Patents by Inventor Marc A. Gessford

Marc A. Gessford 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: 9917399
    Abstract: An electrical connector including a main body, a base portion, and a tapered end. The electrical connector extends axially in a first direction and an opposite second direction. The main body is configured to connect to an electrical cable. The base portion abuts the main body at a first end of the base portion and has an outer shoulder at a second end of the base portion. The tapered end extends and tapers from the outer shoulder in the second direction. The tapered end includes a plurality of resilient fingers separated by slots. The fingers extend away from the base portion in the second direction to a distal end of the fingers. The slots extend radially through the tapered end. The slots further extend axially in the first direction from the distal end through the outer shoulder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Marc A. Gessford, Neil C. Clayton, Edward Larry Alexander, Jr., Domenic Anthony Lopresti, David Skoog
  • Publication number: 20170077645
    Abstract: An electrical connector including a main body, a base portion, and a tapered end. The electrical connector extends axially in a first direction and an opposite second direction. The main body is configured to connect to an electrical cable. The base portion abuts the main body at a first end of the base portion and has an outer shoulder at a second end of the base portion. The tapered end extends and tapers from the outer shoulder in the second direction. The tapered end includes a plurality of resilient fingers separated by slots. The fingers extend away from the base portion in the second direction to a distal end of the fingers. The slots extend radially through the tapered end. The slots further extend axially in the first direction from the distal end through the outer shoulder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Inventors: MARC A. GESSFORD, NEIL C. CLAYTON, EDWARD LARRY ALEXANDER, JR., DOMENIC ANTHONY LOPRESTI, DAVID SKOOG
  • Patent number: 8936485
    Abstract: A ground spring for receiving a ground end of a high-frequency test probe is described. The ground spring includes a generally annular base portion, and a number of elongated spring fingers extending from the base portion. The fingers extend generally radially inwardly from the base portion and have inner end faces that together define a substantially circular opening in a center portion of the ground spring. Each of the fingers have a tapered shape including a wider base portion end and a narrower inner end portion Each of the fingers has a longitudinal axis that is aslant relative to a reference line extending from the center of the ground spring to a center of the base portion of each finger. BMA connectors including the ground spring and test and measurement devices are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Marc A. Gessford, Lawrence M. LeMon, Jerry R. Shane
  • Publication number: 20130171868
    Abstract: A ground spring for receiving a ground end of a high-frequency test probe is described. The ground spring includes a generally annular base portion, and a number of elongated spring fingers extending from the base portion. The fingers extend generally radially inwardly from the base portion and have inner end faces that together define a substantially circular opening in a center portion of the ground spring. Each of the fingers have a tapered shape including a wider base portion end and a narrower inner end portion Each of the fingers has a longitudinal axis that is aslant relative to a reference line extending from the center of the ground spring to a center of the base portion of each finger. BMA connectors including the ground spring and test and measurement devices are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: TEKTRONIX, INC.
    Inventors: Marc A. GESSFORD, Lawrence M. LeMON, Jerry R. SHANE
  • Patent number: 7056134
    Abstract: A attachable/detachable probing tip system (10) has a housing (12) that includes a probing tip mounting member (14) and opposing substantially orthogonal attachment (16, 18) arms extending from the probing tip mounting member. The attachment arms define an inner surface of the probing tip mounting member in which is disposed at least a first a non-compressive set, resilient member (56). First and second probing tips (42, 44) are disposed over the non-compressive, resilient member (56) and secured to the housing by latching means (60, 66, 92, 96, 100, 130). The attachable/detachable probing tip system allows mounting of the probing tips (42, 44) to probing contacts on a device under test without a probe body or probing tip member (38) being attached. The attachment arms (16, 18) allows a probe body or probing tip member (38) to be attached and detached to the probing tip system (10). The probing tip member (38) includes contact pins that engage contact areas (82, 82, 92) of the probing tips (42, 44).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Jim L. Martin, Marc A. Gessford, William R. Pooley, William Q. Law, Ira G. Pollock, William A. Hagerup
  • Patent number: 7019602
    Abstract: A high isolation RF switch for launching a selected one of two RF signals into a slabline transmission line structure has a three switch configuration—a pair of input switches coupled to corresponding input ports and a transition switch coupled to an output port via a slabline transmission line. The input switches select one of the input ports for coupling to the transition switch, and the transition switch couples the selected input port from the input switches to the output port. A grounded conductor is situated between the input ports in a cavity of a housing within which the high isolation RF switch is located to provide isolation between the input ports. Additional isolation between the input ports is provided by coupling the non-selected RF signal to ground, either by grounding the non-selected input to the transition switch or the non-selected input port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. Engelhardt, Jr., Marc A. Gessford, Kelly F. Cushing, John M. Dunn
  • Publication number: 20060001510
    Abstract: A high isolation RF switch for launching a selected one of two RF signals into a slabline transmission line structure has a three switch configuration—a pair of input switches coupled to corresponding input ports and a transition switch coupled to an output port via a slabline transmission line. The input switches select one of the input ports for coupling to the transition switch, and the transition switch couples the selected input port from the input switches to the output port. A grounded conductor is situated between the input ports in a cavity of a housing within which the high isolation RF switch is located to provide isolation between the input ports. Additional isolation between the input ports is provided by coupling the non-selected RF signal to ground, either by grounding the non-selected input to the transition switch or the non-selected input port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Publication date: January 5, 2006
    Inventors: Robert Engelhardt, Marc Gessford, Kelly Cushing, John Dunn
  • Publication number: 20050266733
    Abstract: A attachable/detachable probing tip system has a housing that includes a probing tip mounting member and opposing substantially orthogonal attachment arms extending from the probing tip mounting member. The attachment arms define an inner surface of the probing tip mounting member in which is disposed at least a first a non-compressive set, resilient member. First and second probing tips are disposed over the non-compressive, resilient member and secured to the housing by latching means. The attachable/detachable probing tip system allows mounting of the probing tips to probing contacts on a device under test without a measurement probe being attached. The attachment arms allows a measurement probe to be attached and detached to the probing tip system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Publication date: December 1, 2005
    Inventors: Jim Martin, Marc Gessford, William Pooley, William Law, Ira Pollock, William Hagerup
  • Patent number: 6659812
    Abstract: A surface mount probe point socket has a housing with base and a socket extending from the base. The base has a length and width sufficient for attaching the housing to a circuit trace using an electrically conductive material while adding minimal inductance and capacitance to the circuit trace. The socket has a height and diameter for supporting a measurement probe in the housing while adding minimal inductance and capacitance to the measurement probe. A probe point contact is disposed in the bore of the socket for receiving a probe point disposed in the end of the measurement probe to secure the probe in the housing. Two surface mount probe point sockets may be joined together with an alignment gage and attached to adjacent circuit traces to produce a surface mount probe point socket system for differential measurement probes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Marc A. Gessford, William A. Hagerup, Mark W. Nightingale
  • Patent number: D659641
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert R. Kreitzer, Kevin C. Ayers, Marc A. Gessford, J. Steven Lyford, Jim L. Martin
  • Patent number: D663269
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert R. Kreitzer, Kevin C. Ayers, Marc A. Gessford, Jim L. Martin, J. Steven Lyford
  • Patent number: D672721
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert R. Kreitzer, Kevin C. Ayers, Marc A. Gessford, Jim L. Martin, J. Steven Lyford
  • Patent number: D672722
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Inventors: Robert R. Kreitzer, Kevin C. Ayers, Marc A. Gessford, Jim L. Martin, J. Steven Lyford
  • Patent number: D672723
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert R. Kreitzer, Kevin C. Ayers, Marc A. Gessford, Jim L. Martin, J. Steven Lyford
  • Patent number: D684928
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert R. Kreitzer, Kevin C. Ayers, Marc A. Gessford, J. Steven Lyford, Jim L. Martin
  • Patent number: D776106
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: TEKTRONIX, INC.
    Inventors: Marc A. Gessford, Samuel A. Cassel, Lawrence M. Le Mon, Neil Clayton, Stanley G. Miller, Jessica Anna Dunn, Karl A. Rinder, Michael J. Wadzita, Thuy T. Nguyen, Michael C. Moore
  • Patent number: D808969
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Marc A. Gessford, Samuel A. Cassel, Lawrence M. Le Mon, Neil Clayton, Stanley G. Miller, Jessica Anna Dunn, Karl A. Rinder, Michael J. Wadzita, Thuy T. Nguyen, Michael C. Moore
  • Patent number: D808970
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Marc A. Gessford, Samuel A. Cassel, Lawrence M. Le Mon, Neil Clayton, Stanley G. Miller, Jessica Anna Dunn, Karl A. Rinder, Michael J. Wadzita, Thuy T. Nguyen, Michael C. Moore
  • Patent number: D894024
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian A. Hollenberg, Jessica Anna Dunn, Stephen LaFrance, Taylor S. K. Heen, Jonathan D. Clem, Joshua J. O'Brien, Preston S. Gabel, Marc A. Gessford
  • Patent number: D1003181
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris A. Valentine, Neil Clayton, David M. Ediger, Marc A. Gessford, Taylor S. K. Heen, Brian A. Hollenberg, Steve U. Reinhold, Prashanth Thota, Satya N. Whitlock