Patents by Inventor THOMAS SHIELDS

THOMAS SHIELDS 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: 4682925
    Abstract: A tack strip for securing upholstery fabric to a frame structure comprising a strip of flexible metal having a longitudinally extending fold line forming upper and lower angularly disposed flanges. The lower flange has a continuous edge and a plurality of equally spaced openings separated by a solid flange portion. The openings are spaced to receive a staple that is adapted to secure the solid portion and thus the lower flange to the frame structure. The upper flange has a plurality of equally spaced slots extending to the fold line in the area of the lower flange openings. The slots form a plurality of spaced tabs in the upper flange, each tab having outwardly and downwardly extending prongs facing the lower flange. The fabric is adapted to be placed over the tabs and pressed onto the prongs. The tabs are then bent over to sandwich the fabric between the flanges, with the prongs being bent back toward the tabs and coacting with the staple to securely retain the fabric to the frame structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1987
    Assignee: USM Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas A. Shields
  • Patent number: 4499353
    Abstract: A reusable container formed from a transparent material and having hinged top and bottom portions, the bottom portion have a flange formed with an circumferentially disposed inverted U-shaped shoulder merging into an enlarged article carrying section. The top portion having a flange with a recessed area of the same dimension as the inverted U-shaped shoulder and adapted to frictionally interlock onto the shoulder of the bottom portion. The shoulder is adapted to be received through the opening in a display panel so that the panel is sandwiched between the flanges of the top and bottom portions of the container. The flanges also having frictionally interlocking embossments at their upper ends opposite the hinge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1983
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1985
    Assignee: USM Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas A. Shields