Patents Examined by Kevin McDermott
  • Patent number: 6694684
    Abstract: A cast-in-place pass through firestop device for providing a passage in a partition through which wires, cables, pipes, and the like are run includes a housing having a riser portion with frangible connections that define removable bands that can be readily removed by a user to adjust the height of the device in accordance with the thickness of the partition into which the device is installed. The removable bands include pull tabs that provide grasping means to facilitate removal of the bands by a user along a frangible connection. The housing also includes a base portion including a recess with ribs for maintaining firestop material in spaced relation from the base portion sidewall. A flame retardant char forming material, which works in combination with the firestop material to provide a fire, smoke, and water barrier, may also be provided adjacent the firestop material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: DuWayne C. Radke, Paul J. Cobian, Anthony J. Schommer
  • Patent number: 6694702
    Abstract: A door construction includes first and second door blanks each defining an L-shaped profile including: (i) a back member; (ii) a base member. The blanks are secured in opposed nesting relation to define first and second seams. The first and second seams. The first and second base members define edges of the door. The base member of the first blank defines a foot including a first contact surface and the back member of the first blank is folded upon itself to define a second contact surface. The base of the second blank defines a foot including a third contact surface and the back member of the second blank is folded upon itself to define a fourth contact surface. The first seam is defined at the abutment of the first and fourth contact surfaces, and the second seam is defined at the abutment of the second and third contact surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Amweld Building Products, LLC
    Inventors: Paul P. Weymer, David A. Nist
  • Patent number: 6691481
    Abstract: A corner form for forming concrete having panels connected by a plurality of tie brackets. Each panel comprises a short led and a long leg. The exterior panel has an eighteen inch long, and a thirty inch long leg. The panels have projections formed in the upper surface and corresponding, vertically aligned notches formed in the lower surface. The projections and notches receivingly cooperate to interlock with one another and vertically align the tie brackets. The corner forms are configured such that the long and the short legs enable alternating, overlapping projections of succeeding courses. The tie brackets, each having perpendicularly arranged flat plates extending the full height of the form, are spaced apart twelve inches on centers, measured from the corner edge of the exterior panel. A vertical bracket is optionally embedded in the corner of the exterior panel. The combination of the above inventive features constitute the novel corner form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Inventor: Donald L. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 6689449
    Abstract: A roof decking membrane welding system and method comprises first and second roof decking membranes having edge portions thereof welded to each other so as to define a seamed connection therebetween. The edge portion of a first one of the membranes is disposed beneath a seam plate and folded over the top of the seam plate so as to be secured upon itself either at a location adjacent to the seamed connection with the second membrane or between the first membrane and the edge portion of the second membrane. In either case, the folded edge portion of the first membrane forms a closed loop portion which presents multiple regions for load-sharing in resisting uplifting wind load forces. Alternatively, the edge portion of the first membrane is folded over itself but disposed beneath the seam plate so as to present dual plies of the first membrane for engagement with the seam plate so as to again provide load-sharing characteristics under uplifting wind load forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: S. Riaz Hasan, William J. Blucher, Lawrence R. Reinebach
  • Patent number: 6688046
    Abstract: A safety rail assembly for an access hatch with a hatch frame which defines an opening; extends around at least a part of the hatch frame and includes guard members interconnection members which extend around the hatch frame, and support members for supporting the guard members at a position elevated above the hatch frame, where each interconnection member has a spacer member secured therto between the ends thereof, and each spacer member has a body portion by which the spacer member is secured to an interconnection member and a head portion for bearing firmly against an outwardly facing surface of the hatch frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Kee International Products Inc.
    Inventor: Simon Perkins
  • Patent number: 6688056
    Abstract: A moveable and demountable wall panel system including a plurality of panels each having opposite top and bottom distance channels, opposite left and right vertical posts, a panel covering, a ceiling rail, and an articulating floor channel. The distance channels and vertical posts are affixed to one another by connecting studs in order to form a rectangular support frame of the panel. The articulating floor channel is operatively connected to a bottom portion of the rectangular support frame by left and right glide assemblies mounted into receiving channels of the left and right vertical posts respectively. The articulating floor channel is used for operatively securing the rectangular support frame of the panel to a ground surface. Each vertical post has at least one receiving lip extending along a direction substantially parallel to the vertical axis of the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Eberhard von Huene & Associates
    Inventors: Eberhard Von Hoyningen Huene, Michael Salzman, Geoffrey Boyer
  • Patent number: 6684587
    Abstract: A corner piece includes a first group of vertically stacked walls and a second group of vertically stacked walls is provided. Each wall in the first and second groups includes an exterior face and an interior face and a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge opposite the first lateral edge. The first group and second groups meet at a common corner defined by the first lateral edges. The exterior faces collectively include an ornamental appearance containing a plurality of vertically stacked shingle impressions. The second lateral edges of the walls in at least one of the groups are staggered in width relative to the common corner, wherein the shingle impressions of the at least one group overlap at least a portion of the siding panels when the siding panels and the corner piece are fastened to the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: CertainTeed Corporation
    Inventors: Robert David Shaw, Stephen William Steffes
  • Patent number: 6684593
    Abstract: A structural panel component, such as an aircraft fuselage shell component, includes a single integral part having longitudinal and crosswise stiffening elements integrally arranged on a skin sheet. This integral component has been formed by a high speed milling chip removal process applied to a solid plate-shaped semi-finished starting material. The skin sheet has areas of differing thicknesses, and the height, thickness, and spacing of the stiffening elements varies as needed, depending on the local loading conditions that will prevail on the finished structural component. The configuration of the component can be optimized to minimize the weight while satisfying all load strength requirements. The manufacturing method is very simple and economical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: Airbus Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Hartmut Brenneis, Walter Zink
  • Patent number: 6681534
    Abstract: A system and method for memorializing life is disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, a method includes storing human or other animal remains in a structure, such as an outer pyramid-shaped structure, wherein the remains are stored in vaults and urns. The embodiment also may include other structures, such as one or more inner pyramid-shaped structures housed by the outer pyramid-shaped structure. The embodiment also preferably includes computer resources employable to display holographic images and memorial records concerning the deceased, such as video and photographic images, medical records, such as DNA, as well as artifacts and personal belongings. The invention may also include a structure positioned underneath the outer pyramid-shaped structure, housing a world religions museum offering various displays, exhibitions, and services.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Pyramid Development Group LLC
    Inventors: Friedland David, Colette Golightly
  • Patent number: 6681542
    Abstract: A block for an outdoor staircase stair includes an open four-sided block having a web interconnecting opposing sides and transversing the cavity within the block. The web includes vertical voids which extend from the top of the web into the body of the web. Two of the voids are located at the lateral ends of the web. The top parts of the web between the voids are broken out after the block is placed over the ground surface. Each block may be placed such that its front wall rests on the rear wall of the course of blocks below it. The blocks are filled with granular material to within about the thickness of a paving block or brick. Paving blocks are arranged on the granular material within the block such that the tops of the paving blocks are flush with the top of the block. Methods for building a staircase from the blocks and for molding the blocks are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: King's Material, Inc.
    Inventor: Gary F. Pribyl
  • Patent number: 6681543
    Abstract: A reinforcement rib is provided at the reverse side of the elongated side molding in longitudinal direction and a portion of the reinforcement rib is elevated to form a welding rib. In the clip as an attachment member, a rib hole is provided for inserting the welding rib therein and the open side of the rib hole from which the welding rib is projecting is formed with a larger bore. The side molding body is integrally formed with the attachment member by housing a dislocation preventing portion formed by heat riveting a tip end of the welding rib inserted into the rib hole of the attachment member. Thus integrated side molding with the attachment member is attached to the outer panel of the vehicle by the leg portion provided at the attachment member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sadao Nada, Daiichiro Kawashima, Tetsuya Miyano, Koichi Ogiso, Yasuo Shibuya, Takehiko Shiraki, Moriyoshi Takagi
  • Patent number: 6679022
    Abstract: A building block or panel having a shape of a parallelpiped including four edge faces (11, 13, 15 and 17) and two opposed major faces (19 and 21), the edge faces being formed to be interlockingly engageable with the edge faces on similar building blocks, each edge face including lateral zones which are located to one or the other side of the central longitudinal axis of the edge face, one zone of each edge face being formed with a recess (23) and the other zone of each edge face being of a complementary configuration to the one zone, the recesses on opposed edge faces being of corresponding configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Inventor: Hendrik Corporaal
  • Patent number: 6675551
    Abstract: A plate-shaped constructional element comprises a perforated plate made of a solid material such as metal, wood, wood chip board, pressboard, synthetic material or gypsum, and is characterized by the provision that a micro-perforated sheet or thin plate is disposed on one of the plate surfaces of the plate. One variant provides that the holes in the plate are formed in such a manner that they open each into a micro hole on one side of the plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventor: Helmut Fuchs
  • Patent number: 6665997
    Abstract: In a synthetic door composed of two molded skins attached to a frame composed of stiles and rails of thin wooden strips to which the skins are adhered, with the core filled with a plastic foam, the improvement comprising a insert mechanically joined to each stile along their entire length, each insert having a channel device operable to interlock with its associated stile thereby providing the approximate strength of thicker wooden stiles conventionally used in constructing such doors, as well as providing finished vertical edges of the resulting door while significantly reducing the overall costs of such doors. In addition the insert can be employed to form an interlocking frame by extending the insert beyond the ends of the stiles and milling the ends of the rails so that they interlock with the channel means of the insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Inventor: Kuei Yung Wang Chen
  • Patent number: 6662523
    Abstract: An integrated multipane window sash is fabricated from a sash frame having an inside perimeter. An adhesive material is applied to the inside perimeter. The adhesive material has sufficient stiffness to function as a mounting structure for glazing panes, and may also function as a spacing structure. A first glazing pane is mounted to a first side of the adhesive mounting structure. A second glazing pane is mounted to a second side of the adhesive mounting structure or to a separate adhesive mounting structure. The adhesive mounting structure can be applied by co-extrusion with the sash profile, by post-extrusion, manually or automatically and can comprise, for example, at least one of a bead of adhesive, a preformed adhesive foam, a preformed adhesive tape, or a chemical sealant. The adhesive mounting structure can be combined with a desiccant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Sashlite, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Hornung, John S. France
  • Patent number: 6662512
    Abstract: A mullion reinforcement is provided comprising a first member that is fastenable to a portion of a first window frame. It includes at least one pilot that is formed on a surface of the first member, a first portion of a latch, and a first portion of a catch. A second member is also provided that is fastenable to a portion of a second window frame. It includes at least one pilot receptacle formed on a surface of the second member, and is engagable with the at least one pilot when the first window frame is assembled to the second window frame. The second member includes a second portion of a latch and a second portion of a catch that are complementary to the first portion of a latch and the first portion of a catch. When the first window frame is assembled to the second window frame, the first member and the second member cooperate to form a latch and a catch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: CertainTeed Corporation
    Inventor: Dennis C. Westphal
  • Patent number: 6662507
    Abstract: A window anti-fog system for preventing fogging between windowpanes. The window anti-fog system includes an aperture within a lower portion of a first windowpane, a gas container containing a pressurized volume of gas, and a delivery tube fluidly connected to the gas container with a distal portion inserted within the aperture within the first windowpane. The delivery tube preferably has a size smaller than the aperture for allowing air to escape, however, another opening within the windowpane may be utilized. The gas container preferably contains a gas lighter than air such as nitrogen. A valve between the gas container and the delivery tube controls the flow of the gas into the interior cavity between the first windowpane and a second windowpane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Inventor: Kerry J. Bendy
  • Patent number: 6655107
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for reinforcing and repairing hollow concrete block building foundation walls from the bucking caused by the pressure of the earth, water and/or tree roots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Inventor: Christopher J. Dean
  • Patent number: 6655097
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method of using the apparatus to temporarily support a utility pole is disclosed. The apparatus is comprised of a plurality of structural elements which are hinged together to form an articulated frame. The frame is adapted to be connected to a pole and caused to conform to the slope or angle of the pole with respect to the ground. The frame is also adapted to conform to the slope of the ground in which the pole is embedded. The articulated frame of this invention finds particular utility in supporting a utility pole installed in ground subject to collapse due to excavation in the vicinity of the pole. In this regard, the frame is useful to obviate the need to temporarily reroute a power line erected in the vicinity of earth removal operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Inventor: Billy E. Poolaw
  • Patent number: 6651395
    Abstract: Device (1) able to limit the amplitude of the relative movement of two elements of a civil engineering structure and for absorbing the deformation energy of this structure when the latter is subjected to an accidental stress. The device (1) includes: at least one portion able to undergo a plastic deformation at the time of the relative movement of the two elements of the structure, a guiding device for guiding the plastic deformation of the portion able to undergo a plastic deformation, the portion able to undergo a plastic deformation and the guiding device forming a single piece element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Campenon Bernard SGE
    Inventor: Alain Capra