Patents by Inventor Daniel T. Thompson
Daniel T. Thompson 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).
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Patent number: 6639147Abstract: An EMI clip retaining system including a flexible EMI clip with a center contact portion that bows upwards and inwards from acute bends situated at the outer ends of the EMI clip and also including enlarged end portions that extend flatly inwards from the acute bends. The EMI clip is captively installable in a planar mounting surface with tapered mounting holes through which the enlarged end portions of the EMI clip are inserted, such that once the EMI clip is installed, the enlarged ends of the EMI clip reside on a bottom side of the mounting surface while the center contact portion bows upward from the opposite, top side of the mounting surface. When the center portion is compressed flat against the top side of the mounting surface, the EMI clip lies flat against both the top and bottom sides of the mounting surface.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2002Date of Patent: October 28, 2003Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Daniel T. Thompson, Robert J. Hastings
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Publication number: 20030121688Abstract: An EMI clip retaining system comprising a flexible EMI clip with a center contact portion that bows upwards and inwards from acute bends situated at the outer ends of the EMI clip and also comprising enlarged end portions that extend flatly inwards from the acute bends. The EMI clip is captively installable in a planar mounting surface with tapered mounting holes through which the enlarged end portions of the EMI clip are inserted, such that once the EMI clip is installed, the enlarged ends of the EMI clip reside on a bottom side of the mounting surface while the center contact portion bows upward from the opposite, top side of the mounting surface. When the center portion is compressed flat against the top side of the mounting surface, the EMI clip lies flat against both the top and bottom sides of the mounting surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2002Publication date: July 3, 2003Applicant: Compaq Information Technologies Group, L.P.Inventors: Daniel T. Thompson, Robert J. Hastings
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Publication number: 20030123222Abstract: The present invention is a fan tray assembly in a computer chassis which allows fan assemblies to be removed and installed without shutting down the computer device. The fan tray assembly includes two or more fan assemblies for cooling the interior of the chassis. The fan tray assembly has a first position in which the fan tray assembly is received in the chassis and an extended position in which the fan tray assembly extends from an opening in the chassis. The fan tray assembly has an end plate, a left side, and a right side, and at least one of the sides includes one or more slots for receiving a fan assembly. A hot tap board mounted to the fan tray assembly is connected to a power cable. The fan assemblies are hot tap connected to the hot tap board. The present invention allows the fan assembly to be removed without shutting down the device by extending the fan tray assembly from the computer chassis and removing the fan assembly from the fan tray assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2001Publication date: July 3, 2003Inventors: Daniel T. Thompson, Kevin Conn, Erik Robert Nielsen, Robert J. Hastings
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Publication number: 20030116337Abstract: An EMI clip retaining system comprising a flexible EMI clip with a center contact portion that bows upwards and inwards from acute bends situated at the outer ends of the EMI clip and also comprising enlarged end portions that extend flatly inwards from the acute bends. The EMI clip is captively installable in a planar mounting surface with tapered mounting holes through which the enlarged end portions of the EMI clip are inserted, such that once the EMI clip is installed, the enlarged ends of the EMI clip reside on a bottom side of the mounting surface while the center contact portion bows upward from the opposite, top side of the mounting surface. When the center portion is compressed flat against the top side of the mounting surface, the EMI clip lies flat against both the top and bottom sides of the mounting surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2001Publication date: June 26, 2003Inventors: Daniel T. Thompson, Robert J. Hastings
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Publication number: 20020109977Abstract: A printed circuit board retainer. The printed circuit board retainer directs the movement of a printed circuit board during installation into an enclosure. In a relaxed position, the retainer forms a barrier to the withdrawal of the printed circuit board from the enclosure. The printed circuit board retainer may be displaced from its relaxed position and locked in an open position to facilitate during installation and withdrawal of the printed circuit board.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2002Publication date: August 15, 2002Inventors: George D. Megason, Daniel T. Thompson, Joseph R. Allen
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Patent number: 6381149Abstract: A printed circuit board retainer. The printed circuit board retainer directs the movement of a printed circuit board during installation into an enclosure. In a relaxed position, the retainer forms a barrier to the withdrawal of the printed circuit board from the enclosure. The printed circuit board retainer may be displaced from its relaxed position and locked in an open position to facilitate during installation and withdrawal of the printed circuit board.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2000Date of Patent: April 30, 2002Assignee: Compaq Computer CorporationInventors: George D. Megason, Daniel T. Thompson, Joseph R. Allen
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Patent number: 5966289Abstract: A system for securing an electronic component, such as a CPU, includes a support extending substantially in a plane and a fastener coupled to the support. The support may be a heat sink secured to a component for dissipating heat generated during operation of the component. The fastener extends through extensions or fins of the heat sink, generally parallel to the plane of the heat sink and component package. A biasing spring urges the fastener toward a disengaged position. A biased retainer maintains the biasing spring and fastener within the assembly. The component is initially engaged in a receiving socket for installation. The fastener is then engaged in the mechanical support to draw the component into full engagement. A reference surface on the securement assembly contacts the mechanical support to limit engagement of the component. The fastener may include a torque-limiting assembly for limiting the torque applied to the mechanical support upon full engagement of the component.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 1998Date of Patent: October 12, 1999Assignee: Compaq Computer CorporationInventors: Robert J. Hastings, Daniel T. Thompson
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Patent number: 4799875Abstract: A toroid forming machine has a plurality of individual laterally flexible dough forming members mounted upon a conveyor chain to revolve about spaced sprockets, the forming members being drawn through a stationary sleeve formed by opposing one-half sleeve members from a substantially flat initial configuration to a substantially closed cylindrical configuration at an exit end of the sleeve. A stationary mandrel is provided centrally of the sleeve to allow molding of dough strips between the forming members and mandrel into toroid configuration suitable for making bagels. End portions of the mandrel and sleeve are removable and have an expanding configuration to allow for varying the size of toroids exiting the sleeve. The forming members and the associated conveyor chain are easily removed for replacement by different size members as are the mandrel and sleeve members.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 1987Date of Patent: January 24, 1989Inventor: Daniel T. Thompson
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Patent number: 4478565Abstract: A dough shaping, dividing and reshaping machine has a feed conveyor for conveying a batch of dough to preshaping means including laterally spaced side rollers and vertically spaced top and bottom rollers and other rollers for advancing the batch to a dough divider means for receiving the dough batch in a preshaped configuration, shaping it to two generally rectangular cross section strips of dough and advancing the strips to a cut-off location, dough cut-off knives at the cut-off location for dividing the two strips alternately into parts of determinable size, separating such parts in sequence from the strips and delivering them individually to a dough forming means for receiving the individual dough parts and forming them into toroids or alternatively into dough balls of various sizes; roller means are provided for sensing the buildup of the dough batch between the top and bottom roller and the dough divider means; and an electric drive is provided for varying the advancement of the dough batch by the advancType: GrantFiled: November 24, 1982Date of Patent: October 23, 1984Assignee: Thompson Bagel Machine Mfg. Corp.Inventor: Daniel T. Thompson
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Patent number: 4368019Abstract: A dough receiving, shaping, dividing and forming machine for making dough bodies of predetermined size and configuration from an initially unshaped batch of dough in a continuous manner in a single machine frame has an infeed conveyor for receiving a batch of unshaped dough and conveying it to a preshaping location, a pair of laterally spaced dough batch side roller shaping rollers at said preshaping side bath into a uniform width, a pair of verticaly shaped top and bottom roller preshaping and dough advancing rollers for preshaping said batch into a uniform height and advancing said batch from between said side shaping means to a divider location, dough divider means at the divider location for receiving the dough batch in a preshaped configuration, shaping it to two generally rectangular cross section strips of dough and advancing the strips to a cut-off location, dough cut-off knives at the cut-off location for dividing the two strips alternately into parts of determinable size, separating such parts in seType: GrantFiled: October 1, 1981Date of Patent: January 11, 1983Inventor: Daniel T. Thompson
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Patent number: 4336010Abstract: An apparatus produces a continuous plurality of generally rectangular dough elements of a controllable weight from a continuous and irregular mass of dough. The invention includes separate forming, dividing, and cutting portions. The forming portion includes multiple rollers disposed both normal to as well as parallel and traverse to the path of movement of the dough which form the irregularly-shaped dough mass to have a uniform width, depth, and consistency. The dividing portion includes a horizontally-disposed, multichannel dividing drum and a plurality of compression rollers which divide the dough from the forming portion into multiple strips of uniform cross section. The cutting portion includes a multiblade assembly having the shape of and being occludable with the channels of the multichannel drum. The blades are driven at constant speed in a planetary fashion whereby the only motions of the blades relative to the strips of dough passing through multichannel drum are inward and outward.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 1980Date of Patent: June 22, 1982Inventor: Daniel T. Thompson
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Patent number: 4218207Abstract: Dough-dividing and forming apparatus particularly adapted for forming toroid-shaped articles such as bagels, or the like, is disclosed. A first rotary plate member containing a plurality of cylindrical openings receives a cylindical ribbon of dough into the openings and shears the dough into disc-shaped dough lumps. The dough lumps are subsequently flattened in the center to form a web and pierced to form a generally annular shape. During the piercing operation, the dough lumps are transferred to a second rotary plate member carrying a plurality of tapered, cylindrical forming cups. As the second plate member is indexed between rotary positions, a plurality of cylindrical mandrels are repeatedly thrust into and out of the forming cups to roll the dough lumps internally along the length of the forming cups whereby the desired shape is formed.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 1978Date of Patent: August 19, 1980Assignee: Thompson Bagel Machine Manufacturing Corp.Inventor: Daniel T. Thompson
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Patent number: 4202221Abstract: Indexing apparatus is disclosed whereby a constantly rotating drive shaft can intermittently drive apparatus driven thereby. An arm carried by the drive shaft pivotally carries a second arm which has means for engaging a cammed surface whereby the pivoted arm is moved radially toward and away from the drive shaft. The rotated output member is mounted for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft and includes a projection adapted to be engaged selectively by an engaging member on the pivoted arm as the pivoted arm is rotated in response to the positioning of the camming surface. In the preferred embodiment, the projection is an extended member and the engaging member is initially brought into contact close adjacent the drive shaft and moved radially outward in a decreasing amount whereby the rotated member is smoothly accelerated. Correspondingly, upon disengagement, the engaging member is moved radially outward in an increasing amount to smoothly decelerate the rotated member.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 1978Date of Patent: May 13, 1980Assignee: Thompson Bagel Machine Manufacturing Corp.Inventor: Daniel T. Thompson
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Patent number: 4147809Abstract: An apparatus for converting an unformed quantity of dough into a plurality of uniformly sized and shaped dough bodies has dough divider means for converting an unformed quantity of dough into at least one uniform ribbon of dough, moving the ribbon of dough through an outlet and severing the ribbon of dough into a plurality of uniformly sized pieces at an outlet of the dough divider; and dough forming means communicating with the dough divider means for engaging the ribbon of dough at the outlet of the dough divider means and drawing portions of the ribbon of dough away from the outlet in an initial drawing operation prior to severing the portion of dough from the ribbon of dough.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1977Date of Patent: April 3, 1979Assignee: Thompson Bagel Machine Mfg. CorporationInventor: Daniel T. Thompson
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Patent number: 3986446Abstract: A dough proofing apparatus is for use in association with a dough forming apparatus having a dough piece receiving means which receives preformed dough pieces from a dough dividing machine and directs them toward a toroid forming apparatus wherein the proofing apparatus includes dough conveyance means for receiving and conveying dough pieces in a proofing mode of travel through a closed loop path of travel of the conveyor belt between generally adjacent dough entry and dough exit locations on the toroid forming apparatus. The conveyance belt is passed over vertically spaced pulleys with dough pieces retained thereon by adjacent dough support means on the conveyance belt which cooperate to form open-ended cage-like dough retaining receptacles for dough pieces as they travel on the conveyance means over and about the vertically spaced pulleys.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 1975Date of Patent: October 19, 1976Assignees: Daniel T. Thompson, Ada ThompsonInventors: Daniel T. Thompson, Thomas A. Rowland