Patents by Inventor Thomas E. Hargreaves

Thomas E. Hargreaves 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: 6716020
    Abstract: A machine and method for forming a spring coil in a length of hollow, cylindrical thermoplastic tubing comprises clamping the ends of a predetermined length of cylindrical thermoplastic tubing between first and second opposing spaced clamping members. In the machine, these clamping members include aligned first and second sections of a mandrel. These first and second clamping members then are rotated relative to one another by a predetermined amount selected to be slightly in excess of 360°, while the mandrels are simultaneously moved toward one another, to shorten the distance between the ends of the length of tubing, while the coil is formed. At the end of this relative rotation, the mandrel sections engage one another. The clamped tube, with the coil now formed around the mandrels, is rotated and simultaneously heated to the thermosetting temperature of the tubing. After a sufficient time to establish thermosetting of the coil, the heat is removed. Rotation continues while the tube is cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: International Polymer Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas E. Hargreaves
  • Patent number: 6685696
    Abstract: A hollow lumen cable is formed by helically winding inner and outer coils with the helices of each coil being in an abutting relationship and the outer coil inner peripheral diameter being less than the outer peripheral diameter of the inner coil. Preferably, each coil is multifilar. After the coils are wound, an unwinding force is applied to the outer coil and the inner coil is inserted into the outer coil to have its winding inclined opposite to that of the outer coil; and thence, the outer coil is allowed to contract to form an interference fit with the inner coil. The cable may be incorporated as part of a medical apparatus. The cable is bendable about the tight radii and has a high torque transfer resolution while having a small cable outer diameter, a relatively long life, and has a hollow lumen in which there is no structure or through which fluid, wires or medial devices may pass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: Lake Region Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark G. Fleischhacker, Joseph F. Fleischhacker, Jr., Thomas E. Hargreaves, Donald W. Hanson
  • Publication number: 20030072838
    Abstract: A machine and method for forming a spring coil in a length of hollow, cylindrical thermoplastic tubing comprises clamping the ends of a predetermined length of cylindrical thermoplastic tubing between first and second opposing spaced clamping members. In the machine, these clamping members include aligned first and second sections of a mandrel. These first and second clamping members then are rotated relative to one another by a predetermined amount selected to be slightly in excess of 360°, while the mandrels are simultaneously moved toward one another, to shorten the distance between the ends of the length of tubing, while the coil is formed. At the end of this relative rotation, the mandrel sections engage one another. The clamped tube, with the coil now formed around the mandrels, is rotated and simultaneously heated to the thermosetting temperature of the tubing. After a sufficient time to establish thermosetting of the coil, the heat is removed. Rotation continues while the tube is cooled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Publication date: April 17, 2003
    Inventor: Thomas E. Hargreaves
  • Patent number: 6537476
    Abstract: A method for forming a spring coil in a length of hollow, cylindrical thermoplastic tubing comprises clamping the ends of a predetermined length of cylindrical thermoplastic tubing between first and second opposing spaced clamping members. The first and second clamping members then are rotated relative to one another by a predetermined amount selected to be slightly in excess of 360°, while the mandrels are simultaneously moved toward one another, to shorten the distance between the ends of the length of tubing, while the coil is formed. The clamped tube, with the coil now formed around the mandrels, is rotated and simultaneously heated to the thermosetting temperature of the tubing. After a sufficient time to establish thermosetting of the coil, the heat is removed; the tube is cooled and released from the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: International Polymer Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas E. Hargreaves
  • Publication number: 20010021831
    Abstract: A hollow lumen cable is formed by helically winding inner and outer coils with the helices of each coil being in an abutting relationship and the outer coil inner peripheral diameter being less than the outer peripheral diameter of the inner coil. Preferably, each coil is multifilar. After the coils are wound, an unwinding force is applied to the outer coil and the inner coil is inserted into the outer coil to have its winding inclined opposite to that of the outer coil; and thence, the outer coil is allowed to contract to form an interference fit with the inner coil. The cable may be incorporated as part of a medical apparatus. The cable is bendable about the tight radii and has a high torque transfer resolution while having a small cable outer diameter, a relatively long life, and has a hollow lumen in which there is no structure or through which fluid, wires or medial devices may pass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Publication date: September 13, 2001
    Applicant: Lake Region Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark G. Fleischhacker, Joseph F. Fleischhacker, Thomas E. Hargreaves, Donald W. Hanson
  • Patent number: 6210395
    Abstract: A hollow lumen cable is formed by helically winding inner and outer coils with the helices of each coil being in abutting relationship and the outer coil inner diameter being less than the outer coil inner diameter being less than the outer, peripheral, diameter of the inner coil. Preferably, each coil is multifilar. After the coils are wound, an unwinding force is applied to the outer coil and the inner coil is inserted into the outer coil to have its winding inclined opposite to that of the outer coil; and thence, the outer coil is allowed to contract to form an interference fit with the inner coil. The cable may be incorporated as part of various medical systems e.g., implantable pumps or other rotatable medical apparatuses. The cable is bendable about the tight radii, has a high torque transfer, a small outer diameter, and a hollow lumen through which fluid, wires or medial devices may pass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: Lake Region Mfg., Inc.
    Inventors: Mark G. Fleischhacker, Joseph F. Fleischhacker, Jr., Thomas E. Hargreaves, Donald W. Hanson
  • Patent number: 5678296
    Abstract: A hollow lumen cable is formed by helically winding inner and outer coils with the helices of each coil being in an abutting relationship and the outer coil inner diameter being less than the outer, peripheral, diameter of the inner coil. Preferably, each coil is multifilar. After the coils are wound, an unwinding force is applied to the outer coils and the inner coils is inserted into the outer coils to have its winding inclined opposite to that of the outer coil; and thence, the outer coils is allowed to contract to form an interference fit with the inner coil. The cable may be incorporated as part of various medical systems e.g., implantable pumps or other rotatable medical apparatus. The cable is bendable about the tight radii, has a high torque transfer, a small outer diameter, and a hollow lumen through which fluid, wires or medical devices may pass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Lake Region Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark G. Fleischhacker, Joseph F. Fleischhacker, Jr., Thomas E. Hargreaves, Donald W. Hanson
  • Patent number: 5373619
    Abstract: A hollow lumen cable is formed by helically winding inner and outer coils with the helices of each coil being in an abutting relationship and the outer coil inner diameter being less than the outer, peripheral, diameter of the inner coil. Preferably, each coil is multifilar. After the coils are wound, an unwinding force is applied to the outer coil and the inner coil is inserted into the outer coil to have its winding inclined opposite to that of the outer coil; and thence, the outer coil is allowed to contract to form an interference fit with the inner coil. The cable may be incorporated as part of various medical systems e.g., implantable pumps or other rotatable medical apparatuses. The cable is bendable about the tight radii, has a high torque transfer, a small outer diameter, and a hollow lumen through which fluid, wires or medical devices may pass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Assignee: Lake Region Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Mark G. Fleischhacker, Joseph F. Fleischhacker, Jr., Thomas E. Hargreaves, Donald W. Hanson
  • Patent number: 5154705
    Abstract: A hollow lumen cable is formed by helically winding inner and outer coils with the helices of each coil being in an abutting relationship and the outer coil inner peripheral diameter being less than the outer peripheral diameter of the inner coil. Preferably, each coil is multifilar. After the coils are wound, an unwinding force is applied to the outer coil and the inner coil is inserted into the outer coil to have its winding inclined opposite to that of the outer coil; and thence, the outer coil is allowed to contract to form an interference fit with the inner coil. The cable may be incorporated as part of a medical apparatus. The cable is bendable about the tight radii and has a high torque transfer resolution while having a small cable outer diameter, a relatively long life, and has a hollow lumen in which there is no structure or through which fluid, wires or medical devices may pass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1992
    Assignee: Lake Region Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Mark G. Fleischhacker, Joseph F. Fleischhacker, Jr., Thomas E. Hargreaves, Donald W. Hanson
  • Patent number: 4799496
    Abstract: A guide wire handle for selectively stiffening a guide wire and releasably locking the guide wire in a stiffened condition that includes a main body that can be held by one hand and has a rectangular opening in which there is mounted a slide member that is movable between a guide wire datum position and a guide wire stiffened position. The main body and slide member have elongated linear slits and bores with or without metal plate extended therein. A sleeve on the core wire proximal end abuts against the slide member plate and the proximal end of the coil spring abuts against the main body plate such that as the slide member a plate is moved away from the body plate, the coil spring is compressed and the core wire is placed in tension to stiffen the guide wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1989
    Assignee: Lake Region Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Hargreaves, Donald W. Hanson