Patents by Inventor Walter H. Thorpe

Walter H. Thorpe 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: 4334568
    Abstract: There is disclosed in the specification an improved tire chain including at least one pair of tire gripper portions adapted at one of their ends to exert pressure on the tire at the tread of the tire, and at the other end on their respective sidewall near the rim of the tire. Such tire gripper portions are adapted to grip the tire independently, but by themselves do not have strength to resist the rotational forces of the tire.To add to the traction of the tire, and hold the individual tire gripper portions on the tire during rotation, a pair of connecting chains is employed between the two tire gripper portions. To resist disengagement from the tire during rotation by centrifugal force, a pin portion is provided on the inner end of each gripper portion which is adapted to press into the tire to a predetermined stop so that such pin portion is actually embedded in the sidewall of the tire. It is disclosed that such pin portion could also engage a preformed recess in the sidewall of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1982
    Inventor: Walter H. Thorpe
  • Patent number: 4176704
    Abstract: Provided is a novel emergency traction device adapted for use on all vehicles which use circular rubber tires or the like for movement. The traction device disclosed, by virtue of its design, takes advantage of inherent physical forces to maintain the device on the tire during forward motion and rotation of the tire, rather than depending on conventional securing devices. By doing so, the present device can be mounted entirely from one side of the tire in a snap-on motion without having to remove the tire from the vehicle, or elevating the vehicle, as was required by past traction devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1977
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1979
    Inventor: Walter H. Thorpe