Patents by Inventor Thomas C. Bair

Thomas C. Bair 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).

  • Publication number: 20140227491
    Abstract: A resilient floor tile includes a base layer, a film layer, a decorative film layer, and a topcoat. The resilient floor tile has a shaped edge formed on an upper surface thereof that extends about at least a portion of a perimeter of the resilient floor tile. In order to make the resilient floor tile, a continuous sheet of a base layer is conveyed into a press die. The press die is actuated from an open position to a closed position. The continuous sheet is cut with a blade of a cutting tool of the press die to form side surfaces of the resilient floor the when the press die is in the closed position. A shaped edge is formed on at least a portion of a perimeter of an upper surface of the resilient floor tile with a forming tool of the press die when the press die is in the closed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: AWI LICENSING COMPANY
    Inventors: Kean M. Anspach, Thomas C. Bair, John R. Eshbach, JR.
  • Patent number: 8741085
    Abstract: A resilient floor tile includes a base layer, a film layer, a decorative film layer, and a topcoat. The resilient floor tile has a shaped edge formed on an upper surface thereof that extends about at least a portion of a perimeter of the resilient floor tile. In order to make the resilient floor tile, a continuous sheet of a base layer is conveyed into a press die. The press die is actuated from an open position to a closed position. The continuous sheet is cut with a blade of a cutting tool of the press die to form side surfaces of the resilient floor tile when the press die is in the closed position. A shaped edge is formed on at least a portion of a perimeter of an upper surface of the resilient floor tile with a forming tool of the press die when the press die is in the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: AWI Licensing Company
    Inventors: Kean M. Anspach, Thomas C. Bair, John R. Eshbach, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20110041989
    Abstract: A resilient floor tile includes a base layer, a film layer, a decorative film layer, and a topcoat. The resilient floor tile has a shaped edge formed on an upper surface thereof that extends about at least a portion of a perimeter of the resilient floor tile. In order to make the resilient floor tile, a continuous sheet of a base layer is conveyed into a press die. The press die is actuated from an open position to a closed position. The continuous sheet is cut with a blade of a cutting tool of the press die to form side surfaces of the resilient floor tile when the press die is in the closed position. A shaped edge is formed on at least a portion of a perimeter of an upper surface of the resilient floor tile with a forming tool of the press die when the press die is in the closed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventors: Kean M. Anspach, Thomas C. Bair, John R. Eshbach, JR.
  • Patent number: 6276421
    Abstract: An apparatus for applying sheets to substrates including a rotating blade roller with a blade on its surface; a vacuum roller rotating with the blade roller, oriented parallel to the blade roller, and with a surface adjacent to the blade roller surface; at least one slot in the vacuum roller surface into which the blade is inserted as the rollers rotate; and a feeder for feeding a continuous sheet between the rollers so that the sheet is cut into segments. The vacuum roller surface includes surface holes connected to a vacuum source during cutting and disconnected after cutting and manifold holes parallel to the roller axis and located in a circle below the surface. The manifold holes have open ends located at one end of the vacuum roller and are connected to the surface holes. There is at least one plate adjacent the end of the vacuum roller with the open ends. The plate includes at least two curved grooves on the surface matching the shape of the path traveled by the open ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: James P. Valenti, Thomas C. Bair
  • Patent number: 5078651
    Abstract: A coupling is in two parts. One part is connected to the element to be driven and that part is a flat-face, circular member with three spaced grooves on its face and three spaced grooves on its circular edge. The second part is connected to the drive element and is a three jaw chuck with wedges on the jaws to engage the grooves on the circular edge of the first part. The three jaws have spring-biased projections that engage the grooves on the face of the first part to initially have the second part drive the first part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Assignee: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas C. Bair