Patents by Inventor Ed Pendergrass

Ed Pendergrass 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: 20230116787
    Abstract: A beam assembly includes a first beam that has a first tubular portion and a first projecting portion that extends from the first tubular portion. A second beam has a second tubular portion and a second projecting portion that extends from the second tubular portion. The elongated interior of the first tubular portion defines a first hollow area and the elongated interior of the second tubular portion defines a second hollow area. The first beam is attached to the second beam with the first projecting portion attached to the second tubular portion and the second projecting portion attached to the first tubular portion to define a third hollow area between the first and second projecting portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventor: Ed Pendergrass
  • Patent number: 11524645
    Abstract: A beam assembly includes a first beam that has a first tubular portion and a first projecting portion that extends from the first tubular portion. A second beam has a second tubular portion and a second projecting portion that extends from the second tubular portion. The elongated interior of the first tubular portion defines a first hollow area and the elongated interior of the second tubular portion defines a second hollow area. The first beam is attached to the second beam with the first projecting portion attached to the second tubular portion and the second projecting portion attached to the first tubular portion to define a third hollow area between the first and second projecting portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Shape Corp.
    Inventor: Ed Pendergrass
  • Publication number: 20210261075
    Abstract: A beam assembly includes a first beam that has a first tubular portion and a first projecting portion that extends from the first tubular portion. A second beam has a second tubular portion and a second projecting portion that extends from the second tubular portion. The elongated interior of the first tubular portion defines a first hollow area and the elongated interior of the second tubular portion defines a second hollow area. The first beam is attached to the second beam with the first projecting portion attached to the second tubular portion and the second projecting portion attached to the first tubular portion to define a third hollow area between the first and second projecting portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventor: Ed Pendergrass
  • Patent number: 10703312
    Abstract: A vehicle reinforcement beam is roll formed from a metal sheet to provide a multi-tubular reinforcement beam that includes two adjacent tubular sections that share a common center wall. The outer sections the metal sheet extend from opposing ends of the common center wall and are formed to enclose the adjacent tubular sections. An edge portion of the metal sheet that is bent to have a bend radius of about 3-9 mm, where the edge portions attach in abutting and continuous contact with the common center wall to form crevices between the adjacent tubular sections along the first and second faces. A weld is formed in each of the crevices to define crevice ribs in general alignment with and at each of the opposing first and second ends of the common center wall that are configured to improve bending strength and torsional strength of the reinforcement beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Shape Corp.
    Inventors: Thomas Johnson, Doug Witte, Daniel Gatti, Brian Oxley, Brian Malkowski, Kannan Ramamoorthy, Ed Pendergrass
  • Publication number: 20170259767
    Abstract: A vehicle reinforcement beam is roll formed from a metal sheet to provide a multi-tubular reinforcement beam that includes two adjacent tubular sections that share a common center wall. The outer sections the metal sheet extend from opposing ends of the common center wall and are formed to enclose the adjacent tubular sections. An edge portion of the metal sheet that is bent to have a bend radius of about 3-9 mm, where the edge portions attach in abutting and continuous contact with the common center wall to form crevices between the adjacent tubular sections along the first and second faces. A weld is formed in each of the crevices to define crevice ribs in general alignment with and at each of the opposing first and second ends of the common center wall that are configured to improve bending strength and torsional strength of the reinforcement beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: Thomas Johnson, Doug Witte, Daniel Gatti, Brian Oxley, Brian Malkowski, Kannan Ramamoorthy, Ed Pendergrass
  • Patent number: 9669786
    Abstract: A reinforcement beam is roll formed from a metal sheet for use in a vehicle bumper system. The reinforcement beam includes adjacent tubes having a common center wall and lateral portions extending from opposing sides of the common center wall that are roll formed simultaneously in the same rotational direction to enclose interior volumes of the adjacent tubes and to define top and bottom walls and front and rear wall of the reinforcement beam. The front walls of the adjacent tubes each include a channel rib depressed into the interior volume of the respective adjacent tube longitudinally along the reinforcement beam for stiffening the respective front wall. A weld is formed separately in each of the seams between the front walls and between the rear walls, thereby defining a crevice rib between the channel ribs to improve the bending strength and torsional strength of the reinforcement beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Shape Corp.
    Inventors: Thomas Johnson, Doug Witte, Daniel Gatti, Brian Oxley, Brian Malkowski, Kannan Ramamoorthy, Ed Pendergrass
  • Publication number: 20120074720
    Abstract: A reinforcement beam for a vehicle bumper system comprises a single sheet deformed to define first and second tubes sharing a common single center wall. A channel rib is formed on each tubes and a crevice rib over the center leg forms a third rib. Edges of the sheet are deformed to a radius so that their surface consistently engages an associated radiused corner formed on ends of the center leg, which facilitates consistent abutting line engagement of material surfaces, and thus facilitates consistent welding. In a preferred beam, front wall sections of each tube are coplanar and form a face of the beam, with each channel rib and crevice rib providing added stiffness to the beam, and yet nothing extends forward of the coplanar front wall sections. Related apparatus and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Inventors: Thomas Johnson, Doug Witte, Daniel Gatti, Brian Oxley, Brian Malkowski, Kannan Ramamoorthy, Ed Pendergrass