Patents Examined by John F. Pitrelli
  • Patent number: 4178708
    Abstract: Fiber optic cables are employed to convert punched card type of input infation to an alpha-numeric visual display. Separate groups of the fiber optic cables have first terminal ends positioned in an aperture area corresponding to the punched card aperture area. The second terminal ends of each group of fiber optic cables defines a single segment of an alpha-numeric character in a uniform multi-segment format. When a punched card or punched tape type of input information is inserted between a suitable source of light energy and the first terminal ends of the groups of fiber optic cables, those aperture areas which are punched out permit the transmission of light from the light source to the visual display, thereby illuminating corresponding segments of characters in the uniform multi-segment format at a display plane and converting the punched card information to alpha-numeric visual display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1977
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1979
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Paul C. Fletcher, Parviz Soltan
  • Patent number: 4178707
    Abstract: A display apparatus of the type wherein an object is supported by magnetic force to create the illusion that the object is floating or flying. In the apparatus, the magnetic force is balanced against gravity. Magnetized material is utilized which may be alnico, ceramic, or other compound or alloy or a material such as rubber bonded barium ferrite composition, the material being magnetized through the thickness or diameter of the material. That is, the magnetic material may be in the form of a flat elongated bar or a cylindrical bar or the like. The N pole is opposite the S pole over the entire surface area of the material as distinguished from a rod or bar that is magnetized through the length with the N pole at one end and the S pole at the opposite end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1977
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1979
    Inventor: John V. Littlefield
  • Patent number: 4177588
    Abstract: An indicating device such as is used to display automobile service station price data and such as is used as a score board for athletic events includes a suitable mounted base plate (1) (50) in which a plurality of slots (2-9) (51-56) are formed for receiving respectively a plurality of semirigid ribs (35-38) (35a-38a) having rib mounting grooves (42,43) whereby the ribs are slidable longitudinally into the slots, each rib being provided with tape positioning grooves (44,45) for slidably receiving the edge portions of self coiling tapes (29-34) (66-70) on which displayed indicia is applied and the tapes being manually adjustable so as to accommodate changes in the displayed data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1979
    Assignee: The Mead Corporation
    Inventors: James L. Gebhardt, Carlos L. Sanders
  • Patent number: 4177592
    Abstract: A miniature animated display having figures magnetically coupled to magnets on a trapezoidal plate. A motor driven linkage moves the trapezoidal plate in a manner such that the figures appear to move randomly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1977
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1979
    Assignee: Ruck Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Mildred R. Ruck
  • Patent number: 4177593
    Abstract: A device having indicia announcing an event including an edible item having indicia thereon which includes as part of the indicia the letters "SHE". A walled sleeve includes an opening in the wall thereof of a size when positioned on the item exposes only the letters "SHE" or "HE" of the indicia. The sleeve includes complementary indicia such as "IT'S A" adjacent the opening of the sleeve whereby the only indicia appearing on the item is "IT'S A SHE" when the letters "SHE" are exposed or "IT'S A HE" when the letters "HE" are exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1979
    Inventor: James E. Lockey
  • Patent number: 4177589
    Abstract: An artificially animated face with three-dimensional facial features formed of a flexible material is provided with remotely actuable concealed mechanisms for manipulating the jaw, rounding the mouth, and drawing the lower lip inward relative to the upper lip. The face is operated by an audio input either from a microphone or from an audio tape. The audio input is fed both through an audio amplification system to a speaker located proximate to the face, and also to an audio encoder which senses the major frequencies of the spoken sounds of the audio input and produces one or more digital signals in response thereto. If an "F" sound is detected, the lower lip of the figure is drawn inward to a slight degree, thus simulating human lip movement in sounding the consonant "F". If the decoder detects an "O" sound, the mouth is rounded in response thereto. If the decoder detects an "A" sound, the mouth is drawn into a line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1977
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1979
    Assignee: Walt Disney Productions
    Inventor: Alvaro J. Villa
  • Patent number: 4177587
    Abstract: An article such as a tote bag is provided with an identifying indicia assembly including a generally transparent pocket of closed construction except for a slotted opening formed at one side thereof for receipt of a thin generally transparent material strip. The pocket, or at least the outer face thereof, is also generally transparent so that individual letters may be adhesively secured to the front face of the strip and be visible through the pocket. The article to which the pocket is secured may thus be personalized. Such articles may include tote bags, purses, combs, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1977
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1979
    Assignee: Stupell Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Mac Dorsen, Philip A. Saltzman
  • Patent number: 4176484
    Abstract: A directional sign for providing observers with directional information to a particular location or event and including a rectangular signboard with indicia provided on one face of the signboard describing the particular location or event. Three directional indicators are provided on the face of the signboard closely adjacent three of the four edges of the signboard and oriented respectively upwardly, to the left, and to the right relative to the indicia. Means is provided to facilitate removing from view two of the three directional indicators when installing the directional sign for use so that only one directional indicator remains visible on the face of the installed sign and this indicator serves for signifying to observers of the sign the one correct direction which should be followed to the particular location or event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1979
    Inventor: James M. Terris
  • Patent number: 4176485
    Abstract: A changeable directional sign for providing observers with directional information to a particular location or event and including a generally rectangular sign board having a height dimension greater than its width dimension and with printed indicia on the face of the sign board describing a particular location or event. An elongate indicator of a length no greater than the height dimension of the sign board is pivotally secured to the rear of the sign board at a predetermined location on the upper medial portion of the sign board. The indicator, when manually positioned either upwardly, to the left, or to the right, extends in projecting relation beyond either the upper or side edges of the sign board to thereby indicate to the observer of the sign that the direction which should be followed to the particular location or event is either straight ahead, to the left, or to the right.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1979
    Inventor: James M. Terris
  • Patent number: 4176478
    Abstract: A calendar having detachable components for perpetually arranging the calendar. The removable components are secured by a strip of magnetic tape secured to the rear portion which is attracted to ferris metal tacks secured on a board to hold the calendar components. The extra components are stored in a storage compartment behind the board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1979
    Inventor: Marie-Louise Brewer
  • Patent number: 4176486
    Abstract: A display frame, which carries a sheet of mylar metalized to provide a mirror and an advertising display placard, is provided with a number of straps disposed for coaction with a turnbuckle type mounting device to securely position the display upon pillars of I-beam configuration such as those found in subway and train stations. The turnbuckle assembly of the mounting device is such as to exert compressive forces against opposed inner faces of the I-beam flanges and, in one embodiment, coacts with straps secured to the rear wall of the display to mount the display across the edges of said I-beam flanges so as to hide the mounting means in the space behind the display and between the flanges and web of the I-beam pillar.The display frame is formed with one or more advertising placard mounting sections formed with grooves to facilitate positioning and easy removal of the placards which carry an advertising message. Such display sections in some embodiments are at an angle with respect to the mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1977
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1979
    Inventor: Lloyd Williams
  • Patent number: 4175345
    Abstract: A display device having a base, a first display, and a rotary drive for rotating the first display about a preselected rotation axis. Second and third displays are connected to the drive through a suitable connecting structure so as to be moved reciprocably relative to each other while being rotated about the preselected axis concurrently with the first display. The connecting structure may include a control lever which is pivotally mounted with portions at opposite sides of the pivot connected to the second and third displays, respectively, for effecting reciprocal movement thereof toward and from each other. The connecting structure may include a motion translating structure effecting operation of the reciprocating structure as the result of the rotation of the first display about the preselected rotation axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1979
    Assignee: Rapid Mounting & Finishing Company
    Inventor: Robert K. Rutchik
  • Patent number: 4175344
    Abstract: A viewer for the successive viewing of a number of transparent images, comprising a casing with a viewing aperture provided with a lens and a counter-aperture aligned therewith which apertures are formed in two opposite faces of the casing, and further comprising a carrier which is detachably fitted in the casing and which supports a number of images in such a way that they are visible from both sides of the carrier, which carrier can be advanced by means of an advancing member that is connected movably to the casing and that is operated manually. The carrier comprises a strip-shaped slide which can move lengthwise through the casing by operating the advancing member and which is provided with means for detachably fixing a film strip thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1977
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1979
    Assignee: Sales Promotion Spits B.V.
    Inventor: Izak (Piet) Cohen
  • Patent number: 4174580
    Abstract: An adjustable indicating device such as a pricing unit adapted for removable mounting in price channels (12,12a) secured to the edges of supermarket shelves (S1,S2) includes a base element (1) formed of semirigid yieldable material and having a medial strut (6) which is bifurcated along one edge to form yieldable supports (7a,7b) for a pair of mounting strips (8,9) arranged for removable mounting on price channel (12,12a), a support channel (14) having a central web section (15) and outwardly protruding flange panels (16,17) is integrally formed along an edge of said medial strut (6) remote from the bifurcated portion thereof and serves as mounting means for one or more elongated plate means (2,3) arranged to position the edges of self-coiling indicia bearing tapes (4) in such manner that the coiled ends (4a,4b) thereof are disposed behind the support channel (14), a pair of cover mounting reinforcing strips (30,31) formed integrally with the medial strut (16) and extending from opposite sides thereof between
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1979
    Assignee: The Mead Corporation
    Inventors: Carlos L. Sanders, James L. Gebhardt
  • Patent number: 4173085
    Abstract: An illuminated animated picture comprises a preferably transparent front panel with a picture painted on the front surface thereof, this panel defining the forward member of a housing having a plurality of rotating discs therein which are illuminated from behind, these discs having "programmed" opaque portions, and the remaining portions being transparent, which cooperate with a multiplicity of holes drilled at strategic locations in the front panel to indicate stars, the moon, shimmering waters or other lighted areas of the picture which are caused to twinkle or glimmer due to the action of the rotating discs, the interior of the housing preferably being silvered except for broad areas on the front panel which are to emit a glow through the painting on the forward portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1977
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1979
    Inventor: Pedro J. Cortez
  • Patent number: 4173087
    Abstract: A changeable printed alphanumeric display module is disclosed for displaying one character at a time in a viewing window. Each tape of a set of tapes is printed on both front and back surfaces with character segments and is connected between a driving roller and a driven roller in a manner to display one front surface segment and one back surface segment at a time. The tape segments which carry the respective character segments are progressively longer from one end of the tape to the other and the set of tape segments which are displayed together in the window all bear different character segments of the same character so that an entire character is displayed. All tapes in the set are driven in unison to successively present the character segments of each tape in registry with respective window segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1977
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1979
    Inventors: William H. Saylor, James O. Narey
  • Patent number: 4172332
    Abstract: A photograph album includes front and rear covers and a plurality of album pages releasably bound together. The front cover is constructed to present a picture frame comprising an outer frame assembly having a mat sheet provided with a plurality of various sized openings therein. The frame assembly frames a plurality of photographs and each opening in the mat individually frames each photograph.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1977
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1979
    Assignee: The Holes-Webway Co.
    Inventors: William W. Holes, Roger A. Wenstrom, John P. Ratzloff
  • Patent number: 4172331
    Abstract: A vehicle is personalized or individualized by a display that may contain e.g. the owner's name, in a manner fully integral with the style and appearance of the vehicle itself. The display is preferably in the form of characters or other indicia affixed to a base member supported in a frame carried on the body surface of the vehicle to set off the area within it. The base member is formed to provide continuity in the contour and appearance of the body surrounding the frame, be it the grill network, the continuous metal body surface or some other body portion, and preferably forms an adequately planar surface so as to facilitate attachment of the characters thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1977
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1979
    Inventor: Sanford G. Becker
  • Patent number: 4171585
    Abstract: A roll display device having a pair of roll mounting cylinders, an expandable frame rotatably mounting the cylinders at the ends of the frame and a base support for the frame. Each mounting cylinder has means for quickly clamping a roll end on it. Means are provided for rotating each mounting cylinder to wind or unwind a roll on or off it thus moving the roll, in either direction across the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1979
    Inventor: Slavoljub E. Macuka
  • Patent number: 4171584
    Abstract: Sign assembly which can be readily set up and changed to display different information. The assembly includes a generally planar body with suction cups for securing the assembly to a mounting surface. Indicia carrying sign cards are removably mounted in slots formed by ribs on the body, and in one preferred embodiment the assembly is packaged as a kit with a number of different sign cards arranged in perforated sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1977
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1979
    Assignee: Wells Fargo and Company
    Inventor: Frank C. Kaiser