Patents by Inventor Stephen L. Phelps

Stephen L. Phelps 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: 6409120
    Abstract: The invention comprises a method and apparatus for more efficiently and easily dispensing paper products, such as toilet tissue, from commercial wall mounted dispensers. The invention may comprise spring loaded projections on the interior of the housing that are adapted to receive and suspend within the housing rolls of paper tissue. Doors within the housing are configured to allow insertion of a new roll of paper into the dispenser when located in the open position; further, such doors suspend the tail of the paper roll for easy access to the tissue user when the doors are in the closed position. An accessory feature facilitates the dispensing of a stub roll or partially consumed roll, as well as a new roll, upon reloading of the dispenser. One or more windows are provided to enable maintenance personnel to determine when reloading the dispenser is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul F. Tramontina, Stephen L. Phelps
  • Publication number: 20020073819
    Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing and cutting measured amounts from a roll of web material includes a roll carrier disposed within a housing. A rotatable drum is disposed proximate to the roll carrier, with the roll carrier being biased towards the drum so that the web material carried by the roll carrier is frictionally engaged against the drum. The drum thus rotates upon a free end of the web material being pulled from the housing. The cutting mechanism is movably mounted within the housing external of the rotatable drum. The cutting mechanism is engaged by the drum along a portion of the rotational arc of the drum and is moved by the drum to a cutting position wherein a blade carried by the cutting mechanism moves across the conveying path of the web material and cuts the web material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Publication date: June 20, 2002
    Inventors: Stephen L. Phelps, Paul F. Tramontina, Richard P. Lewis
  • Publication number: 20020074450
    Abstract: An adapter assembly for mounting a paper roll product having a central hollow cylindrical core in a coreless roll dispenser includes side plates having a shape and size so as to frictionally engage with the hollow core of the paper roll product. The outer face of the side plates is substantially flush with the respective sides of the paper roll product. A female recess is defined in the outer face of the side plates at a location corresponding to the rotational axis of the plates and paper roll product. The female recess has a shape and size so as to be engaged by male protrusions of the coreless roll dispenser. At least one longitudinally extending connecting member may be disposed between the inner faces of the side plates within the hollow core of the paper roll product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Publication date: June 20, 2002
    Inventors: Paul F. Tramontina, Christopher O. Luettgen, Dena L. Friderich, Stephen L. Phelps, Richard P. Lewis
  • Publication number: 20020074340
    Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing stacked folded sheets includes a housing defining an internal storage space for a supply of folded sheets, for example folded paper towels or tissues. The housing includes a cover member that is movable between an open position and a closed position. An overfill prevention device is configured within the housing and is actuated by movement of the cover from its closed position to its open position. The overfill prevention device reduces the storage space within the housing upon movement of the cover to its open position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Publication date: June 20, 2002
    Inventor: Stephen L. Phelps
  • Patent number: 6267323
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for dispensing cored or coreless rolled paper is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a housing having a dispensing side from which rolled paper products may be dispensed. A doorway enclosed by one or more doors allows the insertion of a rolled paper product through the doorway to the interior of the housing in a simple and efficient manner. One or more roller guides may be mounted on a door to contact the outer circumferential surface of the rolled paper to support the rolled paper within the housing, and to assist in dispensing the rolled paper from the housing. Cored or coreless rolled paper may be dispensed from the dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen L. Phelps, Christopher O. Luettgen
  • Patent number: 6170698
    Abstract: An adapter is provided for dispensing stacked interfolded sheets from a rolled product dispenser. The adapter includes a body having a configuration so as to fit over an open front of a conventional rolled product dispenser. The body cooperates with the dispenser to define a receptacle space for stacked interfolded sheets, such as bathroom or facial sheets. A dispensing opening is defined through the front wall of the body. The opening may have a width dimension so that side edges of the stacked interfolded sheets are urged inwardly upon being pulled through the dispensing opening. A releasable attaching device is configured on the body whereby the body is removably attachable to the rolled product dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen L. Phelps, Diane Scheurell
  • Patent number: 6082664
    Abstract: Adapters for solid or coreless rolls of material dispensed in a roll dispenser, which may have slots defined on the side walls thereof. The adapters may have a base body with a first side disposable adjacent to the roll and a second side disposable adjacent to the side walls of the dispenser. A protrusion may extend substantially transverse from the first side and may have a shape and length so as to extend at least partially into a recess or divot formed in the vertical sides of the rolls. An engaging member may extend substantially transverse from the second side of the body member and may have a shape and a length so as to be insertable into and slidable along slots disposed in the dispenser. A pair of the adapters may engage and hold the roll therebetween within the dispenser and may allow for the roll to move along the slots defined in the dispenser to a dispensing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen L. Phelps, Richard P. Lewis, Ernest P. Sedlock
  • Patent number: 4791529
    Abstract: A protective system to prevent a dry metallized film capacitor from rupturing its case or catching fire in the event that an internal short or fault occurs within the capacitor section utilizes a fuse and a thermal protector connected in series with the capacitor section and within its case. The fuse serves to protect the unit from a fault-induced low resistance high current in-rush, while the thermal protector is triggered by a fault-induced high resistance low current. A heat reflective circumferential sheet and the positioning of thermal protector maximize its value in the protective system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1988
    Assignee: Advance Transformer Company
    Inventors: George I. Duncan, Stephen L. Phelps
  • Patent number: 4714979
    Abstract: A protective system to prevent a dry metallized film capacitor from exploding or catching fire in the event that an internal short or fault occurs within the capacitor section utilizes a fuse and a thermal protector connected in series with the capacitor section and within its case. The fuse serves to protect the unit from a fault-induced low resistance high current in-rush, while the thermal protector is triggered by a fault-induced high resistance low current. A heat reflective circumferential sheet and positioning of thermal protector maximize its value in the protective system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1987
    Assignee: Advance Transformer Company
    Inventors: George I. Duncan, Stephen L. Phelps
  • Patent number: D450501
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen L. Phelps, John A. Clement, David A. Nevins, D. Scott Rowley, Victoria L. Brackney, Gary E. Torkington, Gary S. Pasternak
  • Patent number: D450963
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen L. Phelps, John A. Clement, David A. Nevins, D. Scott Rowley, Victoria L. Brackney, Gary E. Torkington, Gary S. Pasternak
  • Patent number: D451323
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen L. Phelps, John A. Clement, David A. Nevins, D. Scott Rowley, Victoria L. Brackney, Gary E. Torkington, Gary S. Pasternak
  • Patent number: D451728
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen L. Phelps, John A. Clement, David A. Nevins, D. Scott Rowley, Victoria L. Brackney, Gary E. Torkington, Gary S. Pasternak
  • Patent number: D452095
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen L. Phelps, John A. Clement, David A. Nevins, D. Scott Rowley, Victoria L. Brackney, Gary E. Torkington, Gary S. Pasternak
  • Patent number: D452096
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen L. Phelps, John A. Clement, David A. Nevins, D. Scott Rowley, Victoria L. Brackney, Gary E. Torkington, Gary S. Pasternak
  • Patent number: D454741
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard P. Lewis, D. Scott Rowley, Stephen L. Phelps, Cleary E. Mahaffey, Pamela J. Mayberry, Mark A. Bennett, Randall M. Bachtel
  • Patent number: D461671
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard P. Lewis, Stephen L. Phelps, John A. Clement, D. Scott Rowley, Victoria L. Brackney, Gary E. Torkington, Gary S. Pasternak
  • Patent number: D350532
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1994
    Assignee: Landis & Gyr Powers, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen L. Phelps
  • Patent number: D372219
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1996
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin J. Schechtel, Stephen L. Phelps
  • Patent number: D395280
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen L. Phelps