Other

Johnson Outdoors Inc.

William R Baumann

Thomas R Swetish

Thomas W Rogers

Pumps and methods for inflating objects with atmospheric air employ a fan pump to quickly fill the object with air and then shunt away the air from the fan pump, and use a diaphragm pump to increase the pressure until the inflatable object attains the firmness or pressure required for the object to be useable.

Pump and pumping method

A portable shelter is disclosed. The portable shelter includes a canopy and a frame supporting the canopy. The frame of the portable shelter includes a plurality of support poles and a plurality of cross poles. Each cross pole of the portable shelter is pivotally coupled between adjacent support poles for rotation about an axis parallel to the support poles. Each support pole moves between an extended position in which the support pole extends perpendicular to the cross poles and a collapsed position in which the support pole extends along the cross poles.

Foldable frame structure

The present application discloses a compass having a base, a pivot extending from the base along an axis and a pointer. The pointer includes a central portion resting upon the pivot, a first outer portion radially spaced from the axis of the pivot and having a magnetic north polarity and second outer portion radially spaced from the axis of the pivot and angularly spaced from the first outer portion by approximately 180 degrees. The second outer portion has a magnetic south polarity. The central portion, the first outer portion and the second outer portion are integrally formed as part of a single unitary body including polymeric material. In one exemplary embodiment, the central portion, the first outer portion and the second outer portion are formed from a magnetic powder blended with a polymer matrix. In another exemplary embodiment, the first portion and the second portion include at least one magnetic member encapsulated within a layer solely composed of the polymeric material. In one exemplary embodiment, the compass further includes a bearing partially encapsulated within the central portion such that the bearing rests upon the pivot. The present application also discloses a method for forming the aforementioned compass which includes steps of providing a base, forming a pivot extending from the base along an axis, mixing a magnetic powder with a fluid polymer, molding the mixture of magnetic powder and fluid polymer so as to form a single unitary body having a central portion and first and second opposite portions radially spaced from the central portion, magnetizing the first and second opposite portion so as to have opposite magnetic polarities and resting the central portion upon the pivot. According to one exemplary embodiment, a plurality of compasses having varying sensitivities may be made by varying a ratio of the magnetic powder to the polymeric material.

Growing community of inventors

New Berlin, WI, United States of America

William R Baumann