Patents by Inventor Donald H. Parkes

Donald H. Parkes 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).

  • Patent number: 5784867
    Abstract: The present invention provides variable force traction enhance systems for vehicles. The systems include one or more hydraulic cylinders connected to an implement and fluidly connected to one or more hydrostatic transmissions. The hydraulic cylinders actuate the implement in response to changes in the hydraulic fluid pressures in the hydrostatic transmissions. The actuated implement automatically shifts weight to vehicle drive wheels to improve traction and automatically prevents a rear end of the vehicle from bucking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignees: Shivvers Incorporated, Douglas McFarland
    Inventors: Douglas McFarland, Donald H. Parkes
  • Patent number: 5778648
    Abstract: A mower clipping collection system for a riding mower comprises a collector housing having an interior collection chamber and having an interior cylindrical wall forming a cylindrical separation chamber positioned above and in communication with the collection chamber. A clipping transfer conduit extends from the mower deck and is mounted tangentially with respect to the cylindrical wall of the collector housing such that mower clippings, entrained in a stream of air exiting the mower, are blown tangentially into the separation chamber through an opening in the cylindrical wall. The collector housing includes a floor which slopes downward to a clipping dump opening extending across a rear side of the housing. A door is pivotally mounted to the collector housing across the clipping dump opening and moveable in and out of covering relationship therewith by a door operating assembly engageable by an operator while seated on the mower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Shivvers, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald H. Parkes, Scott A. Schick
  • Patent number: 5515669
    Abstract: The present invention provides an anti-buck vehicle comprising an engine chassis, an implement pivotally connected to a front end of the engine chassis, and an anti-buck device connecting the engine chassis to the implement to prevent sudden pivotal movement of the engine chassis toward the implement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1996
    Assignee: The Shivvers Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Schick, Donald H. Parkes
  • Patent number: 5279376
    Abstract: This invention provides a force neutralizing mechanism 500 coupled to a single lever control 10 and a transmission controlled by the lever 10 for overcoming the transmission linkage forces F.sub.2 associated with controls of a pair of mechanical transmissions 532 so that the mechanical transmissions 532 may be comfortably controlled by the single lever control 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 18, 1994
    Assignee: Shivvers, Incorporated
    Inventors: Xinzhan Yang, Douglas McFarland, Steven D. Shivvers, Donald H. Parkes
  • Patent number: 5131483
    Abstract: A single lever control is disclosed. The single lever control comprises a lever, a lever mount, and a control rod having first and second ends, the lever is attached to the lever mount and the control rod and the lever is movable in a first plane about any axis and causes both tandem and reciprocal movement of said first and second control rod ends with respect to one another in response to movement of the lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1992
    Assignee: Shivvers, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald H. Parkes
  • Patent number: 4750273
    Abstract: A computer controlled grain dryer system includes a grain drying chamber, an air heater unit, and an arrangement of grain loading and unloading conveyors. A grain moisture sampling system receives a grain sample from the grain chamber and conveys the sample to a capacitive sample cell. A grain moisture meter measures grain moisture content as a function of the dielectric constant of the sample in the cell. A digital computer is interfaced with the moisture meter and the grain conveyor and is programmed to automatically control the grain sampling and the drying process. In continuous crossflow and concurrent flow dryers, the drying process is controlled by controlling the speed of grain flow. In batch type dryers, the process is controlled by way of the time that the grain is present in the drying chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1988
    Assignee: Shivvers Inc.
    Inventors: Donald H. Parkes, Steven D. Shivvers
  • Patent number: 4599809
    Abstract: A computer controlled grain dryer system includes a grain drying bin, a solenoid valved burner, a blower, and an arrangement of grain unloading augers. An air temperature sensor for the drying airflow provides a temperature signal. A grain moisture sampling system receives a grain sample from the grain unloaders and conveys the sample to a capacitive sample cell. A grain moisture meter senses grain moisture content as a function of the dielectric constant of the sample in the cell. A digital computer is interfaced with the temperature sensors, the moisture meter, the burner valves, the blower, and the auger motors and is programmed to automatically control the grain sampling and the drying process according to a set temperature limit and moisture content for the particular grain to be processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1986
    Assignee: Shivvers, Incorporated
    Inventor: Donald H. Parkes