Patents by Inventor Larry A. Estes

Larry A. Estes 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: 20060226267
    Abstract: A bone morselization apparatus and method according to which a cutter bit is mounted to a casing containing a motor; and the casing is manually grasped and positioned over a plurality of bone segments. When the motor is activated, the cutter bit reciprocates and the bone segments are impacted by the cutter bit to morselize the segments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2005
    Publication date: October 12, 2006
    Applicant: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Cameron McPherson, Larry Estes, Scott Singer
  • Publication number: 20060178672
    Abstract: In one embodiment, there is disclosed a surgical instrument for the dissection of bone or other tissue, the surgical instrument including a tool having a shaft with a dissection area disposed adjacent a distal end and a coupling area disposed adjacent a proximal end; a coupling assembly configured for coupling to a power output of a motor to said coupling area of said tool; and an angled attachment tube positionable along at least a portion of said shaft and substantially supporting a portion of said shaft disposed adjacent said dissection area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Publication date: August 10, 2006
    Applicant: Medtronic, Inc. d/b/a Medtronic Midas Rex
    Inventors: Rex Shores, Larry Estes, Paul Cihak, Allen Hilton, Donald Hilton
  • Publication number: 20060077642
    Abstract: A circuit board is mounted within a housing in a resilient manner to minimize the introduction of stresses warping the circuit board as the housing is warped or as a circuit board warped during its manufacture is mounted within the housing. The housing includes spaced apart mounting pads between which screw inserts extend as rigid columns through mounting holes within the circuit board. The surfaces of the mounting holes slide on the surfaces of the screw inserts, with the circuit board being resiliently held by resilient pads between its surfaces and the mounting pads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2004
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Larry Estes, Raymond Octaviano
  • Publication number: 20050096662
    Abstract: The present invention provides improved coupling arrangements for medical instruments. In one example, a coupling system for a medical dissection tool includes: an internal passage adapted for receiving a portion of a medical dissection tool; and at least one locking member movable through a first angled path into a locked position to prevent the medical dissection tool from moving along a longitudinal axis of the internal passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Publication date: May 5, 2005
    Applicant: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Rex Shores, Paul Cihak, Larry Estes
  • Patent number: 4102114
    Abstract: An implement for a tractor is provided with a height adjusting mechanism, including a control lever swingable in a horizontal plane about a fixed vertical axis and operably coupled with an articulate linkage for translating the horizontal swinging of the lever to vertical movement of the implement without creating a force moment thereacross. The articulate linkage spans a pivotal coupling between the main frame of the implement and a mounting bracket secured to the tractor such that the linkage operates to swing the bracket and frame toward and away from one another causing the pivotal coupling to move up and down. A belt drive on the implement is maintained in constant, substantially uniform tension by a shiftable idler pulley operably coupled with the control lever for automatic belt-tension adjustment in response to raising and lowering of the implement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1978
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Larry A. Estes, Gerald D. Williams