Patents by Inventor Gary W. Ponte

Gary W. Ponte 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: 6450265
    Abstract: A large orifice ESFR sprinkler arrangement has a sprinkler body with a frame supporting a deflector in spaced relation to an orifice in the sprinkler body. The orifice is selected to provide a K factor of at least 16, preferably 19 to 25, and desirably 22. The deflector has a planar surface facing the sprinkler body and is formed with twelve equally spaced radially extending slots each of which has sides which diverge outwardly at an angle of about 7.5° with respect to the center line of the slot. A projecting member mounted on the deflector and facing the outlet orifice in the sprinkler body has a convexly curved outer surface extending from a tip disposed on the sprinkler axis downwardly and outwardly to a cylindrical portion having an outer diameter which is about 98% of the diameter of the base circle at the inner ends of the slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: The Reliable Automatic Sprinker Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Gary W. Ponte
  • Patent number: 6082463
    Abstract: A concealed extended coverage quick response sprinkler has a sprinkler body with an axial passage for water, a cap normally closing the axial passage, and a thermally responsive structure supported from a pair of frame arms retaining the cap in position. A deflector slidably supported from the sprinkler body includes a substantially planar imperforate plate with opposed peripheral edge portions disposed on opposite sides of a plane containing the frame arms which are bent away from the sprinkler body. The sprinkler has a K factor of about 11.4 and provides quick response for light hazards at spacings up to 18 feet and standard response for light hazards at spacings of 20 feet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: The Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co. Inc.
    Inventor: Gary W. Ponte
  • Patent number: 5915479
    Abstract: In the typical sprinkler arrangements described in the specification, effective protection for certain special occupancy hazards is achieved with a low pressure water supply using VELO sprinklers having a K factor of at least 14 arranged in arrays in which the sprinklers are spaced by ten feet in two orthogonal directions or by ten feet in one direction and by eight feet in an orthogonal direction. The commodities to be protected are stored in racks extending parallel to one of the orthogonal directions. For most hazards, a water pressure of 7 psi (0.5 bar) is effective with sprinklers having a K factor of 14. For plastic materials, a water pressure of 12 psi (0.8 bar) is effective for sprinklers having a K factor of 14 and, using sprinklers having a higher K factor, the pressure can be reduced to 7 psi (0.5 bar).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: The Reliable Automatic Sprinkler
    Inventor: Gary W. Ponte
  • Patent number: 5893418
    Abstract: In the particular embodiments described in the specification, a sprinkler guard is formed from eight U-shaped wire members arranged uniformly about a sprinkler axis and joined at one end to a ring and at the other end to two opposed base plates which each receive four of the U-shaped members, leaving an opening through which a conventional sprinkler head can be inserted into the guard. The base plates have downwardly projecting portions with opposed surfaces to engage flat outwardly facing surfaces on the conventional sprinkler head and also have outwardly facing surfaces for receiving a wrench to mount the sprinkler head after the guard has been assembled on it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1999
    Assignee: The Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Gary W. Ponte
  • Patent number: 5890657
    Abstract: In the representative embodiments described in the specification, a pendent sprinkler has a sprinkler body with an axial passage for fire extinguishing liquid and a pair of frame arms supporting a deflector at a location spaced from the end of the axial passage. In order to provide high density water with uniform distribution throughout an area to be protected, the deflector is formed with a circumferential array of slots, each of which is oriented at an angle with respect to a radius line extending through the inner end of the slot. Preferably the angle of orientation of each slot is about 35.degree..
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1999
    Assignee: The Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Gary W. Ponte
  • Patent number: 4880063
    Abstract: In the particular embodiment of an adjustable concealed sprinkler disclosed in the specification, a center strut sprinkler has a frame with an inlet opening at one end and a cap is normally retained in position over the inlet opening by a thermally responsive strut assembly extending between the cap and the other end of the frame. A deflector is supported by pins having tapered enlarged heads to be received in correspondingly tapered sockets formed in the frame. To retain the deflector in a retracted position and urge the strut assembly away from the cap-retaining position, a wire spring extends from an enlarged head of one of the deflector retaining pins around the strut assembly to engage a portion of the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1989
    Assignee: The Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Ernest Leininger, Leonard Blum, Gary W. Ponte
  • Patent number: 4480564
    Abstract: A work holding clamp for a four hole button sewing machine includes a button holding foot formed with a needle accommodating aperture having an hourglass shape with four recesses arranged at the corners of a square pattern graphically to indicate to an operator the proper hole orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Gary W. Ponte
  • Patent number: 4474123
    Abstract: A work clamp shifting mechanism for a four hole button sewing machine in which operator influenced cam shifts the work holding jaws between two detent retained positions and also releases the thread tension during each shift between detent positions to defer the work from being disoriented in the work holding jaws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 2, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Gary W. Ponte
  • Patent number: 4444137
    Abstract: A sewing machine needle clamp is disclosed which will accommodate a sewing machine needle with a flatted butt in only one predetermined orientation by virtue of overlapping recesses formed by mold inserts which define a composite needle accommodating channel with filleted corners permitting needle insertion in only one predetermined orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Gary W. Ponte