The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 23, 2004
Filed:
May. 31, 2002
Benjamin B. James, Birchrunville, PA (US);
Francis B. Fatato, Exton, PA (US);
Matthew P. Frederick, West Chester, PA (US);
Federal-Mogul World Wide, Inc., Southfield, MI (US);
Abstract
A low-profile sheath for protecting elongated items is disclosed having a pair of substrates formed from flexible sheet material with opposite edges paired together to position the substrates in overlapping alignment. One pair of edges is flexibly attached together by a hinge allowing the substrates to pivot between an open and a closed position for receiving and capturing the items. The substrates are corrugated. The hinge is formed from a plurality of thinned sheet regions which alternate between being oriented in the plane of the sheet and perpendicular to it. The alternating orientation reduces the imbalance of shear stiffness between the hinge connected edges and the free edges of the substrates. An apparatus for forming the sheath having intermeshing gears with beveled teeth and facing edge surfaces is also disclosed.