Patents by Inventor Thomas P. Miller

Thomas P. Miller 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: 4903872
    Abstract: A food receptacle attaches to either a left or right-hand door of an automobile and provides the occupants with convenient storage for food and change. A reversible drawer slides between two rails suspended below the body of the receptacle with the front of the drawer facing in either direction. To prevent the drawer from being pulled out of the rails, a projection is positioned to one side of the drawer and contacts one of two diametrically opposed protuberances on the receptacle body. When the drawer is reversed, the drawer projection contacts the other protuberance. A coin holder is attached to the front of the drawer and includes an aperture to receive coins. Any coins placed in the holder are trapped therein when the holder is positioned under the receptacle body. These coins will strike a projection on the body to prevent the drawer from being pushed out of the rails. Snap-off tabs are attached to the bottom of the receptacle and rest against the automobile door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1990
    Assignee: Douglas Alan Henricksen
    Inventors: Douglas A. Henricksen, Joseph R. Clemente, Thomas P. Miller
  • Patent number: 4813582
    Abstract: A food receptacle attaches to either a left or right-hand door of an automobile and provides the occupants with convenient storage for food and change. A reversible drawer slides between two rails suspended below the body of the receptacle with the front of the drawer facing in either direction. To prevent the drawer from being pulled out of the rails, a projection is positioned to one side of the drawer and contacts one of two diametrically opposed protuberances on the receptacle body. When the drawer is reversed, the drawer projection contacts the other protuberance. A coin holder is attached to the front of the drawer and includes an aperture to receive coins. Any coins placed in the holder are trapped therein when the holder is positioned under the receptacle body. These coins will strike a projection on the body to prevent the drawer from being pushed out of the rails. Snap-off tabs are attached to the bottom of the receptacle and rest against the automobile door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1989
    Assignee: QIC Plastics, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Henricksen, Joseph R. Clemente, Thomas P. Miller
  • Patent number: 4549844
    Abstract: A roller bed vehicle is provided which includes selectively elevatable rollers positioned in openings in a vehicle load carrying bed. A roller actuator mechanism array selectively raises and lowers the rollers so that a load may slide across the raised rollers to load and unload onto the bed and the rollers may be lowered below the bed top surface to facilitate the load resting on the bed when transported by the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1985
    Inventor: Thomas P. Miller
  • Patent number: 4538586
    Abstract: A capacitive discharge ignition system wherein the transformer secondary is responsive to changing magnetic flux such that supplemental voltage, of magnitude in excess of the spark sustaining voltage for a relatively long time period, is induced in the secondary coil in timed relation to high voltage damped oscillatory voltages induced by capacitive discharge. The magnetically induced voltage combines with the discharge induced voltage to provide at least one pulse in excess of the spark ionization potential to initiate a spark, and, in cooperation with the secondary coil inductance, thereafter sustains the spark for the duration of the time period despite the remainder of the discharge induced voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1983
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1985
    Assignee: Textron, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas P. Miller
  • Patent number: 4519122
    Abstract: A puller mechanism for moving the end of a pipe into a collar mounted on a second aligned pipe in order to assemble a pipeline. The mechanism is constructed to be used in conjunction with heavy pipes, such as, for example, Johns-Manville Transite asbestos/cement pressure pipes. The mechanism includes a first semi-circular yoke assembly which is clamped to the pipe, and a second yoke assembly whose legs straddle the collar. The second yoke assembly is pivotally coupled to the first yoke assembly by a pair of arms on opposite sides of the first pipe. An elongated operating handle extends outwardly from the bight section of the second yoke, and the handle is used to turn the second yoke about a fulcrum. Two L-shaped members supported at the ends of the leg sections of the second yoke engage the rim of the collar to constitute the required fulcrum, so that when the handle is turned the end of the first pipe is pulled into the collar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1985
    Inventor: Thomas P. Miller