Patents Examined by Russell R. Kinsey
  • Patent number: 4161067
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for obtaining precisely registered, articulated castings of upper and lower dental impressions. The dental impressions are obtained through use of a dental tray having a non-porous bite-deformable central septum. The impression material for the upper dental impression is contained in the upper portion of the tray. The impression material for the lower dental impression is contained in the lower portion of the tray and is supported by a bottom cover which is removed subsequent to placement of the tray in the mouth. As the patient bites, the impression material in the upper and lower portions of the dental tray is molded to the contour of the teeth and gums in their proper relationship with the teeth closed. After the material has set, the tray containing registered upper and lower impressions is removed from the mouth and placed into a mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 17, 1979
    Inventors: Ivan Bekey, Roger S. Wolk
  • Patent number: 4161097
    Abstract: A knotter mechanism, primarily for use in crop baling machines, with an improved billhook and actuation means therefor is disclosed. The billhook is rotatably mounted on the knotter frame and includes a fixed jaw having an elongate shaft and a movable jaw with an integral heel portion is pivotally fixed to the fixed jaw whereby pivotable of the moveable jaw opens and closes the billhook. An actuation means in the form of a rotatable roller is mounted on the knotter frame adjacent the billhook on an axis of rotation perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fixed jaw shaft. As the billhook rotates, the heel portion of the moveable jaw periodically engages the roller, resulting in selective opening and closing of the billhook.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1978
    Date of Patent: July 17, 1979
    Assignee: Sperry Rand Corporation
    Inventor: Marc G. Vansteelant
  • Patent number: 4161066
    Abstract: An orthodontic bracket includes a base which is capable of being attached to a band that surrounds a tooth or directly to the tooth itself, and the base contains ways along which at least one insert slides. Pins fit through the base to maintain the insert in a fixed position thereon. The insert has an outwardly opening slot which receives an arch wire that extends along the row of teeth in which the tooth is located, and the arch wire is attached to the insert by small tie wires. By moving the insert relative to the base, it is possible to change the orientation of the force exerted on the tooth by the arch wire. Moreover, the bracket normally has two inserts which slide independently of each other on the base until fixed in position by the pins, and this enables the bracket to be easily converted from one configuration to another. For example, the bracket is easily changed from a large single bracket to a medium twin or to a wide twin and vice-versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 17, 1979
    Inventors: Jim B. Morrow, Peter G. Sotiropoulos
  • Patent number: 4160356
    Abstract: A drive for a mower of the type having a multiple number of vertically disposed drum cutters. The cutting elements are at the bottom of each drum and cut in a horizontal plane. A horizontally disposed pneumatic tired wheel is associated with and acts to impart rotation to each of the drum cutters. External drive is imparted to effect rotation of one of the pneumatic tired wheels. The other pneumatic tired wheels are mounted to have frictional circumferential engagement with each other and with the driven wheel to cause all of the wheels to be driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1978
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1979
    Inventor: Bernard C. Mathews
  • Patent number: 4160427
    Abstract: An aquarium waterfall composed of a base, vertical member and cap and wherein a lift tube extends from the base to the cap. A sand reservoir is formed in the base. An air tube operatively connected to the lift tube causes water to rise in the lift tube, and the water carries sand with it from the base to the cap where the mixture of sand and water is redirected in a downward direction toward the base over outcroppings in the vertical member to simulate a waterfall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1978
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1979
    Assignee: Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp.
    Inventor: Arthur J. Holbrook
  • Patent number: 4160338
    Abstract: A toy doll has a mouth opening adapted to receive a simulated nursing bottle from which water is fed to the interior of the doll, some of such water producing a wetting action. The doll is also adapted to produce a burping sound when its back is patted, and simultaneously to spit up through the mouth opening some of the water previously fed from the bottle. The burping sound is produced by a bellows in the body portion of the doll which is successively compressed upon patting the back of the doll and which progressively feeds air into another bellows located in the head of the doll until the head bellows reaches an expanded position. An actuating member then automatically releases the air from the expanded head bellows, which air flows in a sudden controlled flow through a sound producing device. Some of this released air also causes liquid to be emitted from the mouth opening to produce the spitting-up effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1979
    Assignee: Ned Strongin Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Lyons, Fred Zant, Charles Resnick
  • Patent number: 4159008
    Abstract: An animal litter, in particular for cats, is in the form of granulated solid material having a large grain size. The material is expanded and has a specific weight value between 50 grams/liter and 200 grams/liter. In an example, the material is constituted by mica phlogophite in the form of flake treated exfoliation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1979
    Assignee: Societe Anonyme dite: EPARCO
    Inventor: Tristan Bavaveas
  • Patent number: 4158945
    Abstract: An apparatus for clearing brush by shredding or pulverizing the brush. The device has a pair of rotatable blade assemblies which are held in a frame. Each blade assembly has a plurality of blade-support shafts and one each shaft a plurality of bars are mounted. The blade assemblies are rotated and the tip of the blades on one blade assembly does not quite touch the tip of the blades on the other assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1979
    Inventor: George A. Burke
  • Patent number: 4159023
    Abstract: A crop handling unit for an axial-flow type combine harvester having an infeed region and tandem threshing and separating regions. An associated conveyor is provided for delivering crop material into the infeed region of the unit whereupon material is urged rearwardly along a generally helical path. Ultimately grain is separated from the crop material and discharged through concaves and grates in the threshing and separating regions, respectively, onto a grain pan. The infeed region is provided with improved means to spread out abnormally thick masses of material during its rearward travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1979
    Assignee: Sperry Rand Corporation
    Inventors: Robert R. Todd, Edward W. Rowland-Hill
  • Patent number: 4158279
    Abstract: A riding mower having an improved blade housing and blade assembly for generating exceedingly high vacuum under the blade housing for facilitating cutting, conveyance and discharge of grass clippings into a two-wheeled cart which trails the mower through means of a hitch. Grass clippings leave and are conveyed from the blade housing to the cart in a straight line through a conduit including telescoping chutes which permit the conduit to elongate or retract to accommodate change in lengths between the blade housing and the cart during operation. The cart has an open top covered by a canopy including a flexible front wall portion which receives an elbow chute to which one of the telescoping discharge chutes is attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 19, 1979
    Assignee: McDonough Power Equipment, Inc.
    Inventor: Harold P. Jackson
  • Patent number: 4157630
    Abstract: A mechanical toy including at least one figure. The figure includes a leg assembly, a torso assembly; pivotally coupled to the leg assembly by a primary support pin, a head assembly pivotally coupled to the torso assembly by a secondary support pin which is parallel to the primary support pin and a permanent magnet disposed inside the head assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1979
    Assignee: Nichiten Shosan Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Suezo Sawai
  • Patent number: 4157632
    Abstract: An aerodynamic toy having a series of small extended airfoils contiguous to one another, forming a large unitary aerodynamic body, whose lift surfaces has disposed a number of small depressions. Most of the body's weight is distributed in the small extended airfoils, with placement of blind holes for the addition of extra weight. The lower surface is substantially flat at the periphery and then becomes concaved shaped. The concaved surface contains a hollow tube that holds fluid and has a dispenser at the lower end for dispersing of the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1979
    Inventor: Robert A. Everett
  • Patent number: 4157642
    Abstract: The device of the present invention comprises a fruit catch frame for pivotal attachment to a conveyor trailer which conveys fruit from the catch frame into a large receptacle to be deposited in the load carrying body of a truck. Fruit, particularly of the citrus variety such as oranges, is often automatically dislodged from orchard trees in large quantities. The catch frame is horizontally positioned under a fruit tree to catch the falling fruit and includes a central conveyor portion, an outer portion, hydraulically operable, between extended and retracted positions and a pair of pivotal, opposed side wing portions. The outer and side wing portions are operable to upwardly, outwardly angled positions to funnel fruit falling thereon onto the central conveyor portion for movement onto the conveyor trailer. The surfaces of the outer and side wing portions are cushioned to absorb the shock of the falling fruit to prevent injury thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1979
    Assignee: American Citrus Machinery Inc.
    Inventor: Donald L. Butler
  • Patent number: 4157005
    Abstract: An improved direct-loading crop harvester is disclosed as having an articulated elevator which is retractable into a berth in the harvester. During transportation of the harvester from field to field, the lower leg of the loading elevator is horizontally positioned within the berth upon a slidable support cradle, and the upper leg of the elevator is nestled vertically at a side of the berth. Prior to harvesting, the elevator is pulled from the side of the berth with the lower leg resting on the cradle. The elevator is then connected by pivot and hydraulic cylinder mechanisms to the berth such that the lower leg tilts upwardly at the side of the harvester and the upper leg projects outwardly from the upper end of the lower leg. During the harvesting operation, crops are fed to the elevator by a conveyor and are discharged at a selected position above an attendant trailer, preferably through a detachable decelerator mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1979
    Assignee: FMC Corporation
    Inventors: Franklin P. Orlando, Ronald W. Droll
  • Patent number: 4157004
    Abstract: A mowing machine is connectable to a tractor's lifting hitch and power take-off. A row of rotors is mounted along the length of a laterally extending support that includes an elongated supporting plate pivoted to the main frame. The supporting plate can be an integral plate profiled to have an upwardly extending front and a channel section. Each rotor includes an upwardly extending shaft splined to a gear positioned beneath a hub and a cutting member. The drive to each rotor can be meshed gear wheels readily removable and replaceable as a unit or an elongated driving shaft housed in the channel section. The unit enclosed gear box can house all of the gear wheels or individual gear boxes can be fixed to the supporting plate. The cutting members can be then one or two blades or wires per rotor that are freely pivotable about upwardly extending axes located a substantial distance from the respective shafts which define the axes of rotation of the rotors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1979
    Inventor: Cornelis van der Lely
  • Patent number: 4156985
    Abstract: A doll has a head, torso and limbs. One of the limbs is jointed to provide a distal portion which is pivotal relative to a proximal portion. Pneumatic operating devices are provided for effecting the pivotal motion and these include an actuator which is manually operable and pneumatically connected to a pressure responsive member accommodated in the proximal limb portion. The actuator is a variable volume member such as a pressure bulb which may take the form of one of the other limbs of the doll. The pressure responsive member is connected to the distal limb portion by a connector in such a way that operation of the pressure responsive member by the actuator causes pivotal movement of the distal limb portion. In a preferred embodiment, the pressure responsive member is located in the upper portion of one of the arms and the movement of the lower arm effected thereby causes the lower arm to move towards the face and give the impression of blowing a kiss on its return movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1979
    Assignee: General Mills U.K. Limited
    Inventor: Peter Viner
  • Patent number: 4156338
    Abstract: A row crop harvesting header has a main frame with a plurality of forwardly extending, independently vertically adjustable row units mounted on the frame, each row unit including a frame attached to the header frame at its rearward end and a ground engaging skid at its forward end. A pair of endless flexible conveyors are mounted on the row unit frame and have opposite, rearwardly moving, upwardly and rearwardly inclined inner runs adapted to engage the stalks of row planted crops as the machine advances and convey it rearwardly, a cutting apparatus below the forward inlet ends of the belts severing the crop material from the field as it is engaged by the conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1979
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Edward J. Hengen
  • Patent number: 4156465
    Abstract: A crop harvesting machine for tomatoes, or the like, which lifts plants and fruit from ground level for transport upon one or more endless conveyors having spaced, parallel links. The invention resides in a system for keeping the conveyor links free from rocks, chunks of dirt, mud, and other foreign matter. The basic element is a cleanout device which is rotatably mounted adjacent one or more of the conveyors and has radially disposed members which extend through the spaces between the links as the chain is advanced and the device is rotated. An oscillating arm may also be provided in conjunction with one or more of the conveyors to impart a shaking movement, thereby aiding in dislodging foreign material from the space between the links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1979
    Inventor: Wellington W. Porter
  • Patent number: 4155195
    Abstract: A toy airplane which is to be constructed of two pairs of overlapping wings which are to flap relative to each other. Each pair of wings is to move in synchronism with respect to the fuselage. The flapping motion of each wing is driven by a crank arm which is attached to a drive shaft. The different crank arms are located in planes which are displaced ninety degrees from each other so as to smooth out the operating torques. There may be employed a single operating drive shaft or there may be employed dual drive shafts which rotate in opposite directions. The airplane includes a tail section which is adjustably mounted upon a fuselage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1979
    Inventor: Desmond Leigh-Hunt
  • Patent number: 4155196
    Abstract: A doll or other toy animal has a permanent magnet concealed where its heart should be. A toy stethoscope includes a probe containing therein a normally open reed switch which is closed to produce a heartbeat-like sound when the probe is near the magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1979
    Assignee: General Mills Fun Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard N. Bollinger, Dale I. Goldberg