Patents Examined by Johnny D. Cherry
  • Patent number: 6702349
    Abstract: A new and improved apparatus is disclosed that is specifically designed for the purpose of providing dog owners or caretakers with a sanitary method of collecting and disposing of dog defecate. The apparatus would comprise a handle with an end-mounted scoop. A plastic bag is placed on the end-mounted scoop and placed below the dog to collect defecate before it hits the ground, thus making clean-up easier. The plastic bag would then be removed after use of the present invention and attached to the chain which has an end-mounted clip to be tied or tossed for easy disposal. The present invention also would serve as a training tool for the dog.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Inventor: Grace Clements
  • Patent number: 6601887
    Abstract: A frame assembly for attachment to an elongated shaft of a tool. The frame assembly is arranged to increase the leverage and handling capabilities of the tool. The frame assembly comprises a generally triangularly shaped frame having a housing portion leg, a forward leg and a rearward leg. The forward and the rearward legs meet at an apex of the frame assembly. A securement mechanism secures the housing portion leg to the shaft of the tool. An articulable handle is arranged on the apex of the frame assembly to permit the tool to be leveraged by a user of the frame assembly in an enhanced manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Inventor: David E. Graves
  • Patent number: 6543826
    Abstract: A lifting device which has a flexible belt adapted to circumvent and grip a load to be lifted. One or more elongate flexible lifting straps is in spaced relationship around the belt. One end of the or each strap is securable on the belt anywhere along the belt's length. The other end of the or each strap has a lift attachment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Inventor: John Alexander Aston
  • Patent number: 6536820
    Abstract: A handle assembly for holding together a pair of bulky fluid supply containers, such as liquid foam reaction product containers is provided that has a unique force exerting characteristic. The two containers are encircled by a flexible band capable of tightening, while a wire form member is provided that attaches to the supply container handles. This wire form member may serve as a handle and it has two diverging leg portions with free ends that engage the handles of the supply containers. The leg portions exert an outward force due to their divergence on the supply containers to bias them outwardly against the band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Flexible Products Co.
    Inventors: Michael C. Dean, Daniel P. Brown, Ross Wilson
  • Patent number: 6530613
    Abstract: An air tweezer capable of efficiently performing an operation in which an article with a very small size, such as a pico slider or a femto slider, is sucked and set at a predetermined position of a suspension, and having countermeasures against ESD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshio Uematsu, Yohtaroh Ichimura, Tatsumi Tsuchiya, Tasushi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 6530611
    Abstract: A pizza peel includes an elongate handle having a handle proximal end and a scooping blade distal end; a pie scooping blade rotatably mounted at the scooping blade distal end; a blade rotation assembly at the scooping blade distal end; and a blade advancement mechanism at the handle proximal end operationally connected to the blade rotation assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Remco Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: R. Edward Moreth
  • Patent number: 6530612
    Abstract: An in-dash compact disc retriever that is used to remove compact discs or digital video discs from compact disc or digital video disc players when they are stuck and cannot be ejected by normal means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Inventor: Annette B. Bell
  • Patent number: 6530616
    Abstract: A parts gripper having a continuity switch to determine the presence of a part or workpiece held between the jaws of a parts gripper comprising a parts gripper having a yoke, a pair of jaw members, a pivot pin, a cover plate, a side impact plate, and an electrical lead conductively connected to the first attachment portion of the pivot pin. The pivot pin is conductively connected to the jaw members and connects the jaw members to the yoke of the gripper body. The pivot pin includes a shaft, a neck portion, a stepped portion, and a first attachment portion. The shaft connects the jaw members to the yoke. The cover plate has a keyed through-hole for mating with the neck portion of the pivot pin. The side impact plate has a slot for mating with the stepped portion of the pivot pin to prevent the pivot pin from rotating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: PHD, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce D. McIntosh, Kenneth A. Steele
  • Patent number: 6527320
    Abstract: A device for picking up material, such as animal droppings, which includes a container defining a compartment and a slot. A flexible elongated member is provided, one end of the elongated member being fixedly attached to the container, and the other end of the elongated member being a free end. The elongated member is configured to form a loop outside of the compartment. The loop is movable between a first position, for generally surrounding the material, and a second position, wherein the loop is substantially inside of the compartment. Upon the loop being in the first position and positioned for encircling the material, the free end of the elongated member is pulled such that the loop and the material it surrounds is pulled into the compartment to the loop's second position. The device may then be disposed of in its entirety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: IDM Products, Inc.
    Inventor: James J. Gregg
  • Patent number: 6523875
    Abstract: Apparatus for grasping a load from above or from the side, in particular for use in a manipulator, includes two parallel elongate beams, and two carriers extending in a direction of the elongate beams, with each of the carriers supported by a corresponding one of the elongate beams and guided for displacement longitudinally in the direction of the elongate beams. The carriers are disposed in spaced-apart relationship, when viewed in a longitudinal direction of the carriers, and are movable relative to one another at least over a portion of a longitudinal extension of the carriers. Two confronting grippers are secured to the ends of the carriers and positioned on the outside of the carriers, when viewed in a direction transversely to the carriers and when the carriers are completely moved apart. A primary fluid-operated system is provided for moving the carriers in opposition to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Atecs Mannesmann AG
    Inventor: RĂ¼diger Ostholt
  • Patent number: 6520555
    Abstract: A mechanism includes a material-engaging element that is threadably mounted on one end of a threaded body and a handle element on the other end of the threaded body. The material-engaging element is moved on the threaded body as needed to securely, yet comfortably, engage a workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Inventor: Rickey L. Hamm
  • Patent number: 6517132
    Abstract: A multifinger hand device has a plurality of finger mechanisms extending from a palm unit. The finger mechanisms include a finger mechanism corresponding to a thumb and other finger mechanisms. Joints of the finger mechanism corresponding to the thumb include a joint closest to the palm unit and having a rotational axis about which the joint is rotatable, the rotational axis extending substantially perpendicularly to the rotational axis of a joint, closest to the palm unit, of one of the other finger mechanisms. The joints, closest to the palm unit, of the other finger mechanisms have respective rotational axes about which the joints are rotatable and which are slightly inclined to each other and extend substantially perpendicularly to a main palm plate of the palm unit. The other finger mechanisms have link mechanisms closest to the palm unit which are fixed to the palm unit with their respective rotational axes being inclined to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Matsuda, Kazuhiro Kishimoto
  • Patent number: 6513847
    Abstract: A device used to simultaneously lift three concrete blocks from a pallet using a backhoe or crane and reposition them for exact placement on a wall. The device comprises a lifting bar that is suspended in a horizontally aligned position from a cable or chain connected to the shovel or hook on a backhoe or crane, respectively. Extended downward from the lifting bar are three block lifting assemblies. Each block lifting assembly includes two connecting rods that fit into vertically aligned holes formed on the concrete blocks. Each connecting rod is pivotally connected at its upper end to a short segment of chain or cable which pivotally connects to a rigid transfer plate. Each assembly also includes two long segments that pivotally connect to the upper edge of the transfer plate. The upper ends of the two long segments are spaced apart and pivotally connected to the lifting bar so that the long segments converge and are aligned diagonally when the connecting rods are placed inside the holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Inventors: Loren Harris, David Harris, Brett Harris
  • Patent number: 6513848
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a wafer clamping mechanism responsive to fluid pressure to retain wafers on a surface with minimal clamping force. The clamping mechanism houses simple operative elements within a housing proximate the wafer and can utilize existing fluid pressure sources to energize the clamping mechanism. In a first embodiment, the clamping mechanism includes a piston and cylinder to urge a clamping arm against the wafer in response to fluid pressure. In a second embodiment, the clamping mechanism includes a bellows arrangement for urging the clamping finger against the wafer in response to a fluid pressure source. In a third embodiment, the clamping mechanism includes a bladder arrangement wherein a bladder is expanded using fluid pressure to urge the clamping arm against the wafer in response to a fluid pressure source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Norman Shendon, John Hearne, Bryan Von Lossberg
  • Patent number: 6513846
    Abstract: A length-adjustable ground-working tool for allowing the user to adjust the length of the handle assembly for the ground-working tool. The length-adjustable ground-working tool includes a ground-working member; and also includes a handle assembly including a first tubular member being attached to the ground-working member and also includes a second tubular member being telescopingly connected to the first tubular member, and further includes a handle member being mounted to an end of the second tubular member; and further includes a fastening assembly including first and second bracket members for securely fastening the first and second tubular members together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Inventor: Keith McCauley
  • Patent number: 6511110
    Abstract: A collecting tool (10) for use with a refuse collection bag (29), including a frame (12) having a number of frame members (13) which are joined by connectors (17). A number of retainers (31) attach a refuse collection bag (29) to the frame (12). A handle (30) is detachably attachable to the frame (12), so that the frame (12) and the attached bag (29) can be manipulated to position the collecting tool (10) during refuse collection. A number of legs (28) are detachably attachable to the frame (12), the legs (28) acting to support the frame (12) and an attached refuse collection bag (29) in an upright position (52). One of the legs (28) may optionally serve as the handle (30) or may help support the frame in a free-standing position (58). Optionally, one of the retainers (17) is a snap ramp (34), including a flat ramp portion (36) which is reversible in direction so that the flat ramp portion (36) may serve as an inwardly disposed entrance ramp (54), or as an outwardly disposed entrance ramp (56).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Inventor: Samuel L. Roye
  • Patent number: 6511114
    Abstract: A handle for carrying plastic bags includes a flat plate with a top horizontal hand grip, a vertical member depending from each end of the hand grip, and a horizontal bottom portion, all surrounding a hand grip aperture. A number of bag hooks depend from the bottom portion, the outermost hooks being directed inward toward each other to prevent snagging. The outer periphery of the plate includes an outer flange, and the inner periphery of the hand grip aperture includes an inner flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Inventor: Harold J. Fludd
  • Patent number: 6508497
    Abstract: An overhead clamp-type gripping device for gripping a load from above, includes a carrier frame which is movable in a vertical direction and has support elements positioned on both sides of a center plane and extending downwards from the carrier frame for movement relative to one another. The support elements have longitudinal guides which define an upwardly open angle with respect to the center plane. Received in the longitudinal guides of the support elements is a gripper unit which includes gripping elements for laterally contacting a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann AG
    Inventor: Klaus Nerger
  • Patent number: 6508496
    Abstract: A manual device includes a control lever pivoted to a hand grip for activating an activation rod so as to actuate an adjustment piece to cause two holding ends of two grasping arms to move toward each other to take hold of an object. The adjustment piece has a toothed bar. The grasping arms are provided with a toothed action end which is engaged with the toothed bar of the adjustment piece. As the adjustment piece is manually turned, the grasping arms are caused to move toward or away from each other such that the distance between the two holding ends of the two grasping arms is adjusted in accordance with the size of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Inventor: Tsung-Chi Huang
  • Patent number: 6505871
    Abstract: An electrically driven gripper has a housing, a gearmotor attached to the housing, a cam engaged to the gearmotor, a pair of opposing jaws slidingly mounted to the housing, a cam follower secured to one of the jaws and in sliding contact with the cam; and a spring configured to impart a force to the jaws such that the jaws are pulled toward each other. The gearmotor drives the cam to force the jaws to a maximum open position. Continued rotation of the cam allows the spring to pull the jaws closed to grasp an object with the jaws. Sensors mounted to the housing determine whether the jaws are in an open or closed state. A simple circuit on a printed circuit board mounted to the housing is used to control the electric gearmotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Delaware Capital Formation, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Elliot McCormick