Patents by Inventor John LaRocca

John LaRocca 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: 4919383
    Abstract: Rotating displays include rotation mechanisms which allow the displays to be easily rotated by consumers, yet automatically returned to one or more desired positions when released by the consumer. Holders for the display are affixed to turntables rotatably mounted upon a base wherein the turntables are attached to a biasing means capable of exerting a sufficient torque upon said turntable, relative to said base to cause an angular acceleration of said turntable toward a predetermined desired orientation. In preferred embodiments, the amplitude of the torque may be adjusted, depending upon the moment of inertia of the display, to cause a predetermined angular acceleration. The number and placement of equilibrium orientations may be selected based upon the desired geometric configuration of the display with which the rotation mechanism is to be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1990
    Assignee: Trans World Marketing Corp.
    Inventors: Olivier Benjamin, Robert P. Franklin, John Larocca
  • Patent number: 4813553
    Abstract: A plurality of factory constructed modules are user assembled to form a free standing display rack. Each module includes a pair of vertically aligned open front pans that are secured to an L-shaped frame constructed of rectangular tube elements. First and second modules are connected together to form a side-by-side array and a third module is connected to the array at right angles thereto. One end of the third module is adjacent the rear of the array and the open front of the third module is generally coplanar with a side of the array. A corner adapter interposed between the third module and the array includes a cover section that is generally coplanar with the front of the third module and bridges a narrow vertical gap between the front of the third module and array side adjacent thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1989
    Assignee: Trans-World Marketing Corporation
    Inventors: Robert P. Franklin, John LaRocca
  • Patent number: 4796763
    Abstract: A plurality of factory constructed modules are user assembled to form a free standing display rack. Each module includes a pair of vertically aligned open front pans that are secured to an L-shaped frame constructed of rectangular tube elements. First and second modules are connected together to form a side-by-side array and a third module is connected to the array at right angles thereto. One end of the third module is adjacent the rear of the array and the open front of the third module is generally coplanar with a side of the array. A corner adapter interposed between the third module and the array includes a cover section that is generally coplanar with the front of the third module and bridges a narrow vertical gap between the front of the third module and array side adjacent thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1989
    Assignee: Trans-World Marketing Corporation
    Inventors: Robert P. Franklin, John LaRocca
  • Patent number: 4660309
    Abstract: A plurality of flexible strips are included in a changeable character display device. Each strip has a series of display portions that are longitudinally arranged on a strip. A guide panel of the device includes respective pairs of apertures arranged laterally in a row. Each respective pair of apertures is associated with a respective one of the flexible strips. Each flexible strip is arranged to have a viewable display portion situated between the individual ones of the associated pair of apertures whereby the respective displayed portions of the plurality of strips form lateral rows. The non-displayed portions of the respective flexible strips extend rearwardly through the associated pair of apertures. A guide channel member includes a laterally-extending channel that receives the non-displayed portions of the flexible strips and clusters them together in a lateral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1987
    Assignee: Trans-World Manufacturing Corp.
    Inventor: John LaRocca