Patents Examined by Robert W. Gibson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6857528
    Abstract: A storage rack which hangs on the upper edge of a base cabinet door. A pair of hanger brackets fit closely on the door edge and are constructed to accommodate the plain edge of a flush mounted door or the stepped edge of a recessed cabinet door. Hooks on the inside parts of the brackets receive mounting fixtures used to attach storage devices such as baskets, trays, shelves, paper towel holders, food wrap dispensers, towel hooks or towel bars. Tabs on the outside parts of the hanger brackets allow a towel bar or other device to be mounted on the outside surface of the base cabinet door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Lynk, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard B. Klein, John W. Scott, Chris Serslev
  • Patent number: 6854610
    Abstract: An over the door hook has a U-shaped bracket with at least one curved hook sized to receive a hook segment. Two or more plastic hook segments have an opening at an upper end and a curved hook at the lower end. The curved hook of one segment fits through the opening in another hook segment. The two segments are locked together by a tab or tooth in one segment that fits into a slot or recess in a second segment. An alternative is to provide a boss adjacent the opening at the upper end of one segment that is gripped by the curved hook of the second segment. Similar locking arrangements can be provided to lock a hook segment to the U-shaped bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Adams Mfg. Corp.
    Inventor: William E. Adams
  • Patent number: 6854604
    Abstract: A store display maximizes shelf space through use of an automated lift assembly that selectively positions product, for example milk containers, at an opening in a wall. The wall defines a customer side and a store side, and the lift assembly monitors product available through the opening and selectively raises additional product from a stacked array into position at the opening. Helical threaded members are preferably disposed on opposite sides of a pallet, or support platform, and are driven in unison in response to a signal from a sensor that product is depleted from an upper level of the stacked array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Creative Edge Design Group, LTD
    Inventors: Daniel P. Soehnlen, Gregory M. Soehnlen
  • Patent number: 6851562
    Abstract: A push back storage rack system for storing multiple loads in a single inclined cart lane. Each lane contains at least two wheeled carts, each cart being capable of receiving and storing multiple pallet loads. The carts are vertically spaced so that they can freely slide underneath each other when unloaded. Beginning with the first or lowest level cart in the system, each successively higher cart is also wider and longer than the cart immediately beneath it. The carts are positioned on at least one but potentially two pairs of rectangular tracks or tubes, each tube being capable of supporting two or four individual carts, depending on how the carts are constructed and installed on the tubes. The tubes are mounted on an incline away from a loading end of each lane so that when loads are placed on or are removed from a lane, the carts are biased toward the loading end of the lane by the force of gravity. Each tube has a single, planar upper support surface which has inside and outside edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Ridg-U-Rak, Inc.
    Inventors: Theodore S. Gorniak, John B. Pellegrino, James A. Courtwright
  • Patent number: 6851563
    Abstract: Five gallon water bottles for refilling water coolers are stored on a hand truck and on the floor of a user's facility employing three racks. A lower rack stores eight bottles in staggered arrays to be carried by a conventional hand truck. An intermediate rack is formed by bonding a duplicate of the lower rack to a duplicate of the upper top rack. The or rack has bottle supports and dividers for supporting the bottles in the staggered array. The intermediate rack has a lower rack portion the same as the top rack with cylindrical depending members for receiving the necks and spouts of the bottles on the lower rack. The top rack has the depending members for receiving the necks and spouts of the bottles on the intermediate rack. The intermediate rack upper potion is the same as the lower rack for receiving an upper array of bottles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Inventor: Frank Lipari
  • Patent number: 6851564
    Abstract: A folding frame comprises four vertical legs and at least one shelf pivotally connected to each of the four vertical legs, each shelf being capable of folding vertically upward. The folding frame further comprises two support beams positioned beneath and on opposite ends of each shelf, each support beam being pivotally connected to two of the four vertical legs and capable of folding horizontally inward. The folding frame is moveable between an extended position with each shelf being horizontal and supported by two of the support beams, and a collapsed position with each shelf being folded vertically upward and the support beams being folded horizontally inward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Inventor: Kelvin Kin-Chung Ng
  • Patent number: 6848587
    Abstract: A rack includes a top frame and a bottom frame. The top frame is provided with a plurality of through slots for accommodating the barrels of the pistol-type nozzles. The bottom frame is provided with a plurality of locating slots and locating seats. The locating slots and the locating seats are arranged alternately in rows corresponding in location to the through slots of the top frame. The locating slots are provided with a locating projection, which is fitted into the hose connection hole of the hand grip of the pistol-type nozzles. The locating seats are provided with a recessed portion for resting the control knob of the pistol-type nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Inventor: Hui-Chen Chao
  • Patent number: 6848586
    Abstract: A rack for collapsible director chairs has a base upon which collapsed chairs may be stacked and a support extending upwardly from the base to maintain the chairs in the stacked orientation. The support is dimensioned to be received by an open area of the collapsed chairs between the chair seat and transverse leg braces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Inventor: Keith Guliner
  • Patent number: 6848585
    Abstract: A dishwasher rack includes foldable tines adapted to be retained in one or more positions between an upright position and a lowered position. The lower ends of the tines in each set are fixed relative to one another, while the upper ends of the tines can be spaced progressively farther apart from one another as the tines are folded from the upright position to the lowered position. Therefore, a dinner plate or other tall object supported by the tines will be tilted progressively farther from a vertical plane as the tines are folded toward the lowered position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventor: Wayne M. VanLandingham
  • Patent number: 6845870
    Abstract: Towel rack has a mounting bracket, a hanging rod assembly and a pivot pin. The mounting bracket has multiple limits defined on the mounting bracket. The hanging rod assembly is pivotally attached to the mounting bracket and is curved. When users use the towel rack, towels and clothes hangers will not touch the wall because of the curved hanging rod assembly. When the towel is not being used, the towel rack can be folded against the wall to decrease the total volume and easily stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Inventor: Chin-Wen Yang
  • Patent number: 6843382
    Abstract: In a shelf apparatus for a showcase, which is provided with a shelf support for supporting a shelf plate on which commodities are placed so as to be slidable in a depth direction, the shelf apparatus is constructed so that the shelf support is provided with a locking plate extending in a width direction of the shelf plate, and the shelf plate is provided with a hooking member which is formed with a steel rod member which extends in the depth direction and whose rear portion further extends along the locking plate on a back surface side of the shelf plate, and also which enables the rear portion to be locked to and unlocked from the locking plate by being swayed vertically. When the shelf plate is held on the shelf supports, the rear portion of the hooking member is locked to the locking plate. By doing this, the shelf plate does not slide forward. When the shelf plate is pulled out forward, the hooking member is unlocked from the locking plate by being swayed vertically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Sanden Corp.
    Inventors: Akifumi Kanouchi, Nobuo Kanbayashi, Shoichi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 6843381
    Abstract: A wine cup rack structure mainly comprises pluralities of horizontal and vertical copper rods, pluralities of column caps forming a frame body. On each side of the lowest two copper rods respectively fix a supporting bar for hangers and a glass plate to be assembled as a whole rack body. There is a dovetail chute with an opening downwards to be installed below the supporting bar for placing hangers; in addition, a glass plate can be placed on the supporting bar. The characteristics lie in that the supporting bar sets on one side of the chute a side plate, which forms a camber surface on the external side for leaning against and fixed with screws on the cylindrical surface of the copper rod; moreover, there is a space in-between the top surface of the chute and the side plate for properly placing a glass plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Inventor: John Ching Wu
  • Patent number: 6840390
    Abstract: A container racking system for a plurality of refillable containers. A crate has a bottom and side walls arranged to secure the plurality of refillable containers in a position when the plurality of refillable containers are placed into the crate. The bottom of the crate has at least one opening positioned below at least one of the plurality of refillable containers. A rack holds the crate when it is desired to have the plurality of refillable containers available for refilling. The rack is capable of supporting the crate when the crate is placed on the rack. At least one member is positioned within the rack such that the at least one member protrudes through the at least one opening of the bottom of the crate when the crate is placed on the rack. In this way, at least one of the plurality of refillable containers is raised up from the bottom of the crate when the crate is placed on the rack making the at least one of the plurality of refillable containers readily available for refilling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Ecolab Inc.
    Inventor: John E. Thomas
  • Patent number: 6837388
    Abstract: A pallet rack safety net system comprises two parallel horizontal wire ropes that are stretched along the top and bottom edges of a shelf opening. A pair of hung left and right screens of flexible netting are attached between the top and bottom wire ropes so that they can be horizontally separated at the middle of the shelf opening. The inside vertical edges of each screen are finished with a metal bar and a clasp so the screens can be latched together at the middle. The outside left and right edges of the screens are secured to the outside of the shelf opening. If used on a top shelf that has no supports at each side of the opening, a pair of support posts are included that hold aloft the top horizontal wire rope. A network of stays and guys are used to reinforce each such post.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Inventor: Michael J. Calleja
  • Patent number: 6837389
    Abstract: A profile-section support system, in particular, for industrial-fair and exhibition construction, has hollow profile-section supports (10) of polygonal cross section, which on at least one of their outer sides (14, 15, 16, 17), along the edges with ribs (18, 19, 20, 21), which between them enclosed grooves (22) with peripheral undercuts for anchoring fast-action connecting elements (43, 44, 63) for connecting further profile-section supports (10) or other parts, and which in the corner regions in the interior are provided with inner corner grooves (23). Spreading apart of the ribs (18, 19, 20, 21) with deformation of the hollow profile-section side (14, 15, 16, 17) enclosed between them is thereby possible. On outer sides (14, 16, 17) adjoining one another of the hollow profile-section supports (10), ribs are disposed. Two ribs (18, 19, 20, 21) on the edge, between the adjacent outer sides (14, 16, 17) of the hollow profile-section support (10), between them enclose an outer corner groove (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: DOMO Architektursystems Logistic GmbH
    Inventor: Kurt Gassler
  • Patent number: 6837384
    Abstract: A storage track having channel for holding a pegboard on a wall surface. The storage track has upper and lower channels for receiving the edges of adjacent pegboard panels. Grooves are also provided to receive the ends of brackets such as those used to support shelves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Acclaim Design & Profiles Inc.
    Inventor: James Secondino
  • Patent number: 6834767
    Abstract: A suspension rack assembly includes a main body, an anti-theft lock, an upper secondary body, and a lower secondary body. Thus, the suspension rack assembly can be used to suspend a single tool or multiple sets of tools. In addition, the suspension rack assembly can be carried on the user's waist. Further, the hand tool is fixed on the anti-theft lock and the support rack of the main body rigidly and stably, thereby providing an anti-theft function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Inventor: Chorng-Jiang Lin
  • Patent number: 6834766
    Abstract: An expansion card mounting apparatus includes a rear panel (20) defining an opening (21), a retaining bracket (10) including a main body (16) and a pressing body (12) extending perpendicularly from the main body, and a fastening member (30). A support plate (22) extends outwardly from the rear panel adjacent the opening. The retaining bracket is slidably engaged with the rear panel at the opening. A through opening (162) and two catch openings (164) are defined in the main body. The fastening member includes two spring fingers (38) engaging in the catch openings, and a resilient clip (36) extending through the through opening and engaging with the rear panel at the opening. The pressing body of the retaining bracket is thereby pushed toward the support plate by the clip, and securely sandwiches an end portion (524) of a slot cover (52) of an expansion card (50) with the support plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kuo-Chih Lin, Quan-guang Du, Li Tong
  • Patent number: 6827225
    Abstract: A clip is provided for mounting in a dishwasher rack to hold objects to be washed. The clip includes a base having opposite ends with an opening adjacent each end so that the clip can be mounted on at least a pair of rack tines. At least one resilient tab extends upwardly from the base and is adapted to retain a cup or other object in the rack. Mounting the clip on at least a pair of tines provides strength and stability for the clip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventors: John H. Miilu, Christopher W. Vaughn, Thomas M. Johnson, Karl R. C. Wendt, Barry E. Tuller
  • Patent number: RE38707
    Abstract: The invention relates to shelving, in particular, shelving consisting of components which are assembled with securing elements. The invention contains a frame having a back wall, a pair of side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall attached to each other with a plurality of tabs and corresponding slots located on the back wall, side walls, top wall and bottom wall. The back wall, side walls, top wall and bottom wall are constructed of folded material which provides rounded edges that limit damage to material stored on the shelf. A securing bore is located on each of the tabs and is milled to a particular diameter corresponding to the type of material used to construct the shelf and the load supported. A plurality of safety bars are inserted through the securing bore located on each of the tabs. The safety bars prevent the removal of the tabs from the corresponding slots and help secure the shelf.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Inventor: Raimund Merkel