Patents by Inventor William B. Burke

William B. Burke 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: 4640512
    Abstract: An interactive book-puzzle instructional entertainment system envisions a story book of consecutively-arranged pages with different indicia and a portion of a complemental supporting story imprinted on each of the consecutive pages, and a jigsaw puzzle including a plurality of separable playing pieces. Each piece bears on one side a duplicate representation of an indicia appearing on one of the pages of the book and bears on the opposite side a portion of a complete picture. The participant matches the indicia of each page of the book with the indicia on each playing piece with each successive piece being playable according to the consecutive order of their appearance in the book. That is, the pieces are playable consecutively, each piece is interlocked so that the second piece is interjoined with the first piece and the third piece is interjoined somewhere along the continuous edge provided by the previously interjoined first and second pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1987
    Inventor: William B. Burke
  • Patent number: 4300764
    Abstract: A basketball hoop or goal associated with a backboard in a conventional manner with the hoop including a laterally extending, downwardly inclined shield terminating in a peripheral ring located outwardly of the annular ring defining the hoop or goal through which the ball passes to score points when playing basketball. The shield requires that players release the ball at a point spaced peripherally of the rim of the hoop thereby eliminating the capability of the players "dunking" the ball through the hoop. The replacement of the conventional hoop and net with the hoop and shield reduces the advantages that tall players have while increasing emphasis on speed, team work, long range shooting ability and finesse while decreasing slam dunking, hanging on baskets and contact fouls by spreading the players out rather than having them concentrated in a very small area under the conventional basket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1981
    Assignee: William Burke Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: William B. Burke
  • Patent number: D271116
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1983
    Assignee: Milton Bradley International, Inc.
    Inventor: William B. Burke