Patents by Inventor William Van Ness

William Van Ness 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: 11864532
    Abstract: A cat carrier includes a tray, and an enclosure formed of: a lower housing portion with an upper mating flange, and an upper housing portion with a lower mating flange. Protrusions on one mating flange slidably engage openings formed with respect to the other mating flange, to releasably couple the housings together without tools. Holes in each of the mating flanges align, when the housing portions are mated, and each aligned pair of holes receives a fastener to releasably secure the housing portions together. The holes on one flange transition into a keyed opening (e.g. a hexagonal-shaped opening) that receives a hex head of a bolt, to prevent rotation of the bolt when a wing nut is tightened onto the fastener, permitting final assembly without the use of tools. The protrusions create a gap between the flanges, forming a track, which receives/guides a flange of the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Inventor: William Van Ness
  • Publication number: 20230098228
    Abstract: A cat carrier includes a tray, and an enclosure formed of: a lower housing portion with an upper mating flange, and an upper housing portion with a lower mating flange. Protrusions on one mating flange slidably engage openings formed with respect to the other mating flange, to releasably couple the housings together without tools. Holes in each of the mating flanges align, when the housing portions are mated, and each aligned pair of holes receives a fastener to releasably secure the housing portions together. The holes on one flange transition into a keyed opening (e.g. a hexagonal-shaped opening) that receives a hex head of a bolt, to prevent rotation of the bolt when a wing nut is tightened onto the fastener, permitting final assembly without the use of tools. The protrusions create a gap between the flanges, forming a track, which receives/guides a flange of the base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventor: William Van Ness
  • Patent number: 11582945
    Abstract: A cat carrier includes an enclosure, tray, grate, and latch. The enclosure has a front opening, and first and second holes. The tray is slidable within the enclosure, between extended and storage positions. The grate is joined to the tray, with a portion extending in proximity to the front opening of the enclosure when the tray is in the storage position. The latch has a handle, and first and second latch wires spring biased in opposite directions, with distal ends respectively received into the first and second holes, when in the storage position, to redundantly latch the tray the enclosure, so it cannot be undone by a cat housed in the carrier. The first and second latch wires each include finger graspable loops configured to be actuated by a thumb and forefinger, while pulling on the handle with the remaining fingers to single-handedly slide the tray out the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Inventor: William Van Ness
  • Patent number: 11330792
    Abstract: A tile has interlockable edges for forming a mat assembly customizable for different cat litter box arrangements. The tile includes a rectangular base; prongs; and respective peripheral walls protruding away from the base at its sides. The base also includes: primary male interlocking edge structure on first and third sides, each capable of respectively interlocking with primary female interlocking edge structure on the second and fourth sides, to inhibit relative movement therebetween in a first direction; secondary male interlocking edge structure on the first and third sides, each capable of respectively interlocking with secondary female interlocking edge structure on the second and fourth sides, to inhibit relative movement in a second direction; and tertiary female interlocking edge structure on the first and third sides, each capable of respectively interlocking with tertiary male interlocking edge structure on the second and fourth sides, to inhibit relative movement in a third direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: VAN Ness Plastic Molding Company, Inc.
    Inventor: William Van Ness
  • Patent number: 9004282
    Abstract: A nestable container and lid are provided. A first container may be received by a second container such that the first container nests in the second container. The lid of the first container is also nestable in the open lid of the second container when the lids of the first container and the second container are opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Inventor: William Van Ness
  • Publication number: 20090050508
    Abstract: A nestable container and lid are provided. A first container may be received by a second container such that the first container nests in the second container. The lid of the first container is also nestable in the open lid of the second container when the lids of the first container and the second container are opened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Inventor: William Van Ness
  • Patent number: 7146930
    Abstract: An improved pet waterer is disclosed. The pet waterer has a tray for holding a fluid. Extending upwardly from tray is a container for dispensing fluid to the tray. The container has a base and one or more sidewalls extending from the base and having a top edge on the sidewalls. The top edge of the sidewall forms the opening in the container opposite the base. The container has a removable lid covering the opening in the container. The lid has an orifice for passing fluid from the container to the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Van Ness Plastic Molding Co.,Inc.
    Inventor: William Van Ness
  • Patent number: 6863025
    Abstract: A pair of pet waterers, a pair of pet feeders or a pet feeder and a pet waterer adapted to be packaged together in a manner that reduces the volume occupied by the combination compared to if they were packaged separately. The pet feeder has a feed receptacle for storing feed. A first end of the feed receptacle when placed in a first tray occupies only a portion of the tray. The pet waterer has a water receptacle for storing water. A first end of the water receptacle when placed in a second tray occupies only a portion of the tray. A second end of the feed receptacle is adapted to be received by the second tray and a second end of the water receptacle is adapted to be received first tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Inventor: William Van Ness
  • Publication number: 20020073926
    Abstract: A pair of pet waterers, a pair of pet feeders or a pet feeder and a pet waterer are disclosed that are adapted to be packaged together in a manner that reduces the amount of volume occupied by the combination compared to if they were packaged separately. The pet feeder has a feed receptacle for storing feed, which has a first end and a second end and a first tray to permit the pet to eat the feed. The first end of the feed receptacle when placed in the first tray occupies only a portion of the tray leaving the remainder for the feed. The pet waterer has a water receptacle for storing water. The receptacle has a first end and a second end and a second tray to permit the pet to drink the water. The first end of the water receptacle when placed in the second tray occupies only a portion of the tray. The second end of the feed receptacle is adapted to be received by the second tray and the second end of the water receptacle is adapted to be received by the first tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2000
    Publication date: June 20, 2002
    Inventor: William Van Ness
  • Patent number: 6199692
    Abstract: Improved carton construction for spherical objects is disclosed. The carton has front and rear wall panels joined by side panels and top and bottom panels. The front and rear wall panels have a centrally located opening to permit a portion of the spherical article housed within the carton construction to be displayed. The cross-sectional area of the top panel is equal to or only slightly greater than the cross-sectional area of the sphere that is being packaged therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: Van Ness Plastic Molding Inc.
    Inventors: William Van Ness, Glenn Thresher
  • Patent number: 5788063
    Abstract: A folder package for a suture anchor. The package has a base panel foldably connected to a connecting panel. A cover panel is foldably connected to the connecting panel. First and second end connecting panels are foldably connected to the cover panel. A needle park member is mounted to the base panel to retain surgical needles and optionally retain the suture anchor. A handle cover panel having opposed sides is foldably connected to the base panel. A connecting panel having opposed major and opposed minor sides is foldably connected along a first major side to an opposite side of the handle cover panel, and a tab member is foldably connected to the second major side of the connecting panel. The base panel has a tab member formed by a U-shaped slit for retaining the needle park member. The base panel also has L-shaped slits forming L-shaped members for retaining a shaft of a suture anchor applicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.
    Inventor: William Van Ness
  • Patent number: 5390792
    Abstract: A packaging for the protective sterile containment of a rigid product and, more particularly, a sealed container protectively enclosing the sterile product, such as a liquid-filled vial, during shipment and handling of the packaging, and upon opening of the packaging in a sterile environment; for instance, a surgical operating room, facilitating the sterile transfer of the product from the packaging into the sterile environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1995
    Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.
    Inventors: William Van Ness, Robert J. Kalinski
  • Patent number: D677892
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Inventor: William Van Ness