Patents Examined by Lee D. Wilson
  • Patent number: 11866947
    Abstract: A hand trowel and hand trowel handle for use with the same are disclosed. In one embodiment of the hand trowel handle, a handle has an ergonomic shape and the handle is provided with a discrete, selectively adjustable, rotational angle. A locking member may be tightened into a locked, abutted relationship with the handle to reversibly lock the discrete, selectively adjustable, rotational angle. The locking member may be loosened from the locked, abutted relationship with the handle to provide selective adjustment of the discrete, selectively adjustable, rotational angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Inventors: Clinton D. Bunch, Joshua A. Bunch
  • Patent number: 11867354
    Abstract: A clamp includes a fixed gripper, a moveable gripper, a driven member, an actuator, and first and second tracks. The driven member is configured to slide within the first and second tracks. The moveable gripper is operatively coupled to the driven member. The actuator is configured to move the driven member towards a first position to thereby move the moveable gripper towards the fixed gripper. The actuator is further configured to move the driven member towards a second position to thereby move the moveable gripper away from the fixed gripper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: DEKA Products Limited Partneship
    Inventors: Larry B. Gray, Thomas A. Friedrich, Erik N. Sabin, John M. Kerwin, Richard J. Lanigan
  • Patent number: 11858083
    Abstract: A dental blank positioning device for positioning a dental blank holder within a manufacturing apparatus, the device capable of securing to a dental blank around its circumferential perimeter and comprising an interior side corresponding to the dental blank and an exterior side generally corresponding to a dental blank holder, an index element extending outwardly of the exterior side, whereby a portion of the index element may rest against an index chamber of a blank holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Global Dental Science, LLC
    Inventor: Johannes Petrus Michael Grobbee
  • Patent number: 11858112
    Abstract: A tool including a buffer structure adapted to prevent shocks includes a tool head, a first shaft structure, and a second shaft structure. The tool head has a first connection receiving a pivot. The first shaft structure includes a slide. The second shaft structure is disposed on the slide and links with the tool head. The second shaft structure is movable on the slide such that the tool head is moved toward and away from the first shaft structure. The second shaft structure has a second connection receiving the pivot. The tool head is pivotal with respect to the second shaft structure. Further, a resilient member is disposed between the first and the second shaft structures. The second shaft structure is biased by the resilient member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Tang Chou Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mou-Tang Liou
  • Patent number: 11857132
    Abstract: A cleaning device according to the present disclosure includes a first infinite belt assembly and a second infinite belt assembly disposed along a first plane and a second plane, respectively, where each plane is parallel to a longitudinal plane of the cleaning device. The second infinite belt assembly is disposed proximal to the first infinite belt assembly such that a gap is defined therebetween to receive a kitchen tool. Each of the first infinite belt assembly and the second infinite belt assembly includes bristles extending from respective outer surfaces to contact the kitchen tool. A water supply manifold of the device supplies water onto at least one of the kitchen tool, the infinite belts assemblies, and the gap. A drive unit counter rotates the first infinite belt assembly with respect to the second infinite belt assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Sharath Chandra, Vinod Dixit, Nitin Minocha, Chaitali Mohokar, Eshita Pal
  • Patent number: 11858089
    Abstract: A polishing layer is provided. The polishing layer have a surface pattern, a cross section of the surface pattern along a direction has a plurality of grooves and a plurality of polishing portions, each of the grooves is disposed between every two adjacent polishing portions, and the polishing layer comprises a body layer and a surface layer. The surface layer is disposed on a surface of the body layer, and a top of at least one of the polishing portions has at least one flattened region exposing the body layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: IV Technologies CO., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Hao Pan, Ching-Huang Shen, Yu-Piao Wang
  • Patent number: 11857129
    Abstract: A robotic floor cleaning device that features a controlled liquid releasing mechanism. A rotatable cylinder with at least one aperture for storing a limited quantity of liquid is connected to a non-propelling wheel of the robotic floor cleaning device. There is a passage below the cylinder and between the cylinder and a drainage mechanism. The cylinder is within or adjacent to a liquid reservoir. Each time an aperture is exposed to the liquid within the reservoir it fills with liquid. As the wheel turns the connected cylinder is rotated until the aperture is adjacent to the passage. The liquid in the aperture will flow through the passage and enter the drainage mechanism which disperses the liquid to the working surface. The release of liquid is halted when the connected wheel stops turning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: AI Incorporated
    Inventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Azadeh Afshar Bakooshli, Masih Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Nema Lankarani, Masoud Nasiri Sarvi
  • Patent number: 11858127
    Abstract: Systems and methods for mounting a robotic arm for use in robotic-assisted surgery, including a mobile shuttle that includes a support member for mounting the robotic arm that extends at least partially over a gantry of an imaging device. Further embodiments include a mounting apparatus for mounting a robotic arm to a base or support column of an imaging device, to a patient table, to a floor or ceiling of a room, or to a cart that extends over the top surface of the patient table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Mobius Imaging, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Sebring, Eugene Gregerson, Russell Stanton, Edward Daley, Gordon Row
  • Patent number: 11850656
    Abstract: A wedge driver and method therefor is presented. A wedge driver can be operably coupled to different ends of a link joiner to drive a wedge therebetween to form a single link. The wedge driver can also drive the wedge out of the link joiner. The present disclosure provides the benefit of allowing the safe and effective removal of the link joiner by preventing violent or forceful decoupling of a link joiner. The wedge driver can include a trunk, a first prong, a second prong, a bolt, and a driver. The driver can be spring enabled, such that the driver can recede into the trunk as the bolt egresses the trunk. A bolt of the wedge driver can push a driver out of the trunk to axially drive the wedge into (or out of) a link joiner without rotating the wedge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: BNSF Railway Company
    Inventors: Mike E. Teaford, Ryan L. Kimberlin, Larry C. Valentine
  • Patent number: 11851895
    Abstract: A grout float and a handle for use with the same are disclosed. In one embodiment of the grout float, the handle is secured to a blade, which may be encased with a pliable pad. The handle includes two mounting noses. Each of the two mounting noses includes a pair of lateral sidewalls traversing lateral surfaces of the handle and burgeoning downwardly. The lateral sidewalls transfer force from the handle to the blade upon the pliable pad of the grout float angularly contacting a work surface. A gripping portion of the handle located between the two mounting noses may having a non-linear profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Acufloor, LLC
    Inventors: Clinton D. Bunch, Joshua A. Bunch
  • Patent number: 11850686
    Abstract: Present invention teaches a height adjustable rest having four main parts: a base, a cylindrical knob, a cylindrical post and a snap ring. The cylindrical post has a vertical straight groove to guide the up-and-down height adjustment when the knob is turned relative to the base. The base holes and the knob holes, along with the corresponding rods, provide increased torque when larger and/or heavier workpiece is being supported. The matching inner thread portion (on the inside of the cylindrical knob) and the outer thread portion (on the outside of the base) is a desired feature to make the product less susceptible to damages or work debris compared to other products with exposed threads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Valtra Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Tsui, Daqing Zhu
  • Patent number: 11850713
    Abstract: A clamping device has a clamping member (2) moveably mounted in a main body 1. A linearly movable actuator (3) is operatively connected to the clamping member (2). A spring element (4) is operatively connected to the actuator (3). A rotatably mounted actuating element (5) is operatively connected to the spring element (4). The spring element (4) is a compression spring that can be compressed when tensioning by the actuating element (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: DESTACO EUROPE GMBH
    Inventor: Markus Ramge
  • Patent number: 11845567
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for trimming and installation. One embodiment is a system for cutting out portions of a fuselage section. The system includes an Inner Mold Line (IML) tool comprising an inner gripping element configured to apply suction to a portion of the fuselage section, and further comprising an outer gripping element configured to apply suction to an area surrounding the portion, an Outer Mold Line (OML) tool configured to operate a cutter to cut the portion out from the fuselage section while suction is applied to the portion and to the area surrounding the portion, and a track that is disposed between the IML tool and the OML tool, wherein the fuselage section is configured to be pulsed in a process direction along the track, such that the fuselage section remains disposed between the IML tool and the OML tool when pulsed in the process direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey Alan Truess, Richard Calawa, Justin Michael Foisy
  • Patent number: 11848544
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a wire gripper to aid in wire pulling and method of use, A gripper is inserted into an interior cavity. A base comprises an interior cavity and a threaded attachment. The gripper comprises more than one flexible finger. A wire receptacle is formed between the flexible fingers. The gripper slides into the interior cavity of the base. A collar is open at both the top and bottom end. A wire passes through the top end of the collar and slides into the wire receptacle. The wire is retained within the wire receptacle by fastening the base to the collar causing the flexible finger to apply retaining pressure to the wire preventing the wire from being removed from the wire grabber. A pulling tension is applied by an installer person to the wire grabber to pull the wire from a starting location to a destination location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Inventor: Terry Kevin Brown
  • Patent number: 11845164
    Abstract: An impact driver, in accordance with one embodiment, includes a rotatable shaft, and a rotating driver mechanism configured to rotate the shaft. A first mass is positioned to selectively strike the rotating driver mechanism for inducing a rotation of the shaft in a first direction. A first inductor is positioned to accelerate the first mass toward the rotating driver mechanism. A computer-implemented method, in accordance with one embodiment, includes repeatedly activating a first inductor for repeatedly accelerating a first mass toward a rotating driver mechanism to selectively strike the rotating driver mechanism for inducing a rotation of a shaft in a first direction. In response to receiving an indication that rotation of the shaft is detected, the repeated activation is terminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Albert Dennes, Adam Mullenbach, Junfeng Xu, Gregory Michael Ketterer
  • Patent number: 11840113
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a marker opening device comprising at least one plug remover, at least one nib remover, and/or at least one cartridge remover. Also provided herein is a method of disassembling a marker using the marker opening device, the disassembly of the marker allowing for separation of the recyclable and non-recyclable components thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: CRAYOLA LLC
    Inventors: Richard B Kuiken, Craig Skinner
  • Patent number: 11833638
    Abstract: A polishing pad useful in chemical mechanical polishing can comprise a base pad having a top surface and surface, a plurality of polishing elements each having a top polishing surface and a bottom surface, and wherein each of the plurality of polishing elements is connected to the top surface of the base pad to the polishing element by three or more supports wherein the bottom surface of the polishing element, the top surface of the base pad and the supports define a region comprising at least one void and there are openings between the three or more supports. Such pad can be used in a method by providing a substrate and polishing the substrate with the pad, optionally, with a polishing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials Holding, Inc.
    Inventors: John R. McCormick, Bryan E. Barton
  • Patent number: 11833870
    Abstract: The invention comprises a seating plate including a concentric swivel leveler to be used for leveling a trailer on an uneven ground surface by inserting a connected trailer jack into the swivel and establishing a stationary position wherein the trailer is substantially level. In certain embodiments, a spacer is also provided with a receiving well for the swivel such that a height of the seating plate above the ground surface is increased such that the trailer jack need not be extended as far as it would but for the spacer. A spacer may be of durable material and includes reinforcing support members help support large loads. In certain embodiments, the swivel may be fastened to the spacer using nuts, bolts and the like so the swivel may swivel about the receiving well while the seating plate maintains a height above the space top to allow for the swiveling action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: ROBUST ACCLAIM LIMITED
    Inventors: Alastair Peter Hancock, Nicholas Paul David Jones, Glenn Dylan Catchpole, Andrew Nathan Beck, Wayne Brendon Morris
  • Patent number: 11833647
    Abstract: A bushing handle for use with a renewable bushing. The bushing handle facilitates a quick-change configuration by using a liner bushing disposed in a through bore. The liner bushing can accept a plurality of different renewable bushings having various inner diameters and other characteristics, eliminating the need to stock and store a multitude of different bushing handles. The liner bushing may be a lock liner, which facilitates the quick-change function, and provides a ground inner diameter, which is more resistant to wear and tear than the light metal construction of the handle itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Carr Lane Manufacturing Co.
    Inventors: Nancy Jerrell Ruth Shepard, Joshua Matthew Herschbach, Colin Walker Frost
  • Patent number: 11828076
    Abstract: A hydraulic lift caisson for buildings including an outer rigid pipe, an inner rigid lifting post and a plurality of threaded lifting rods surrounding the inner rigid lifting post. Also included is a base lifting plate disposed within a bottom end of the outer rigid pipe and connected to a bottom end of the inner rigid lifting post and threaded rods, an anchor plate fixed to a first end of the inner rigid pipe and including a plurality of holes extending therethrough to receive the threaded lifting rods therethrough and a jacking plate disposed above the anchor plate and also including a plurality of holes extending therethrough to receive the threaded lifting rods therethrough, and at least one hydraulic jack disposed between the anchor plate and a jacking plate to lift the jacking plate, lifting post and building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Inventor: Anthony J Mazzo