Patents by Inventor Harold O. Aurness

Harold O. Aurness 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: 5117456
    Abstract: A telephone cord reel according to the teachings of the present invention is shown as including a non-metallic housing base with end walls and divider walls separating a cord reel with a spring activated recoil action from a copper clad disk rotatable with the cord reel. Insulated positive and negative wires extend from the cord reel into a connecting tube where they separate at connecting wires which go to opposite sides of the disk. Copper brushes contacting the rotating disk on each side bring the current through a divider wall to a phone jack which allows connection to the phone housing. Alternate means are provided to secure the unit in or on a wall with alternate covers which have exit holes for the phone cord with means to brake the recoil action of the reel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1992
    Inventors: Harold O. Aurness, Daniel R. Saufferer
  • Patent number: 5088232
    Abstract: A water applicator unit according to the teachings of the present invention is shown as including a cylindrical mixing tank fixed to a parallel pair of support tubes which extend above the top as handles and below the tank as legs leading to a pair of wheels. A water pipe attachable to a garden hose at the top, extends under the mixing tank to a spreader tube between the wheels at the bottom. A spreader plate held on the support tube and the spreader tube bends a lower end in spaced relation down over the spreader tube to part the grass as the water drops through holes in the spreader tube directly to the roots of the grass. Carried on cleats on the top of the spreader plate is a short hose and sprayer used to water shrubs and leads from the water pipe through a shut-off valve. The mixing tank also connects to the water pipe from a T-joint through a control valve in the lower end and is used when a fertilizer application is needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1992
    Inventors: Harold O. Aurness, Daniel R. Saufferer
  • Patent number: 5082169
    Abstract: A mail box according to the teachings of the present invention is shown as including a rectangular box with a receiver's door side-hinged and locked by a combination lock, to and within the frame of a bottom-hinged delivery door. The bottom-hinged delivery door is locked at the top and side and opened only by a delivery person with a special release tool which is thrust into a side chamber of the unit and forces a latch gate sideways which draws a latch from the side of the door and simultaneously transmits the force of the entrance, through tangential movement of a release rod, to an L-shaped connector to a release cable which extends through rollers to the top latch of the delivery door. Spring action automatically closes both latches. Supplemental brace hinges are included to enable the delivery door to be held ridgidly horizontal when open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1992
    Inventors: Harold O. Aurness, Thomas G. Mahler
  • Patent number: 5067637
    Abstract: A rationing container to carry liquid while running or walking is shown as including a narrow bottle with an offset neck and a handle. The bottle is carried tethered in a holder on a person's belt. Drinks in two approximate amounts are dispensed from the bottle through a moveable spring-biased mounthpiece which has a rod extending to a stopper near the bottom of the bottle. The stopper covers an opening between the bottom of a tube extending through the bottle as an extension of the bottle neck and a separate liquid holding chamber which has a small opening to the larger interior of the bottle. The bottom of the mouthpiece includes a plug member which plugs an opening in a fixed gate at the top of the tube. The plug is pulled out of the opening by action of the mouthpiece and is rested on the top of the fixed gate for one rationed drink. For a longer drink the plug member is rested in a recess on the top of the fixed gate allowing liquid from the holding chamber into the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1991
    Inventors: Harold O. Aurness, Tony L. Jones
  • Patent number: 5048189
    Abstract: A wallboard cutter according to the teachings of the present invention is shown as including an open housing comprising an inverted channel with rollers extending partially into the channel at either end to facilitate the movement as the channel is drawn along the edge of the wallboard. A measure rod with digital marks is extended slideably up through the housing parallel with the channel walls with tightening means to the housing. A handle with a cutting blade is rotatably attached to the measure rod at the zero end to cut, or score, the wallboard as the unit is pulled over the wallboard by the unit handle which extends up from the housing in spaced relation to and parallel with the measure rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Inventors: Harold O. Aurness, Sidney K. Legg
  • Patent number: 5048190
    Abstract: A rectangular hole cutter according to the teachings of the present embodiment of present invention is wholly shown as including a two-member cam device within a housing with a base plate, for vibrating one of three sets of alternate cutting blades to saw a rectangular hole in wall material. The cam is powered by an electric hand drill into which a stem from the male cam member has been inserted. The male cam swivels in a notch part of the female cam, which is centered on a base plate below the housing base plate, causing a vertical vibration in the unit as it is hand held against the area to be cut. The three blade sets, which are used for different materials, are generally of several blade members linked together rotatably and attached rotatably to a base plate which is secured to the bottom of the female cam member base plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Inventors: Harold O. Aurness, Sidney K. Legg
  • Patent number: 4995661
    Abstract: A feces retriever is shown as including a set of several flexible stays arranged in a cone-shaped manner to trap a feces within a plastic bag held within the stays when pulled together by a ribbon connecting the stays at the bottom. The stays extend down from a collar slideably attached on a hollow shaft which is pulled up from a retracted position within the stays by pulling a handle on a second hollow shaft within the first shaft. The first shaft becomes locked in extended position by a holding mechanism on the top of the stay collar. The second shaft pulls the ribbon strands, which run up the inside of the shaft from a gathering ring attached to a spring lock at the bottom of the shaft, to a crossbar in the shaft and back down to fasten to the outside of the stay collar. The spring lock holds the second shaft in extended position above the first shaft which holds the bottom of the stays by means of the ribbon in a tight, closed position while the bag is tied before removal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 26, 1991
    Inventors: Harold O. Aurness, Thomas G. Mahler
  • Patent number: 4944422
    Abstract: An expandable delivery box, according to the teachings of the present invention is shown as a free-standing metal box with a full top cover, a fully enclosed expandable front box member and two fully enclosed, extendable side members. Two unique locks which can only be opened by delivery persons using special keys are supplemented by other hand latches and holds accessible after opening the unit to extend the expansion members, if necessary. After a delivery has been made the unit can then only be opened by the receiver of the delivery using one of two combination locks on the main frame of the unit or an expansion member. When the unit is closed it cannot then be opened by the combination locks again until another delivery has been made. The unit also includes means for marking receipts proving delivery was made and received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 31, 1990
    Inventors: Harold O. Aurness, Thomas G. Mahler
  • Patent number: 4872326
    Abstract: A three stage lock unit according to the teachings of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown as including a patented combination lock secured within an outer housing of the lock unit which is secured to a mail box door or any small door. Combined with the combination lock is a push button constrained by the combination lock until the correct lock combination is dialed releasing an arm of the push button placed to utilize a hole in the door previously used for another type of lock. The push button arm extends inward to an inner housing to contact the sliding spring mounted door latch within a slot of the latch and opens the unit door when pushed inwardly. A spring activated pin within the door latch extending into the slot to meet the push button arm helps to close the system smoothly by providing an auxiliary force through pressure on the push button arm to relatch with the combination lock latch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1989
    Inventors: Harold O. Aurness, Thomas G. Mahler
  • Patent number: 4650033
    Abstract: A descent vehicle for persons to lower themselves in a controlled manner by gravity from a high place or building on the outside. The unit rides on a rope secured to the building or high place and allows riders of different weights sitting on the seat of the vehicle holding on to handles to ride one at a time safely down from any height at about walking speed. Two main parts inside housing, pre-adjusted by the rider, bend and squeeze the rope to produce the desired safe descent speed. A hand brake on the unit is an additional safety feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1987
    Inventors: Harold O. Aurness, Blaine F. Rowe, Arno J. Tremann