Patents by Inventor Timothy C. Cotton

Timothy C. Cotton 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: 6726432
    Abstract: A vehicle restraint includes a restraining member that rises to an operative position and lowers to a stored position to respectively engage and release an ICC bar of a truck parked at a loading dock. In moving to the lowered stored position, the restraining member also rotates off to its side, so as not to obstruct snow removal equipment or incoming vehicles having an especially low ICC bar or low ground clearance. In some embodiments, rotation of the restraining member is achieved by various actuators that apply a generally uniform torque. A resilient member, moves the restraining member upward to engage the ICC bar, and allows for vertical movement of the truck as it is being loaded or unloaded. Opposing the upward urging of the resilient member, a drive unit forcibly moves the restraining member downward when the truck is ready to be released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Rite-Hite Holding Corporation
    Inventors: John Kish, Timothy C. Cotton, Ryan J. Kleckner, Kurt Lessard
  • Publication number: 20030049108
    Abstract: A vehicle restraint includes a restraining member that rises to an operative position and lowers to a stored position to respectively engage and release an ICC bar of a truck parked at a loading dock. In moving to the lowered stored position, the restraining member also rotates off to its side, so as not to obstruct snow removal equipment or incoming vehicles having an especially low ICC bar or low ground clearance. In some embodiments, rotation of the restraining member is achieved by various actuators that apply a generally uniform torque. A resilient member, moves the restraining member upward to engage the ICC bar, and allows for vertical movement of the truck as it is being loaded or unloaded. Opposing the upward urging of the resilient member, a drive unit forcibly moves the restraining member downward when the truck is ready to be released.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2001
    Publication date: March 13, 2003
    Inventors: John Kish, Timothy C. Cotton, Ryan J. Kleckner, Kurt Lessard