Patents Examined by James G. Smith
  • Patent number: 6520389
    Abstract: A quilting needle for achieving substantially uniform stitches in a multi-layer fabric/batten quilting substrate. The needle is formed as an elongated straight slender needle body having an eyelet at one end thereof sized for receiving a quilting thread therethrough and a sharp quilting fabric piercing point at another end of the needle body. A viewable stitch size guide is permanently disposed on the needle body so as not to disrupt the smooth needle body surface and is positioned from the point a distance equal to a desired stitch size. Successive stitches formed into the substrate of uniform size or length when the needle body is consistently pierced through the substrate to a depth defined when said stitch size guide just touches or meets and aligns with an obverse surface of the substrate before piercing the point into a reverse surface of the substrate to complete each stitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Inventor: Beverly W. Bowman
  • Patent number: 6519799
    Abstract: A corkscrew tool and pipe combination including a first handle member having a bore that extends along a longitudinal axis and communicates with one end thereof and defines a mouthpiece. An access port is located on an outer surface of the first handle member and communicates with the bore. A second handle member has a bowl in one end for holding smoking material, a helical, cork-penetrating blade that extends outwardly from an opposing end, a hole that extends transversely through the second handle member, intermediate the blade and the bowl, of a size and shape to receive the first handle member therethrough, and a channel through the second handle member that connects the bowl with the hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Inventor: Charles Bartholomew
  • Patent number: 6520052
    Abstract: An oil filter wrench comprising a gripping strap having an inner and outer surface, a handle for tightening the gripping strap. Gripping fingers extending inwardly from the gripping strap, each gripping finger being round and symmetrical and having a smooth convex gripping inner surface and a smooth concave outer surface. The fingers are provided on the strap in spaced relationship to each other in clusters of nine at spaced intervals around the strap, arranged in parallel rows of three each.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Great Neck Saw Manufacturers, Inc.
    Inventors: James Saunders, Scott Webb
  • Patent number: 6516687
    Abstract: A device for holding a container while removing a twist-on lid for the container. The device includes a horizontal base having a top surface for supporting the bottom of the container. Two vertical elongate legs are secured side-by-side along bottom surfaces thereof to the top surface of the base and the legs extend divergently with respect to each other whereby inner left and right opposing surfaces of the legs, as horizontally viewed therein from the most divergent ends of the legs, face each other to form a wedge for engaging bottom side portions of a container positioned therebetween. An elastic surface is disposed on the left of the inner opposing surfaces for gripping bottom side surfaces of a container engaging and being rotated between the inner opposing surfaces of the legs. The opposing surfaces of the legs extend upwardly from the base in a height of between two to three inches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Inventors: Jeffrey B. Hile, Michael F. Johnson
  • Patent number: 6516692
    Abstract: A pawl controlling device for a ratchet tool includes a V-shaped spring which is secured to a plate which is movably inserted into a slot of the tool and two distal ends of the spring are respectively engaged with two concavities of a pawl. The pawl is shifted by either of the two distal ends of the spring when moving the plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Inventor: Chih-Ching Hsien
  • Patent number: 6516978
    Abstract: A garment sizer that includes a torso support frame for supporting the torso area of a garment while drying or storing the garment that has a hanger hook provided at the top end thereof for hanging the device from a rail. The device also includes a pair of user adjustable garment arm hole supports that are sizable to fit into the arm holes of the garment and maintain them in the proper shape while the garment is drying and/or being stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Inventor: Mary Lou Chapman
  • Patent number: 6516689
    Abstract: A ratchet wrench is disclosed. The wrench includes a handle including a head and an elongate grippable portion. The head includes toothed walls defining a palm socket receiving aperture. The handle carries a manually actuatable spring biased lever having a latching portion projecting into the aperture in a normal position and an external actuating portion spaced from the latching portion for manual actuation against the spring bias to shift the latching portion from its normal position to a release position at least partially within a lever recess in the handle. A palm ratchet is disclosed which has a toothed perimeteral portion insertable into the aperture when the latching portion is in its release position. The perimeteral portion includes a surface defining a latching recess for receiving the latching portion when the latching portion is in the normal position thereby maintaining the handle and palm ratchet in a connected condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Stride Tool, Inc.
    Inventor: Darryle E. Bates
  • Patent number: 6516690
    Abstract: A ratchet tool includes an engaging member rotatably received in the head of the tool and a pawl is engaged with the toothed outer periphery of the engaging member. A notch is defined in a side opposite to the toothed surface of the pawl and one of two ends of the pawl is removably engaged with the inner periphery of the head. A selection member is received in the head and has a receiving hole for receiving a pin and a second spring therein. The pin is biased by the second spring and engaged with the notch. A protrusion extends from the selection member and a ball received in a recess in the inner periphery of the head is engaged with the protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Inventor: Yu Tang Chen
  • Patent number: 6516980
    Abstract: A garment hanger is provided and includes an elongated body, an integrally formed, centrally located hook member, and clip assemblies located at each opposing end of the body. Each clip assembly includes a horizontal lower clip, a horizontal upper clip and a vertical end clip. Each vertical clip includes a downwardly directed anchor arm which is spaced a predetermined distance from an inner surface of the end of the hanger and defines a receiving slot therebetween, into which clothing may be selectively inserted. The inner surface of the receiving slot includes an integrally formed upwardly and outwardly directly spring arm which is spring biased against an inside contact surface of the rigid anchor arm. It is the resiliency of this spring arm that creates a clamping action within the receiving slot which is used to force any inserted clothing snugly against the anchor arm, thereby holding the clothing in place within the receiving slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Uniplast Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Allan Joel Goldman
  • Patent number: 6516688
    Abstract: A hand tool for turning sockets connectable to nuts and bolts has a handle attached to a head having an inside cylindrical surface. A body joined to a member for holding a socket has a plurality of pockets facing the cylindrical surface and chord ramps at the bottom of the pockets. The middle portions of each ramp has at least one axial groove to accommodate a roller to prevent inadvertent shifting of the roller to a reverse drive position. Rollers located in the pockets engage the ramps and cylindrical surface to selectively lock and unlock the head to the body so that when the handle is oscillated the body intermittently rotates. A ring mounted on the body is manually moved to shift the rollers between opposite end sections of the pockets. A socket release bill mounted on the member is controlled by a stem movably mounted on the body and member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Inventor: David V. Albertson
  • Patent number: 6513685
    Abstract: A device for securing a ring to a person's finger. The device comprises an elongated loop connected at one end to a wristband. The loop has a free end away from the wristband that can be threaded through the ring, after which the wristband is threaded though the loop between the free end and the ring and pulled until the loop is wrapped snugly around the ring. The ring is then placed on the person finger and the wristband is placed in the person's wrist, thereby securing the ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Inventor: Anthony Tzoubris
  • Patent number: 6511487
    Abstract: A suturing instrument includes a jaw and a pivotally mounted puncturer to be located on opposite sides of the tissue to be sutured. The suture is applied while the puncturer is in an open position on one side of the jaw, and the needle is then pivoted to a closed position through an opening in the jaw to pierce the tissue and to bring a portion of the suture to the opposite side of the jaw. At the opposite side of the jaw, a crochet head is actuated to engage the suture and to clamp it to the jaw as the puncturer is pivoted back to its open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: T. A. G. Medical Products Ltd.
    Inventors: Ran Oren, Dan Moor
  • Patent number: 6510768
    Abstract: A bit holder for a battery-powered screwdriver. A compartment is formed on one end of the screwdriver, opposite the tool bit driving end of the screwdriver. A sleeve mounted in the compartment can be slidably moved between open and closed positions. A plurality of bit holding clips are fixed around the sleeve's outer circumference. A shaft extends through the compartment. One of the shaft's ends is fixed at the compartment's forward end. The sleeve is slidably mounted over the shaft's opposite end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: Winsire Enterprises Corporation
    Inventor: Hermann Frühm
  • Patent number: 6508156
    Abstract: A screwdriver tool box structure includes a receiving body, two transparent covers, and a cover body mounted on one transparent cover. The cover body has an outer periphery provided with a flange face, for increasing friction during use and operation. A seat is mounted in the cover body, and an insertion recess is formed in the seat for allowing insertion of a first driver head, so that the cover body may function as a screwdriver. The seat has receiving recesses, for receiving multiple second driver heads, and a plurality of holes formed in the cover body are communicated with the receiving recesses, so that a user may see through the holes if the second driver are contained in the receiving recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Inventor: Yong Lung Wei
  • Patent number: 6508148
    Abstract: A wire stripper capable of automatically grasping a coated wire, cutting the coating with cutters, rotating the cutters and stripping the cut coating away with only one electric motor. The wire stripper is provided with a reversible main spindle which is supported on a machine frame and allowed to slide crosswise so as to enable gripping operation of the grippers as well as nipping and cutting operation of the cutters. The main spindle is provided with a lead-screw shaft with which a nut block is coupled so that the lead-screw shaft advances by forward rotation of the main spindle to close the grippers and the cutters as well as to rotate the cutters. The nut block is then moved backward by the lead screw of the lead-screw shaft after the main spindle has stopped advancing and the cutters are then withdrawn to strip the cut coating away from the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Komax Holding AG
    Inventor: Kousuke Hombu
  • Patent number: 6505530
    Abstract: An ink application device for tattooing or for making permanent make-up includes a handle, a needle drive, a needle, a needle nozzle and a protective cap. The device further includes at least two modules releasably connected to one another. One of the modules is formed as a reusable base module with an integrated needle drive, and the other module is a sterilized disposable module in which all components of the manual device capable of being infected by bodily fluids of a customer are integrated. The device can be constructively divided into two or three separate modules: a basic module, a disposable or hygienic module and an optional ink module. The basic module corresponds to the handle that includes the needle drive and is designed such that the hygienic module can be safely attached and connected to the integrated needle drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Medium-Tech Medizingeräte GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Adler, Walter Lisec, Gerhard Türk
  • Patent number: 6505531
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a transverse bitbreaker plate, which is attached to the lower surface of a power wrench to effect the coupling or decoupling of downhole tools such as bits or stabilizers. The plate is hinged and provides a generally triangular shaped profile along through its transverse surface which mates with the bit or stabilizer, which is to be connected or disconnected. The hinged plate is removably attached below the power wrench with pins so that it may be used and removed in a minimum of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Access Oil Tools, Inc.
    Inventor: Huey Stogner
  • Patent number: 6505350
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a glove having a removable and interchangeable fastener material. The fastener material is attachable to the glove body by first and second attachment members that are prevented from contacting a wearer's skin by an extended portion of the fastener material that extends over and substantially beyond the attachment members. The fastener material can be provided in sets with different designs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventor: Kenneth S. Litke
  • Patent number: 6503262
    Abstract: A retractable micro-surgical tool includes a shell, slidable insert, slide button, spring, and blade. The shell is preferably a hollow tube. A first slot is formed through the wall of the shell at substantially a first end thereof. A second slot is formed through the wall of the shell at substantially a middle of the shell length. A connecting slot is formed between the first and second slots to enable the slide button to be slid therebetween. The slidable insert includes a body, a first cantilever arm, and a second cantilever arm. The blade is preferably inserted into a first end of the body. An end of the blade may have different shapes suitable for performing micro-surgery. The first cantilever arm extends from substantially a middle of said body and the second cantilever arm extends from an end of the first cantilever arm. The slide button is attached to a top of the second cantilever arm at assembly. At least one side of the body has a groove formed therein to provide clearance for the spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Escalon Medical Corporation
    Inventor: Roger A. Edens
  • Patent number: 6502482
    Abstract: The spring mechanism (12) of a one-hand actuated pliers consists of a spring (14) supported on both handles (2, 3), which is designed in such a way that the handles (2, 3) are separated at a distance from each other by rotating the handle (3) and wherein the movable handle (3) of the pliers can be moved by the spring to the widest open position of the jaws by rotating said handle (3), wherein a rotation support of the spring (14) is configured on one side of the handle (2) and the spring (14) rests on said side against a rotational stop (19) formed on the handle (2) when it is not actuated. When the movable handle (3) of the pliers is displaced to a closing position of the jaws in which a workpiece is gasped, the spring (14) is released from the rotational stop only if force is exerted when the cheeks of the jaws (5, 6) are grasping the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Inventors: Ralf Putsch, Karl Putsch