Patents by Inventor Donald Butler Curchod

Donald Butler Curchod 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: 20220055726
    Abstract: A sail comprising a rotating flexible mast sleeve wrap surrounding the mast and attached to a sail track for controlling the movement of the sail. The sleeve assembly is slotted to allow for partial rotation of the sleeve wrap, the sail track and the sail, so that the sleeve wrap, the sail track and the sail rotate to form an aerodynamic shape on the lee side of the rotating flexible mast reducing aerodynamic losses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventor: Donald Butler Curchod
  • Publication number: 20220055725
    Abstract: A mast fairing for a sailboat includes an upper fairing and an optional lower fairing configured to reduce turbulent airflow over the upwind and downwind sides of a sail. The upper fairing includes a fairing wrap includes a central segment configured to wrap around a mast, a left-side panel, a right-side panel, and a sail track attached to trailing edges of the left- and right-side panels. One or more fairing supports are optionally attached to the sail track between the left- and right-side panels of the fairing wrap. The optional lower fairing includes a central segment, a left-side panel, and a right-side panel configured for installation on a mast and boom below the upper fairing. The upper and lower fairings reduce turbulent airflow over the surfaces of a sail and increase regions of laminar airflow to improve the performance of the sail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventor: Donald Butler Curchod
  • Publication number: 20210047156
    Abstract: A block with soft loop connection system comprising an attachment to the block of two soft loops such that at least a first soft loop end is able to be passed through one or more load bearing members and then back around a shoulder attached to at least a first side of the block. The soft loops' lengths causing the block to be self-aligning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventor: Donald Butler Curchod
  • Publication number: 20200055176
    Abstract: An apparatus is described that permits attaching, via a holder or container, one or more pieces, e.g., drill and/or driver bits, to a drill. Such attachment makes it possible to transport drill and/or driver bits or other drill pieces with the drill, preventing the need to search within a toolbox or cabinet for the particular drill bit needed to satisfy drilling and/or driving requirements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventor: Donald Butler Curchod
  • Publication number: 20190138206
    Abstract: A virtual keyboard is configured to display, at a display device, keys having primary, secondary, or tertiary elements. These elements are selected through one or more clicks on the key. In response to the number of received clicks, the element is entered as text or images in an application in communication with the virtual keyboard. Also, in response to user input, a prompt area on the display device is populated with text or images that can also be selected instead of elements on the keys. The keys and prompt area can be distributed on a single computing device or across multiple computing devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventor: Donald Butler Curchod
  • Publication number: 20180362171
    Abstract: An aircraft is described that has: at least one primary engine configured to operate when the aircraft takes-off, lands, and cruises in a cruise mode; and at least one secondary engine configured to operate when the aircraft takes-off and lands. The drag of the aircraft can be reduced or minimized by: turning off the at least one secondary engine when the aircraft cruises in the cruise mode; opening cowlings covering the at least one secondary engine when the aircraft takes-off and lands, and closing them when the aircraft cruises in the cruise mode; and/or move the at least one secondary engine into the airstream when the aircraft takes-off and lands, and move the at least one secondary engine out of the airstream when the aircraft cruises in the cruise mode. Related apparatuses, systems, methods, techniques, and articles are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventor: Donald Butler Curchod
  • Patent number: 10086252
    Abstract: A tournament scoring program on a tournament server may receive data sanctioned by a tournament provider from a first database via a network connection. The data may include a player identification identifying a player from a group of players of an independent tournament event. The data may also include a value corresponding to the player and the independent tournament event. Cumulative score data may be generated by the tournament scoring program for the player based on the values received or a cumulative score accessed from the tournament server. Ranking data may be generated, by the tournament scoring program, for the group of players based on the cumulative score data. The tournament scoring program may transmit, from the tournament server to a website, the cumulative score data and the ranking data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Inventor: Donald Butler Curchod
  • Patent number: 10080949
    Abstract: A first media segment, for example a rebroadcast, is assembled that includes a portion of second media segment, for example an independent tournament event. The second media segment is longer in duration than first media segment. The second media segment is a media recording of one of the major golf tournaments or a sub-major golf tournament. The first media segment includes a portion of a major golf tournament combined with a portion of a sub-major golf tournament. A portion (or multiple portions) of the second media segment is extracted as part of assembling the first media segment. The portion(s) are combined to form the first media segment (e.g. the rebroadcast, summary, or recap). A broadcast system transmits, to a media receiver, the first media segment at a predefined time after the tournaments corresponding to the second media segment have been completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Inventor: Donald Butler Curchod
  • Publication number: 20180136837
    Abstract: A virtual keyboard is configured to display, at a display device, keys having primary, secondary, or tertiary elements. These elements are selected through one or more clicks on the key. In response to the number of received clicks, the element is entered as text or images in an application in communication with the virtual keyboard. Also, in response to user input, a prompt area on the display device is populated with text or images that can also be selected instead of elements on the keys. The keys and prompt area can be distributed on a single computing device or across multiple computing devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventor: Donald Butler Curchod
  • Publication number: 20160346661
    Abstract: A first media segment, for example a rebroadcast, is assembled that includes a portion of second media segment, for example an independent tournament event. The second media segment is longer in duration than first media segment. The second media segment is a media recording of one of the major golf tournaments or a sub-major golf tournament. The first media segment includes a portion of a major golf tournament combined with a portion of a sub-major golf tournament. A portion (or multiple portions) of the second media segment is extracted as part of assembling the first media segment. The portion(s) are combined to form the first media segment (e.g. the rebroadcast, summary, or recap). A broadcast system transmits, to a media receiver, the first media segment at a predefined time after the tournaments corresponding to the second media segment have been completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Inventor: Donald Butler Curchod
  • Publication number: 20160263463
    Abstract: A first media segment, for example a rebroadcast, is assembled that includes a portion of second media segment, for example an independent tournament event. The second media segment is longer in duration than first media segment. The second media segment is a media recording of one of the major golf tournaments or a sub-major golf tournament. The first media segment includes a portion of a major golf tournament combined with a portion of a sub-major golf tournament. A portion (or multiple portions) of the second media segment is extracted as part of assembling the first media segment. The portion(s) are combined to form the first media segment (e.g. the rebroadcast, summary, or recap). A broadcast system transmits, to a media receiver, the first media segment at a predefined time after the tournaments corresponding to the second media segment have been completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventor: Donald Butler Curchod
  • Publication number: 20160263462
    Abstract: A tournament scoring program on a tournament server may receive data sanctioned by a tournament provider from a first database via a network connection. The data may include a player identification identifying a player from a group of players of an independent tournament event. The data may also include a value corresponding to the player and the independent tournament event. Cumulative score data may be generated by the tournament scoring program for the player based on the values received or a cumulative score accessed from the tournament server. Ranking data may be generated, by the tournament scoring program, for the group of players based on the cumulative score data. The tournament scoring program may transmit, from the tournament server to a website, the cumulative score data and the ranking data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventor: Donald Butler Curchod
  • Publication number: 20120228571
    Abstract: A block has a sheave (4) mounted for rotation about an axis with first bearing elements (6a, 6b) that transfer both axial and radial loads and second bearing elements (12) that transfer both radial loads, so increasing load capacity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2010
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Inventor: Donald Butler Curchod
  • Patent number: 8002244
    Abstract: A high load lightweight block assembly (1) with a reduced mass hollow central shaft (2) through which a continuous or discontinuous rope loop (10) can be passed, which rope loop (10) carries the tensile operating loads within the block (1) thereby minimizing the weight of the assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Inventor: Donald Butler Curchod
  • Patent number: 7594642
    Abstract: A rigid high load lightweight block (1) has unidirectional high strength moulded fibre bundles (4a, 4b) in the side plates (3a, 3b) for the carrying of the major operating tensile loads within the block (1), thereby minimising the weight and maximising the load of the assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Inventor: Donald Butler Curchod
  • Publication number: 20090200530
    Abstract: A high load lightweight block assembly (1) with a reduced mass hollow central shaft (2) through which a continuous or discontinuous rope loop (10) can be passed, which rope loop (10) carries the tensile operating loads within the block (1) thereby minimising the weight of the assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Inventor: Donald Butler Curchod
  • Publication number: 20080197331
    Abstract: A rigid high load lightweight block (1) has unidirectional high strength moulded fibre bundles (4a, 4b) in the side plates (3a, 3b) for the carrying of the major operating tensile loads within the block(1), thereby minimising the weight and maximising the load of the assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2006
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventor: Donald Butler Curchod