Patents by Inventor Thomas B. Burch

Thomas B. Burch 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: 11458377
    Abstract: A golf putting game includes at least one putting green defining a putting surface and a plurality of putting cups disposed within the putting surface at a different location on the putting green. Each putting cup has an exterior housing and an interior core disposed within and removably attached to the exterior housing. The interior core is removable from the exterior housing with the putting cup disposed within the putting surface of the putting green. Each putting cup is illuminated by a different predetermined color and assigned a different predetermined number of base points corresponding to the predetermined color. A player score is determined from a number of putting strokes made by a player to putt a putting ball into the putting cup and the predetermined number of base points assigned to the putting cup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Inventor: Thomas B. Burch
  • Publication number: 20210121755
    Abstract: A golf putting game includes at least one putting green defining a putting surface and a plurality of putting cups disposed within the putting surface at a different location on the putting green. Each putting cup has an exterior housing and an interior core disposed within and removably attached to the exterior housing. The interior core is removable from the exterior housing with the putting cup disposed within the putting surface of the putting green. Each putting cup is illuminated by a different predetermined color and assigned a different predetermined number of base points corresponding to the predetermined color. A player score is determined from a number of putting strokes made by a player to putt a putting ball into the putting cup and the predetermined number of base points assigned to the putting cup.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2020
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Inventor: Thomas B. Burch
  • Patent number: 10864421
    Abstract: A golf putting game includes at least one putting green defining a putting surface and a plurality of putting cups disposed within the putting surface at a different location on the putting green. Each putting cup has an exterior housing and an interior core disposed within and removably attached to the exterior housing. The interior core is removable from the exterior housing with the putting cup disposed within the putting surface of the putting green. The interior core of each putting cup may be illuminated by a visible light having a predetermined color and each putting cup may be assigned a predetermined number of base points corresponding to the predetermined color. A player score may be determined from a number of putting strokes made by a player to putt a putting ball into the putting cup and the predetermined number of base points assigned to the putting cup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Inventor: Thomas B. Burch
  • Patent number: 10737154
    Abstract: A putting cup includes an exterior housing configured to be disposed within a putting hole on a putting green and an interior core configured to be removably disposed within the exterior housing. The interior core defines an interior compartment for housing at least one electronic component and at least one battery for powering the electronic component. A first pair of charging contacts are provided on the interior core for being electrically connected to a second pair of charging contacts provided on a charger to charge the at least one battery with the interior core removed from the exterior housing. The at least one electronic component may include a printed circuit board (PCB) and at least one light-emitting diode (LED) of a predetermined color electrically coupled to the PCB. A dimmer circuit may be provided for periodically interrupting electrical power to the at least one LED to extend the battery life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Inventor: Thomas B. Burch
  • Publication number: 20200164256
    Abstract: A golf putting game includes at least one putting green defining a putting surface and a plurality of putting cups disposed within the putting surface at a different location on the putting green. Each putting cup has an exterior housing and an interior core disposed within and removably attached to the exterior housing. The interior core is removable from the exterior housing with the putting cup disposed within the putting surface of the putting green. The interior core of each putting cup may be illuminated by a visible light having a predetermined color and each putting cup may be assigned a predetermined number of base points corresponding to the predetermined color. A player score may be determined from a number of putting strokes made by a player to putt a putting ball into the putting cup and the predetermined number of base points assigned to the putting cup.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventor: Thomas B. Burch
  • Patent number: 10537774
    Abstract: A putting cup includes an exterior housing configured to be disposed within a putting hole on a putting green and an interior core configured to be inserted into and attached to the exterior housing while the exterior housing is disposed within the putting hole. At least a portion of the interior core is at least partially translucent and defines an interior compartment for housing electronic components for illuminating the interior core. The electronic components include at least one battery electrically coupled to a printed circuit board, at least one light-emitting diode electrically coupled to the PCB and a dimmer circuit for periodically interrupting electrical power to the at least one LED to extend the battery life. A custom tool attaches the interior core to the exterior housing and detaches the interior core from the exterior housing while the exterior housing is disposed within the putting hole on the putting green.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Inventor: Thomas B. Burch
  • Publication number: 20180071602
    Abstract: A golf putting game includes a putting club, a putting ball and at least one putting green defining a putting surface and having a plurality of putting cups positioned at different locations on the putting surface. Each of the putting cups is illuminated with a visible light having a different color. Each of the putting cups is assigned a predetermined number of base points. A method of playing a golf putting game includes selecting one of the putting cups assigned a predetermined number of base points and making a number of putting strokes to putt the putting ball into the putting cup. A method of scoring a golf putting game includes calculating a player score based on the predetermined number of base points assigned to a putting cup selected by the player and a number of putting strokes made by the player to putt the putting ball into the putting cup.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventor: Thomas B. Burch
  • Patent number: 9872443
    Abstract: A fluid delivery assembly is operably coupled with a reciprocating saw having a saw blade to deliver a treatment fluid to a cut portion of vegetation as the vegetation is cut. A syringe contains the treatment fluid and a fluid delivery tube has a reservoir end in fluid communication with the syringe and a delivery end adjacent the cut portion of the vegetation. A carrier is contains a portion of the fluid delivery assembly and a harness attached to the carrier has at least one strap for an operator to carry the carrier during operation of the reciprocating saw. A stepper motor is operably coupled to a PCB for storing operating parameters and for executing the operating parameters to induce advancing movement of a plunger relative to the syringe. The operating parameters are provided to the PCB by an external computing device and the PCB and stepper motor receive electrical power through an electrical power and logic cable from a power supply of the reciprocating saw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Inventor: Thomas B. Burch
  • Publication number: 20170086396
    Abstract: A fluid delivery assembly is operably coupled with a reciprocating saw having a saw blade to deliver a treatment fluid to a cut portion of vegetation as the vegetation is cut. A syringe contains the treatment fluid and a fluid delivery tube has a reservoir end in fluid communication with the syringe and a delivery end adjacent the cut portion of the vegetation. A carrier is contains a portion of the fluid delivery assembly and a harness attached to the carrier has at least one strap for an operator to carry the carrier during operation of the reciprocating saw. A stepper motor is operably coupled to a PCB for storing operating parameters and for executing the operating parameters to induce advancing movement of a plunger relative to the syringe. The operating parameters are provided to the PCB by an external computing device and the PCB and stepper motor receive electrical power through an electrical power and logic cable from a power supply of the reciprocating saw.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventor: Thomas B. Burch
  • Publication number: 20170050095
    Abstract: A golf putting game includes a putting club, a putting ball and at least one putting green defining a putting surface and having a plurality of putting cups positioned at different locations on the putting surface. Each of the putting cups is illuminated with a visible light having a different color. Each of the putting cups is assigned a predetermined number of base points. A method of playing a golf putting game includes selecting one of the putting cups assigned a predetermined number of base points and making a number of putting strokes to putt the putting ball into the putting cup. A method of scoring a golf putting game includes calculating a player score based on the predetermined number of base points assigned to a putting cup selected by the player and a number of putting strokes made by the player to putt the putting ball into the putting cup.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2016
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventor: Thomas B. Burch
  • Patent number: 6749410
    Abstract: A flexible apparatus for metering agricultural chemicals in a wet blade chemical distribution system consists of a modular peristaltic pump delivery apparatus (24) having an impeller (38) and a mounting bore (30) in a computer-controlled servomechanism that meters the correct amount of a wide variety of agricultural chemical regardless of equipment speed. It is especially well suited for easy field chemical change over and maintenance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Burch Company
    Inventor: Thomas B. Burch
  • Patent number: 6446420
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for simultaneously cutting and directing fluid into the stem of a tabacco plant, the apparatus including having a liquid delivery blade, a source of fluid communicating with to the underside of the blade, an associated power source for rotating the liquid delivery blade at a sufficiently high speed “top” tobacco plants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Burch Company
    Inventors: Arch Douglas Worsham, Thomas B. Burch
  • Patent number: 6374586
    Abstract: A method for cutting vegetation and simultaneously treating the remaining stems of the cut vegetation with a treatment fluid. In a mower having a cutting blade assembly rotatably mounted on a blade carrier, a treatment fluid in a removable fluid container cells is pumped to the cutting blade. The method includes the steps of cutting vegetation with at least one cutting blade, and delivering a treatment fluid to the underside of the at least one cutting blade in a continuous stream so that the treatment fluid is continuously available to the remaining stems of the cut vegetation. Metering the amount of treatment fluid that is pumped to the cutting blade assembly is precisely controlled at a very low, but effective, rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Inventor: Thomas B. Burch
  • Patent number: 6164049
    Abstract: A multiple blade brush-cutting mower apparatus is provided for cutting vegetation and brush, and for applying treatment liquids directly from the cutting blades onto the cut ends of vegetation at the moment of cutting. The mower is attachable to either the front or rear end of a standard tractor. The mower provides multiple pairs of blades staggered across the width of the mower, providing consistent blade edge exposure to cut vegetation over areas as wide as the width of the tractor. The mower incorporates a completely closed treatment fluid application system that directly applies treatment fluids (herbicides, fertilizers, sterilizing agents, and growth regulators) onto the lower surface of the cutting blades, for simultaneous application of treatment fluids to cut vegetation stems at the time of initial cutting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Inventor: Thomas B. Burch
  • Patent number: 6125621
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for cutting vegetation and simultaneously treating the remaining stems of the cut vegetation with a treatment fluid. The apparatus includes a mower, a cutting blade drive rotatably mounted on the mower, a blade carrier secured to the rotatable drive, and at least one cutting blade assembly rotatably mounted on the blade carrier. The apparatus further includes a fluid container for containing the treatment fluid in a plurality of interconnected, stackable and removable fluid container cells, a pumping device for pumping the treatment fluid to the at least one cutting blade assembly, a flow control device for metering the amount of treatment fluid that is pumped to the at least one cutting blade assembly, and a fluid conduit device for delivering the treatment fluid from the fluid container to the cutting and treating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Inventor: Thomas B. Burch
  • Patent number: D438545
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Inventor: Thomas B. Burch
  • Patent number: D440981
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Inventor: Thomas B. Burch
  • Patent number: D404950
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Assignee: Burch Company
    Inventor: Thomas B. Burch
  • Patent number: D407419
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Inventor: Thomas B. Burch
  • Patent number: D430171
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Inventor: Thomas B. Burch