Patents by Inventor Kurt Hesse

Kurt Hesse 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: 20110042473
    Abstract: Track segment (10) for a toy motorway with two lanes (11) is arranged symmetric to the longitudinal centre axis, along which respective electric conductor paths (12) are arranged, and with devices for connecting the track segment (10) to other track segments (10) of the same type. For the connection of the conductor paths (12), respective hole-fillet pairs (121) are provided. For the connection of the track segments (10), at least one hole-pin pair (14) with a fork-like designed pin (141) and a hole (140) which corresponds with the pin (141) is provided. The pin (141) is designed springy. By means of the hole-pin-pair (14), a click-stop device is provided which connects the track segments (10) and which is detachable. Furthermore, for the stabilization and guidance of the connection, at least one hole-fillet pair (13) with a fillet (131) and a hole (130) that corresponds with the fillet (131) is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventor: Kurt Hesse
  • Patent number: 5751079
    Abstract: An alternator for use with a motor vehicle including a housing. A separator plate is positioned within said housing to define front and rear air control volumes. A plurality of fans draw air through the respective front and rear air control volumes to cool the alternator during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Bo Bagherpour, Ralph Kurt Hesse, Kenneth Ross Brooks
  • Patent number: 5628669
    Abstract: A toy figure has a body of a downwardly open body shell. Arms are attached to the body shell. A support member is inserted from below into and attached to the body shell. The support member carries legs. The legs are allowed to assume a spread-apart position by spreading the legs outwardly from a defined basic position. An inward biasing force is provided which restores the legs toward the defined basic position. The legs are thus automatically returned from the spread-apart position to the defined basic position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Inventor: Kurt Hesse
  • Patent number: 5160091
    Abstract: A toy vehicle track with toy vehicles having an electric drive motor disposed in the chassis thereof. The track is formed of segments which are connected by plugging together. The electric drive motor in the vehicles is supplied with electricity via collectors and conductors placed in the track for uninterrupted operation over a period of time. When electrical connection with a net fails or is terminated, the vehicles can be operated over a further preset length of time. The segments are removably or fixedly connected with conductors along the entire track. The vehicles have collectors in contact with the conductors and a chargeable power source serving as an electric buffer. The power source and the collectors are simultaneously in permanent connection with the drive motor. If the power supply is cut off from the electric net, the internal power source is automatically activated, and permits further operation until discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1992
    Inventor: Kurt Hesse
  • Patent number: 4940443
    Abstract: An automobile race track toy set is provided, having a roadway formed by straight and curved raceway segments, with two lanes having embedded current conductors therein. The raceway segments include inside and outside guiding edges, along which toy vehicles slide by means of a bridge which projects beyond the lateral surfaces of the toy vehicles, and the curved raceway segments include, parallel to and spaced from the inside guiding edge, an upright supporting wall which is lower than the inside guiding edge. The bridge of the toy vehicle includes a rod-shaped, downwardly directed support member which engages the groove-shaped space formed between the inside guiding edge and the supporting wall. A molded part is further provided, having a substantially L-shaped cross section, which mates with the curvature of the inside guiding edge and which is detachable from the curved raceway segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1990
    Inventor: Kurt Hesse
  • Patent number: 4919639
    Abstract: In a toy vehicle having a chassis travelling by means of wheels on a driving surface and a body which can be fastened thereon, the vehicle chassis has fixed on the side towards the body at a distance adjacent to each other a number of pegs and the vehicle body has fixed on the side towards the chassis at the same distance and in relation to the pegs a number of sleeves which can be pushed onto the pegs of the vehicle chassis so they are frictionally engaged for the purpose of interchangeable application of any desired body on the same vehicle chassis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1990
    Inventor: Kurt Hesse
  • Patent number: 4909770
    Abstract: In a toy vehicle with an electric drive motor and with wiper contacts disposed on the chassis thereof, which are in contact with the drive motor and with electrical conductors embedded in the toy vehicle track, a plurality of wire sections made of an electrically conducting and resiliently elastic material and kept together along part of their length by means of a sleeve are used to assure the maintenance of contact between the toy vehicle and the toy vehicle track and the operational connection of the wiper contacts with the conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1990
    Inventor: Kurt Hesse
  • Patent number: 4892502
    Abstract: In a toy vehicle with its own motor drive, in particular a toy vehicle for toy race track systems with a a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels arranged on an undercarriage and a vehicle superstructure connected with the undercarriage, provision is made for two axially arranged undercarriage parts (2, 5) with a common plane of separation between the front wheels (6) and the rear wheels (3) for enhancing and maintaining the contact with trackways, such undercarriage parts being undisplaceably, but freely rotatably connected with one another by a connecting element. Furthermore, one part (2) of the undercarriage solidly engages the superstructure (1) of the vehicle and the other part (5) of the undercarriage is separated from the superstructure (1) of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1990
    Inventor: Kurt Hesse
  • Patent number: 4846756
    Abstract: In a toy automobile for toy roadways with an electric driving motor supported by the chassis of the vehicle, the latter being supportable when in motion on lateral guiding elements of the toy roadways by turning of the front wheels, the chassis of the vehicle is divided crosswise for reducing the expenditure of components and for making the steering functions safe, forming a front chassis part and a rear chassis part, and the two parts of the chassis are rotatably and pivotably connected with one another by an articulated pin with little play, whereby the rear chassis part supports the driving motor and front chassis part supports a common axle for the front wheels, such axle swinging freely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1989
    Inventor: Kurt Hesse
  • Patent number: 4826076
    Abstract: A device for the support of driving tracks for toy vehicles, in particular driving tracks consisting of track segments which are plugged together and which have a center section laterally bounded by guiding elements. The center section of each track segment is designed to be a road surface forming driving lanes which are spaced above set-up surfaces. Provision is made for the support of track segments on any desired level by an arrangement comprising an upright column designed for connection with a base plate by use of a male and female plug system and consisting of upright column segments. Such segments are axially and detachably plugged into each other one on top of the other and have support arms. These arms are suspendable on such segments of the upright column in prepared holes or are symmetrically supportable on the free end of the upright column by means of a sleeve part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1989
    Inventor: Kurt Hesse
  • Patent number: 4525773
    Abstract: In a light fixture with a lamp fixture carrier, a tube surrounding at least one current lead, and a carrier part for the tube, the tube can be connected to the carrier part and the lamp fixture carrier. The tube and the receptacle areas for the tube ends have contact pins or contact sockets, respectively, which are connected to each other. These contact pins and contact sockets have contact surfaces that are arranged concentrically to each other and to the central axis of the tube, and the joined parts are pivotable on the tube and around the central axis of the corresponding tube end. Such a light fixture can be put together in various configurations without any wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1983
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1985
    Inventors: Kurt Hesse, Hartmut Engel
  • Patent number: 4228487
    Abstract: A composite lamp assembly, especially for outdoor use, including a plurality of lighting fixtures individually supported by composite arms extending at angles other than 90 degrees from a central mast, with a novel ring-shaped clamping assembly detachably joining adjacent connecting sections to form the arms, and the clamping assembly including aligning surfaces ensuring proper rotational positioning of adjacent connecting sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1980
    Assignee: Staff KG
    Inventors: Kurt Hesse, Hartmut S. Engel
  • Patent number: 4137424
    Abstract: A supporting rail for supporting electrical fixtures or the like. The device comprises an extruded plastic elongate member which is formed at least in part by spaced inner and outer walls that are joined at spaced locations about the cross-sectional periphery of the member. The spaced walls define therebetween longitudinally extending hollow channels for carrying wires or the like, and the inner wall encloses an elongate inner chamber which is open along its length. A structurally rigid rail is thus provided but without requiring the use of substantially solid construction in the extruded rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 30, 1979
    Assignee: Staff KG
    Inventors: Kurt Hesse, Karl Wehling, Alfred Staff
  • Patent number: 3951488
    Abstract: A plug receptacle for receiving an adaptor designed for insertion into an electrical contact rail comprises a metallic base plate having a pair of metallic arms affixed thereto and extending in spaced facing relation to one another outwardly of said plate. A central insulator member is attached to the base plate between the arms, extends from the base plate toward the spaced free ends of the arms, and cooperates with the portions of the arms outward of the free end of the insulator to define recesses which are complementary in shape and dimension to the opposed supporting clips of the adaptor. The insulator member includes a central opening in alignment with the space between the free ends of the arm, and supports a pair of electrical conductors which face said central opening and which are positioned for engagement by opposed electrical contacts of the adaptor when the adaptor is inserted between the free ends of the arms and rotated to turn the adaptor supporting clips into the recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1974
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1976
    Inventors: Kurt Hesse, Karl Wehling
  • Patent number: D337566
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1993
    Inventor: Kurt Hesse