Patents Examined by John M. Jillions
  • Patent number: 6805314
    Abstract: A support assembly and method is provided for suspending lightweight tools or other objects, such as hairdryers and the like. The assembly provides support and in particular embodiments, electrical power to the object suspended. In addition, the assembly provides management of the cord. Elevation of the object may be adjusted within a predetermined range of motion. The assembly exerts an upward force on the object that varies depending upon the elevation. This variable force is calibrated to provide the object with a uniformly weightless or virtually weightless “feel” nominally throughout the range of movement. The assembly is provided with low friction and low inertia, so that an object may be rapidly and easily moved between various elevations with little effort and little drag. The amount of force exerted on the object by the assembly may be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Inventor: Michael B. Hopper
  • Patent number: 6802471
    Abstract: The invention relates to a multiple use cord-attached wrap-up device and optional accessory tool holder designed for use with hand-held electrical tools, electrical kitchen and bathroom appliances and cords of all types. The cord wrap-up device comprises a flat body member molded from resilient plastic or rubber having an integrally attached split cylindrical sleeve for attachment onto an electrical cord. The sleeve is designed to permit the wrap-up device to slide along a cord while remaining attached thereto. Arcuate recesses are provided at each end of the body member to receive and retain loops of an electrical cord. A number of cord trapping eyelets are located along one side of the body portion which are adapted to receive and grip the otherwise loose leading or trailing ends of a looped cord to prevent it from unwinding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Inventor: Michael G. Gambrell
  • Patent number: 6796522
    Abstract: A reel-less line retriever suitable for rescue work provides open housing and guides such as may receive a flexible line along its length without threading through the guides and housing to be positioned between a pair of engaging wheels. The wheels are compressed about the line by a trigger mechanism and activated by a crank so as to discharge the line loosely into a following bucket or other suitable container. A handle may be held by an operator allowing the device to be supported in one hand with control of the trigger with one finger of that hand while the other hand is used to activate the crank. The line may be fully removed from the device and the device from the container for storage or ready access to the line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Inventor: Cindy R. Braun
  • Patent number: 6786443
    Abstract: An expanding mandrel is useable for rotatably mounting a strip of material that is wound around a sleeve or core. The expanding mandrel includes an ejecting device that is useable to strip the sleeve or core from the mandrel. The ejecting device includes at least a first part, which is rotatable about an axis together with the sleeve or core, and a non-rotatably mounted second part. The first part can strip the sleeve or core from the mandrel by actuation of the second part. That second part is a piston which can be driven by a fluid under pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Koenig & Bauer Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Hartwig Horst Trutschel
  • Patent number: 6783093
    Abstract: Described is a reel that comprises a single side element that, when attached to a second identical side element, forms a complete reel structure. The side element comprises a ring. The preferably form of the ring comprises an inner ring attached to an outer ring by at least two, preferably eight spanning supports. There is an inner perimeter of the ring that has at least two, preferably four attachment apertures located nearby. There is a handle attached to the ring by two legs to an inner perimeter of the ring. The handle has a top side and a bottom side. Located in the center of the handle is an aperture that, when a rigid objected is inserted into the aperture, allows easy and convenient rotation of the reel thereby facilitating easy wrapping and unwrapping of the linear object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: The Christmas Light Co.
    Inventor: Jamie A. Limber
  • Patent number: 6779749
    Abstract: An electric-powered lawnmower having a manoeuvering planar handle, a reel member having a hollow shaft and a pair of integral spaced apart spokes for winding an electrical extension cord therebetween. A reel support polygonal panel having a transverse socket engages the hollow shaft, wherein the shaft is freely rotatable within the socket. The panel defines two opposite side edge portions forming registering concave cavities. An anchor bar member has attachment members anchoring the anchor member to the lawnmower planar handle generally coplanar thereto. The anchor bar member includes a dovetail cavity, frictionally wedgingly yet releasably receiving the panel concave cavities. The reel member socket defines a rotational axis generally orthogonal to the plane of the planar handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Inventor: Gilbert Laporta
  • Patent number: 6769641
    Abstract: A laying has a quill rotatable about an axis, and a pipe carried on the quill. The pipe has an entry end arranged to receive a product, and an intermediate portion defining a curved guide path leading from the entry and to a delivery end spaced radially from the quill axis and from which the product is discharged as a helical series of rings. A guide defines a helical extension of the guide path, and comprises a helical support plate projecting outwardly from the quill. A plurality of channel-shaped guide sections supported end to end on the support plate. The guide sections form a segmented radially outwardly facing helical trough surrounded by a cylindrical shroud that cooperates with the guide sections to definee radially and axially confined helical extension of the guide path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Morgan Construction Company
    Inventors: David L. Pariseau, Kenneth Plante
  • Patent number: 6764039
    Abstract: An apparatus for rapidly laying down or retrieving a ground cover while simultaneously laying down or retrieving heavy chains and the like used to secure the ground cover onto the ground. The apparatus of the present invention can lay down or retrieve 3,500 feet or more of ground cover and heavy chains at a rate of at least about 100 feet per minute or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Inventor: Forrest Hood James, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6761329
    Abstract: In an apparatus and a method of producing a roll of bags, a bag feeding device is arranged to feed bags one by one to a winding device. The winding device includes a rotating spindle which is arranged to engage with each bag separately to wind the bag on it, so as to build a roll of bags in which the bags are unconnected to one another yet firmly held together. The winding device comprises at least two separate winding stations, each winding station being connected to one or more bag feeding devices; and a switch that is arranged upstream of a bag feeding device to direct the bags from one winding station to the other when a roll of bags has been completed in one of the winding stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: FAS Converting Machinery AB
    Inventors: Willy Bartels, Gert-Arne Magnusson, Thomas Holm, Thomas Leijon, Per Anders Hallin, Zoltan Darvas
  • Patent number: 6760993
    Abstract: A recoil device (100) having a mounting member (101), a recoiling member (108), and a stopping member (117) is mounted onto an attachment surface (131) of an existing decoy (130) without compromising the structural integrity of the decoy (130). An anchor line (126) is operatively connected to the recoiling member (108) proximate the center (132) of the decoy (130) and is locked in place by the stopping member (117) proximate the front (133) of the decoy (130). The line (126) is locked in place when the stopping member (117) is in a first position, and the line (126) may be either drawn from the recoiling member (108) or automatically retracted by the recoiling member (108) when the stopping member (117) is in a second position (121b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Inventor: Tyler John Lebens
  • Patent number: 6758432
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a compact, simple, and economical supply device providing high speed splicing with no operator intervention, as well as automatic spool loading and unloading. The paper supply device (1) comprises two winders (2, 3) each supporting a spool of paper (4, 5), the first of which is a working spool and the second, a reserve spool, and a mechanism (6) for automatically splicing the end of the strip on the working spool with the beginning of the strip on the reserve spool. It is characterized in that the automatic splicing device (6) is located between the two winders (2, 3) and comprises two diversion rollers (60, 61) which rotate freely on at least one common plate (62), the plate rotating on a axle affixed to a trolley (63) so as to alternately place the diversion rollers (60, 61) in a first connection position and then in a second connection position, corresponding respectively to the working spool, with the trolley (63) being movable in translation from one spool to the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Inventor: Donato Rufo
  • Patent number: 6755370
    Abstract: A belt for supporting strips of deformable material includes a flexible central band. One or more strips are placed onto the band. Variable-configuration air chambers are arranged along edges of the band. The air chambers, when inflated, may have upper and lower surfaces that are substantially flat and substantially parallel to the band. An apparatus for using the belt includes a storage coil, a take-up winding, and first, second, and third devices. A first part of the belt is wound onto a reel of the storage coil with a first tension. A second part of the belt is wound onto a beam of the take-up winding with a second tension greater than the first tension. The first devices vary the first and second tension, the second devices keep the air chambers in the first part of the belt inflated, and the third devices rotate the reel and beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Pirelli Pneumatici Spa
    Inventor: Alessandro Volpi
  • Patent number: 6755413
    Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a cassette for containing a plurality of stacked sheets, a holding member for holding sheets from above, a pickup roller which contacts the uppermost sheet from above during one rotation, thereby feeding and transporting the uppermost sheet, a rotatable subsidiary holding member which is rotated in synchronization with a rotation of the pickup roller and in the same rotating direction as the pickup roller, and contacts and holds the sheets from above during each rotation before the pickup roller contacts the uppermost sheet. The distance between a rotation axis and that surface of the rotatable subsidiary holding member which contacts the uppermost sheet is equal to, or greater than the distance between a rotation axis and that surface of the pickup roller which contacts the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignees: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Masanori Takai
  • Patent number: 6752345
    Abstract: The rewinding machine for the production of rolls of weblike material comprises: a winding-up system (1, 3, 5) for winding up the weblike material on winding-up mandrels (M), and an extractor (23) for separating the mandrels from the respective rolls formed thereon. A device for washing the mandrels is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Fabio Perini S.p.A.
    Inventors: Giulio Betti, Angelo Benvenuti, Roberto Morelli
  • Patent number: 6752347
    Abstract: In reeling up of a paper web, a continuous paper web is reeled around a reeling core/reeling cores into successive machine reels or customer rolls. The actual control system controlling the reeling up process is supplemented with a substantially separate, model-based learning fault diagnostics. The fault diagnostics in a diagnostic state detects the malfunctions in components critical in view of the operation of the reel-up by monitoring measuring, control and actuating variables of the reel-up and by comparing them with a model formed during a learning state. In a fault tolerance state the fault diagnostics actively affects the measuring, control and actuating variables to maintain the function of the reel-up, and improve operating reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Metso Paper, Inc.
    Inventors: Petteri Lannes, Sami Palokangas, Jussi Alanen
  • Patent number: 6752346
    Abstract: A device is provided for winding a roll of a fabric web made from organic and/or synthetic fibers and which has a relatively high porous material structure and a high volume per unit area. The device includes a winding bed having a plurality of support rollers and a pressure roller located above the support rollers for exerting a pressure force on the fabric web being wound into the roll. An ascending delivery table has a distal end above the pressure roller. The support rollers and the pressure roller are rotated in the same direction during the winding process. A packing station is provided adjacent the winding bed. The direction of rotation of the support rollers is reversed to move the roll from the winding bed to the packing station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: mst-Maschinenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Joachim Meyer, Frank Stöver
  • Patent number: 6749142
    Abstract: A sheet-like element winding apparatus has an accommodating case 1, at one end portion of which a cap 2 is attached to, and also has a winding shaft 3, disposed in the accommodating case 1, for winding a sheet-like element, and a pushing means for rotating and pushing the winding shaft in a direction in which the sheet-like element is wound. A clutch mechanism is provided at an end portion of the winding shaft. When a sheet-like element is wound, the winding shaft is connected through the clutch mechanism to a damping means D1 for providing a damping force to the winding shaft. When a sheet-like element is drawn out, the connection between the winding shaft and the damping means is canceled through the clutch mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Piolax Inc.
    Inventors: Oomi Arisaka, Hitoshi Miyamae, Hironao Tachizawa, Jinya Kamada
  • Patent number: 6749149
    Abstract: A support arm for supporting a paper towel roll, having selected openings in one end, in a paper towel dispenser, and having a dispenser engaging arm portion, a cylindrical portion affixed to the arm portion, and an outer sleeve abutting a first side of the cylindrical portion. An inner sleeve slidably engages a second side of the cylindrical portion. An interconnecting structure interconnects the inner and outer sleeves and is insertable into the selected openings in the end of the paper towel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Englewood Ventures Inc.
    Inventor: Jed C. Friesen
  • Patent number: 6745969
    Abstract: A pull-cord keeper provided for a window treatment assembly, where the keeper comprises a housing configured for secure mounting attachment on a wall near an upper portion of the window treatment assembly, the housing further defining a cavity therein; an opening in communication with the cavity; a spool adapted for rotational movement within the cavity to reel and collect through the opening a length of a slender, flexible material; and a sealed spring cartridge assembly for spring biasing the spool in a rotational direction for reeling the length of the slender, flexible material during a constant spring-loaded state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: New Spin Corporation
    Inventor: William C. Gouda
  • Patent number: 6742738
    Abstract: A recording tape cartridge which can enable size-reduction of a drive device. A substantially rectangular case rotatably accommodates a single reel on which a recording tape is wound. An opening, for drawing out a leader member attached to an end portion of the tape, is formed by cutting away a corner portion of the case at a side of loading into a drive device. A covering member, which is formed to be substantially circular arc-shaped in plan view, moves on a predetermined circular circumference at a side wall portion which is parallel with a drive device loading direction, to open and close the opening. An operation portion protrudes from the covering member and is operated by an opening member provided at the drive device. The operation member moves through the position of a movement path of the covering member that is closest to the side wall in plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuo Hiraguchi