Patents by Inventor Ronald M. O'Connor

Ronald M. O'Connor 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: 6675533
    Abstract: Water storage device for use with potted plants is disclosed. This water storage device is a liquid nutrient reservoir usable with a wick regulating element inserted into and extending from the bottom of the planting pot to the storage device for control of liquid nutrient delivery rate. The water storage device accommodates some sizing variance in potted plants and securely holds the potted plant as a coupled modular unit. The water storage device is provided with structure for hanging the coupling. Additional structure is provided for contiguous alignment of a plurality of the water storage devices with secured potted plants as well as structure for elevation of the coupling to prevent moisture damage to a setting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Inventors: Lynn W. Morlier, Christopher G. Greve, Ronald M. O'Connor
  • Patent number: 6536160
    Abstract: A houseplant maintenance device having a base, a water reservoir, one or more wick elements, and wick holder is disclosed. The wick element draws liquid nutrients from the reservoir and makes it available to the plant growing medium, the wick element is capable of being positioned, relative to the water level in the reservoir, to adjust the liquid nutrient delivery rate, both pre-planting and post-planting. Additionally, the wick element can be chemically bonded to provide means to deliver nutrient cations to a potted plant from solid nutrients that are otherwise not readily soluble in water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Lynn Morlier
    Inventors: Lynn W. Morlier, Christopher G. Greve, Ronald M. O'Connor
  • Publication number: 20030009940
    Abstract: A houseplant maintenance device and methods for receiving and maintaining a potted plant. The device having a base, a water reservoir, at least one wick element, a wick holder. The wick element draws moisture or nutrients from within the reservoir and delivers it to the soil in the pot. Adjusting the wick element in the wick holder regulates the rates of moisture conductance. The wick elements include a water-impervious covering around a middle portion thereof. The base of the device includes a gasket, a support ring, and a raised lip as well as features that facilitate methods for displaying the plant, such as hanging or aligning the device. Additionally, a device and method for addition of nutrient cations to a containerized houseplant from nutrient solids of relatively low aqueous solubility. The nutrient solids dissociate in the aqueous reservoir. A wick element communicates between the aqueous reservoir and the soil of the potted plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2002
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Inventors: Lynn W. Morlier, Christopher G. Greve, Ronald M. O'Connor
  • Patent number: 5774967
    Abstract: A hand held plastic rod gripping tool 25 is especially adapted for forcefully pushing thin cylindrical plastic rods into a resident pivot joint site between two modular links of a conveyor belt. Plastic pivot rods are difficult to insert manually because they are thin, and easily flexed, making them hard to grasp frictionally in the fingers at a stiff short section for forceful axial insertion. Also some conveyor modules require the rods or the modules to be distorted for snapping in over a barrier ridge thus requiring more force for initial entry. The tool 25 has a cylindrical knurled 26 hand grip body, of a diameter that permits a firm grasp, through which extends an axial passageway, typically a slot 27, for entry of the rod. A manually movable gripper assembly 45 is generally laterally movable to frictionally contact a rod 10 held within the tool body. Within an interior channel 49 at an acute converging angle 50 toward a rod 10 the gripper 45 is spring biassed 46 to move toward the rod surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: The Laitram Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher G. Greve, Paul L. Horton, Ronald M. O'Connor
  • Patent number: 5666742
    Abstract: A temperature modification assembly comprises a housing, a temperature modification element disposed in the housing, and a blower arranged to direct an air flow past the temperature modification element. The temperature modification assembly may further comprise at least one freely extending duct coupled to the housing, communicating with the blower and defining a pocket having a narrow profile; first and second freely extending ducts coupled to the housing and a blower arranged to direct a flow of air between the first and second ducts; and/or an open ended jacket cooperatively arranged with the housing and a blower arranged to circulate a flow of air between the temperature modification element and the interior of the jacket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: The Laitram Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher G. Greve, Ronald M. O'Connor
  • Patent number: 5181879
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing a fish body into a plurality of transverse fish body section includes a plurality of spaced apart vertically standing work stations, each including a structural frame that supports a continuous rail or runway. The runway includes inclined sections that extend between the work station thereby defining an inclined travel path between the work stations. A wheeled carriage is movably mounted upon the runway and includes a set of spring loaded jaws for holding a fish body section to be processed. The carriage is movably mounted upon the runway so that the carriage can travel from one work station to the next in a sequential fashion. Each work station has a section of rail connected to the inclined runway which is at a lower elevation than the previous work station by a dimension which is equal to the thickness of the fish body section to be processed. Each work station may include a cutting blade such as, for example, a rotary band saw. The saws are at a constant elevation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1993
    Assignees: The Laitram Corporation, Stolar, Inc.
    Inventors: James M. Lapeyre, deceased, Christopher Greve, Ronald M. O'Connor
  • Patent number: 5155917
    Abstract: A pocket sized telescopic level apparatus includes a plurality of at least three telescoping tubular sections including a largest section and sequentially smaller sections, each section having an exterior diameter and a longitudinal bore with an interior diameter, and wherein the sections are of sequentially larger external diameter so that one section fits into an adjacent section and all sections are contained upon the largest section in a collapsed position. A level bubble member is disposed at an end portion of the largest section and a plurality of shims form interfaces between the end portions of adjacent sections upon extension of the apparatus. The shims are tubularly shaped and positioned between the outer wall of an end portion of one section and the inner wall of an adjacent section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1992
    Assignee: Nursing Knowledge, Inc.
    Inventors: Jackson Townsend, Nancy G. Townsend, Ronald M. O'Connor
  • Patent number: 5072640
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for quickly and accurately cutting conveyor belt modules is disclosed. A guide track supports and provides a path past a cutting location for the modules that are to be cut. The modules are stopped after a selected amount of width of the module to be cut has passed the cutting location. A cutting blade which has a length extending orthogonal to the direction of travel of the modules is aligned by a die which provides a guide for the cutting blade and also accurately positions the modules prior to cutting. The blade is moved or activated by a means such as a hydraulic damped pneumatic cylinder at a controlled speed so as to cut through the modules. A cylindrical shaped anvil is located substantially across the length of the module being cut such that it provides support to the modules along a line directly opposite the length of the blade as the blade cuts through the modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1991
    Assignee: The Laitram Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher G. Greve, Ronald M. O'Connor