Patents by Inventor Michael Shaffer

Michael Shaffer 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: 12270226
    Abstract: A composite elevated storage tank for smaller capacities having an improved anchorage connecting the steel tank to the reinforced concrete pedestal. The anchorage includes tank anchor assemblies and an insulator at a top surface of the concrete pedestal, with anchors embedded in the concrete. The steel tank includes a skirt and base plates welded to a bottom cone section of the tank. The skirt, base plates, and tank anchor assemblies enable the steel tank and the reinforced concrete pedestal to be constructed on-site simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: Caldwell Tanks, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald A. Burke, Timothy Q. Ogle, Gregg Smith, Michael Shaffer, K.G. Aditya Atluri, William R. Farmer, Matthew L. Clark, Donald L. Stilger
  • Publication number: 20250027741
    Abstract: A crossbow may have a main beam, two bow limbs, a bow string and a trigger mechanism. First ends of the bow limbs may extend distally beyond the distal end of the main beam on respective sides of the main beam. The bow limb first ends may be separated from each other such that a minimum distance between them is at least as wide as a user's foot but not greater than about 5 inches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2024
    Publication date: January 23, 2025
    Inventors: Richard L. BEDNAR, Michael SHAFFER
  • Patent number: 12188741
    Abstract: A crossbow may include a main beam and a bow mechanism having a pair of outwardly extending bow limbs, a pair of bowstring wheels, a bowstring and at least one power cord that extends between the bow limbs. The crossbow may also include a traveling trigger mechanism and a drawing mechanism. The traveling trigger mechanism may hold the bowstring in the un-cocked condition. The drawing mechanism may then be operated to move the traveling trigger mechanism and thus the bow string from the un-cocked condition to a cocked condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Inventors: Phillip Bednar, Michael Shaffer
  • Patent number: 12111132
    Abstract: A crossbow may have a main beam, two bow limbs, a bow string and a trigger mechanism. First ends of the bow limbs may extend distally beyond the distal end of the main beam on respective sides of the main beam. The bow limb first ends may be separated from each other such that a minimum distance between them is at least as wide as a user's foot but not greater than about 5 inches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Inventors: Richard L. Bednar, Michael Shaffer
  • Publication number: 20240191965
    Abstract: A crossbow de-cocking method may include the step of providing a trigger mechanism, a trigger latch mechanism and a winch assembly. A first input to the winch assembly may move a trigger latch to disengage the trigger mechanism. A second input to the trigger latch may move a crossbow bowstring from a cocked position to an un-cocked position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2024
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Inventors: Richard BEDNAR, Michael SHAFFER, Gary SMITH, JR., Eric VANKEULEN
  • Publication number: 20240093962
    Abstract: A crossbow may have a main beam, two bow limbs, a bow string and a trigger mechanism. First ends of the bow limbs may extend distally beyond the distal end of the main beam on respective sides of the main beam. The bow limb first ends may be separated from each other such that a minimum distance between them is at least as wide as a user's foot but not greater than about 5 inches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Richard L. BEDNAR, Michael SHAFFER
  • Patent number: 11913752
    Abstract: A crossbow de-cocking mechanism may include a trigger mechanism, a trigger latch mechanism and a winch assembly. A first rotational input to the winch may move a trigger latch to disengage the trigger mechanism. A second rotational input to the trigger latch, opposite to the first, may move the trigger mechanism to move a crossbow bowstring from a cocked position to an un-cocked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Hunter's Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Bednar, Michael Shaffer, Gary Smith, Jr., Eric Vankeulen
  • Patent number: 11885587
    Abstract: A bow may have a string latch that holds a bowstring and that can be moved into three distinct positions. One activator may be used to prevent the string latch from being moved into its second position. A second activator may be used to prevent the string latch from being moved into its third position. A third activator may be used to move the first and second activators to prevent the string latch from being moved into its second or third positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Hunter's Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Shaffer, Richard Bednar, Steven Bednar, Phillip Bednar, Eric Vankeulen, Gary Smith, Jr., Robert Seymour, Keith Bartels
  • Patent number: 11781829
    Abstract: A crossbow may include a main beam, a riser with a U-shaped opening, a pair of bow limbs and a bowstring. The riser may have limb attachment surfaces that are separated such that a minimum distance between them is at least as wide as a user's foot but not greater than about 5 inches. The riser may have a U-shaped opening that is designed to receive a user's foot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Inventors: Richard L. Bednar, Michael Shaffer
  • Publication number: 20230288168
    Abstract: A crossbow may include a main beam and a bow mechanism having a pair of outwardly extending bow limbs, a pair of bowstring wheels, a bowstring and at least one power cord that extends between the bow limbs. The crossbow may also include a traveling trigger mechanism and a drawing mechanism. The traveling trigger mechanism may hold the bowstring in the un-cocked condition. The drawing mechanism may then be operated to move the traveling trigger mechanism and thus the bow string from the un-cocked condition to a cocked condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Phillip BEDNAR, Michael SHAFFER
  • Publication number: 20230204322
    Abstract: A bow may have a string latch that holds a bowstring and that can be moved into three distinct positions. One activator may be used to prevent the string latch from being moved into its second position. A second activator may be used to prevent the string latch from being moved into its third position. A third activator may be used to move the first and second activators to prevent the string latch from being moved into its second or third positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Michael SHAFFER, Richard BEDNAR, Steven BEDNAR, Phillip BEDNAR, Eric VANKEULEN, Gary SMITH, JR., Robert SEYMOUR, Keith BARTELS
  • Patent number: 11592258
    Abstract: A crossbow de-cock mechanism may include a de-cock activator that is selectively movable from a first de-cock activator position that prevents de-cocking of a crossbow into a second de-cock activator position that permits de-cocking of the crossbow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Hunter's Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Shaffer, Richard Bednar, Steven Bednar, Phillip Bednar, Eric Vankeulen, Gary Smith, Jr., Robert Seymour, Keith Bartels
  • Patent number: 11428499
    Abstract: A crossbow may include a bowstring and a string latch that can be moved into a first string latch position that holds the bowstring in a cocked position, a second string latch position that does not hold the bowstring in the cocked position and a third string latch position. To de-cock the crossbow, a de-cock activator may be selectively movable from a first de-cock activator position that prevents the string latch from being moved into the third string latch position into a second de-cock activator position that permits the string latch to be moved into the third string latch position. When the string latch is in the first string latch position and the de-cock activator is in the second de-cock activator position: the string latch may be selectively movable into the third string latch position and then the second string latch position permitting de-cocking of the crossbow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Hunter's Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Shaffer, Richard Bednar, Steven Bednar, Phillip Bednar, Eric VanKeulen, Gary Smith, Jr., Robert Seymour, Keith Bartels
  • Publication number: 20220228833
    Abstract: A crossbow may include a main beam, a riser with a U-shaped opening, a pair of bow limbs and a bowstring. The riser may have limb attachment surfaces that are separated such that a minimum distance between them is at least as wide as a user's foot but not greater than about 5 inches. The riser may have a U-shaped opening that is designed to receive a user's foot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: Richard L. BEDNAR, Michael SHAFFER
  • Publication number: 20220214133
    Abstract: A crossbow de-cock mechanism may include a de-cock activator that is selectively movable from a first de-cock activator position that prevents de-cocking of a crossbow into a second de-cock activator position that permits de-cocking of the crossbow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Inventors: Michael SHAFFER, Richard BEDNAR, Steven BEDNAR, Phillip BEDNAR, Eric VANKEULEN, Gary SMITH, JR., Robert SEYMOUR, Keith BARTELS
  • Publication number: 20220138018
    Abstract: A crossbow de-cocking mechanism may include a trigger mechanism, a trigger latch mechanism and a winch assembly. A first rotational input to the winch may move a trigger latch to disengage the trigger mechanism. A second rotational input to the trigger latch, opposite to the first, may move the trigger mechanism to move a crossbow bowstring from a cocked position to an un-cocked position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Richard BEDNAR, Michael SHAFFER, Gary SMITH, JR., Eric VANKEULEN
  • Publication number: 20220120531
    Abstract: A crossbow de-cock mechanism may include a de-cock activator that is selectively movable from a first de-cock activator position that prevents de-cocking of a crossbow into a second de-cock activator position that permits de-cocking of the crossbow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: Hunter's Manufacturing Company, Inc. d/b/a TenPoint Crossbow Technologies
    Inventors: Michael Shaffer, Richard Bednar, Steven Bednar, Phillip Bednar, Eric VanKeulen, Gary Smith, Jr., Robert Seymour, Keith Bartels
  • Patent number: 11306994
    Abstract: A crossbow reset mechanism may be used to reset a safety activator and a de-cock activator. The reset mechanism may reset the safety and de-cock activators simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Hunter's Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Shaffer, Richard Bednar, Steven Bednar, Phillip Bednar, Eric VanKeulen, Gary Smith, Jr., Robert Seymour, Keith Bartels
  • Patent number: 11300380
    Abstract: A method of constructing a crossbow may include the steps of: supporting the riser to the main beam; supporting a pair of bow limbs to the ends of the riser; separating the bow limbs such that a minimum distance between them is not greater than about 5 inches; supporting the bowstring to the bow limbs; and providing at least a portion of the opening in the riser to be as wide as a user's foot and to extend between the bow limb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Hunter's Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard L. Bednar, Michael Shaffer
  • Patent number: 11274898
    Abstract: A crossbow may include two bowstring guides engaged on first and second sides of the crossbow barrel. The bowstring guides may push the bowstring toward opposite sides of the barrel when the bowstring is moved from the fully uncocked position to the fully cocked position and when the bowstring is moved from the fully cocked position to the fully uncocked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Hunter's Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Shaffer, Steve Bednar, Richard Bednar, Phil Bednar, Jacob Hout, Gary Smith, Robert Seymour, Jr., Keith Bartels