Patents by Inventor Stephen Neal Hardy

Stephen Neal Hardy 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: 7635068
    Abstract: A self-facing merchandise pusher system for use in stores. Numerous products in a store are merchandised on shelves and a biased pusher is used to urge products toward the front edge of the shelf. The pusher includes ends that may be independently biased. The pusher system also includes removable dividers that separate product channels and also limit the amount of product that may be removed at a time from the shelf.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: RTC Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Neal Hardy
  • Patent number: 7152536
    Abstract: A product management display system for merchandising both wide and narrow product includes a unique pusher mechanism having an extendable pusher face. The pusher mechanism is mounted to a track on a base that is, in turn, mounted to a store shelf. The pusher face is transversely extendable relative the track and is extendable from a retracted position to one of several extended positions. The extended pusher face locates the product pushing surface behind the approximate center of the wider product, thereby greatly enhancing the pushing leverage on the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: RTC Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Neal Hardy
  • Patent number: 6932226
    Abstract: An attachment device for attachment to a shelf rail having a slot and an upper cavity. The attachment device includes an upper shelf rail insert for insertion into the slot, and a lower shelf rail insert for insertion into the slot beneath the upper shelf rail insert. The upper shelf rail insert has an upper lip for insertion into the upper cavity of the shelf rail. The present invention also provides a shelf display system having a shelf rail and a shelf rail clip. The shelf rail may have a female dovetail or semi-dovetail configuration. The shelf rail clip includes upper and lower shelf rail inserts that may have a male dovetail or semi-dovetail configuration for coupling the shelf rail clip to the shelf rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: RTC Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Neal Hardy
  • Patent number: 6824009
    Abstract: A self-facing merchandise pusher system for use in retail stores. Numerous products in a retail store are merchandised on shelves and a biased pusher is used to urge products toward the front edge of the shelf. The width of the pusher corresponds generally to the width of the narrowest product to be pushed. A removable divider extends vertically between each pusher. When pushing products that are multiples of the width of the narrowest product, dividers may be removed to create a larger pushing surface. Removing a divider locks two adjacent pushers together thereby causing the two pushers to push in unison and prevents product from slipping between the adjacent pushers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: RTC Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Neal Hardy
  • Publication number: 20040200793
    Abstract: An attachment device for attachment to a shelf rail having a slot and an upper cavity. The attachment device includes an upper shelf rail insert for insertion into the slot, and a lower shelf rail insert for insertion into the slot beneath the upper shelf rail insert. The upper shelf rail insert has an upper lip for insertion into the upper cavity of the shelf rail. The present invention also provides a shelf display system having a shelf rail and a shelf rail clip. The shelf rail may have a female dovetail or semi-dovetail configuration. The shelf rail clip includes upper and lower shelf rail inserts that may have a male dovetail or semi-dovetail configuration for coupling the shelf rail clip to the shelf rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Applicant: RTC Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Neal Hardy
  • Publication number: 20030094462
    Abstract: A self-facing merchandise pusher system for use in retail stores. Numerous products in a retail store are merchandised on shelves and a biased pusher is used to urge products toward the front edge of the shelf. The width of the pusher corresponds generally to the width of the narrowest product to be pushed. A removable divider extends vertically between each pusher. When pushing products that are multiples of the width of the narrowest product, dividers may be removed to create a larger pushing surface. Removing a divider locks two adjacent pushers together thereby causing the two pushers to push in unison and prevents product from slipping between the adjacent pushers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2003
    Publication date: May 22, 2003
    Applicant: RTC Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Neal Hardy
  • Publication number: 20020020707
    Abstract: A storage enclosure with cascading and nested lid segments and a base, each lid segment including closing ridges for holding the lid segments in a shingled manner, when the enclosure is closed, thereby making the enclosure resistant to environmental debris, precipitation, and unauthorized access to the enclosure's stored contents. The enclosure may be collapsed to the size of the base and the outer lid segment. The enclosure may be secured to prevent pilferage. A bottom lid segment may include a protruding lip extending over a portion of the base. The base mates with the protruding lip. Lifting the protruding lip lifts the lid segments. Alternatively, the lid segments could have opening ridges that cooperate to lift the lid segments as the enclosure is opened. Supports located on the inside of the enclosure are displaceable from a position generally entirely within the outer lid segment to a position within both the outer lid segment and the base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2001
    Publication date: February 21, 2002
    Inventor: Stephen Neal Hardy