Patents by Inventor John A. Roderick

John A. Roderick 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: 20080246330
    Abstract: A skate wheel for an in-line skate includes a skate wheel hub having an inner hub, an outer rim, and, extending therebetween, a plurality of blade-form spokes. A skate tire is mounted upon an outer surface of the outer rim of the skate wheel hub. Opposed surfaces of adjacent blade-form spokes, in cooperation with opposed surfaces of the inner hub and the outer rim, define airflow passageways through the skate wheel. Each blade-form spoke includes a radially-aligned first spoke-edge surface exposed at a skate wheel face, a radially aligned opposite, second spoke-edge surface exposed in a region of a center plane defined by the skate wheel, and a body extending smoothly between the first and second spoke-edge surfaces. Also described are in-line skates with skate wheels of the disclosure, and skate wheel hubs for such skates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2007
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: MEARTHANE PRODUCTS CORPORATION
    Inventors: John A. Roderick, David R. Willis
  • Publication number: 20080191542
    Abstract: A skate wheel for an in-line skate has a skate wheel hub with an inner hub, an outer rim, and a plurality of blade-form spokes extending therebetween, and a skate tire mounted upon an outer surface of the skate wheel hub. Opposed surfaces of adjacent spokes, in cooperation with opposed surfaces of the inner hub and outer rim, define airflow passageways through the skate wheel. Each blade-form spoke has a radially-aligned first spoke-edge surface exposed at a first face of the skate wheel, a radially aligned opposite, second spoke-edge surface exposed at an opposite, second face of the skate wheel, and a blade-form body extending smoothly therebetween. The first and second spoke-edge surfaces are offset in a direction of travel of the skater by a predetermined arc of rotation of the skate wheel and hub. Also described are in-line skates with skate wheels of the disclosure, and skate wheel hubs for such skates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Applicant: MEARTHANE PRODUCTS CORPORATION
    Inventors: John A. Roderick, David R. Willis
  • Publication number: 20040212160
    Abstract: Shoes with various configurations of rollers secured to one region of their soles for rolling, while leaving another sole region exposed for walking. The rollers are mounted to rotate about an axle defining a primary axis of rotation extending at an angle of between about zero and 45 degrees to the walking direction, as viewed from above the shoe, for rolling sideways along a support surface. This provides a combined running-rolling method of locomotion, by running on the exposed sole surfaces, and then jumping into a “surfing” stance for rolling. In some cases, the rollers are mounted on steerable truck assemblies. One particularly small truck assembly includes wedge-shaped bushings for steering compliance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2004
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Applicant: Mearthane Products Corporation, a Rhode Island corporation
    Inventor: John A. Roderick
  • Patent number: 6780364
    Abstract: A conductive roller for use in a laser printer includes a solid, thermoset urethane comprising a metal salt and having a hardness of between 30 Shore A and 50 Shore A on cube and a volume resistivity of 1E6 ohm-cm and 9E8 ohm-cm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Mearthane Products Corporation
    Inventors: Albert C. Chiang, John A. Roderick
  • Patent number: 6764082
    Abstract: Shoes with various configurations of rollers secured to one region of their soles for rolling, while leaving another sole region exposed for walking. The rollers are mounted to rotate about an axle defining a primary axis of rotation extending at an angle of between about zero and 45 degrees to the walking direction, as viewed from above the shoe, for rolling sideways along a support surface. This provides a combined running-rolling method of locomotion, by running on the exposed sole surfaces, and then jumping into a “surfing” stance for rolling. In some cases, the rollers are mounted on steerable truck assemblies. One particularly small truck assembly includes wedge-shaped bushings for steering compliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Mearthane Products Corporation
    Inventor: John A. Roderick
  • Publication number: 20030155725
    Abstract: Shoes with various configurations of rollers secured to one region of their soles for rolling, while leaving another sole region exposed for walking. The rollers are mounted to rotate about an axle defining a primary axis of rotation extending at an angle of between about zero and 45 degrees to the walking direction, as viewed from above the shoe, for rolling sideways along a support surface. This provides a combined running-rolling method of locomotion, by running on the exposed sole surfaces, and then jumping into a “surfing” stance for rolling. In some cases, the rollers are mounted on steerable truck assemblies. One particularly small truck assembly includes wedge-shaped bushings for steering compliance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Inventor: John A. Roderick
  • Patent number: 6451438
    Abstract: The invention relates to a low tacky, conductive, soft urethane roller for use in a printer. The roller includes a metal salt evenly or homogeneously distributed in a copolymer formed of a diisocyanate, a reactive silicone containing an amine group; and a polyol or a polyamine. The roller can also have a volume resistivity of between about 1E5 ohm-cm and about 5E10 ohm-cm, and includes a metal salt solution in a copolymer formed of a diisocyanate, a reactive silicone containing a hydroxyl group and/or an amine group; and a polyol and/or a polyamine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Mearthane Products Corporation
    Inventors: Albert C. Chiang, John A. Roderick
  • Publication number: 20020111259
    Abstract: A conductive roller for use in a laser printer includes a solid, thermoset urethane comprising a metal salt and having a hardness of between 30 Shore A and 50 Shore A on cube and a volume resistivity of 1E6 ohm-cm and 9E8 ohm-cm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2002
    Publication date: August 15, 2002
    Applicant: Mearthane Products Corporation, Rhode Island corporation
    Inventors: Albert C. Chiang, John A. Roderick
  • Publication number: 20020111419
    Abstract: The invention relates to a low tacky, conductive, soft urethane roller for use in a printer. The roller includes a metal salt evenly or homogeneously distributed in a copolymer formed of a diisocyanate, a reactive silicone containing an amine group; and a polyol or a polyamine. The roller can also have a volume resistivity of between about 1E5 ohm-cm and about 5E10 ohm-cm, and includes a metal salt solution in a copolymer formed of a diisocyanate, a reactive silicone containing a hydroxyl group and/or an amine group; and a polyol and/or a polyamine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Publication date: August 15, 2002
    Inventors: Albert C. Chiang, John A. Roderick
  • Patent number: 6417315
    Abstract: A conductive quasi-solution useful for making a homogeneously conductive single-phase polyurethane, comprising a transition metal salt, a carrier solution, and a dispersing agent, wherein said conductive quasi-solution has a transition metal salt concentration between 10 and 30% by weight, and methods of making thermoset and thermoplastic polyurethane polymers therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Mearthane Products Corporation
    Inventors: Albert C. Chiang, John A. Roderick
  • Publication number: 20020077402
    Abstract: An electrically conductive or semi-conductive polymeric material including a metal salt dissolved in a polymer. The metal salt is complexed with the polymer, which is what provides the material with its conductive properties. The materials have a resistivity of between 105 and 1012 ohms-cm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2001
    Publication date: June 20, 2002
    Applicant: Mearthane Products Corporation, a Rhode Island corporation
    Inventors: Albert C. Chiang, John A. Roderick, Marcelino A. Martins, George B. Martins
  • Patent number: 6361484
    Abstract: A roller includes a metal core, a cylinder including polyurethane, and a conductive adhesive between the metal core and the cylinder. The polyurethane includes a solid solution of a transition metal halide salt and includes less than 5% of salt by weight. The transition metal halide salt provides the polyurethane with a uniform conductivity and a uniform resistivity of between 1012 ohm-cm and 105 ohms-cms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Mearthane Products Corporation
    Inventors: Wen-Pin Chen, Albert C. Chiang, John A. Roderick, Marcelino A. Martins, George B. Martins
  • Patent number: 6352771
    Abstract: A conductive roller for use in a laser printer includes a solid, thermoset urethane comprising a metal salt and having a hardness of between 30 Shore A and 50 Shore A on cube and a volume resistivity of 1E6 ohm-cm and 9E8 ohm-cm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: Mearthane Products Corporation
    Inventors: Albert C. Chiang, John A. Roderick
  • Publication number: 20010041783
    Abstract: A conductive quasi-solution useful for making a homogeneously conductive single-phase polyurethane, comprising a transition metal salt, a carrier solution, and a dispersing agent, wherein said conductive quasi-solution has a transition metal salt concentration between 10 and 30% by weight, and methods of making thermoset and thermoplastic polyurethane polymers therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2001
    Publication date: November 15, 2001
    Applicant: Mearthane Products Corp. Rhode Island corporation
    Inventors: Albert C. Chiang, John A. Roderick
  • Patent number: 6260861
    Abstract: Disclosed is an in-line skate wheel that includes: (a) a braking portion including a high friction surface material having a hardness from about 75 to about 95 Shore A, and a coefficient of friction from about 0.45 to about 1.5; and (b) a skating portion including a low friction surface material having a hardness from about 75 to about 95 Shore A, and a coefficient of friction from about 0.1 to about 0.45. The skating portion includes a higher proportion of low friction surface material than the braking portion. The wheel delivers variable traction in response to the angle of wheel contact with the ground, without sacrificing a smooth ride or wheel durability. Utilizing the variable traction of the wheel a skater can stop safely and reliably, using known ice-skating maneuvers, wherein the wheel is turned away from the skater's direction of travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Mearthane Products Corporation
    Inventors: Albert C. Chiang, John A. Roderick, David R. Willis, Charles Sipes
  • Patent number: 6227622
    Abstract: A skate wheel and method of making the same are provided. The skate wheel includes multiple materials of differing durometers disposed on an inner hub. First, a solid or microcellular urethane is seated on an outer rim of the hub in a ring configuration around the rim. A urethane tire material surrounds the ring. The outer tire material is constructed preferably of a urethane that is more durable and harder than the ring. The ring is made of a highly resilient urethane for high speed. A wheel also is provided with energy absorption to counter rough road surfaces with less loss of energy by the skater, while increasing the traction of the skate wheel on the surface. A method is also provided of making a wheel by pouring differing resins into a mold and either spinning or separating the resins while allowing their interfaces to cure together for bonding therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: K-2 Corporation
    Inventors: John A. Roderick, Albert C. Chiang, James A. Vandergrift
  • Patent number: 6184331
    Abstract: A conductive quasi-solution useful for making a homogeneously conductive single-phase polyurethane, comprising a transition metal salt, a carrier solution, and a dispersing agent, wherein said conductive quasi-solution has a transition metal salt concentration between 10 and 30% by weight, and methods of making thermoset and thermoplastic polyurethane polymers therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Mearthane Products Corporation
    Inventors: Albert C. Chiang, John A. Roderick
  • Patent number: 6111051
    Abstract: A conductive quasi-solution useful for making a homogeneously conductive single-phase polyurethane, comprising a transition metal salt, a carrier solution, and a dispersing agent, wherein said conductive quasi-solution has a transition metal salt concentration between 10 and 30% by weight, and methods of making thermoset and thermoplastic polyurethane polymers therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: Mearthane Products Corporation
    Inventors: Albert C. Chiang, John A. Roderick
  • Patent number: 6063499
    Abstract: An electrically conductive or semi-conductive polymeric material including a metal salt dissolved in a polymer. The metal salt is completed with the polymer, which is what provides the material with its conductive properties. The materials have a resistivity of between 10.sup.5 and 10.sup.12 ohms-cm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Mearthane Products Corp.
    Inventors: Albert C. Chiang, John A. Roderick, George B. Martins, Marcelino A. Martins, Wen-Pin Chen
  • Patent number: 5967552
    Abstract: An in-line wheeled skate which includes one or more rollers located between the wheels and above the ground plane, thereby enabling the skater to jump up on a rail (or other supporting surface) and roll down the rail sideways, as in `extreme skating` maneuvers, by placing the skate on the rail with the rollers bearing upon the rail surface. The rollers may be, for example, cylindrical or spherical, and are preferably located between left and right side planes of the skate wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Mearthane Products Corporation
    Inventors: John A. Roderick, David R. Willis