Patents Examined by Mark Wendell
  • Patent number: 9435119
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to building trades where precise spacing between structural members ensures support via use of a plurality of elongate spacers. The spacers include at least one intermediate transit tacking member and a pair of nail- or screw-receiving apertures on opposing ends of thereof. One of the opposing ends serves as a pivoting end and the opposite end includes one or more relatively shorter member near the aperture formed therein. These member(s) can be driven into an adjacent trust or other support member while a final precise position is determined. To determine the final precise position to affix a given spacer one or more indicia is provided. Such indicia can include end edges, one or more cut-out features and/or one or more cut-out features and/or numbered or lettered (or other symbols) indicating the relative spacing from one end of the elongate spacer to the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Inventor: Kevin S. Fuller
  • Patent number: 9435097
    Abstract: An assembly method and resulting temporary foundation mat for equipment such as a crane, including the steps of driving a fastener through plastic either with a hydraulic force or pneumatic (air), mechanical, or by any other power assisted means, shown through experimentation to result in the plastic surrounding the bolt within itself, tightly giving added strength to the system. The fastener can have a head at the driven end and a threaded end at the lead end. When a threaded end exists exterior to the joined pieces of plank, the plastic around the threaded end can be power-wire brushed to expose the threads to a nut which then tightens the system. The penetration rate of the fastener into and through the plastic pieces can be increased by pre-heating the lead end of the fastener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: F.M. Locotos Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Frank M. Locotos
  • Patent number: 9435435
    Abstract: Systems for providing universally installable secondary safety systems for use, in one embodiment, with a riser for a septic tank are disclosed. In some embodiments, the system includes the following: a riser extending from a system of interest located underground, a retainer ring installed within said riser, and a safety screen to prevent access to the underground system and lower portions of the riser from above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Polylok, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter W. Gavin
  • Patent number: 9427102
    Abstract: A window treatment hanging apparatus operable to releasably secure a window treatment rod bracket to a wall. The window treatment hanging apparatus further includes a body that is planar in manner and rectangular in shape. The body includes a central portion that is circumferentially border by a perimeter seam. The central portion having an inner surface and an outer surface. Opposite the perimeter seam and contiguous therewith are a plurality of foldable sections. The foldable sections include a plurality of vertical and horizontal foldable sections. The foldable sections are have a first position and a second position. In the second position, the plurality of foldable sections are operable to bias a wall plate of a conventional rod support bracket against the inner surface of the central portion. The outer surface of the central portion having an adhesive layer operable to secure the window treatment hanging apparatus to a wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Inventor: Rebecca Weaver
  • Patent number: 9428260
    Abstract: Device intended for a double glazing including at least one outer glazing and one inner glazing separated by an intermediary space filled with a gas, used to isolate an inside environment from an outside environment, a pressure variation being liable to occur between these environments, for example in the case of an aircraft in flight, includes means for conserving the outer glazing and the inner glazing of this double glazing mainly parallel, independently of this pressure variation. The invention also concerns a double glazing including this device, the process for maintaining parallelism and software using the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Airbus Operations S.A.S.
    Inventors: Pascal Chaumel, Patrick Lieven
  • Patent number: 9422717
    Abstract: In a column structure, a steel column serving as a column member is joined to a base plate serving as a base member. The steel column is configured by a pair of flanges provided at each of two width direction ends of a web. One end side of the base plate is fixed by first anchor members. The other end side of the base plate is fixed by second anchor members, and the second anchor members are formed with higher tensile strength than the first anchor members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Senqcia Corporation
    Inventors: Hidenori Tanaka, Hideaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9422960
    Abstract: A structural support apparatus comprises a connection bracket comprising, a generally flat, rigid member having opposing generally flat faces and a thickness extending between the flat faces. The rigid member is attachable to a support member. An arm extends from an end of the rigid member and a finger extends from the arm and is receivable in a hollow channel formed in an attachable member of rigid material. The hollow channel is complementary in configuration to at least one of the finger and the arm and a selected recess configuration is formed between the finger, the arm and the end of the rigid member. The recess accommodates one or more lip portions of the attachable member when either the arm or the finger, are received within the hollow channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Lortie Designs, Inc.
    Inventor: Gabriel Lortie
  • Patent number: 9416804
    Abstract: An object holding device featuring multiple tabbed diaphragms in embodiments of the invention solves the lack of a previously existing elegant solution to store cleaning rags, cleaning implements and other flexible objects. The preferred embodiment of the present invention features a housing containing multiple tabbed diaphragms, which in the aggregate, when used as intended by the inventor, apply enough force to an object to hold an object within the tabbed diaphragms. Said embodiment also enables its user to easily remove objects from the plurality of tabbed diaphragms without causing damage to either the object or the tabbed diaphragms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Inventor: Sam Simakis
  • Patent number: 9416915
    Abstract: One example of a configurable mounting system includes can be implemented as a system for mounting electronic equipment. The system includes an enclosure housing to mount the electronic equipment. Multiple ribs are formed within the enclosure housing. A stiffener plate is received by the multiple ribs to mount the stiffener plate within the enclosure housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Lilitab LLC
    Inventors: Bryan Rudolf Grziwok, Adam Scott Aronson
  • Patent number: 9416515
    Abstract: A device, method and kit for keeping humidity/water away from a concrete foundation and provide insulation. The method comprises providing a plurality of devices comprising a rectangular main body having flat surfaces forming a cavity therein, the main body being configured so as to be stackable horizontally and vertically, and having opposed upper and lower surfaces each comprising a plurality of drainage openings therethrough, and positioning the plurality of devices in contact with the soil-facing surface of the concrete foundation wall such that the lower surfaces of the devices face downward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Inventor: Marcel Nicolas
  • Patent number: 9416531
    Abstract: The subject apparatus is designed to facilitate the installation of blown insulation during construction of building assemblies. In a typical embodiment, there is provide a length or strip of friction clip configured to provide a tight grip along the outer surface of a framing member such as a stud, thereby maintaining tension on a masking film or web thereby affixed to an array of studs. The masking film arrayed in such manner thereby defines a plurality of voids or cavities which may thereafter be filled with blown insulation and then finished with wall paneling. The friction clips are designed to complement conventional framing members. Thus, one embodiment described below is suitable for a solid stud such as lumber or polymer; other embodiments are designed to be affixed to steel light framing members such as C-studs and similar profiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Inventors: James Stephen Millhouse, Michael James Furman
  • Patent number: 9413286
    Abstract: A leveler for a solar module can include a base, a rotatable adjuster, and a follower. The rotatable adjuster can be mounted to the base with a swaging process, or other techniques. The follower can be embedded within a coupler configured to be connectable to solar modules. Turning the rotatable height adjuster changes the relative spacing between the solar module and the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: SUNPOWER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Matthew G. Danning
  • Patent number: 9413285
    Abstract: A support member for mounting photovoltaic modules on a support surface and a mounting system including the same are disclosed herein. The support member may comprise a body portion that includes a ballast receiving portion for accommodating one or more ballasts, the body portion further including a first support portion with a first surface and a second support portion with a second surface, the first support portion being spaced apart from the second support portion by the ballast receiving portion. The support member is configured to bridge a plurality of rows of photovoltaic modules, the first surface of the support member configured to support one or more photovoltaic modules in a first row of the plurality of rows of photovoltaic modules, and the second surface of the support member configured to support one or more photovoltaic modules in a second row of the plurality of rows of photovoltaic modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Ecolibrium Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian James Wildes, James Joseph Huth
  • Patent number: 9404274
    Abstract: The disclosure provides for pool step forms and related methods for forming steps in a pool formed by wall panels. The step forms may include a wall panel insert configured for insertion between adjacent pool wall panels. The step forms may include one or more step form brace configured to couple with the wall panel insert and, thereby, the wall panels. The step forms may include riser forms that from riser portions of the stairs when the step forms and riser forms are coupled. The pool stair forms may be filled with filling material to form tread portions of the stairs. The pool stair forms may include liner support members coupled to the step form braces and/or the wall panels that facilitate the coupling of a liner to the stairs formed by the pool stair forms and filling material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Imperial Pools, Inc.
    Inventor: John V. Maiuccoro
  • Patent number: 9404268
    Abstract: A flashing laminate includes a non-reinforced thermoplastic sheet having a bottom surface, a first longitudinal edge, and a second longitudinal edge. The flashing laminate also includes an adhesive layer on a longitudinally extending portion of the bottom surface adjacent to one of the longitudinal edges. In one or more embodiments, the laminate also includes a release liner positioned over the adhesive tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Firestone Building Products Co., LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Leon Barksdale, Sean Christopher McCarthy, Joseph John Kalwara
  • Patent number: 9406248
    Abstract: Apparatuses are disclosed, including apparatuses providing a rotatable sign configured with a base, a display panel, and a support, where a portion of the support defines a horizontal axis and is secured to the panel. The base may be configured to hold the support to allow rotation about the horizontal axis, the height of the horizontal axis of the support may be equal to or lower than a midpoint of the panel height. In addition, apparatuses are disclosed that include a counterweight attached to a support, where some or all of the counterweight may be below the horizontal axis of the support when the support is in an initial rotational position, such that it is disposed to return a sign back to its vertical orientation when in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: SignsDirect, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Dalton
  • Patent number: 9394697
    Abstract: Described herein are flooring systems comprising: a first floor panel and a second floor panel, each of the first and second floor panels comprising: a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of peripheral edges extending between the top and bottom surfaces; and a coupling surface formed on one peripheral edge; the coupling surfaces of the first and second floor panels being disposed proximate to each other forming a joint; and a thermally activated solid adhesive interspersed between the coupling surfaces of the first and second floor panel. Methods of installing these systems are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: AFI Licensing LLC
    Inventor: Sunil Ramachandra
  • Patent number: 9388709
    Abstract: A system and method for maintenance and inspection of a rotor and exhaust assembly that includes a maintenance skid. The maintenance skid includes an exhaust portion that holds an exhaust and a rotor portion that holds a rotor. A pair of movable stands are part of the exhaust portion, where the movable stands move along tracks. At least two stands are part of the rotor portion, where the stands include rollers that allow the rotor to be turned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: James B. Edwards
  • Patent number: 9388579
    Abstract: The invention relates to a packing- and/or transport unit comprising several fibrous insulation elements (4, 5) for flat roof insulation being arranged in at least one stack (2) and at least one support means (3) being arranged under the stack (2), whereby the stack (2) contains at least two different types of insulation elements (4, 5), which differ with respect to the material properties. A packing- and/or transport unit which is easy to handle and which allows to arrange most of the materials close to the places where it is needed is achieved in that the stacked insulation elements (4, 5) comprise lamellas (4) and/or lamella boards having a high compression strength but low point load resistance due to their fiber orientation and at least one insulation board (5) having an even higher compression strength and high point load resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Rockwool International A/S
    Inventors: Kurt Pedersen, Herluf Nielsen
  • Patent number: 9380746
    Abstract: Facilities for storing large quantities of potatoes, other tubers, vegetables, produce, and/or other crops are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a facility configured in accordance with the present technology circulates air from a pile of potatoes into one or more ceiling cavities above the potatoes to warm ceiling panels. Aspects of this embodiment can reduce undesirable water formation on the potatoes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Storage Systems Northwest, Inc.
    Inventors: Joel Micka, Robert Terry