Patents by Inventor Paul Klinefelter

Paul Klinefelter 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: 6570109
    Abstract: A micro-switch is mounted within a housing and is electrically connectable to an irrigation controller. The switch has a spring biased actuating lever pivotable between ON and OFF positions. A single disc made of a hygroscopic material is mounted within the housing adjacent the inner end of the lever for absorbing rainfall and rapidly expanding a sufficient amount to move the actuating lever from its ON position to its OFF position to thereby cause the watering program of the irrigation controller to be interrupted. A stack of moisture absorptive discs made of the same hygroscopic material is mounted in the housing adjacent an outer end of the lever. When the stack of discs receives rainfall it slowly expands and maintains the actuating lever in its OFF position after the single hygroscopic disc has dried and contracted to ensure that watering is not re-initiated too soon after a storm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Hunter Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul A. Klinefelter, Barbara A. Coppola, Craig S. Gardner, Philip H. Warren, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20030079974
    Abstract: A micro-switch is mounted within a housing and is electrically connectable to an irrigation controller. The switch has a spring biased actuating lever pivotable between ON and OFF positions. A single disc made of a hygroscopic material is mounted within the housing adjacent the inner end of the lever for absorbing rainfall and rapidly expanding a sufficient amount to move the actuating lever from its ON position to its OFF position to thereby cause the watering program of the irrigation controller to be interrupted. A stack of moisture absorptive discs made of the same hygroscopic material is mounted in the housing adjacent an outer end of the lever. When the stack of discs receives rainfall it slowly expands and maintains the actuating lever in its OFF position after the single hygroscopic disc has dried and contracted to ensure that watering is not re-initiated too soon after a storm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Inventors: Paul A. Klinefelter, Barbara A. Coppola, Craig S. Gardner, Philip H. Warren
  • Patent number: 6158278
    Abstract: A device for switching an electrical signal as a function of wind speed that includes a wind vane, a shaft, an actuation unit, an electrical switch, and a reset unit. The shaft is attached to the wind vane such that the wind acting on the wind vane causes the shaft to rotate in a first rotational direction. The shaft has a first, a second, a third, and a fourth shaft position. The electrical switch has a first and a second switch position. The actuation unit, which has an actuation unit biasing element, is capable of engaging the shaft and the electrical switch. The actuation unit supplies a first actuation resistance to shaft rotation at the first shaft position and switches the electrical switch from a first to a second switch position at the second shaft position. The reset unit, which has a reset unit biasing element, is capable of engaging the shaft and supplies a first reset resistance to shaft rotation at the third shaft position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: Hunter Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Klinefelter