Patents by Inventor Gary N. Benninger

Gary N. Benninger 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: 9702164
    Abstract: A tent constructed such that it incorporates a light-weight, single walled, low emissivity fabric or film canopy. In the case of the polymer film canopy, the canopy may be assembled from flat or molded film segments/sections. The light-weight canopy materials may incorporate a grid of reinforcing fibers, wherein the reinforcing fibers are laminated into/onto the film during manufacture of the film/fabric. The light-weight canopy materials, either with or without a grid of laminated reinforcing fibers, may also incorporate additional continuous reinforcing fibers added to the canopy materials during the tent manufacturing process by bonding along the lines of principal stress/load. The possibility of including the continuous fibers along the principal lines of stress/load during the laminating process is also addressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Inventor: Gary N. Benninger
  • Patent number: 9101233
    Abstract: A sleeping bag constructed such that its outer circumference is greater than its inner circumference includes additional integrated protuberances, or space fillers, that are added to the interior lining of the sleeping bag to fill-in around the sleeper's body. Making the circumference of the outside of the bag greater than the inside maintains the thickness of the insulation in selected areas. To maintain insulation thickness at other locations around the sleeper's body, the insulation-containing space fillers are incorporated into the interior of the bag and expand under the influence of the insulation to fill-in around the sleeper for reducing the internal volume of the bag. This construction can be carried the length of the sleeping bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Inventor: Gary N. Benninger
  • Patent number: 8955177
    Abstract: An insulated sleeping bag insert constructed such that when used with a sleeping bag provides additional insulation thickness above and to the sides of the user, thereby extending the lower limit of the usable temperature range of the sleeping bag. The insert is fitted with attachment mechanisms that allow it to be attached and retained in position within the interior of the sleeping bag. The insulated sleeping bag insert construction is unique in that, in addition to a layer of uniform insulation over the sleeper's body, additional insulation-containing space fillers are incorporated into the sides of the insert to fill-in around the sleeper for reducing the internal volume of the bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Inventor: Gary N. Benninger
  • Publication number: 20140345051
    Abstract: An insulated sleeping bag insert constructed such that when used with a sleeping bag provides additional insulation thickness above and to the sides of the user, thereby extending the lower limit of the usable temperature range of the sleeping bag. The insert is fitted with attachment mechanisms that allow it to be attached and retained in position within the interior of the sleeping bag. The insulated sleeping bag insert construction is unique in that, in addition to a layer of uniform insulation over the sleeper's body, additional insulation-containing space fillers are incorporated into the sides of the insert to fill-in around the sleeper for reducing the internal volume of the bag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventor: Gary N. Benninger
  • Publication number: 20140230148
    Abstract: A sleeping bag constructed such that its outer circumference is greater than its inner circumference includes additional integrated protuberances, or space fillers, that are added to the interior lining of the sleeping bag to fill-in around the sleeper's body. Making the circumference of the outside of the bag greater than the inside maintains the thickness of the insulation in selected areas. To maintain insulation thickness at other locations around the sleeper's body, the insulation-containing space fillers are incorporated into the interior of the bag and expand under the influence of the insulation to fill-in around the sleeper for reducing the internal volume of the bag. This construction can be carried the length of the sleeping bag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Inventor: Gary N. Benninger
  • Patent number: 8726432
    Abstract: A sleeping bag assembly having a sleeping bag and non-integral hood is constructed so as to allow the user to be able to sleep on either side, back or stomach without rotating the sleeping bag while all the time keeping a face opening of the hood in position relative to the user's face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Inventor: Gary N. Benninger
  • Patent number: 8707479
    Abstract: A sleeping bag constructed such that its outer circumference is greater than its inner circumference includes additional integrated protuberances, or space fillers, that are added to the interior lining of the sleeping bag to fill-in around the sleeper's body. Making the circumference of the outside of the bag greater than the inside maintains the thickness of the insulation in selected areas. To maintain insulation thickness at other locations around the sleeper's body, the insulation-containing space fillers are incorporated into the interior of the bag and expand under the influence of the insulation to fill-in around the sleeper for reducing the internal volume of the bag. This construction can be carried the length of the sleeping bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Inventor: Gary N. Benninger
  • Publication number: 20140102496
    Abstract: A tent constructed such that it incorporates a light-weight, single walled, low emissivity fabric or film canopy. In the case of the polymer film canopy, the canopy may be assembled from flat or molded film segments/sections. The light-weight canopy materials may incorporate a grid of reinforcing fibers, wherein the reinforcing fibers are laminated into/onto the film during manufacture of the film/fabric. The light-weight canopy materials, either with or without a grid of laminated reinforcing fibers, may also incorporate additional continuous reinforcing fibers added to the canopy materials during the tent manufacturing process by bonding along the lines of principal stress/load. The possibility of including the continuous fibers along the principal lines of stress/load during the laminating process is also addressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Inventor: Gary N. Benninger
  • Publication number: 20140013506
    Abstract: A sleeping bag constructed such that its outer circumference is greater than its inner circumference includes additional integrated protuberances, or space fillers, that are added to the interior lining of the sleeping bag to fill-in around the sleeper's body. Making the circumference of the outside of the bag greater than the inside maintains the thickness of the insulation in selected areas. To maintain insulation thickness at other locations around the sleeper's body, the insulation-containing space fillers are incorporated into the interior of the bag and expand under the influence of the insulation to fill-in around the sleeper for reducing the internal volume of the bag. This construction can be carried the length of the sleeping bag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Inventor: Gary N. Benninger
  • Patent number: 8603377
    Abstract: A process and method for retreading a heavy duty tire with a polyurethane tread where, after a tire carcass is inspected, cleaned and the worn tire tread is removed, the tire carcass receives a tube fitted therein and is installed in a mold cavity, between top and bottom mold rings. The mold rings each include spaced segments that inter-digitate and will form equal spaced tread voids in a finished recapped tire. The bottom mold ring inner edge top includes a continuous sealing lug, and the top ring is open to pass a flow of polyurethane materials, that is received off of a lower edge of a cone shaped spreader positioned onto the tire carcass top side wall and slides, as a sheet, into the mold, filling the mold cavity from bottom to top, forcing air from the mold ahead of the fill and forming the recapped tire tread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Amerityre
    Inventors: Richard A. Steinke, Gary N. Benninger, James G. Moore
  • Publication number: 20130112333
    Abstract: A process and method for retreading a heavy duty tire with a polyurethane tread where, after a tire carcass is inspected, cleaned and the worn tire tread is removed, the tire carcass receives a tube fitted therein and is installed in a mold cavity, between top and bottom mold rings. The mold rings each include spaced segments that inter-digitate and will form equal spaced tread voids in a finished recapped tire. The bottom mold ring inner edge top includes a continuous sealing lug, and the top ring is open to pass a flow of polyurethane materials, that is received off of a lower edge of a cone shaped spreader positioned onto the tire carcass top side wall and slides, as a sheet, into the mold, filling the mold cavity from bottom to top, forcing air from the mold ahead of the fill and forming the recapped tire tread.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Inventors: Richard A. Steinke, Gary N. Benninger, James G. Moore
  • Patent number: 8206141
    Abstract: An apparatus for retreading a heavy duty tire with a polyurethane tread where a tire carcass that is suitable for retreading receives a tube fitted therein and is installed on its side in a mold cavity, between top and bottom rings, that each include spaced segments extending from opposing top and bottom ring surface that inter-digitate to form the equal spaced tread voids in a finished recapped tire, with bottom ring inner edge including a continuous sealing lug, and the top ring is open to pass a flow of polyurethane materials from a lower edge of a cone shaped spreader that is positioned onto the tire carcass top side wall and directs a flow of polyurethane materials from the cone surface into the mold, filling the mold cavity from bottom to top to form a recapped tire tread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Amerityre
    Inventors: Richard A. Steinke, Gary N. Benninger, James G. Moore
  • Publication number: 20110041984
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for retreading a heavy duty tire with a polyurethane tread where, after a tire carcass is inspected for utility and is cleaned, the worn tire tread is removed and the carcass is reinspected to insure its suitability for retreading.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventors: Richard A. Steinke, Gary N. Benninger, James G. Moore
  • Patent number: 7614865
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for filling a tire and wheel assembly cavity, that can be a large tire and wheel, with a flexible closed cell polyurethane foam that is passed as a mixture of reacting constituents through a fill hose whose end is fitted between the tire bead and wheel rim, and after filling and removal of the fill hose end, providing for lifting and maintaining the tire bead in engagement with the wheel rim as the reacting materials complete their reaction, uniformly filling the tire and wheel cavity with the flexible closed cell polyurethane foam that has expanded and urges the tire bead into sealing engagement with the wheel rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Amerityre Corporation
    Inventors: Richard A. Steinke, Gary N. Benninger, James G. Moore
  • Publication number: 20090071606
    Abstract: A combination of a plurality of equal spaced permanent magnets that are each fitted into a magnet cup formed into a cavity mold side outer surface that is immediately opposite to a slot formed around an outer edge of the inner surface of the cavity mold side, leaving a thin section of the cavity mold side material that separates the respective bottoms of the magnet cups from the bottom of the slot. The slot receives a tire bead whereover a tire plies is folded and is held in that slot by the attractive force provided by the permanent magnets, and pins are fitted at spaced intervals into, to extend outwardly from, the slot bottom surface to engage and center the tire bead in the slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Inventors: Richard A. Steinke, Gary N. Benninger
  • Publication number: 20080245482
    Abstract: A belt for incorporation into a core of plies and beads formed on a tire core build mandrel where the core is for encapsulating in an elastomeric material, preferably a polyurethane, in a tire formation process, and which belt is formed from like belt sections laid over one another where the one belt section is rotated approximately one hundred eighty degrees around its longitudinal axis with respect to the other, and the belt sections are individually mounted around a tire core build mandrel top whereover a plies has been fitted and with the pair of belt sections ends off-set from one another and are fitted together into a continuous belt. Each belt section is a weave of lateral and longitudinal cotton cords or filaments containing straight, spaced, parallel, taut, Rayon warp cords where the Rayon warp cords or filaments have a crossing angle of forty to sixth degrees respectively, with the stack of a two belt sections forming a tire belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2007
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Inventors: Richard A. Steinke, Gary N. Benninger
  • Publication number: 20080216962
    Abstract: The invention provides tire bead alignment clips for mounting onto each of a pair of tire beads have a U shape to fit over and clamp onto the tire bead that has received a plies sleeve end folded thereover and each tire clip is for magnetic attachment to each of a like number of spaced permanent magnets that are individually secured, at equal spaced locations, to points along radial arcs taken from a center of each of the sides of a cavity mold that are secured to opposite sides of a tire core build mandrel, and the permanent magnets are like horseshoe magnets having a pair of legs that each have north and south pole ends, and each bead clip side is magnetically attractive to couple to which permanent magnet ends, providing for attaching the plies sleeve ends and tire beads to optimum locations on opposite side of the cavity mold side inner surface and spaced apart from the tire core build mandrel that is for use in building a tire core to receive an elastomeric material directed therearound in a tire formati
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Inventors: Richard A. Steinke, Gary N. Benninger
  • Publication number: 20070287347
    Abstract: A belt for incorporation into a core of plies and beads formed on a tire core build mandrel where the core is for encapsulating in an elastomeric material, preferably a polyurethane, in a tire formation process, and which belt is formed from like belt sections laid over one another where the one belt section is rotated one hundred eighty degrees around its longitudinal axis with respect to the other, and the belt sections are individually fitted around a tire core crown and the pair of belt sections ends are off-set from one another and are fitted together into a continuous belt. The belt is a weave of Rayon warp and cotton fill cords or filaments with the Rayon warp cords or filaments having a crossing angle of forty-eight to fifty-two degrees and the Rayon warp and cotton cords or filaments, respectively, have selected diameters, to provide for a separation of the Rayon cords or filaments respectively, in a stack of belt sections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2006
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Inventors: Richard A. Steinke, Gary N. Benninger
  • Patent number: 4374553
    Abstract: A disc brake includes a torque member rigidly mounted to an axle of a vehicle wheel. The torque member has arms protruding radially outward beyond the edge of the rotor. A caliper is mounted to the outer periphery of the torque member arms by pins extending through apertures within the caliper and the arms. The pins have a radially enlarged portion which slideably mount an outboard brake shoe. An inboard brake shoe is fitted between the two torque member arms and abuts the side edges of the arms. The caliper houses a piston which when actuated moves the inboard brake shoe into engagement with the rotor such that the caliper reaction portion urges the outboard brake shoe to press against the outboard side of the rotor. Torque stress from the brake shoes is transferred to the torque arms bypassing the caliper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1983
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Raymond E. Peck, Randall P. Petresh, Gary N. Benninger