Patents by Inventor Richard E. O'Brien

Richard E. O'Brien 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: 6073298
    Abstract: A grout cleaning brush comprising a long narrow brush assembly, an elongate handle and a structure for pivotally attaching a lower end of the elongate handle centrally to the long narrow brush assembly. The elongate handle can rotate on the brush assembly to keep the brush assembly level to a floor or wall, as the brush assembly slides back and forth in a grout groove between ceramic tiles during a cleaning operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Inventor: Richard E. O'Brien
  • Patent number: 5226526
    Abstract: An elongated drawbar tension element is provided for the conveyor chain of an en masse conveyor. The drawbar includes a hollow hub at one end for receiving an enlargement at the other end of an adjacent drawbar element coupled thereto to form a chain. The side faces of the hollow drawbar hub are formed with tapered dovetail shaped grooves for receiving complementary tapered dovetail shaped tongues formed on the inboard sides of transversely extending conveyor flights. The tapered tongue and groove connection is self-tightening in normal use and the complementary dovetail configuration thereof prevents lateral separation of the conveyor flights from the drawbar hub. An adhesive material may be applied to the self-tightening connection to prevent loosening thereof and separation of the flights from the drawbar elements when the conveyor chain is subjected to vibration, irregular loads or is moving in a downward direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1993
    Assignee: O'Brien Systems
    Inventor: Richard E. O'Brien