The solenoid is driven by a current so as to maintain, during operation, the free end of the longitudinal member, coupled to the core member, in a fixed position with respect to the transporting device. The propelling operation is supported by feeding a fluid under pressure through the duct, with the foremost end of the duct being provided with a spouting member. Suitable design of the core member in combination with a suitably varying current for driving the solenoid allows increased dynamic propelling operation and consequently improved performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Koninklijke KPN N.V.
    Inventors: Cornelis Casparus Van Bijsterveld, Gérard Plumettaz
  • Patent number: 6821058
    Abstract: A retaining wall system and connector therefor. The system can be used with soil reinforcement material. The connector can function to hold the reinforcement material in place in addition to interlocking the blocks together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: Keystone Retaining Wall Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: William B. Dawson
  • Patent number: 6817047
    Abstract: The present invention is a collapsible cot with wall members, which includes a base frame, having an open position for use and a collapsed position for storing and transporting, with a footprint to support base flexible sheet material of an area sufficient to support a reclining human at least the size of a young child, and being collapsible so as to reduce its footprint by at least one half. Legs are collapsibly connected to the base frame, and a flexible sheet material is attached to the base frame to support at least a young child. There are at least two collapsible side walls, one each on opposite sides of the base frame, which include flexible sheet material and collapsible wall support mechanism, either hingeably or removably connected to the base frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Inventor: Catherine A. Brodeur
  • Patent number: 6810610
    Abstract: The present invention provides an edging device for an earth moving machine having a bucket including at least one receiver detachably attachable to the bucket of earth moving machine. The receiver has a plate and an attachment member for engaging the bucket. The receiver can be sized to extend substantially the width of a bucket and the edge member can be substantially co-extensive in length with the receiver. The edge member is configured to be detachably attached to the receiver, where the edge member has a leading edge for contacting the earth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Dura-Tuff Wear Products, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Jason W. Hardman, Craig R. Scharp
  • Patent number: 6796744
    Abstract: An internal compression buoyancy compensation device is provided with at least one bladder and a plurality of pairs of internal compression straps. Expansion of the deflated or partially inflated buoyancy compensation device is restrained by the internal elastic compression straps designed for even distribution of gas, a streamlined and low profile, and a reduced risk of entanglement on external objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Deepoutdoors, Inc.
    Inventors: William W. Jacoway, Robert B. Jacoway, John Modugno
  • Patent number: 6793445
    Abstract: A drill head capable of attachment to a drilling machine for insertion of rock bolts into rock strata. The drill head comprising: a base block adapted to facilitate attachment to the drilling machine; driving spindle mechanism having a member at one end which receives a proximal end of a rock bolt including an internal cavity; an injection assembly including at least one internal passage for retaining a grouting compound. When the rock bolt is inserted in the member and when the injection assembly engages the member, the passage is in communication with the internal cavity in the rock bolt; whereupon the injection assembly operates to inject a predetermined quantity of the grouting compound into a bolt hole in the rock strata via the internal cavity of the bolt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Inventors: Paul Charlton, Daniel Flynn
  • Patent number: 6789280
    Abstract: An articulated medical bed for supporting a person in articulated movement is disclosed. The bed comprises a main frame defining a base and an articulated support frame including an upper body section pivotally connected to the base, a seat section pivotally connected to the upper body section and a detachably mounted lower leg section pivotally connected to the seat section. An elongated link member pivotally connects the lower leg section to the base. A glide member is mounted on the seat section and supported for linear movement along the base whereby the seat section is supported for rocking movement about the glide member. A linear actuator is connected to the upper body section for simultaneously actuating the upper body section, seat section and lower leg section in articulated movement. A side rail is supported on the base and includes telescoping inner and outer horizontal rail members extending between vertical rail members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Inventor: Gerald S. Paul
  • Patent number: 6786489
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a sealing insert, in particular for a piston in a hydraulic brake system, comprising a central valve arranged in a cavity, a supporting body and a rubber-elastic sealing body that is adhesively connected to said supporting body. The supporting body exhibits through holes which are penetrated by the sealing body for fixing purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz Hennemann, Harald König
  • Patent number: 6785921
    Abstract: An automatically-opening infant mat that is movable between an open position and a closed position includes a water-resistant flexible material sized to have an infant, at least from the infant's head to the infant's buttocks, placed on the material while the mat is in the open position, a cushion coupled to the material to be disposed under a portion of the infant's body while the mat is in the open position and the infant is placed on the material, and a resilient bias member coupled to the material and configured to bias the material to an open position and to be reversibly moved to a closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Inventor: Carl J. Conforti
  • Patent number: 6785925
    Abstract: A modified suspension bridge which comprises a continuous cable in which tension is developed by operation of turnbuckles or the like, instead of hanging weights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Inventor: Curtis L. Donaldson
  • Patent number: 6782574
    Abstract: An air inflatable mattress and mattress coverlet are provided for the prevention and treatment of decubitus ulcers (i.e., pressure sores or bedsores). The mattress incorporates a user selectable static or alternating air powered support surface for more uniformly redistributing pressure exerted on a patient's skin. The mattress coverlet encompasses a low air loss feature independent of the mattress's user selectable air powered support surface. Such low air loss feature provides a patient contact surface exhibiting a high moisture vapor transfer ratio in conjunction with a forced air flow to aid in reducing the moisture and heat near the patient's body. Both the mattress and mattress coverlet are driven by an external control system which houses the user controls, as well as the necessary pumps, regulators, and valving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Span-America Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Wanda J. Totton, Richard W. Raburn, Russell J. Weston, Joseph Benedict
  • Patent number: 6783300
    Abstract: A water structure formed from at least a pair of sleeves from a puncture resistant flexible material joined along common longitudinal surfaces, as by sewing, and include sleeve ends that are formed into closed to maintain closed-off ends of water filled tubes, and including an arrangement, such as an outer sleeve, for maintaining the pair of sleeves in side by side relationship and/or may includes at least one ground sheet for anchoring the water structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Inventor: David Doolaege
  • Patent number: 6779850
    Abstract: A cutting apparatus which includes a rotatable member having an outer surface and a plurality of cutting tool assemblies, wherein each assembly includes a cutting tool mounted in a holder. The cutting tool assemblies are mounted on the rotatable member so that the holder is shielded by the rotatable member, wherein the cutting tool extends beyond the outer surface of the rotatable member a sufficient distance to operate as a cutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Anthony Richard Schibeci Watsonia
    Inventors: Anthony Richard Schibeci, Anthony Richard Schibeci, Jr., Joseph Mark Schibeci
  • Patent number: 6779949
    Abstract: For transferring a fluid between at least two floating supports or one floating and one fixed support, a rigid hollow transport line is immersed with a cable suspension system in the sea. A flexible connector links each end of the rigid transport line to one of the supports. The entire rigid transport line including its ends is immersed in the sea at a depth which is greater than the turbulent zone of the sea. Each connector provides continuity of oil flow between the two floating supports via the rigid transport line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: COFLEXIP
    Inventors: Steven Alexander Barras, Pierre Savy, Didier B. Renard, Gene Raborn, Louis George Bill, Philippe François Espinasse
  • Patent number: 6779950
    Abstract: A reinforcing member such as a cable bolt is formed of a multiplicity of helically stranded wires wound around a straight core or king wire. At least the outer wires are formed with a plurality of spaced helical ribs extending along the entire length thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Quantax Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Warwick Bernard Hutchins
  • Patent number: 6772478
    Abstract: A caster assembly for supporting an article comprising a housing, a ball bearing, and a bearing retaining member, wherein the housing has a bore extending completely through a central region thereof such that a first opening and a second opening are created on opposite faces of the housing, the first opening defining an annular inner shoulder with a reduced diameter, the ball bearing having a diameter slightly less than a diameter of the bore such that the ball bearing is adapted to rotate within the bore, the diameter of the annular inner shoulder at the first opening being less than the diameter of the ball bearing to allow partial emergence of the ball bearing from the first opening yet preventing the ball bearing from completely exiting the first opening, the bearing retaining member being affixed to the housing at the second opening to retain the ball bearing within the bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Inventors: Jeffery A. Herder, Larry B. Stepniak
  • Patent number: 6772481
    Abstract: A hinge assembly (1) used for a foldable cellular telephone, comprising a pair of abutment members (5, 6), a bias means (7) biasing the abutment members so that the abutment members are pressingly brought into contact with each other, a projection (54) extending in the radial direction of one abutment member (5), and a recess (64) allowing the access of the projection thereto formed in the other abutment member (6), wherein the recess (64) is formed of an inside recess and an outside recess on the radial inner and outer sides of the other abutment member, and the inside recess is formed along the center line of the other abutment member and the outside recess is formed so that the width thereof is increased from the inside recess to the outside so that the side surface of the recess is generally formed in a dogleg-like configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Sugatsune Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Oshima, Shinichiro Koshikawa, Katsuya Imai
  • Patent number: 6769839
    Abstract: In a lift for mooring a boat stern-on, a pair of horizontally spaced guide members is fixed to the sea wall. A frame is fixed to a pair of substantially parallel hydro-pneumatic buoyancy tanks to provide a flotation platform for supporting the hull of the boat. The stern end of each of the tanks is connected to the guide members. The guide members limit movement of the platform away from the sea wall and along the sea wall but permit vertical reciprocation of the stern ends of the lift tanks in unison and restrict the lift from listing during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: HydroHoist International, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd A. Elson
  • Patent number: 6769838
    Abstract: A vibratory mechanism includes first and second eccentric weights connected to a gearbox. The gearbox includes an inner shaft, an outer shaft and first and second planetary gear sets. The first and second planetary gear sets are connected to a motor that drives the first and second eccentric weights during operation via the inner shaft and outer shaft respectively. A phase control device is operatively connected to the second planetary gear set to index the second eccentric weight relative to the first eccentric weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Caterpillar Paving Products Inc
    Inventor: Dean R. Potts
  • Patent number: RE38664
    Abstract: A method for creating a hole for a permanent fastener that replaces a temporary fastener that fastens two adjacent workpieces. The temporary fastener includes a shank that extends through a hole of the workpieces. Extending from one end of the shank is a conical shaped head. The temporary fastener has an inner channel that extends through the shank from the head to the opposite end. The fastener also contains a pull stem which has a head located adjacent to the blind end of the shank. The stem head is pulled through the shank to expand and is expanded to tightly fasten the shank to the workpieces. The fastener is removed by drilling through the head and the shank. The diameter of the conical shank head is smaller than the diameter of the drill so that part of the head does not become attached to the drill bit and scratch the workpiece. The conical shape of the head also reduces the volume of fastener material to further reduce the size and amount of chips produced during the drilling process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Allfast Fastening Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph Luhm