Patents by Inventor Robert Clay Dunigan

Robert Clay Dunigan 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).

  • Coast control systems and methods
    Patent number: 9365228
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a coast control system, or dead-man brake inhibitor, is associated with a tiller arm that is used for steering a vehicle. A spring acts upon the tiller arm when an operator releases a control handle attached to the tiller arm to move the tiller arm to a braking position which causes an electronically or mechanically actuated brake to be applied. Before releasing the control handle, the operator may actuate the coast control system to inhibit movement of the tiller arm towards the braking position when the control handle is released. The operator may vertically reposition the tiller arm while the coast control system remains actuated by overcoming the inhibiting force applied by the coast control system when the tiller arm is moved toward the braking position and by overcoming the spring acting on the tiller arm when the tiller arm is moved away from the braking position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Hyster - Yale Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Clay Dunigan, Jeff Monico, Alex Evans, Allen Brock, Lisa French
  • COAST CONTROL SYSTEMS AND METHODS
    Publication number: 20140303867
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a coast control system, or dead-man brake inhibitor, is associated with a tiller arm that is used for steering a vehicle. A spring acts upon the tiller arm when an operator releases a control handle attached to the tiller arm to move the tiller arm to a braking position which causes an electronically or mechanically actuated brake to be applied. Before releasing the control handle, the operator may actuate the coast control system to inhibit movement of the tiller arm towards the braking position when the control handle is released. The operator may vertically reposition the tiller arm while the coast control system remains actuated by overcoming the inhibiting force applied by the coast control system when the tiller arm is moved toward the braking position and by overcoming the spring acting on the tiller arm when the tiller arm is moved away from the braking position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Inventors: Robert Clay Dunigan, Jeff Monico, Alex Evans, Allen Brock, Lisa French