Patents by Inventor Timothy S. Hicks

Timothy S. Hicks 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: 7171705
    Abstract: A bathtub railing assembly includes a bracket that is attached to a first wall and is positioned over and adjacent to a bathtub that is positioned between the first wall and a second wall. An elongated rod has a first end and a second end. The first end is pivotally coupled to the bracket so that the rod may be selectively positioned in a vertical position or a horizontal position. The second end of the rod is positioned adjacent to the second wall when the rod is in the horizontal position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Inventor: Timothy S. Hicks
  • Patent number: 5620365
    Abstract: A fish processing machine has a deheading station and a finishing station at which the throat tissue of the deheaded fish is removed. These stations are located on a reciprocating carriage in conjunction with a main body conveyor, a head positioning conveyor and a hold-down conveyor which are continuously advancing and positioning the fish being processed. The finishing station has a throat cutting device including a rotating cylindrical cutting unit with teeth at the head end and a shield for the teeth which retracts to expose the teeth when a nose on the shield engages a fish responsive to advancing the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1997
    Assignee: Flohr Metal Fabricators, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy S. Hicks
  • Patent number: 5618231
    Abstract: A fish processing machine has a deheading station and a finishing station at which the throat tissue of the deheaded fish is removed. These stations are located on a reciprocating carriage in conjunction with a main body conveyor, a head positioning conveyor and a hold-down conveyor which are continuously advancing and positioning the fish being processed. The head positioning conveyor has head and tail sprockets and has head positioning pins which are in engagement with the heads of conveyed fish behind the deheading station. These pins are swing-mounted so that they will remain in upright position as they are withdrawn from the fish heads while passing over the front quadrant of the head sprocket before the fish heads reach the deheading station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1997
    Assignee: Flohr Metal Fabricators, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy S. Hicks
  • Patent number: 5480347
    Abstract: A fish processing machine has a deheading station and a finishing station at which the throat tissue of the deheaded fish is removed. These stations are located on a reciprocating carriage in conjunction with a main body conveyor, a head positioning conveyor and a hold-down conveyor which are continuously advancing and positioning the fish being processed. The shuttle cycle of the carriage is controlled so that it is completed in the time period that a fish on the main conveyor advances the distance between conveyor flights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignee: Flohr Metal Fabricators, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy S. Hicks
  • Patent number: 5401207
    Abstract: A crab processing machine has conveyed crab-gripping carriers which move a crab through a loading station, a measuring station, a mandible/carapace/tail removal station, a body cavity cleaning station, a gilling station, a splitting station, and a discharge station. Data accumulated at the measuring station is used to automatically control operation of a star wheel at the mandible/carapace/tail removal station, and to automatically control the location of a rotary splitting knife at the splitting station so that the cleaned crab carcass will be evenly divided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: Flohr Metal Fabricators, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy S. Hicks, Luc M. Therien