Other

Amana Refrigeration, Inc.

David M Christensen

Eugene H Schuchert

Brian M Midlang

Richard N Walker

Samuel B McGuire, Sr

A material handler that uses chain driven magnetic plates to create a magnetic surface. The magnetic surface undulates and is able to lift ferrous material such as metal cans. The handler allows metal cans that are palletized to be removed quickly and easily.

Magnetic material handler

A toolbox having enhanced weather protection includes a base component and a top component connected together by a pair of pivot assemblies. When the top component is pivoted downwardly towards the base component, it forms a first weather and wind seal around its outer perimeter. The top and bottom components each include weather-sealing inside flanges that are complimentary so that when the top component and base component are closed, a secondary weather and wind seal is formed.

Truckbed tool box

The present invention is a reversible, portable winch for attachment to a load-bearing structure. It includes a shaft for rotation; a take-up reel for winding and unwinding a flexible securing strap, the take-up reel being connected to the shaft and affixed thereto for rotation therewith; a flexible securing strap attached to the take-up reel at a first end thereof; a plurality of bidirectional pawl-engaging teeth located about the shaft and so as to prevent and permit rotation of the take-up reel and the shaft by being engaged and disengaged with a pawl; a winding mechanism connected to the shaft or the take-up reel for winding the shaft and the take-up reel; support for supporting the shaft and the pawl. The winch is connected via its shaft to a support and the pawl may be movably connected to the support as well. The present invention is also a portable winch component set for installation into a support at some later time.

Reversible, portable winch with bidirectional ratchet teeth for attachment to load-bearing structure

The present invention is a support rack with a built-in winch component. The rack unit includes at least two upright members and at least one horizontal support member connected at opposite ends to each of the upright members, and at least one shaft-receiving orifice located on and passing through either an upright member and/or horizontal support member. In some preferred embodiments, a plurality of the orifices may be included, e.g. at lower and higher levels of the uprights, as well as on the horizontal supports. Also, in some preferred embodiments, gussets are included to connect the uprights to the horizontal supports. These gussets may include shaft-receiving orifices. The upright members provide attachment to a motor vehicle, e.g. as part of the uprights, or as separate components. The winch component has a shaft, a strap take-up reel, a one-way ratchet mechanism, a wind-up mechanism, and a lock-release mechanism, with the shaft being rotatably positioned within a shaft-receiving orifice on the uprights, horizontal supports or gussets.

Rack with built-in winch component

A reversible, portable winch for attachment to a utility rack. It includes a shaft for rotation; a take-up reel for winding and unwinding a flexible securing strap, the take-up reel being connected to the shaft and affixed thereto for rotation therewith; a flexible securing strap attached to the take-up reel at a first end thereof; a plurality of bidirectional pawl-engaging teeth located about the shaft and so as to prevent and permit rotation of the take-up reel and the shaft by being engaged and disengaged with a pawl; a winding mechanism connected to the shaft or the take-up reel for winding the shaft and the take-up reel; support for supporting the shaft and the pawl. The winch is connected via its shaft to a support and the pawl may be movably connected to the support as well. In preferred embodiments, the support is a component of a utility rack such as a ladder utility rack attached to the cargo bed of a pick-up truck or the top of a motor vehicle.

Reversible portable winch with bidirectional ratchet teeth

The present invention is a ladder utility rack for pick-up cargo beds. It has two parallel horizontal base rails and at least two vertical stanchion units and has at least two suspension rods, one from each stanchion, and has at least one inner support beam connected to the suspension rods. Each base rail has at least one horizontal and one vertical running wall and each is adapted to nest atop and against sidewalls of a cargo bed. These base rails are not connected to one another except via the stanchion units. These stanchion units have vertical legs running from each of the base rails upwardly and inwardly and terminate at a commonly connected horizontal cross member. A preferred embodiment includes four suspension rods, two from each stanchion, and two inner support beams, each beam connected to a forward and a rearward suspension rod.

Ladder utility rack and inner support beam

Base rail for utility rack

The present invention is a utility rail which may be used independently or as a mounting rail for a utility rack for pick-up truck cargo beds and the like with the rail. The rack is mounted with two present invention rails to cargo bed walls. Each rail has an elongated member having a generally L-shaped cross-section with a vertical segment and a horizontal segment, each segment having inside walls and outside walls; at least one elongated holding slot such as a cargo anchor T-slot running along at least a portion of the outside wall of either or both the vertical segment and the horizontal segment and locating grooves or starter holes located on either the horizontal segment or the vertical segment for penetrating said elongated member with a plurality of attachment devices for attaching said rail to a structure. The elongated member may also contain one or more hollows designed to add strength to the structure and conserve materials. The rails of the present invention are preferably unistructurally formed elongated members of extruded metal or plastic or combinations of metallic and non metallic materials.

Pick-up truck rail with anchor slots

The present invention is directed to a universal equipment mounting device. It includes a portable utility container having a bottom, sides and a top and capable of being locked; a mount adapted for interlocking with the portable utility container, and a latch attached to either of the portable utility container or the mount and adapted to interact with the other of the portable utility container and the mount so as to releasably connect the portable utility container to the mount. The invention is further characterized in that one of the portable utility container and the mount contains a male counterpart of a male-female interlock and the other of the portable utility container and the mount contains a female counterpart of a male-female interlock. The device is adapted such that the portable utility container is slidable onto the mount and is further securable thereto by means of the latch. In preferred embodiments, a plurality of mounts is used.

Portable utility container with latch and mount

The present invention is a reversible utility or mounting rail for pickup truck cargo beds. The rail is an elongated member having a generally L-shaped cross section with two legs 90 degrees opposed which are of equal or unequal length, each rail having an inside and an outside wall; at least one elongated holding slot running along at least a portion of the outside first wall; provision located on the outside first wall for mounting the elongated member to a structure with a plurality of attachment devices; at least one elongated holding slot running along at least a portion of the outside second wall; and provision on the outside second wall for mounting said elongated member to a structure with a plurality of attachment devices; thereby creating attaching capability for the rail by attachment through its first or its second walls or both and thereby creating a rail which may be mounted on a structure with either of its walls in the horizontal position.

Reversible utility rail and utility rack

Method and apparatus for bending serpentine heat exchanger tubes using a split bend die having a relatively short upper die section with a straight back end. After the tube is bent in conventional manner using a clamp die and a pressure die, the bend die is split along a shaft and rotated through a predetermined angle to position the straight back end substantially parallel to a straight segment of the tube at the output of the bend die. The input segment of the tube is then moved next to the shaft in preparation for rotating above the input segment to raise the output segment above the upper section of the bend die. Such lateral motion reduces the segment spacing required for clearance of the upper section. Other features for reducing the spacing are providing an indentation on the shaft, angling the back end with respect to the sides to provide a minimum length, and truncation an upper portion along the back end.

Method and apparatus for bending tubes using split bend die

Method and apparatus for bending metal tubes such as for furnace heat exchangers. After the bend die is rotated 180.degree. to make a bend, an upper section of the bend die is split from a lower section, and the upper section is then rotated approximately 90.degree.. In such manner, a portion of the upper section is displaced laterally to vacate a region directly above the lower section. Therefore, in moving the tube forwardly to a new location for a subsequent bend operation, a portion of a previous bend passes through the vacated region thereby enabling sequential bend angles that are less restricted than without rotating the upper section of the split die.

Method for bending tubes using split die

The present invention is directed to a tie down device for securing a load. It includes a bracket having a top and a bottom, a front and a back, a first side and an opposite side. It also includes a strap with the top of the bracket having means to attach one end of the strap to it and the strap is at least long enough to wrap around a load and to be placed between the sides of the bracket such as the strap extends past the bottom of the bracket. There is also a cam with one side of the bracket having means to rotatably mount the cam. The cam has a serrated surface with which to make contact and grip the strap. A plate is located on the opposite side of the bracket so that when the strap is placed between the sides of the bracket, the cam contacts the strap and restraining force is applied to the opposite sides of the strap by both the plate and the cam. An additional surface on the plate serves to captivate the strap once engaged. In one preferred embodiment, an operator wheel is included with the cam to enable a quick opening of the cam for one handed insertion of the strap.

Quick fasten and release tie down device

The present invention is directed to a universal equipment mount for attachment to mounting rails. The mount includes a base plate which is flat and has at least one cut-out therein. Permanently mounted to the base plate is an over-the-center clamp with an anchor strap and hook that extends through the cut out and the base. The base has opposite ends and one end is curved downwardly and inwardly for fitting over a flat horizontal rail section. The base plate is placed with its hooked portion on the edge of the mounting rail, the anchor hook of the over-the-center clamp is placed on the opposite edge of another horizontal surface of a mounting rail and the clamp is tightened to secure the base plate to the mount. The present invention is also directed to a mounting rail which includes at least two parallel separated base sections that have a cross section including a horizontal and vertical surface. The base sections are connected by spacers which may be at right angles to the vertical surfaces and in the vertical, may be at another angle, or may even be horizontal and/or continuous. Finally, the present invention is directed to the combination of both the universal mount described and the mounting rail.

Universal equipment mounts, enclosed mounts and mounting rails

The present invention is a ladder utility rack for pick-up cargo beds. It has two parallel horizontal base rails and at least two vertical stanchion units. Each base rail has at least three contiguous walls, including at least one horizontal and one vertical running wall and each is adapted to nest atop and against sidewalls of a cargo bed These base rails are not connected to one another except via the stanchion units These units have vertical legs running from each of the base rails upwardly and inwardly and terminate at a commonly connected horizontal cross member A preferred embodiment includes rails which are unistructurally formed, e.g. extruded, including portions in the form of an upright or inverted 'U'.

Growing community of inventors

Bethel, VT, United States of America

David M Christensen