Patents by Inventor Ronald Keith Miller

Ronald Keith Miller 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: 8448357
    Abstract: Couplers for attaching an accessory to an excavator arm of an excavator. Couplers having a first side for attaching the coupler to the excavator arm and a second side onto which the accessory will be coupled. The coupler includes a latch for selectively securing and releasing an attachment pin of the accessory in a jaw, groove, hook or slot in the second side of the coupler. The coupler is fully controllable from within the cab of the excavator and it allows improved security in the securement of the accessory to the coupler, i.e. preventing accidental decouplings, but while still allowing intentional decoupling operations to be carried out without undue burden.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Miller UK Limited
    Inventors: Gary Miller, Ronald Keith Miller, Gary Pendleton, Howard Reay, Paul Grant
  • Publication number: 20120291316
    Abstract: Couplers for attaching an accessory to an excavator arm of an excavator. Couplers having a first side for attaching the coupler to the excavator arm and a second side onto which the accessory will be coupled. The coupler includes a latch for selectively securing and releasing an attachment pin of the accessory in a jaw, groove, hook or slot in the second side of the coupler. The coupler is fully controllable from within the cab of the excavator and it allows improved security in the securement of the accessory to the coupler, i.e. preventing accidental decouplings, but while still allowing intentional decoupling operations to be carried out without undue burden.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: Miller UK Limited
    Inventors: Gary Miller, Ronald Keith Miller, Gary Pendleton, Howard Reay, Paul Grant
  • Publication number: 20120230760
    Abstract: A coupler includes first and second attachment pin jaws. A first latching mechanism is associated with the first jaw. The first latching mechanism has an arm connected to and extending away from a latching member. A second latching mechanism is associated with the jaw. The first and second latching mechanisms are adapted to latch the first and second attachment pins of an accessory in or on the first jaw and the second jaw, respectively. The second latching mechanism is powered for movement between a latching position and a non-latching position. The first latching mechanism is operatively connected to, or connectable with, the second latching mechanism to allow it to selectively operate the first latching mechanism between latching and non-latching positions by means of a groove or flange or finger on the second latching mechanism. A magnet is provided to ensure a correct disengagement of the first latch latching mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: MILLER INTERNATIONAL LTD.
    Inventors: Howard Reay, Gary Miller, Ronald Keith Miller
  • Patent number: 8256148
    Abstract: Couplers for attaching an accessory to an excavator arm of an excavator. Couplers having a first side for attaching the coupler to the excavator arm and a second side onto which the accessory will be coupled. The coupler includes a latch for selectively securing and releasing an attachment pin of the accessory in a jaw, groove, hook or slot in the second side of the coupler. The coupler is fully controllable from within the cab of the excavator and it allows improved security in the securement of the accessory to the coupler, i.e. preventing accidental decouplings, but while still allowing intentional decoupling operations to be carried out without undue burden.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Miller UK Limited
    Inventors: Gary Miller, Ronald Keith Miller, Gary Pendleton, Howard Reay, Paul Grant
  • Publication number: 20110313625
    Abstract: A coupler (24) for coupling an accessory (28) to an excavator arm (12) of an excavator (10), the coupler comprising a first jaw (30) that points in a generally longitudinal direction relative to the frame of the coupler (24), the jaw (30) being for receiving a first attachment pin of an accessory (28) and having a first sensor (40) for detecting the presence of an attachment pin therein, the coupler (24) further having a second jaw (32), or a latch (34), longitudinally spaced from the first jaw (30), and being for receiving a second attachment pin of the accessory (28), and having a second sensor (42) for detecting the presence of an attachment pin therein. The sensors (40, 42) transmit or send signals to a receiver (46, 48) for notifying the driver of the coupling status of the coupler (24) with respect to the accessory (28).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2009
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: Miller International Limited
    Inventors: Gary Miller, Ronald Keith Miller, Doreen Jacqueline Miller
  • Publication number: 20110232070
    Abstract: Couplers for attaching an accessory to an excavator arm of an excavator. Couplers having a first side for attaching the coupler to the excavator arm and a second side onto which the accessory will be coupled. The coupler includes a latch for selectively securing and releasing an attachment pin of the accessory in a jaw, groove, hook or slot in the second side of the coupler. The coupler is fully controllable from within the cab of the excavator and it allows improved security in the securement of the accessory to the coupler, i.e. preventing accidental decouplings, but while still allowing intentional decoupling operations to be carried out without undue burden.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: Miller UK Limited
    Inventors: Gary Miller, Ronald Keith Miller, Gary Pendleton, Howard Reay, Paul Grant
  • Patent number: 7984576
    Abstract: Couplers for attaching an accessory to an excavator arm of an excavator. Couplers having a first side for attaching the coupler to the excavator arm and a second side onto which the accessory will be coupled. The coupler includes a latch for selectively securing and releasing an attachment pin of the accessory in a jaw, groove, hook or slot in the second side of the coupler. The coupler is fully controllable from within the cab of the excavator and it allows improved security in the securement of the accessory to the coupler, i.e. preventing accidental decouplings, but while still allowing intentional decoupling operations to be carried out without undue burden.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Miller UK Limited
    Inventors: Gary Miller, Ronald Keith Miller, Gary Pendleton, Howard Reay, Paul Grant
  • Publication number: 20100107456
    Abstract: Couplers for attaching an accessory to an excavator arm of an excavator. Couplers having a first side for attaching the coupler to the excavator arm and a second side onto which the accessory will be coupled. The coupler includes a latch for selectively securing and releasing an attachment pin of the accessory in a jaw, groove, hook or slot in the second side of the coupler. The coupler is fully controllable from within the cab of the excavator and it allows improved security in the securement of the accessory to the coupler, i.e. preventing accidental decouplings, but while still allowing intentional decoupling operations to be carried out without undue burden.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Inventors: Gary Miller, Ronald Keith Miller, Gary Pendleton, Howard Reay, Paul Grant
  • Patent number: 6922926
    Abstract: The coupler has a pair of spaced side frames (25a) in each of which a first hook like aperture (13) is provided for engagement with a first pivot pin provided on an excavator bucket and wherein a locking pin (23) is moveable from and into a locking position in which it prevents the latching hook (17a) from disengage from a second pivot pin (9a), (9b) or (9c) on the bucket there being a plurality of locking positions for the pin to accommodate different buckets. Preferably, a plurality of spaced apertures (27), (29), (31) are formed on each of the side frames (25a), those in one frame being transversely aligned with those in the other frames, and preferably also a plurality of spaced apertures (33, 35) and/or latching surfaces are formed on the latching hook or on an extension thereof, through or against which the locking pin (23) can be passed or can bear to prevent relative movement between the hook (17a) and side frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Miller UK Limited
    Inventors: Gary Miller, Ronald Keith Miller, Paul Maguire
  • Publication number: 20030154636
    Abstract: The coupler has a pair of spaced side frames (25a) in each of which a first hook like aperture (13) is provided for engagement with a first pivot pin provided on an excavator bucket and wherein a locking pin (23) is moveable from and into a locking position in which it prevents the latching hook (17a) from disengage from a second pivot pin (9a), (9b) or (9c) on the bucket there being a plurality of locking positions for the pin to accommodate different buckets. Preferably, a plurality of spaced apertures (27), (29), (31) are formed on each of the side frames (25a), those in one frame being transversely aligned with those in the other frames, and preferably also a plurality of spaced apertures (33, 35) and/or latching surfaces are formed on the latching hook or on an extension thereof, through or against which the locking pin (23) can be passed or can bear to prevent relative movement between the hook (17a) and side frames.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2003
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Inventors: Gary Miller, Ronald Keith Miller, Paul Maguire
  • Patent number: 6481124
    Abstract: A coupler (11) for connecting a dipper arm (3) of an excavator to a bucket (1) without the need for the operator of the excavator to leave the cab of the excavator, the coupler (11) having means for connecting it to the end of the dipper arm, and means, including a latching hook (17) for connecting it to one of a plurality of different buckets (1) and wherein locking means (25) is provided to prevent inadvertent unlatching of the latching hook (17), said locking means (25) being operable from the cab. The locking means may be gravity operated and include resiliently deformable means (27), thereon to prevent unlatching when the coupler (11) is inverted. Alternatively, it may be spring (71) operated in which case, further means (73, 75) is provided to move the locking means against the bias of the spring. Preferably, the hook (17) has a special internal profile (56, 57, 61) so that when it is supporting the weight of a bucket, it will tend to move to a latching position, not to an unlatching position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Inventors: Doreen Jacqueline Miller, Gary Miller, Ronald Keith Miller
  • Patent number: D440983
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Inventors: Ronald Keith Miller, Gary Miller, Doreen Jacqueline Miller
  • Patent number: D469786
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Inventors: Gary Miller, Ronald Keith Miller, Michael Fenwick