Patents by Inventor Tauno B. Kipela

Tauno B. Kipela 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: 4440708
    Abstract: An article having non-planar portions, such as a pallet having a substantially flat deck member and a plurality of hollow leg members projecting integrally from the deck member, is molded as a one-piece unit from a loosely-felted, layered mat formed from a mixture of a resinous particle board binder and flake-like wood particles. The wood flakes have an average length of about 11/4 to about 6 inches, preferably about 2 to about 3 inches, an average thickness of about 0.005 to about 0.075 inch, preferably about 0.015 to about 0.025 inch, and an average width of 3 inches or less and no greater than the average length. Each layer of wood flakes in the mat lie substantially flat on a plane generally parallel to the major plane thereof and are randomly oriented to each other. The mat is placed between the male and female dies of a mold or press and compressed therein to substantially the desired shape under temperature and pressure conditions sufficient to bond the flakes together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1984
    Assignee: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Bruce A. Haataja, Tauno B. Kipela, Anders E. Lund, James F. Hamilton