Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

3m Innovative Properties Company

United States Surgical Corporation

3m Innovation Properties Company

Alan J Solyntjes

Russell J Redmond

Claude A Vidal

Alan Kirby Plyley

David M Castiglione

Thomas J Brace

John L Minck, Jr

Robert F Nepper

William A Mittelstadt

John M Pilgrim

Paul A Martinson

James R Betz

Thomas W Holmquist-Brown

Sean M Burke

Gerald M Brostrom

Sean R Kilmer

Thomas F Banks

Frank J Fabin

Gerald L Metcalf

Vern E Radewald

Robert M Eyerly

Steven W Stavos

Alex Davies

Melinda K Samples

Kraig M Keister

George L Sommerfeld

Carl W Abrahamson

John L Minck

An article of headgear that has a head-covering article, a lens moveably attached to the head-covering article, and a seal attached to the lens, the seal comprising a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material, the first polymeric material having a greater tensile modulus than the second material. In an exemplary embodiment, the lens is moveable from a first, lowered position to a second, raised position, and when in the first, lowered position, the seal sealingly engages the head-covering article. In some embodiments, the tensile modulus of the first polymeric material is at least about 5&#xd7; greater or even about 10&#xd7; greater than the tensile modulus of the second material.

Lens seal for headgear

A headgear article includes a head covering member that has an opening formed therein. A panel is disposed over the opening and is removably attached to the head covering member. A respirator system is also disclosed that includes the headgear article and further including a visor and defining an interior zone. The respirator system also includes a clean air supply system having an inlet configured for connection to a source of clean air and an outlet disposed within the interior zone.

Respirator system including convertible head covering member

Strap carriers on a respirator

A half-mask respirator is retained on a wearer's head by upper and lower straps and a strap support. The upper and lower straps connect to the strap support at upper and lower strap attachment points on each side of the strap support. The distances between the attachment points on each opposing side of the strap support are fixed when the strap support is located on the wearer's skull and the half-mask respirator is mounted over the wearer's nose and mouth. As a result, the lower strap is supported above the neck of the wearer which eliminates a potential source of discomfort for the wearer.

Half-mask respirator with head harness assembly

A lens film is used in filtering visible, infrared, and ultraviolet light. The lens film has one or more metallized layers stacked together. Each metallized layer has a substrate with a metal coating covering one face of the substrate. One or more protecting layers are disposed over the stack of metallized layers to provide protection film. The lens film also has an ultraviolet absorbing material, such as an ultraviolet absorbing binder or substrate material. The lens film can be configured so that it meets the American National Standards Institute's shade standards for protection from harmful or intense light. The lens film can be mounted on a lens of an eye protection device. One method of mounting the lens is to provide an adhesive layer over a portion of the lens film and then binding the lens film to the lens with the adhesive layer.

Light filtering lens film

Surgical staplers for use during open and/or laparoscopic surgical procedures are disclosed. Novel firing device trapping assemblies, pushers, staple lines and firing handles are described. Many of the novel devices reduce the overall firing force experienced by the surgeon.

Surgical stapler with mechanisms for reducing the firing force

A kit assembly for use during a laparoscopic surgical procedure. The kit assembly may have a plurality of cannula or a plurality of trocar assemblies. The kit assembly affords the convenient use of different types of trocar or cannula assemblies during a laparoscopic surgical procedure.

Kit assembly for use during a laparoscopic surgical procedure

A stapler is disclosed that includes a mechanism for sensing whether the stapler is loaded with a fired cartridge housing and for preventing the stapler from being closed or fired when loaded with the fired cartridge. The mechanism also prevents the stapler from firing or clamping on tissue when the stapler is not loaded with a staple cartridge.

Surgical stapler with spent cartridge sensing and lockout means

A stapling instrument including two elongate structural members each comprising a handle part with a jaw part projecting from a first end. The structural members have pivot means at second ends of their handle parts adapted for free engagement and disengagement and relative pivotal movement of the structural members between open and closed positions. An elongate locking member is mounted one one of the structural members for pivotal movement to a locking position generally aligned with its handle part where the locking member can be releasably retained to forcefully move the structural members to their closed position so that high compressive forces can be applied to tissues between the jaw parts. Staples from a cartridge along one jaw part can then be driven through the tissue and closed against an anvil along the other jaw part. One of the structural members has a support element in contact with the other of the structural members transverse of a space between the handle parts when the structural members are in their closed position to restrict bending and movement of the handle parts toward each other in response to separating forces applied between the jaw parts as a result of compressed tissues so that the staples can be properly closed.

Surgical stapling instrument

An image mask assembly for a microfilm roll handler includes an insert having an opaque area which can be slid relative to a frame of microfilm to block light through a portion of the film and thereby mask selected portions of an image projected by the film.

Image mask for microfilm roll handler

A light-tight, self-contained canister and light sealing, anti-blooming tab, of generally rectangular shape, for preventing a roll of core wound photosensitive media, containable within the canister and used in a microfiche or microfilm reader-printer, from being damaged or exposed to actinic light during shipping and storage. The canister includes an open-ended, opaque tubular sleeve having an exit slot, and the sleeve is closed at both ends by opaque end caps fastened thereto. The tab includes an insertable portion joined along a fold line to an extendable portion. The insertable portion may be inserted into the exit slot and engageably wedged between the roll of core wound photosensitive media and the sleeve to prevent undesired rotation. In addition, the extendable portion of the tab is folded at the fold line along the exit slot. Further, the extendable portion includes two outer edge flaps which may be folded and inserted between the end cap outer edges and the sleeve to prevent the end portion of the media from being pulled back into the canister where it would become inaccessible. Thus, the tab light seals the exit slot and can be easily removed by grasping and pulling it.

Canister and light sealing, anti-blooming tab

A copy machine capable of producing indeterminate length copies of an exceptionally long original and including a terminal set of drive rollers which pull copy paper through the machine and a brake which is connected to a supply of continuous copy paper and which may be selectively engaged to produce a drag on the copy paper and place the paper in tension between the supply and the terminal rollers.

Continuous copier

An electrically operated copy machine capable of producing continuous copies of extended length originals is provided with a control switch which allows copying to be stopped at any position along the original and then allows either the copy to be cut and copying discontinued or the repositioning of the original and the continuation of copying at a different portion of the original.

Growing community of inventors

Richfield, MN, United States of America

Alan J Solyntjes