Patents by Inventor Gerald W. Spessard

Gerald W. Spessard 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).

  • Electronic home plate for baseball and softball games and method for automatic determination of presence, position and speed of a ball relative to the strike zone
    Patent number: 9352208
    Abstract: An electronic home plate providing assistance to an umpire in determination whether a pitch results in a “strike” or a “ball”. The electronic home plate is implemented with eye-safe LEDs producing light beams extending vertically. If a ball intersects the light beams, the light reflected from the ball is scattered and incident on photodetectors embedded in the home plate. A microcomputer embedded in the electronic home plate calculates the height of the ball crossing the light beams, and if the height falls between the top and bottom boundaries of a strike zone adjusted to the height of the batter, an indication system is activated to produce a “strike” signal. The microcomputer in the electronic home plate is further configured to calculate speed of the ball passing over the home plate, and the lateral position of the ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignees: University of Maryland, College Park, Spessard Manufacturing, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher C. Davis, John Rzasa, Gerald W. Spessard, Leroy B. Chamberlain, Jr., Jakob R. Scharmer
  • Sports safety mask
    Patent number: 5911308
    Abstract: A safety sports mask assembly includes an integral face mask comprising a brow bar disposed, over an upper face region of a wearer above the eyes; a nose guard disposed over a portion of the nose; and a bottom bar disposed over a portion of the chin area. Integral side walls join the brow bar, nose guard and bottom bar together in spaced relation so as define an eye opening and a mouth opening. A strengthening element extends around the eye opening and a further strengthening element extends around the mouth opening. The strengthening elements form a rearwardly facing channel in a region of the nose guard between the opening and mouth openings. The nose guard also includes a reinforcement element extending thereacross and projecting from the nose guard rearwardly into the channel such that the nose guard has an E-shaped cross section. Straps are affixed to the face mask for securing the mask to the head of a wearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1999
    Inventors: Steven R. Chafitz, Gerald W. Spessard
  • Baseball infielder's mask
    Patent number: 5335371
    Abstract: An infielder's mask is arranged to include use by players to include parallel bar structure directed across the mouth and nasal portions of an individual, with a bottom bar with a lowermost end of a U-shaped lower frame arranged to position about an individual's chin to position the mask in use in cooperation with strap structure,
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1994
    Inventor: Gerald W. Spessard