Patents by Inventor Timothy C. Fuller

Timothy C. Fuller 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: 20090118908
    Abstract: A remote tire measurement system (82) periodically transmits interrogation pulses from controller (88) with transceiver (84) that are detected by telemeters (70). The telemeters will not respond unless the remote measurement system is within communication range of the telemeter, thereby forming a safety perimeter around a vehicle (102). The remote system receives the tire inflation gas parameter data and/or a coded data response and annunciates a safety zone warning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2004
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Applicant: FULLER BROS., INC.
    Inventors: Timothy C. Fuller, Paul A. Comfort, Melvin M. Priday
  • Patent number: 6911902
    Abstract: A tire inflation gas telemetry system (30) is installed inside a tire (174) mounted to a wheel (170) and is placed within a protective housing (100) having pneumatic cylinders (116, 126) with piston rods (128, 130) that are extended or retracted by tire inflation gas pressure changes. The housing is suspended by a cable (156) slung around the wheel. The cable is slack or taut depending on motion of a first piston rod, and the telemetry system is pivoted into alternate protected and operational orientations by motion of a second piston rod. When the tire is uninflated, the cable is slack, and the telemetry system is pivoted into the protected orientation. As the tire is inflated, the cable becomes taut causing the housing to be drawn tightly against the wheel, and the telemetry system is pivoted into the operational orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Fuller Bros Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy C. Fuller, Melvin M. Priday, Alan J. Walters
  • Patent number: 6486771
    Abstract: A tire pressure and temperature measurement system (100) includes an oxygen sensing subsystem (140) that detects the oxygen concentration in the tire and presents an alarm condition (152) indicative of a potentially hazardous inflation gas mixture. The. oxygen sensing subsystem is mounted on or within the tire and may be implemented standalone or as a part of the temperature and pressure system. A “go no-go” indication is telemetered to the truck operator or to a remote measurement system (80) for monitoring and initiation of corrective action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Fuller Brothers, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy C. Fuller, Melvin M. Priday, Max E. Butz
  • Publication number: 20020039066
    Abstract: A tire inflation gas telemetry system (30) is installed inside a tire (174) mounted to a wheel (170) and is placed within a protective housing (100) having pneumatic cylinders (116, 126) with piston rods (128, 130) that are extended or retracted by tire inflation gas pressure changes. The housing is suspended by a cable (156) slung around the wheel. The cable is slack or taut depending on motion of a first piston rod, and the telemetry system is pivoted into alternate protected and operational orientations by motion of a second piston rod. When the tire is uninflated, the cable is slack, and the telemetry system is pivoted into the protected orientation. As the tire is inflated, the cable becomes taut causing the housing to be drawn tightly against the wheel, and the telemetry system is pivoted into the operational orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2001
    Publication date: April 4, 2002
    Inventors: Timothy C. Fuller, Melvin M. Priday, Alan J. Walters
  • Patent number: 6292095
    Abstract: A tire pressure and temperature measurement system adapts a Y-block (30) to an existing valve stem (20). One branch (44) of the Y-block accepts a conventional valve core (42) and another branch (38) accepts a flexible tubular temperature sensor (36) that leads “down the throat” of the existing valve stem and into the interior of a tire (14, 18). A second embodiment is adapted for use on inside dual tires (18). Making a measurement entails attaching a pressure sensor (40) to the valve stem and attaching a hand-held processor (112) to the sensors. The hand-held processor reads the current tire pressure and temperature; executes a program (Eqs. 1-6) that accounts for measured and target temperatures, vapor pressures, and gas compressibility; aid indicates how much pressure to add or subtract to the tire to achieve an accurate final tire operating pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Fuller Brothers, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy C. Fuller, Melvin M. Priday, John C. Fuller, James C. Foster, Morris C. Jones, III, Robert Prow
  • Patent number: 6025777
    Abstract: A tire pressure and temperature measurement system adapts a Y-block (30) to an existing valve stem (20). One branch (44) of the Y-block accepts a conventional valve core (42) and another branch (38) accepts a flexible tubular temperature sensor (36) that leads "down the throat" of the existing valve stem and into the interior of a tire (14, 18). Another embodiment is adapted for use on inside dual tires (18). Making a measurement entails attaching a pressure sensor (40) to the valve stem and attaching a hand-held processor (112) to the sensors. The hand-held processor reads the current tire pressure and temperature; executes a program (Eqs. 1-6) that accounts for measured and target temperatures, vapor pressures, and gas compressibility; and indicates how much pressure to add or subtract to the tire to achieve an accurate final tire operating pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Fuller Brothers, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy C. Fuller, Melvin M. Priday, John C. Fuller, James C. Foster, Morris N. Jones, III, Robert Prow, Patrick H. Barrett, Alan J. Walters
  • Patent number: D337046
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1993
    Inventors: Kathyrn O. Fuller, Timothy C. Fuller
  • Patent number: D350478
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1994
    Inventors: Kathryn O. Fuller, Timothy C. Fuller