Patents by Inventor Brandon L. Spoelstra

Brandon L. Spoelstra has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240042798
    Abstract: Particular embodiments disclosed herein provide a retractable guard assembly coupled to a caster of a mobile equipment, comprising a housing and one or more guards at least partially disposed in the housing. The one or more guards are independently movably coupled to the housing. The retractable guard assembly further comprises corresponding one or more biasing elements coupled to the one or more guards and to the housing for biasing the one or more guards towards a fully deployed state. When the one or more guards are in the fully deployed state, contact between a fixed object and a portion of the one or more guards disposed outside the housing causes the one or more guards to transition into a retracted state, and when the contact is removed, the corresponding one or more biasing elements cause the one or more guards to transition into the fully deployed state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventor: Brandon L. Spoelstra
  • Patent number: 11820170
    Abstract: Particular embodiments disclosed herein provide a retractable guard assembly coupled to a caster of a mobile equipment, comprising a housing and one or more guards at least partially disposed in the housing. The one or more guards are independently movably coupled to the housing. The retractable guard assembly further comprises corresponding one or more biasing elements coupled to the one or more guards and to the housing for biasing the one or more guards towards a fully deployed state. When the one or more guards are in the fully deployed state, contact between a fixed object and a portion of the one or more guards disposed outside the housing causes the one or more guards to transition into a retracted state, and when the contact is removed, the corresponding one or more biasing elements cause the one or more guards to transition into the fully deployed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventor: Brandon L. Spoelstra
  • Patent number: 11590798
    Abstract: Particular embodiments disclosed herein provide a retractable guard assembly coupled to a caster of a mobile equipment, comprising one or more first guards comprising corresponding one or more guard toeholds and one or more second guards. When the one or more first guards and the one or more second guards are in a fully retracted state, fully compressing any one of the one or more guard toeholds causes the one or more first guards and the one or more second guards to transition into a fully deployed state. When the one or more first guards and the one or more second guards are in a fully deployed state, fully lifting any one of the one or more guard toeholds causes the one or more first guards and one or more second guards to transition into the fully retracted state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: William Monteleone, Marc Nestor, Brandon L. Spoelstra
  • Publication number: 20230001740
    Abstract: Particular embodiments disclosed herein provide a retractable guard assembly coupled to a caster of a mobile equipment, comprising a housing and one or more guards at least partially disposed in the housing. The one or more guards are independently movably coupled to the housing. The retractable guard assembly further comprises corresponding one or more biasing elements coupled to the one or more guards and to the housing for biasing the one or more guards towards a fully deployed state. When the one or more guards are in the fully deployed state, contact between a fixed object and a portion of the one or more guards disposed outside the housing causes the one or more guards to transition into a retracted state, and when the contact is removed, the corresponding one or more biasing elements cause the one or more guards to transition into the fully deployed state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventor: Brandon L. Spoelstra
  • Patent number: 11421459
    Abstract: A hinge is coupled to a first component and a second component. The hinge supports the second component for movement relative to the first component between a closed position covering an opening through the first component and an opened position displaced from the opening. The hinge includes a first bracket coupled to the second component, a second bracket coupled to the first component, a support link coupled to the first and second brackets, and a control link coupled to the first and second brackets. Rotation of the support link relative to the first bracket causes rotation of the first component relative to the second component and relative to the support link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Hartwell Corporation
    Inventors: Brandon L. Spoelstra, Michael A. Grande
  • Patent number: 11358292
    Abstract: A cutter apparatus includes a housing with a blade carrier configured for holding a blade, and a handle coupled to the housing via an engagement interface configured to allow a user of the cutter apparatus to selectively interfit together the housing and the handle in multiple different cutter apparatus configurations, wherein the engagement interface includes a coupler configured to permit the housing and the handle to be repositioned further apart in a housing/handle reconfiguring mode in which the coupler permits the handle to be rotatably repositioned in relation to the housing or vice versa while substantially limiting longitudinal movement of the housing relative to the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Pacific Handy Cutter, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph P. Garavaglia, Brandon L. Spoelstra, Markus Gropl, Chris Lung, Mark Marinovich
  • Publication number: 20220063330
    Abstract: Particular embodiments disclosed herein provide a retractable guard assembly coupled to a caster of a mobile equipment, comprising one or more first guards comprising corresponding one or more guard toeholds and one or more second guards. When the one or more first guards and the one or more second guards are in a fully retracted state, fully compressing any one of the one or more guard toeholds causes the one or more first guards and the one or more second guards to transition into a fully deployed state. When the one or more first guards and the one or more second guards are in a fully deployed state, fully lifting any one of the one or more guard toeholds causes the one or more first guards and one or more second guards to transition into the fully retracted state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: William Monteleone, Marc Nestor, Brandon L. Spoelstra
  • Publication number: 20210260778
    Abstract: A cutter apparatus includes a housing and a blade holder coupled to the housing, wherein the housing includes a distal portion (e.g., a blade storage compartment) that is both slidably and pivotally coupled to portions of the housing and configured to serve as a cover for the blade holder. The cutter apparatus can also include a cover release device configured to facilitate repositioning the cover between a locked position at which the cover is secured to the housing and a released position at which at least a portion of the cover is free to pivotally reposition away from the housing providing access to the blade holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Applicant: Pacific Handy Cutter, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph P. Garavaglia, Brandon L. Spoelstra, Markus E. Gropl, Mark Marinovich
  • Publication number: 20200399942
    Abstract: A hinge is coupled to a first component and a second component. The hinge supports the second component for movement relative to the first component between a closed position covering an opening through the first component and an opened position displaced from the opening. The hinge includes a first bracket coupled to the second component, a second bracket coupled to the first component, a support link coupled to the first and second brackets, and a control link coupled to the first and second brackets. Rotation of the support link relative to the first bracket causes rotation of the first component relative to the second component and relative to the support link.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2020
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Brandon L. SPOELSTRA, Michael A. GRANDE
  • Patent number: 10857685
    Abstract: A cutter apparatus includes a housing and a blade holder coupled to the housing, wherein the housing includes a distal portion (e.g., a blade storage compartment) that is both slidably and pivotally coupled to portions of the housing and configured to serve as a cover for the blade holder. The cutter apparatus can also include a cover release device configured to facilitate repositioning the cover between a locked position at which the cover is secured to the housing and a released position at which at least a portion of the cover is free to pivotally reposition away from the housing providing access to the blade holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: PACIFIC HANDY CUTTER, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph P. Garavaglia, Brandon L. Spoelstra, Markus E. Gropl, Mark Marinovich
  • Patent number: 10767404
    Abstract: A hinge is coupled to a first component and a second component. The hinge supports the second component for movement relative to the first component between a closed position covering an opening through the first component and an opened position displaced from the opening. The hinge includes a first bracket coupled to the second component, a second bracket coupled to the first component, a support link coupled to the first and second brackets, and a control link coupled to the first and second brackets. Rotation of the support link relative to the first bracket causes rotation of the first component relative to the second component and relative to the support link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Hartwell Corporation
    Inventors: Brandon L. Spoelstra, Michael A. Grande
  • Publication number: 20200114532
    Abstract: A cutter apparatus includes a housing with a blade carrier configured for holding a blade, and a handle coupled to the housing via an engagement interface configured to allow a user of the cutter apparatus to selectively interfit together the housing and the handle in multiple different cutter apparatus configurations, wherein the engagement interface includes a coupler configured to permit the housing and the handle to be repositioned further apart in a housing/handle reconfiguring mode in which the coupler permits the handle to be rotatably repositioned in relation to the housing or vice versa while substantially limiting longitudinal movement of the housing relative to the handle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Publication date: April 16, 2020
    Applicant: Pacific Handy Cutter, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph P. Garavaglia, Brandon L. Spoelstra, Markus Gropl, Chris Lung, Mark Marinovich
  • Patent number: 10343294
    Abstract: A cutter apparatus includes a housing with a blade carrier configured for holding a blade, and a handle coupled to the housing via an engagement interface configured to allow a user of the cutter apparatus to selectively interfit together the housing and the handle in multiple different cutter apparatus configurations, wherein the engagement interface includes a coupler configured to permit the housing and the handle to be repositioned further apart in a housing/handle reconfiguring mode in which the coupler permits the handle to be rotatably repositioned in relation to the housing or vice versa while substantially limiting longitudinal movement of the housing relative to the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: PACIFIC HANDY CUTTER, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph P. Garavaglia, Brandon L. Spoelstra, Markus Gropl, Chris Lung, Mark Marinovich
  • Patent number: 10294011
    Abstract: A blade dispenser apparatus includes a body, a blade receptacle coupled to and repositionable in relation to the body, a blade holder coupled to and repositionable in relation to the blade receptacle, and an actuator coupled to the blade holder, the actuator being deployable for repositioning of the blade holder to dispense a blade or for disengaging a portion of the blade receptacle from the body allowing a user of the blade dispenser to access the blade receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: PACIFIC HANDY CUTTER, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph P. Garavaglia, Brandon L. Spoelstra, Markus Gropl
  • Publication number: 20180326599
    Abstract: A cutter apparatus includes a housing and a blade holder coupled to the housing, wherein the housing includes a distal portion (e.g., a blade storage compartment) that is both slidably and pivotally coupled to portions of the housing and configured to serve as a cover for the blade holder. The cutter apparatus can also include a cover release device configured to facilitate repositioning the cover between a locked position at which the cover is secured to the housing and a released position at which at least a portion of the cover is free to pivotally reposition away from the housing providing access to the blade holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Applicant: Pacific Handy Cutter, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph P. Garavaglia, Brandon L. Spoelstra, Markus E. Gropl, Mark Marinovich
  • Patent number: 10093027
    Abstract: A cutter apparatus includes a housing shaped to be hand-held, the housing including first and second handle portions shaped and/or adapted to interfit together, a blade holder configured to support a blade, and a lock/unlock mechanism for securing the handle portions together, the lock/unlock mechanism including multiple actuators operable for extending the blade from the housing, the actuators including a primary actuator coupled to the blade holder and repositionable in relation to the housing, and at least one auxiliary actuator including a first auxiliary actuator supported by and repositionable in relation to the first handle portion. The primary and auxiliary actuators are biased toward and/or repositionable to respective locations at which an aperture of the first auxiliary actuator coaligns or registers with an opening in the first handle portion in an unlock configuration that allows a user of the cutter apparatus to reposition/separate the handle portions from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: PACIFIC HANDY CUTTER, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph P. Garavaglia, Brandon L. Spoelstra, Markus Gropl, Chris Lung
  • Patent number: 10093026
    Abstract: A cutter apparatus includes a housing, a blade carrier configured to support a front blade, the blade carrier being coupled to and repositionable in relation to the housing, an auxiliary tool configured to be deployable from another portion of the housing, and a selector repositionable in relation to the housing and configured for mutually exclusively facilitating the user-controlled actions of setting a maximum blade depth to which the front blade is extendable from the housing and activating the auxiliary tool. The selector includes, for example, a biasing component for selectively engaging stop surfaces and a counter-biasing component configured to disengage the one or more biased engagement portions from the stop surfaces in response to a user of the cutter apparatus initiating an action of repositioning the selector along the path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: PACIFIC HANDY CUTTER, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph P. Garavaglia, Brandon L. Spoelstra, Markus E. Gropl, Mark Marinovich
  • Publication number: 20180216379
    Abstract: A hinge is coupled to a first component and a second component. The hinge supports the second component for movement relative to the first component between a closed position covering an opening through the first component and an opened position displaced from the opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Brandon L. SPOELSTRA, Michael A. GRANDE
  • Patent number: 9840013
    Abstract: A cutter apparatus includes a housing and a blade holder coupled to the housing, wherein the housing includes a distal portion (e.g., a blade storage compartment) that is both slidably and pivotally coupled to portions of the housing and configured to serve as a cover for the blade holder. The cutter apparatus can also include a cover release device configured to facilitate repositioning the cover between a locked position at which the cover is secured to the housing and a released position at which at least a portion of the cover is free to pivotally reposition away from the housing providing access to the blade holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: PACIFIC HANDY CUTTER, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph P. Garavaglia, Brandon L. Spoelstra, Markus E. Gropl, Mark Marinovich
  • Patent number: 9676106
    Abstract: A cutter apparatus includes a housing shaped to be hand-held, a blade holder configured to support a blade, and multiple actuators for extending the blade from the housing, the actuators including a safety actuator (e.g., a blade guard) that drives at least one of the other actuators while repositioning to extend the blade. The multiple actuators include, for example, a slider and a blade guard configured such that the slider when pushed forward repositions independently of the blade guard to extend the blade from the housing and such that the blade guard when pushed forward repositions the blade as the blade guard is deployed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: PACIFIC HANDY CUTTER, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph P. Garavaglia, Brandon L. Spoelstra, Markus E. Gropl, Mark Marinovich