Patents Examined by Mike Starkweather
  • Patent number: 4934580
    Abstract: Methods of making superplastically formed and diffusion bonded articles are disclosed as well as the articles made from such methods. Metal sheets are superplastically formed and diffusion bonded in a manner such that pillows are formed on respective outer surfaces thereof, providing a cellular structure interconnected by channels permitting control of gas pressure with the cells. The cellular structure can, in one embodiment, be twisted and the cells can be inflated through superplastic forming. The twisted cellular structure is particularly useful as an intermediate stiffener for an airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 19, 1990
    Assignee: Barnes Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Marvin M. Sutton
  • Patent number: 4928418
    Abstract: An expandable goose decoy having a wire frame and an expandable body envelope. The body envelope is expanded by rotating upon a fully enclosed rigid stationary loop on the wire frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1990
    Inventor: Mark Stelly
  • Patent number: 4926578
    Abstract: A fishing lure having a V-shaped body, wings, tail and a hook designed to glide very slowly to the bottom of the water resembling an injured bait fish. The body and wings allow the lure to glide through the water, and the hook, acting as a keel, and the tail stabilize the lure to keep it from rolling and adds vibration to the lure as it descends through the water. The lure also has a weedless quality in that its flat design allows it to slide over thick weeds, lily pads or brush.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Inventors: James D. Morse, Daniel C. Morris, II
  • Patent number: 4926577
    Abstract: A quick glide lure has in a vertical longitudinal cross section a shape which corresponds to the shape of half of a falling water drop with a front downwardly convex portion and a rear downwardly concave portion of a lower edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Inventor: Konstantin Radtchenko
  • Patent number: 4924618
    Abstract: A removable and replaceable weed guard may be added to a fish hook to prevent the hook from becoming entangled with weeds. The weed guard may be made of wire or other spring material and a set of weed guards may be used to calibrate a hook so that the depth and speed of motion of a lure to which the hook is attached may be controlled. The weed guard of the invention is a bait saver, since it prevents live bait from accidentally falling off the hook.A connecting loop for securing to a lure and a figure-eight connector for attaching a fish hook to a lure are also described. A hand tool is useful for attaching the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1990
    Assignee: Loop-A-Line, Inc.
    Inventor: Welbourne D. McGahee
  • Patent number: 4922646
    Abstract: A fishing lure comprises an elongate, generally cylindrical body portion made of transparent or semi-transparent material, and terminates in a plurality of narrow elongate streamers forming a skirt portion. The body portion bears internal, and optionally external, longitudinal facets forming light-reflective and optically visible surfaces, which are felt to improve visible attraction to the fish, and therefore fishing success. The internal longitudinal facets are preferably formed by a minimum of three rectangular surfaces, defining a triangular internal cavity in the body member, to a maximum of approximately twelve rectangular surfaces, defining a dodecahedronal internal cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1990
    Inventor: Jerry Basgal
  • Patent number: 4920680
    Abstract: A drive circuit for setter rollers is automatically coordinated with a spool drive to insure a condition of tension in a longline at all times during the setting operation. The apparatus includes various rollers to achieve the method, and in addition, circuits for controlling the motor adapted to drive the speed rollers at different but correlated rates of speed. While the fluidic circuit is hydraulic, alternative electronic controls may be employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1990
    Inventor: Peter B. Lindgren
  • Patent number: 4918857
    Abstract: A pest collection-disposal device includes a means for establishing an air stream in an air duct forming at least a segment of a housing for the device. Positioned in the duct is a disposable pest collection cartridge. The cartridge comprises an elongated body having a flexible closure means and a filter means. The closure means deflects under the influence of an air stream from a closed position to provide an entrance thereto for insects entrained in the air stream. The filter means separates insects from the air stream. Upon termination of air flow, the flexible closure member is restored to an initial position to entrap the pest between the flap and filter means. The duct in one embodiment includes an expandable and retractable array of elongated telescoping members. In a further embodiment, the cartridge is positioned in one of the elongated duct members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1990
    Assignee: Bilou, Inc.
    Inventors: Bill R. Wade, Thelma L. Wade
  • Patent number: 4918852
    Abstract: A fixture for a fishing reel is provided which includes a tubular fixture body having a screw thread, a fixing holder, a movable pusher movable toward or away from the fixing holder, and a threaded ring for operating the movable pusher. A plurality of locking grooves extending lengthwise of the fixture body are provided at the screw thread of the fixture body. These locking grooves are spaced at predetermined intervals circumferentially of the fixture body. An engaging projection engageable with one of the locking grooves to restrain the threaded ring from loosening is provided at the threaded ring such that it can be changed in position between engaged and disengaged positions with one of the locking grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1990
    Assignee: Shimano Industrial Company Limited
    Inventor: Yoshiro Yamato
  • Patent number: 4916850
    Abstract: A line attachment device for fixing objects to a line such as a fishing line, a string or a piece of rope. The device includes a shank or stem securable to the object to be fixed. The line attaching portion of the device includes a plug fixed to the stem, a cleat next to the plug and extended outward from it, and a cap with a central opening that fits snuggly over the plug. To fix the line to the device, an open loop is formed in the line and is trained through the opening in the cap when the cap is removed from the plug. The loop is drawn over the end of the plug and over the cleat such that it bears against the cleat when pulling toward the plug. The cap is then secured on the plug to hold the loop in place. The loop is secured on the cleat and is prevented by the cap from passing over the cleat whereby the line is secured to the line ataching device and thus to the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Inventor: Paul A. Dodge
  • Patent number: 4913333
    Abstract: A solder leveller comprises a solder bath into which a printed circuit board can be dipped to be preliminarily tinned. A pair of upright laterally acting jaws are adapted along an extended part of their length to hold the board at its opposite side edges and operate to insert in and withdraw the board from the bath. An air knife removes excess solder. The jaws are guided centrally of the bath by engagement of the side faces with the air knife nozzles which act as fixed guides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1990
    Inventor: Peter P. A. Lymn
  • Patent number: 4912871
    Abstract: An artificial crab lure in the configuration of a natural crab body being formed entirely as a unitary member of a soft resilient molding. The crab body is defined by a center body portion, a pair of eyes, front claws and a plurality of legs. An integral shank portion projects outwardly from the center body and is adapted to have the straight portion of a hook passed therethrough. The claws, legs and shank are adapted for up and down, side to side, and rotational movements with respect to the center body portion such that the crab body, when placed in water, simulates the movement of a living crab. The molding may be colorized by dyes and pigments, and may have light-reflective particles randomly dispersed therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1990
    Inventor: Todd M. Brady
  • Patent number: 4908978
    Abstract: A battery-powered fan in a portable device produces a stream of air in a housing to draw insects into contact with two electrodes. The device includes a battery-powered voltage generator to produce a sufficiently high difference of potential across the electrodes to destroy insects connecting both electrodes at the same time. The direction of rotation of the fan rotor may be reversed to blow the remains of the insects out of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1990
    Inventor: Michael E. Zacharias
  • Patent number: 4907364
    Abstract: A hard plastic jig head includes a cavity on its back side to receive the forward end of a soft, pliable body member mounted on a retainer and the barb of a fish hook. A ballast weight is placed at the rear bottom of the jig head to resist the tendency of the lure to rotate in the water and to provide a desired, horizontal orientation as the lure is retrieved. Dimples are provided on the soft, plastic body member to locate penetration points for the retainer and hook barb. One embodiment of the lure includes a bottom flat surface which is 10.degree. to the horizontal and merges into a front upwardly extending surface at 40.degree.-45.degree. to the horizontal to maintain the lure horizontal as it is retrieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1990
    Inventor: Dean L. R. Hedman
  • Patent number: 4905397
    Abstract: A game or fish stop comprises a block of rubber-like material having a passage therethrough frictionally gripping an arrow shaft adjacent the point end. One embodiment includes a forward frustoconical face and a second embodiment includes a forward planar face. The passage includes an enlarged forward end at least as large as the arrow shaft and a substantially smaller rearward end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1990
    Assignee: Wade L. Grassedonio
    Inventor: James E. Juelg, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4905398
    Abstract: A fishing pole with indicator means particularly useful in fishing through the ice. The pole is preferably constructed primarily of wood and includes a nose piece on the end of which is a rod above which is mounted an elongated, flexible member attached to the nose piece and extending at an angle vertically above the rod. Extending through the nose piece is an adjustable member forming an electrial contact which the flexible member engages when a pull is exerted on its end by the fish line. The adjustable contact member determines the sensitivity of the indicator means which includes a buzzer and an LED light operatively connected to the adjustable contact member and elongated flexible member. A reel mounted on top of the handle includes a groove formed between two flanges. A plurality of radially extending slots are cut into the flanges and a rubber band is inserted in two of the adjacent slots for regulating the amount of fish line that can be let out of the reel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1990
    Assignee: Brian J. Botbyl
    Inventor: Brian J. Botbyl
  • Patent number: 4901467
    Abstract: The invention is embodied in an arrow tip for use in bowfishing. The tip is comprised of a tip body having a bore in one end designed to receive the shaft of an arrow. The arrow is attached to the tip with a fixed non-rotative connection. The body has a threaded end opposite the bore, and a replaceable point is rotatably attached to the threaded end. A pivotable retainer or blade is held in a slot formed in the body, and the replaceable point is used to hold the blade in a plurality of positions, one being a fish retention position, and another being an arrow removal position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1990
    Inventor: Ritch A. Stolpe
  • Patent number: 4891900
    Abstract: A flat metal fishing lure stamp formed to exhibit a V-shaped profile over the length of the body, when viewed end on, and wherein the apex of said V-shaped body is arcuately formed over its length at a predetermined radius of curvature. Line and hook receiving apertures are formed in the opposite body ends and colored attractant decals are secured to the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1990
    Assignee: UMM Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Gary L. Snyder