Patents Examined by Winnie S. Yip
  • Patent number: 6115978
    Abstract: A moveable partition system includes a main wall member and a telescoping member disposed in telescoping relation with the main wall member. The telescoping member extends between the main wall member and a structural body to connect the wall member to the structural body. A securing assembly secures the telescoping member to the structural body; and a support member engages the structural body opposite the securing assembly to distribute the load of the securing assembly on the structural body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Fisher Hamilton L.L.C.
    Inventors: John M. Bastian, Marshall K. Beck
  • Patent number: 6082066
    Abstract: An integrated construction panel is designed for use in the construction of modular buildings. The panel comprises a grid of structural studs made of fire-proof material bonded together by an adhesive with a high degree of elasticity. A rigid frame surrounds the grid and is attached to the end of the studs. The frame is adapted to mate with an adjacent similar panel. Front and rear wall members are attached to the frame to define a substantially enclosed space therewithin. A closed cell foam substantially fills the space to provide additional adhesion and distribute external loads throughout the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: Peter Mill
    Inventor: Peter A. D. Mill
  • Patent number: 6070384
    Abstract: This invention relates to a non-perforated, essentially orthogonal hip and ridge shingle having stepped side portions which shingle is foldable along its longitudinal axis over the ridge of a pitched roof and is additionally foldable upon itself on a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Building Materials Corporation of America
    Inventor: Adem Chich
  • Patent number: 6068008
    Abstract: A storable shelter deployable to a dihedral configuration. It includes a central pole with an upright axis, a pair of flexible rectangular panels and a control for them which includes at least one rotatably biased reel, an edge former for each panel, a strut for each panel which strut is rigid when the shelter is deployed, the edge formers extending as a straight body from both sides of the struts, a collar freely slidable on the pole and a mount on the collar rotably mounting the struts. The collar is raised to lower the struts and deploy the panels and lowered to enable the struts to move against the pole where upon the panels are wound on the reel or reels by the rotational bias of the reel or reels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Inventor: John W Caldwell
  • Patent number: 6067755
    Abstract: A cover arrangement for roof gutters is provided. The cover arrangement includes a plurality of cover segments each of which includes an elongate hinge pin having a mounting plate thereon and pivotal gutter cover segment thereon. Preferred configurations, sizes and overlap patterns for adjacent cover segments are provided. Also an assembly comprising a roof, roof gutter and cover arrangement is provided. Methods of assembly and use are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Inventor: Armand D. Maanum
  • Patent number: 6055997
    Abstract: A step-over cane assembly for facilitating ambulatory movement of users afflicted with certain conditions, such as Parkinson's disease, is disclosed herein. The cane assembly includes an elongate cane member with a tip end and a handle end, the tip end being disposed to contact a walking surface and the handle end providing a grip area to a user. A step-over member is coupled to a lower portion of the elongate cane member proximate the tip end, the step-over member inducing the user to take walking steps when deployed transverse to the elongate member. The step-over member may be rotatably coupled to the elongate cane member, thereby allowing the step-over member to be deployed in an extended position transverse to the elongate member and in a retracted position substantially parallel to the elongate member. When deployed in the extended position, the step-over member serves as a walking obstacle to Parkinson's users of the cane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Inventors: Lisa Greenstadt, Eugene Greenstadt
  • Patent number: 6026626
    Abstract: An elongate truss 10 comprises a framework 14 of spars 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26. The truss 10 is open on one aspect and has the transverse cross section of a regular trapezium. This enables identical trusses to be stacked up for storage or transporting an internested manner one on top of the other. In addition, lights 62 may be mounted inside the truss 10 and drapes 72 are hung from one side of the truss 10. A removable cross brace 42 may be provided for connection at the open aspect of the truss between lower longitudinal spars 18 to prevent splaying of the truss when under load. The brace 42 may be stored by attachment to intermediate cross chords 22. A stack 10' of trusses may be stored on a trolley 28 and easily manhandled. A substantial number of the trusses, when stacked, may be stored in a set volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Inventor: Mark Eliott Fisher
  • Patent number: 6026833
    Abstract: Pockets for use on a crutch consisting of a front panel and a back panel secured to one another along three sides, leaving an open end. Alternatively, the pocket has at least one side panel positioned between the front and back panels. The back panel preferably has a length greater than the length of the front panel and the width of the side panel to form a closure flap. The pocket securing portion is affixed to one end of the back panel proximate the open end and secured to the crutch at the horizontal top rail by eye hooks. A retaining strap proximate the closed end secures the pocket to the side rails. In another embodiment for use on the lower portion of the crutch, the back panel has a length at least twice the length of the front panel and is folded upon itself to form a U-shape. A channel is secured to the crook of the U-shape to form a channel to receive a retaining bolt secured to the side rails. A secondary layer is affixed to a second leg of said U-shape to form a second pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Inventor: Cynthia Conte
  • Patent number: 6023889
    Abstract: An adjustable wall jamb is disclosed which can compensate for a variety of variations in wall structures when fitting a panel member thereto. One adjustable wall jamb is for a shower enclosure and affords a channel into which a portion of the wall panel is sealed, and thus provides a "floating" type seal without contacting an end of the adjustable wall jamb. The adjustable wall jamb is formed as a support post and is telescopingly fitted into a stud jamb. In an alternative embodiment, there is a one-piece adjustable wall jamb having securing flanges and sealing fingers formed as a one-piece unit. This can be utilized in conjunction with the square fitment of a panel to a wall, a corner construction, or an angled construction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Kohler Co.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Husting, Thomas A. Bonnell
  • Patent number: 6016634
    Abstract: A generator set housing has a skeletal frame with corners which conform to ISO standards. The frame members are welded together and are held in position during welding by tanging and wedging. This allows the frame to be self-squaring which eliminates the need for the use of jigs to hold the frame the together during welding. The skeletal frame is covered by panels which provide access to the generator set for service and repair. The panels are held in place by self drill and tap screws which are inserted from within the housing and would also be released from within the housing in order to enable removal of the panels. Folded sections are used throughout the housing. The dimensional accuracy is much greater due to the use of laser cutting to form the blanks from which the folded sections, including the tongues, which are integral, and the mating slots, were produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: Cummins Power Generation Limited
    Inventor: Raymond Sayer
  • Patent number: 6014982
    Abstract: A tent or tent-like structure which is inexpensive to produce and easily erected comprises a pair of continuous flexible support members or rods, each of which is bent into an approximately semi-circular configuration when the structure is assembled. The structure includes a substantially square base and four lateral faces to form a substantially pyramidal shaped canopy. Each end of each support member is retained by one of four retaining boots, each retaining boot affixed to the canopy adjacent to the base. Each support member is further retained by an apical retaining loop and a pair of lateral retaining loops located equidistant from the apical retaining loop and linearly arranged therewith. Tents according to the invention may be manufactured from suitable materials and of suitable size to render them fit for a wide range of purposes from a toy for a small child to a shelter for one or more adults. Methods of making such tent-like structures are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Inventor: Darlene Strevey
  • Patent number: 6014849
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a joining method and a joining structure as well as a form for concrete products. A protruding portion provided at the front end of a seal member of elastic material attached to one concrete product is inserted through an opening formed in a joining face of the other concrete product into an attachment hole of enlarged diameter provided at a depth of the opening, while bringing a closing press contact portion of the seal member into press contact with inner surfaces of the opening to achieve an airtight condition inside the attachment hole, followed by filling grout into a space defined between inner surfaces of the attachment hole and the protruding portion and setting the grout there to join the concrete products together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Assignee: Yamax Corporation
    Inventor: Masatsugu Yonemura
  • Patent number: 6006485
    Abstract: A building construction assembly comprises a plurality of vertical columns that cooperate with a plurality of horizontal beams to collectively define a substantially planar frame border of a building. The vertical columns are in the form of upright trusses having a first upstanding member formed with a pair of angle irons. Each of the angle irons has a first projecting leg and a second projecting leg. The first projecting legs extend inwardly relative to the border in spaced parallel relation and the second projecting legs extend in opposite directions along a common line. A support clip is attached to the first upstanding member for supporting an associated horizontal beam in such a position that the outer facing surfaces of the horizontal beam and the first upstanding member defines the substantially planar border. The support clip is defined by a plate for supporting the associated horizontal beam and a load-bearing flange for retaining the horizontal beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: KY Truss, Inc.
    Inventors: Bobby E. Hobbs, Jeffrey L. Perdue
  • Patent number: 6003276
    Abstract: A cementitious wall is externally reinforced against out-of-plane or in-plane seismic forces using an overlying layer of composite material, preferably a carbon-fiber/polymer matrix composite material. To externally reinforce the wall against out-of-plane forces, the composite material is applied to the wall as an overlay with the fibers extending vertically. At the base of the wall, the composite overlay is tied to the horizontal building structure using right-angle ties spaced-apart along the foot of the wall. The composite overlay may either be structurally tied to intervening floor structures using right-angle ties, or it may be structurally isolated from the intervening floor structures using flat-tie pass throughs. To externally reinforce the wall against in-plane horizontal forces, the composite material is applied to the wall as an overlay with the fibers running only horizontally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Gilbert A. Hegemier, Frieder Seible
  • Patent number: 6000414
    Abstract: A cane holding apparatus and method for permitting a cane user to conveniently retain a cane free of the user's hands while maintaining the cane available for immediate use. A preferred embodiment of the cane holder apparatus includes a cane, hook-pile fastening material secured to the cane, a flexible panel adapted for being removably secured to a belt worn by the user, and loop-pile fastening means on the outerside of the worn panel for cooperating with the hook-pile fastening means on the cane for releasably securing the cane to the panel when the cane is placed to the panel with at least a portion of the hook-pile fastening material contacting at least a portion of the loop-pile fastening material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Inventor: Jackie B. Crusor
  • Patent number: 5992103
    Abstract: Method and arrangement for anchorage in the soil by means of a ground anchor (1) in the form of a tube (2) in which at least two axial slots (3a, 3b) are arranged along at least one region of a tube wall in a part of the tube which is to be driven into the soil. This tube (2) is driven into the soil by cooperating with a pike (4) which is arranged in the tube (2) and which, after the tube has been driven in, is removed therefrom. The method according to the invention is characterized in that the tube (2) in at least one region with axial slots (3a, 3b) is subjected to a radial load by means of a tool (5) which is sunk into the tube and which is actuated so as to exert a controllable expansion of the tube is brought about in this region. The tool is removed from the tube when a predetermined degree of expansion has been attained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Inventors: Torbjorn Norman, Steve Johansson
  • Patent number: 5992123
    Abstract: A shear stud assembly is formed at the construction site by assembling double-headed shear studs with a channel system which engages one-headed end of the shear studs. The shear stud assembly may be positioned in a slab, beam, or horizontal element around columns or vertical elements for reinforcement with the studs hanging downwardly from the channel system through the normally congested steel reinforcing. Several forms of channel system are disclosed, each of which permit the length of the assembly and the spacing of the studs to be adjusted to fit, and yet still remain within the design parameters, all without the use of skilled labor or special tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Erico International Corporation
    Inventor: Antonius M. Kies
  • Patent number: 5992435
    Abstract: A stake assembly includes a spike having a first end and a second end defining a longitudinal axis of the stake. A flange is connected at the second end of the spike and extends laterally therefrom, the upper surface of the flange forming the axially and extremity of the second end of the spike. A receptacle is recessed axially into the flange and second end of the spike. A resilient fastening member, such as a coiled spring, has a first end connected in the receptacle between the flange and the first end of the spike and a second end extending out of the receptacle beyond the upper surface of the flange. A tether or leash may be fastened to the second end of the resilient fastening member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: BS&B Safety Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary R. Kindell, Sharon D. Kindell
  • Patent number: 5987834
    Abstract: Methods for manufacturing highly insulating connector rods and highly insulating composite wall structures using such connector rods. The connector rods are highly insulating and are injection molded in a single step from an appropriate resinous material or moldable plastic. Discontinuous fibers may be impregnated within the resinous material or other moldable plastic. The single-step molding method yields connector rods having pointed ends for facilitating entry through an insulating layer and a first structural layer not yet cured, and also an enlarged head for receiving an impact from a hammer or mallet or for facilitating gripping by the installer. The enlarged head also provides an anchoring effect within a second structural layer upon curing. The connector rods are manufactured to include a ridge or flange to limit the depth of penetration by the connector rod when inserted into the insulating material when forming the composite wall structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: H.K. Composites, Inc.
    Inventors: David O. Keith, David M. Hansen
  • Patent number: 5988195
    Abstract: A tent assembly which may be attached to the sidewalls of a pickup truck bed or alternatively anchored to the ground includes a plurality of frame members each with a V-shaped roof support and a pair of opposing side arms vertically extending therefrom. The side arms are attached to the V-shaped roof supports with a hinge on one side and a slide lock mechanism on an opposing side so that they may be selectively pivoted in either direction relative to the roof supports. The V-shaped roof supports are likewise collapsible using a hinge. The vertices of the roof shaped supports are interconnected using hingedly engaging beams each with a centrally located hinge so that a frame member may be easily stacked against an adjacent frame member even with the beam attached thereto. The frame members are received within sleeves integral with a tent member. Each end wall of the tent member has a plurality of separable seams providing several different access openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Kaestner, Virginia A. Kaestner