Border Of Opening Limits Cutting Depth, E.g., Peeler Patents (Class 30/279.6)
  • Patent number: 10842307
    Abstract: A kitchen tool having a straight blade peeler, a gouge and a base having at least one blade for trimming a root or crown from a vegetable. The at least one blade can be within a cavity in the base or in a cavity at an end of a handle. In a further example embodiment, the at least one blade is a pair of blades configured as a scissors or as a chopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Inventor: Carolyn Shapiro-Wall
  • Patent number: 10791864
    Abstract: A cactus cleaning tool comprising a handle and a cleaning section at one end of the handle for safely, quickly and easily cleaning a section of cactus. The cleaning section has a body member with a proximal end at the handle and a distal end outwardly disposed from the handle. The handle is angled upward relative to the body member. The tool has a scooping tip with an edge configured to allow the user to scoop out thorns. The tool has a slicing section with a slot defining a pair of longitudinally disposed sharpened cutting edges for removing the cactus skin. The top of the body member is open. The tool has a outwardly disposed tapper near its distal end to allow the user to tap the tool against a hard surface and dislodge cactus debris stuck on the tool. The tool is particularly useful for cleaning mission cactus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Inventor: Henry Ramos
  • Patent number: 10414056
    Abstract: A cooking knife includes: a handle, a plurality of blades and a sheath. The plurality of blades is disposed on the first portion and the second portion of the handle. The sheath includes two sheath shells and a pivot shaft, the two sheath shells being pivotally connected to each other by the pivot shaft in such a manner that the two sheath shells pivotally rotate by the pivot shaft in reverse direction to get close to each other or draw away from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Inventor: Tung-Hsien Lee
  • Patent number: 10405685
    Abstract: The present invention provides a peeler that is switchable between a T peeler mode wherein the cutting blade is perpendicular to the handle, and an I peeler mode wherein the cutting blade is parallel to the handle. The peeler of the present invention includes a ballpoint pen mechanism for easily actuating the switching between the T peeler mode and the I peeler mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: KING'S FLAIR DEVELOPMENT LTD.
    Inventor: Siu Wah Wong
  • Patent number: 10334978
    Abstract: A cutting tool is provided having a cupped, double-edged blade and a handle. The knife blade is configured to be generally ā€œCā€-shaped in cross-section, curving upwardly on opposing longitudinal sides from a central portion. A longitudinal edge of the curved blade may have a serrated cutting edge. A protective handle is disposed at a rear of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Inventor: Yelena V. Pogosian
  • Publication number: 20150075011
    Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the invention, an apparatus for peeling and cutting vegetables and other foods is provided. A plurality of blades form an aperture within a frame. This aperture expands as the vegetable passes through it. This method of food surface removal expedites the process by removing all sides of the vegetable surface at the same time, providing heightened safety features for users, allowing users to easily clean the apparatus, and allowing users to easily remove and replace broken blades or change blade types for a variety of culinary purposes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventor: Johnny Todd Harris
  • Patent number: 8689452
    Abstract: A grooving sled for use with a pre-formed groove blade and hot knife, for making grooves in expanded polystyrene foam boards or walls. The grooving sled includes a built-in straight edge guide, one of two cutting position margins, and a stabilizer plate that fits inside a freshly-cut groove to keep the grooving sled straight while operating along the cutting layout line established on the board or wall. The stabilizer plate aligns with the groove blade by use of an angular adjuster, and if necessary, an insert bar. The stabilizer plate can also be adjusted vertically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Inventor: Tina V. Truong
  • Publication number: 20110083329
    Abstract: A manually operated vegetable cutting utensil having a stand for keeping it in an inclined position on a horizontal worktop, where a support bracket, in particular in the form of a stirrup, installed at the bottom of the stand of the utensil is provided to butt, in the use position, against an edge of the worktop so as to stabilize the utensil even if the worktop is wet or greasy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: BRON COUCKE S.A.
    Inventor: DIDIER COUCKE
  • Publication number: 20110030221
    Abstract: The purpose of the Multi-Purpose Utensil is to provide one tool that has a plurality of functions such as a peeler, julienne, sharpener, pitter, among others and, does not occupy any more space than a conventional peeler. A further object of the Multi-Purpose Utensil is to provide an ergonomic handle that can comfortably be used by the left- or right-handed user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Inventor: Matthew Frank
  • Patent number: 7866243
    Abstract: A food slicer having a blade is disclosed having a runway for supporting food prior to cutting by the blade and a landing for supporting the blade and the food after being cut. The runway and landing are adjustable for selecting a thickness of a food slice. The runway and landing are simultaneously adjusted, by a single mechanism, so that the blade and runway are maintained generally parallel with respect to each other. The adjusting mechanism includes a plurality of rotatable cam portions that engage with respective portions on the runway and landing so that each of the runway and landing may be oppositely pivoted around an end to maintain the parallel relationship. The food slicer also includes on-board storage for inserts, such as julienning or cubing inserts. The storage is located on a bottom of the runway, which is pivoted upward for storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Helen of Troy Limited
    Inventor: Dean DiPietro
  • Publication number: 20100162576
    Abstract: Disclosed is a food peeler that has a longitudinally aligned conical body having upper and lower sections, and a recess in the upper half thereof in which a blade is rotatably mounted. The recess defines an area having a flat base and opposed, parallel, vertical sides. The blade is fixed to a blade holder that is rotatably mounted between the opposing vertical sides of the recess. The position of the blade holder can be reversed thereby enabling the peeler to be used by a right handed or left handed person.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventor: Thomas John Scimone
  • Patent number: 7743690
    Abstract: An apparatus facilitating a cutting operation includes a knife; and a hand-mountable cutting board utensil. The utensil includes: a cutting board for disposition between the thumb and an index finger of the hand, the cutting board having an exposed cutting surface for orienting toward the index finger and a second surface for orienting toward the thumb; and a retainer having two lateral sides and being configured to receive and releasably retain the thumb along a longitudinal length of the retainer. The cutting board includes portions that extend transversely to a direction defined by the longitudinal length respectively beyond the two lateral sides of the retainer, each portion having exposed, oppositely facing front and back surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Wonder Thumb Products, LLC
    Inventors: Jackson Wells White, Thomas James Philpott, Daniel Lee Bizzell
  • Patent number: 7721449
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vegetable peeler having two gripping surfaces connected to each other by a peeling blade as well as a cross-piece. According to the invention, the two lateral gripping surfaces and the interconnecting cross-piece are forming a holder, the dimension of the legs (L) of the U-shaped holder being shorter in peeling direction (A) than the distance (B) between the gripping surfaces. In this way, direct guiding the peeling blade is enabled without any lever arm. The peeling blade, when used, is directly between the fingers and, therefore, can be guided in an extremely precise, handy and safe way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Inventors: Iwan Roland Rasa, Nousha Rasa
  • Patent number: 7712402
    Abstract: A food slicer for slicing a food product is provided. The slicer may have an adjustable surface and a stationary surface with a blade interposed therebetween. The food product may be sliced with a specific thickness via the blade by traversing the food product from the adjustable surface to the stationary surface. A trailing edge of the adjustable surface and an edge of the blade may define a gap distance which determines a slicing thickness of the food product. A cam may contact an underside of the adjustable surface to set the gap distance. The gap distance may be reset by rotating the cam. More particularly, the cam may have a plurality of cam surfaces. Each of the cam surfaces may have a different distance to a rotating axis of the cam. The gap distance may be changed by rotating the cam such that a different cam surface contacts the adjustable surface's underside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Kyocera Tycom Corporation
    Inventor: Takayuki Ishii
  • Publication number: 20100037471
    Abstract: In order to set the cutting thickness in kitchen slicers, it is a known procedure to arrange a feed plate at a slant relative to the blade. As an alternative, solutions are known according to which the feed plates are changed so that a suitable feed plate is provided for each cutting thickness that can be set. The objective of the invention is to provide a simple alternative. Towards this end, the invention proposes that the feed plate (11) can be moved surface-parallel to a fixed plate (12) that is connected to the blade (13). This movement can be effectuated by means of a combination of vertical and horizontal movements of the feed plate and of a positioning slide (14) associated with said feed plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Inventor: Cedomir Repac
  • Patent number: 7631429
    Abstract: A handheld peeler with removable multi-blade holder for peeling, or slicing food products. The tool includes a main handle made from steel or any other suitable tough metal or plastic, a button, a blade cartridge, two or more blades, a top blade holder, a bottom blade holder, an axle, a retaining ring, and a knob.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Freshlink Product Development, LLC
    Inventors: Dean Chapman, Paul Goetz, Ed Kilduff, Gareth Brown
  • Publication number: 20090199414
    Abstract: A cactus cleaning tool comprising a handle and a cleaning section at one end of the handle for safely, quickly and easily cleaning a section of cactus. The cleaning section has a body member with a proximal end at the handle and a distal end outwardly disposed from the handle. The handle is angled upward relative to the body member. The tool has a scooping tip with an edge configured to allow the user to scoop out thorns. The tool has a slicing section with a slot defining a pair of longitudinally disposed sharpened cutting edges for removing the cactus skin. The top of the body member is open. The tool has a outwardly disposed tapper near its distal end to allow the user to tap the tool against a hard surface and dislodge cactus debris stuck on the tool. The tool is particularly useful for cleaning mission cactus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2009
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Inventor: Henry Ramos
  • Publication number: 20090038159
    Abstract: An apparatus facilitating a cutting operation includes a knife; and a hand-mountable cutting board utensil. The utensil includes: a cutting board for disposition between the thumb and an index finger of the hand, the cutting board having an exposed cutting surface for orienting toward the index finger and a second surface for orienting toward the thumb; and a retainer having two lateral sides and being configured to receive and releasably retain the thumb along a longitudinal length of the retainer. The cutting board includes portions that extend transversely to a direction defined by the longitudinal length respectively beyond the two lateral sides of the retainer, each portion having exposed, oppositely facing front and back surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Inventors: Jackson Wells WHITE, Thomas James Philpott, Daniel Lee Bizzell
  • Patent number: 7421787
    Abstract: A utensil for a digit of a hand includes a cutting board for disposition between a thumb and an index finger. The cutting board is attached to a retainer that receives and retains the thumb such that a cutting surface of the cutting board is oriented toward the index finger. The cutting surface protects the thumb during cutting of items against the cutting surface. Optionally, one or more tools are defined by, or attached to, the cutting board. In a particular example, a utensil for a digit of a hand having a cutting board is useful at least for cleaning, zesting, peeling, and paring or chopping a fruit or vegetable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Wonder Thumb Products, LLC
    Inventors: Jackson Wells White, Daniel Lee Bizzell, Tom J. Philpott
  • Patent number: 7415769
    Abstract: An improved peeler or scraper is disclosed with a pivoting head that can be pivoted between a longitudinal position where the cutting or scrapping blade is in general alignment with the handle to a transverse position where the cutting blade is disposed perpendicular to the handle or in a ā€œTā€ configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Rubbermaid Incorporated
    Inventor: W. Scott Hughes
  • Publication number: 20080052918
    Abstract: A food peeler/slicing system permitting the orderly use or disposal of sliced, grated, or peeled food matter. The invention includes a handle, one or more caps, one or more blades, the blade in an embodiment being interchangeable, and one or more receptacle chambers, the chamber in an embodiment being removable. Sliced, grated, or peeled food mater is collected in the receptacle chamber for later use or disposal. The present invention discloses a variety of receptacle chamber shapes and a variety of caps which optionally may be utilized for zesting or grating food material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Inventor: Annette Marie Sanchez
  • Patent number: 7263776
    Abstract: A fruit seed removing device includes a body, a sleeve, a button, a positioning block, a toggle, a pull rod, a connecting block and a knife. By pulling a hand of a pull rod, the pull rod will drive the knife to move inwards or expand outwards. Then the button is rotate through an angle to drive the positioning block to rotate. Then the pull rod is tightened and positioned. Therefore, the size of a ring for removing seeds is set. The adjustment of the size of the ring can be performed quickly and easily according to the range of the seeds in a fruit. Thereby no pulp will adhere to the user's hand. The operation is retained in clean state and can be performed easily and conveniently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Hausco Enterprises Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jaw-Chyi Shieh
  • Publication number: 20070186423
    Abstract: The present invention is a handheld peeler with removable multi-blade cartridge for peeling, or slicing food products. The tool comprises in combination: a main handle made from steel or any other suitable tough metal or plastic, button, blade cartridge, two or more blades, a top blade holder, bottom blade holder, an axle, a retaining ring, and a knob.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2007
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Inventors: Dean Chapman, Paul Goetz, Ed Kilduff, Gareth Brown
  • Patent number: 7185436
    Abstract: A peeler apparatus is provided having an ergonomic handle and a blade that can be rotated relative to the handle to accommodate different peeling styles. The blade can be rotated in order to position the blade in a variety of positions relative to the handle. Such positions include perpendicular, parallel left, parallel right, 45 degree left, and 45 degree right positions. Variations of the peeler can be provided which enable rotations of 180 degrees, 360 degrees, and/or other angles as desired. A user-operable knob cooperatively engaged with a yoke permits the yoke and a blade secured to the yoke to rotate relative to the handle in response to rotation of the knob. A peeler having a blade fixed at approximately 45 degrees relative to the handle is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Kyocera Tycom Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Phillip Murphy, Belinda Martinez, Christopher Lawrence Hawker, Takayuki Matsuo, Patrick Joseph Bertke, Steven Andrew Sauer, Catherine Healy Shaw, Kristen Karl Hedstrom
  • Patent number: 7140111
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a food peeler having a removable blade that includes an end received in a bore of the food peeler handle and a resilient member is mounted adjacent to the end of the blade and allows for the blade to be moved between a centered and offset position so that the blade may be removed and replaced. A tool is provided in order to remove and replace the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Helen of Troy Limited
    Inventors: Anthony Di Bitonto, Mark Prommel, Kevin Lozeau, Arsenio Garcia, Juan Escobar, Alec Drummond
  • Patent number: 7065882
    Abstract: The present invention provides a cost-saving and space-saving combination of a low-waste peeler and an auxiliary tool. The low-waste peeler comprises an elongate grip and a fork-like mounting pivotally and movably connected to the grip. The mounting is provided with two prongs, and a swinging blade is attached between the prongs. The mounting is pivotally and movably connected to the auxiliary tool as one piece, while the grip is a separate part. The mounting and the auxiliary tool are pivotally and movably attached to the grip. In the peeling position, the auxiliary tool is accommodated in the grip of the peeler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Inventor: Michael Haberstroh
  • Patent number: 6874236
    Abstract: A culinary peeler having an elongate blade bent or curved in its lateral dimension having at least one longitudinal opening extending along its length with a sharp cutting region adjacent the opening, wherein the blade is of curved form in its longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: MaxPat Trading & Marketing (Far East) Limited
    Inventors: Robin Levien, Anthony Harrison-Griffin
  • Patent number: 6834579
    Abstract: A palm food processor includes a casing and a knife seat. The casing is composed of an upper cover and a lower cover detachably joined to each other oppositely with a receiving chamber formed between the two covers, a top side of the upper cover having a hand grip part and a bottom of the lower cover having a cover opening. The knife seat provides a size and a shape thereof corresponding to the cover opening for engaging with the cover opening and a bottom thereof having a cutter. Once a hand holds the handgrip part and the cutter contacts a treated food, the treated food can be cut, sliced, peeled or ground into processed products through repeated motions of the food processor and the processed products can be received in the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Inventor: Huo Feng Hsia Kuan
  • Publication number: 20040216307
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a food peeler having a removable blade that includes an end received in a bore of the food peeler handle and a resilient member is mounted adjacent to the end of the blade and allows for the blade to be moved between a centered and offset position so that the blade may be removed and replaced. A tool is provided in order to remove and replace the blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Inventors: Anthony Di Bitonto, Mark Prommel, Kevin Lozeau, Arsenio Garcia, Juan Escobar, Alec Drummond
  • Publication number: 20040128841
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing protection in connection with the cutting edge of a blade of a generally Y-shaped conventional kitchen peeler or cutter comprising a guard pivotally attached to the extension arms extending from the handle of the peeler, whereby the guard is pivotal between a guarding position immediately adjacent the cutting edge of the peeler blade and a non-guarding position exposing the cutting edge of the peeler blade for use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventors: Mark Prommel, Alec Drummond, Noah Zamansky
  • Publication number: 20040117991
    Abstract: The present invention provides a cost-saving and space-saving combination of a low-waste peeler and an auxiliary tool. The low-waste peeler comprises an elongate grip and a fork-like mounting pivotally and movably connected to the grip. The mounting is provided with two prongs, and a swinging blade is attached between the prongs. The mounting is pivotally and movably connected to the auxiliary tool as one piece, while the grip is a separately part. The mounting and the auxiliary tool are pivotally and movably attached to the grip. In the peeling position, the auxiliary tool is accommodated in the grip of the peeler.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Publication date: June 24, 2004
    Inventor: Michael Haberstroh
  • Patent number: 6722042
    Abstract: A pumpkin carving tool that has a cutter in the form of a loop projecting a selected distance from an edge of an open annular frame. In the simplest form the cutter is fixed to the frame. In an alternate embodiment the cutter is detachably mounted on the frame. The detachable cutter can be adjustably varied in the amount it projects from the frame to make different depths of carvings. The cutter is a narrow thin band of metal sharp enough to cut carvings in the outer surface of a pumpkin but not sharp enough to cut the users skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Perfect Pumpkin Inc.
    Inventors: Earl J. Naville, Jr., Richard M. Haller, Phillip R. Masden
  • Patent number: 6619194
    Abstract: An omni-bearing peeler includes a knife holder, a handle and a catch device. The knife holder has a wing part at two opposite lateral sides thereof respectively and two frame plates at a lower portion thereof with a frame groove in between. The frame groove at two opposite ends thereof is provided with a cap hole and a cover hole respectively. The handle provides a step hole at an end thereof being received in the frame groove and between the cap hole and the cover hole. The step hole at a circumferential edge thereof provides at least two guide grooves and a step ring groove arranged at lower portions of the guide grooves so as to communicate with the guide grooves. The catch device has a button with an upper cap and a lower stop ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Inventor: Huo Feng Hsia Kuan
  • Publication number: 20030070298
    Abstract: The present invention consists of a safety cutter for peeling green bananas or plantains wherein a handle portion is provided adjacent a head portion which carries a peeling element with dual opposing peeling blades. The dual opposing peeling blades are relatively widely spaced apart at approximately {fraction (5/16)}″ to allow the peeling element to cut through the tough, thick skins of a green banana or plantain. The present invention is also provided with an elongate retractable cutting blade which is used to first cut off either end of the green banana or plantain to allow it to be easily peeled. The plantain or green banana peeler is preferably provided into two halves secured by a bolt which allows either the peeling element and/or the retractable blade to be changed by the user when they become dull or worn.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2001
    Publication date: April 17, 2003
    Inventor: Lenscott F. Ruiz
  • Patent number: 6473974
    Abstract: A safety knife for removing flashing from plastics mouldings, or other similar operations, comprises a handle and two blades mounted to project side-by-side from the handle. The cutting edge of each blade is substantially parallel to, and slightly spaced from, the cutting edge of the ether blade, and the general planes of the blades diverge as they extend away from their cutting edges. When the knife is not in use each bade serves us a guard for the other blade so as to reduce the risk of accidental injury.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Inventor: William Alfred Ireland
  • Patent number: 6360442
    Abstract: A grapefruit knife for use in cutting sections of edible fruit from the less desirable membrane and peel is disclosed. The present invention includes a handle having two opposing ends, a single cutting blade attached to one end of the handle, and a scooping blade attached to the other end of the handle. Each of these blades has two cutting edges. On the cutting blade the two cutting edges are aligned serially, in a plane, to cut in the same direction, while on the scooping blade the cutting edges are opposingly arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: The Pampered Chef, Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas O'Brien, Michael Neshat, Chuck Visocky
  • Patent number: 6336271
    Abstract: A peeler having a blade extendible for use and retractible for compact storage, a substantially hollow handle having a forward end and a rearward end, the forward end having an enlarged blade receiving opening, the handle having opposed sides, a top and a bottom, an extendable blade holder within said handle when in a retracted position, a blade held in said blade holder, a locking mechanism for locking the blade in extended and retracted positions, a spring to automatically extend the blade, said blade holder having a forward end having a closure tip for closing the blade receiving opening, the closure tip extends downwardly beyond the blade to provide a buffer for the blade when the blade holder is extended, the handle has an ergonomic external shape for ease of use, the forward end of the handle tapering inwardly along its sides, top, and bottom for allowing the fingers of the user's hand to tightly hold the handle and more precisely manipulate the extended blade, the locking mechanism including an en
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2002
    Assignee: Chef'n Corporation
    Inventors: Todd Owen Rider, Lance L. Hood
  • Patent number: 6318222
    Abstract: A cutting implement with a blade, a handle, and a tip, used in conjunction with a planar support surface upon which food or a similar substance rests. The handle and tip cooperate to maintain the blade parallel to, and a pre-determined distance from, the support surface during a reciprocal horizontally-translating slicing motion, thus ensuring that slices are produced with two parallel planar surfaces which are uniformly of a pre-determined thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Inventor: Joseph Bernard Weinman, Jr.