Patents Examined by Scott A. Carpenter
  • Patent number: 6575524
    Abstract: A vehicle pick-up bed is disclosed that can be folded into shape by hand. The pick-up bed includes a generally flat sheet of colored material molded together with a generally flat sheet of reinforced polymeric material. Preferably, the sheet of colored material is placed in the mold and the reinforced polymeric material is injected into the mold, onto the back of the colored sheet. During the molding process, the reinforced polymeric material and the colored material are formed or molded into a single, generally flat, solid component. The sheet of colored material adheres to the reinforced polymeric material. Once molded, the sides of the pick-up bed are folded into shape along hinge edges and connected to stay in place. Hinge edges could be formed by locating few or no reinforcing fibers in the reinforced polymeric material in the desired location of the hinge edges. The colored material is preferably.a paintless polymer film. Alternatively, the colored material is pre-painted aluminum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: Meritor Light Vehicle Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Rainer Grimm, Steven Foster, Holly Giangrande, Charlie Hopson, Roch Tolinski, Laurent Arquevaux, Carmelo Mondello, Nick Kalageros
  • Patent number: 6497444
    Abstract: A shield for the rear portion of a golf cart to protect the occupants from at least some UV radiation. It is a flexible somewhat transparent woven closed structure with a top panel, two side panels and a rear panel joined at edges so as to embrace the golf cart. An elongated strap at the bottom of each side panel extends beneath the seat. They are releasable joined, so that when they are joined and the seat is down, the shield is held in place, with the side rails of the golf cart unobstructed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Inventor: Alan Simon
  • Patent number: 6488142
    Abstract: The invention relates to a banderole handling device including at least one cassette arranged for supplying banderoles to a banderoling machine, a closure for the discharge end of each cassette and including a cassette support, wherein each cassette is arranged substantially vertically at the cassette support and is positionable above a banderole feeder chute of the banderoling machine. In addition, the invention relates to device for arresting a cassette including banderoles relative to a banderole feeder chute of a banderoling machine, including a closure for the discharge opening of the cassette wherein the closure is configured so that it is accommodated in a receiving portion arranged in a fixed position relative to the banderoling machine or banderole feeder chute during its opening operation. The invention relates further to a system for filling cassettes with stacks of banderoles, in which the cassettes are filled by means of a banderole stack feeder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: British-American Tobacco (Germany) GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Herrmann, Thomas Jung, Rolf Kramp, Norbert Schulte, Wolfgang Wurf, Heiko Hertrich
  • Patent number: 6464282
    Abstract: A convertible vehicle is equipped with a tailgate (2), which is provided in the rear region of the vehicle and is supported at the vehicle body so that it can be swiveled, on the one hand, by a movement (arrow A) about a first front swiveling axis (4) into a first open position, which opens up the trunk (6) to the rear and, on the other, by a movement (arrow B) about a second rear swiveling axis (7; 7′) into a second open position, opening up in the upward direction the compartment (8) for a folding top (3). Pursuant to the invention, the rear support of the tailgate (2) is formed by at least one closing device (12, 12′) with a supporting body (11), which is hinged over a hinge unit (10) at the tailgate (2) and can be introduced with its free end region into an accommodating body (14), which is attached to the body of the vehicle, and can be fixed in this connection position by a locking element (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Wilhelm Karmann GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Ellermann, Markus Exner, Detlef Steven
  • Patent number: 6439652
    Abstract: For mounting an instrument panel onto a given portion in a motor vehicle, there is provided an instrument panel mounting structure. A cowl panel is arranged at the given portion. The cowl panel includes an upper panel part and a lower panel part which are united to constitute an inwardly protruding holder structure. The holder structure comprises a first section where the upper and lower panel parts intimately contact at mutually facing surfaces thereof and a second section where the upper and lower panel parts are spaced from each other at the mutually facing surfaces thereof. The second section constitutes a rear end of the holder structure. Catch devices are provided by the instrument panel. Each catch device includes a catch section and a guide section. The catch section is constructed to catch the rear end of the holder structure when brought to the rear end of the holder structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignees: Calsonic Kansei Corporation, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihisa Fujita, Takashi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 6155648
    Abstract: A power buggy is configured to be safe, stable, easy to control, and comfortable. Frequently-used controls such as dump controls, a speed control, and a directional control, are located at or very near handgrips of the operator's handle so as to permit the operator to control the vehicle without releasing either of the handgrips. For instance, speed and direction are both controlled by a bidirectional twist grip forming one of the handgrips. The twist grip must rotate through a neutral position before changing directional control from forward to reverse so that an operator cannot reverse the vehicle's direction of travel without first rather gradually reducing vehicle speed. Operator comfort is also enhanced by a fuel tank that shields the operator from the engine. The fuel tank also has a large capacity while simultaneously functioning as a support for side shrouds of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Wacker Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory S. Dombek, Steven E. Jansen, Alan D. Bengtson, Robert M. Motl
  • Patent number: 6149360
    Abstract: A vehicle is structured for transporting heavy loads of unstable elongated items such as logs or heavy pipes and includes longitudinally spaced lateral members or "bunks" and vertical stakes at the ends of the bunks. Each of the bunks comprising an elongated steel beam having at least three spaced mutually perpendicular plates defining a hollow inside of the beam, preferably a box beam formed by welding together elongated plates. A number of trusses are placed in the hollow inside of the beam, at least some of which extend diagonally between spaced plates, especially the upper and lower plates. The trusses form triangular bracing structures with the plates for supporting the load on the beams at spaced points along the length of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Inventor: Keith W. Billotte
  • Patent number: 6146068
    Abstract: A frame assembly for shipment of dunnage includes a frame for supporting the dunnage. A bar and latch arrangement releasably secures the dunnage in the frame. The bar and latch arrangement includes a bar mounted on the frame for swinging movement in a direction toward the dunnage. A latch has a latch bolt mounted on the bar for movement from a retracted to an extended position. A rack is mounted on the frame in a position adjacent to the latch bolt when the bar is in the dunnage retaining position. The rack has a plurality of teeth aligned in the direction of bar movement. The latch bolt is engageable in any of the spaces between the teeth when the latch bolt is in its extended position to hold the bar in the dunnage retaining position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Inventor: Robert C. Schroeder
  • Patent number: 6113194
    Abstract: A side unloading dump vehicle includes a support having ground engaging wheels. A container is provided having a first side, a second side, and a bottom pivotally attached along the first side. The container is movable relative to the support from a travel position to a dumping position. In the travel position, the container is set upon the bottom in a substantially central position on the support. In the dumping position, the container is raised and moved off-center toward the second side such that the bottom pivots downwardly to dump the contents of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Inventor: Marvin Neufeld
  • Patent number: 6113193
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatically reducing engine exhaust noise from a dump truck including a heated bed without the additional requirement of diverting the flow of exhaust through a separate muffler apparatus. An engine noise reduction system associated with the truck includes an engine control unit for controlling high idle engine speed parameters of the truck engine. When the truck bed is raised upwardly from an initial lowered position to release a material load from the bed, or hydraulics associated with the truck bed are actuated to raise the bed, the engine control unit automatically lowers the high idle engine speed of the truck engine to reduce engine noise from the truck engine. The high idle engine speed of the truck engine is automatically reset to the standard setting when the truck bed returns to the initial lowered position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph D. Kunzeman
  • Patent number: 6109494
    Abstract: A motorcycle transport system for allowing transporting of a motorcycle and convenient securing/releasing of the motorcycle from a transporting device. The inventive device includes a base mountable to a bed of a transporting device, a pair of catch structures attached to opposing sides of the base, a permanent bracket secured to motorcycle frame members, a plurality of flanged end members extending downwardly from the permanent bracket, a pair of middle brackets each having a pair of slots for catchably securing to the flanged end members, a pair of pegs extending from the pair of middle brackets for releasably attaching to the pair of catch structures. The catch structures include a pair of levers for allowing the user to release the pegs from the catch structures with their foot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Inventor: William A. Pilmore
  • Patent number: 6095616
    Abstract: A wheel supported grain wagon includes a box or container with sloping side walls extending to a bottom wall, and a discharge opening is formed within one of the side walls adjacent the bottom wall. An inner metering door or panel and an adjacent outer closure door or panel are supported by parallel spaced dual tracks for movement between lower positions closing the discharge opening and retracted upper open positions. An actuator first raises the outer closure panel to permit grain to flow through a metering passage defined by the bottom edge of the metering panel and to release grain pressure on the metering panel. The metering door is then elevated in response to further elevation of the outer closure panel so that grain flows smoothly under both panels without obstructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: J. & M. Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Scott M. Grieshop
  • Patent number: 6082827
    Abstract: A dumping apparatus for a conveying system for transporting a load from one site to another site at which the load is dumped from the apparatus includes a carriage which is supportable by a track for movement therealong and a dump bed which is supported by the carriage for pivotal movement relative thereto about both a vertical axis and a horizontal axis. The apparatus also includes mechanisms interposed between the carriage and the dump bed for pivoting the dump bed about the vertical axis to a desired position thereabout and for pivoting the dump body about a horizontal axis so that the dump bed can be tilted so as to dump the dump bed at any location about the horizontal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Inventor: Robert M. McFall