Patents Examined by Stephen T. Gordon
  • Patent number: 11597312
    Abstract: A retractor may include various features that reduce the amount of space necessary to secure an object, for example, a wheelchair in a vehicle. In one embodiment, the webbing is designed to come off of the top of the retractor spool, which shifts the webbing take-off point from the spool rearward, as compared to prior art retractors. In another embodiment, the retractor is provided with a webbing guide that rotates around at least a portion of the circumference of the retractor spool. The rotatable guide also shifts the take-off point from the webbing guide rearward, as compared to prior art retractors. In yet another embodiment, the retractor is provided with both a rotatable webbing guide and webbing that comes off of the top of the spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: VALEDA COMPANY
    Inventors: Edgardo Cardona, Patrick Girardin
  • Patent number: 11590038
    Abstract: A vehicle flooring system for converting regular vehicles into wheelchair accessible vehicles. The flooring system is made up of individual flooring panels connected via a snap fit type tongue and lip connection. Each individual panel contains an integral track. The integral track forms a positive lock with the track channels. The flooring system is able to satisfy government regulations concerning seat and wheelchair location pull testing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Inventor: Anjani Kumar
  • Patent number: 11584288
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide a vehicle wheel chock hanger for holding different vehicle wheel chocks of different vehicle restraint systems. Various embodiments provide a vehicle wheel chock hanger for vehicle restraint systems for a vehicle such as an auto-rack railroad car that is configured to hold various different chocks that are configured to secure vehicles in that vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Transportation IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Walter J. Peach, John D. Anderson
  • Patent number: 11560183
    Abstract: A bedslide assembly for use on a deck bed of a pickup truck is provided. An illustrative example of the bedslide assembly includes a bottom frame assembly, middle frame assembly, and top frame assembly. The bottom frame assembly includes a first latch bracket and a second latch bracket. The middle frame assembly includes a first latch assembly and a second latch assembly. The first latch assembly includes a hook. The second latch assembly also includes a hook. The top frame assembly includes an end plate. The hook of the first latch assembly is selectively engageable with the first latch bracket of the bottom frame assembly. The hook of the second latch assembly is selectively engageable with the end plate of the top frame assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Leer Group
    Inventors: Sandeep Agarwal, Jacob Rasmussen, Gopinath Siva, Sharath Kumar Srinivasa
  • Patent number: 11554867
    Abstract: A shoring adapter configured for spreading cargo loads, in particular heavy cargo loads, to be loaded on board of a transport aircraft, includes at least one base portion configured to be placed on a standardized aircraft cargo pallet and a cargo adapter portion configured to accommodate the cargo load. In operation, the cargo adapter portion is mounted on top of the at least one base portion. The at least one base portion includes a lower frame assembly, an upper frame assembly and at least one elastic support assembly. The at least one elastic support assembly is arranged between the lower and upper frame assemblies such that, in operation, the upper frame assembly is elastically supported in a vertical direction by the at least one elastic support assembly on the lower frame assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: CARGOLUX AIRLINES INTERNATIONAL S.A.
    Inventor: Paul Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 11541800
    Abstract: A rotatable tailgate assembly is provided for installation on a dump bed. The tailgate assembly has support members attachable to the side of the dump bed. Each support member has at least one bearing adjacent at a free end extending rearwardly of the dump bed's rear opening. A tailgate has a cylindrical tailgate shaft with a first end rotatably received within the bearing of a first support member and a second end rotatably received within a bearing of a second support member. The tailgate has a closure portion extending radially away from the tailgate shaft. The closure portion engages the rear edges of the dump bed floor and sides to close off the dump bed opening when the tailgate assembly is in a closed rotational position. The tailgate assembly also comprises a rotation actuator operatively connected to the tailgate shaft for selective rotation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: The North American Coal Corporation
    Inventors: David P. Liffrig, Ernie B. Mills, David Vaughn
  • Patent number: 11542005
    Abstract: A quick-connect fitting for a convertible cargo handling assembly may comprise a fixed portion and a coupling component. The fixed portion may be secured to an aircraft frame structure. The coupling component may be coupled to a removable cargo handling component. The coupling component may be configured to rotate relative to the fixed portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventors: Dustin Paul Scheer, Wesley K. Stegmiller, Kevin Setterstrom, Aaron J. Roberts, Scott Harms
  • Patent number: 11535282
    Abstract: A railcar with a plurality of transverse bunks along the railcar body for transporting metal coils. The railcar including a longitudinally extending frame with first and second opposed ends. The railcar also includes a pair of side walls extending the longitudinal length of the railcar and secured to the frame on opposed sides of the railcar, the side walls having an interior and an exterior surface. Each transverse bunk includes at least one bottom plate and first and second canted plates secured to the end edges of the bottom plate. The transverse bunks also utilize a transverse bunk reinforcing member with longitudinally opposed end edges, the reinforcing member welded to and spanning the entire longitudinal length of the lower surface of the first and second canted plates. The longitudinally opposed end edges of the bottom plates, first and second canted plates and bunk reinforcing members are welded to the interior surfaces of the laterally opposed sidewalls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: STEELSCAPE, LLC
    Inventor: Brock Allen Latourrette
  • Patent number: 11530001
    Abstract: An expandable cargo bed system for a vehicle includes a front shell having a front shell first sidewall. The front shell first sidewall includes at least one cargo bed access passage extending between a first side of the front shell first sidewall and a second side of the front shell first sidewall opposite the first side. A rear shell is operably coupled to the front shell so as to be movable with respect to the front shell between a retracted position and an extended position so as to vary a length of the cargo bed. The rear shell has a rear shell first sidewall. The rear shell first sidewall is structured to cover the at least one cargo bed access passage when the rear shell is in the retracted position. The rear shell first sidewall is also structured so that the at least one cargo bed access passage is exposed when the rear shell is in the extended position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Paxton S. Williams, Colby Steven Williams, Marjorie R. Williams, Scott Louis Frederick
  • Patent number: 11529902
    Abstract: An apparatus, a vehicle and a method for securing intermodal cargo containers is provided. Couplers include pins and bottom supports to engage apertures and bottom surfaces of corner fittings for intermodal cargo containers. The couplers may also include sidewall supports to engage forward facing side surfaces of the corner fittings. The pins, bottom supports, and sidewall supports hold an intermodal cargo container in place through a relatively large range of acceleration forces without damaging the corner fittings of the intermodal cargo containers. The couplers are selectively movable from a retracted position to an extended position to engage the corner fittings of the intermodal cargo containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Max U. Kismarton, Steven R. Kent
  • Patent number: 11524782
    Abstract: A stop device for holding a unit load device in place on decking is described. In one example, the stop device includes a cylindrical socket having an outer surface, an inner surface, an open end, and a closed end. The stop device also includes a circular brim extending out from the outer surface, substantially perpendicular to the outer surface of the cylindrical socket, and a handle rod assembly that extends from the closed end of the cylindrical socket. The handle rod assembly can be used to lower the cylindrical socket into an aperture in the decking, such as aperture for a caster wheel in the decking. The handle rod assembly can also be used to rotate the stop device, aligning a circular segment cutout of the circular brim with an edge of the unit load device, to lock the stop device in place below the edge of the unit load device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Samuel F. Harrison, Tiffany Lynn Cremer, Kevin Mei
  • Patent number: 11518288
    Abstract: A rocker support insert for a support rocker comprises a support plate configured to be removably coupled to a top portion of a rocker body; and a support padding fixedly coupled to a top surface of the support plate such that a portion of the top surface of the support plate remains exposed. A top surface of the support padding can define a concave upward-facing contact surface, and the support padding can be thicker than the support plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Pradeep Chapagain, Ryan P Morge
  • Patent number: 11505319
    Abstract: A restraint assembly includes a fitting base, a bushing, and a restraint roller disk, according to various embodiments. The fitting base includes a fitting lower surface and a fitting upper surface that is angled relative to the fitting lower surface, according to various embodiments. The fitting base may be configured to be coupled, via an anchor, to a rail upper surface of a guide rail of the cargo system. In various embodiments, the bushing is configured to be disposed about the anchor. In various embodiments, the restraint roller disk includes a roller upper surface and a roller lower surface, wherein the restraint roller disk is configured to be rotatably coupled about the bushing and the roller lower surface is configured to engage the fitting upper surface of the fitting base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventors: Wallace Harold Larson, Troy Joseph Herberholz, Ryan Pfau, Brian Landis
  • Patent number: 11506179
    Abstract: Provided is a transport assembly for use in the transport of a large heavy load, including a frame unit realized to lie on a load platform of a transport vehicle; a number of first load-positioning beams, wherein a first load-positioning beam is realized to span a single frame unit; and/or a number of second load-positioning beams, wherein a second load-positioning beam is realized to span a pair of adjacent frame units; and a part adapter realized to engage with a load-positioning beam and to engage with the load. The embodiments further describe a method of securing a large heavy load on a load platform during a transport maneuver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Inventors: Jens Hald Jensen, Jesper Bjerre Pedersen, Jeppe Soee
  • Patent number: 11498754
    Abstract: A container floor assembly includes a floor unit, a blocking member and a limiting member, wherein the blocking member is supported on the floor unit, and the limiting member detachably connects the floor unit and the blocking member in a manner of restricting a relative lateral movement of the blocking member and the floor unit. Each of the blocking member and the floor unit is provided with a limiting structure, the limiting member is detachable and connected to the limiting structures in the blocking member and the floor unit simultaneously. The floor unit includes a floor body and a floor chassis, the floor body is mounted on the floor chassis, and the blocking member is supported on the floor body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: BEIJING HANDLER MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lizhou Zhang, Shiwei Hu
  • Patent number: 11498470
    Abstract: A support rocker configured to be pivotally coupled to a rocker attachment interface of a space frame comprises a rocker body having a pivot bore configured to receive therethrough a pivot pin to pivotally couple the rocker body to the rocker attachment interface; and a rocker support insert provided on a top portion of the rocker body. The rocker support insert can be removably coupled to the top portion of the rocker body, and the rocker support insert can define an upward-facing contact surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan P Morge, Pradeep Chapagain, David W Holthaus
  • Patent number: 11498627
    Abstract: Systems and methods for delivering a requested payload using an autonomous delivery vehicle are described herein. In some embodiments, a cargo system for use with an autonomous delivery vehicle can include a frame defining a cargo space having an opening. A plurality of partitions can be positioned within the cargo space and configured to divide the cargo space into compartments. In some embodiments, the partitions are movable so that the cargo space can be divided into efficiently-sized compartments based on, for example, size characteristics of the payload. The cargo system can further include an access system configured to selectively define an aperture over the opening of the cargo space. The access system can vary the size and position of the aperture to provide access to only a selected one of the compartments regardless of the size and/or position of the selected compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: UDELV, Inc.
    Inventors: Akshat Patel, Daniel Laury
  • Patent number: 11492118
    Abstract: A cargo restraint includes a housing. The cargo restraint further includes an inner pawl and an outer pawl coupled to the housing and configured to rotate between a retracted position and an erected position relative to the housing. The cargo restraint further includes a locking pawl rotatably coupled to at least one of the inner pawl or the outer pawl and configured to rotate between a locked position in which the inner pawl and the outer pawl are locked in the erected position and an unlocked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventor: Wallace Harold Larson
  • Patent number: 11492024
    Abstract: A railcar consist of flatcars for transporting continuous rail sections configured for top loading and end unloading of the rail sections. The consist includes a tie-down flatcar and plural support flatcars. The tie-down flatcar includes a rail securement rack with plural removable rail clamping shelves that facilitate top loading and clamping of the rail sections in place. Each of the plural support flatcars have a roller rack fixed to it. The roller racks include plural roller shelves with rollers to support the rail sections. The roller shelves are pivotally mounted to the roller racks between a loading position that provides clearance for placement of the rail sections from above the consist, and a transport position that supports the rail sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: BNSF Logistics, LLC
    Inventors: Allison L. Bowker, Roger W. Roby, James W. V. Tabije
  • Patent number: 11491907
    Abstract: A restraint for use in restraining cargo includes a main body having an elongated shape with a contact end configured to contact and restrain the cargo and a second end opposite the contact end, the contact end defining a first face and a second face such that a first angle between the first face and the second face is at least one of less than or equal to 160 degrees. The restraint further includes a spring configured to allow the main body to rotate relative to a stationary object in response to contact with the cargo and to cause the main body to return to a neutral position in response to a lack of contact with the cargo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher P. Seubert, Kruse Otto