Patents on the soles of your shoes...: Improvement patent

Showing posts with label Improvement patent. Show all posts

Monday, February 10, 2020

Oh, patents! Kickstart International MoneyMaker treadle pump

To assist in the transition from rain-fed farming to irrigated agriculture, Kickstart International also produces a MoneyMaker treadle pump. The Kickstart International treadle MoneyMaker pump (MMP) is designed to provide a reliable way of transporting water. It is also easy to repair, low-cost and light, while remaining stiff-enough for stable operation.To pump water with a treadle pump, the user stands on the treadles, pushing one treadle after another in a reciprocal manner.

The YouTube video below shows a Kickstart International treadle MMP in operation.

In general, the reported advantages of using treadle pumps, compared to bucket irrigation, are increased income via increased crop yield, due to increased area irrigated (UNFAO, 2000)

This Kickstart International MMP invention is recited in the US patent US8770954B2, titled Human-powered irrigation pump. This patent recites an improvement on the many existing treadle pumps, since they were first developed and introduced in Bangladesh, in the 1980s (UNFAO, 2000). The inventive improvements address the specific context of African agriculture, where water is generally pumped from more distant ground sources for irrigation.

The abstract of the Kickstart treadle MMP invention is included below, together with the patent Figures 3 and 4A. Figure 3 depicts an embodiment of the treadle MMP pump 200, where two treadles 208, 208’ are coupled to a horizontal reciprocating rocker 202, supported by a rocker pivot 212 (shown in Fig. 4A), mounted to the frame 218. The rocker 202 is mounted between the treadles 208, 208’, at a distance below the horizontal treadle pivot 214. The horizontal treadle pivot 214 enables the treadles to rotate up and down, during pumping. The treadles 208, 208’ are respectively connected to two pistons 206, 206’, each piston also connected via tensile member to the reciprocating rocker 202. Thus, the downward movement of treadle 208, pushing piston 206 down, will also bring down the reciprocating rocker 202, forcing it to rotate on the rocker pivot 212, in turn pulling up piston 206’ and its connected treadle 208’.

The lowest and highest points of reciprocating travel for the treadles 208, 208’ are depicted in Figure 4A as distance Z, while the lowest and highest points of piston travel are depicted as distance γ. Likewise, the offset elevation of the treadle and rocker pivots 212, 214, is shown as distance x.

Footplates 220 are shown at the distal end of each treadle, to minimize slipping when pumping, on both Figures 3 and 4A.

A human-powered pump assembly includes a frame and a treadle pivot attached to the frame, such that the treadle pivot defines a horizontal rotational axis. The pump assembly includes a pair of treadles coupled to the treadle pivot and a rocker pivot attached to the frame, such that the rocker pivot defines a separate horizontal rotational axis. The pump assembly includes a reciprocating rocker coupled to the rocker pivot and to the pair of treadles to constrain the motion thereof, such that the rocker pivot axis is located below the treadle pivot axis. [Abstract US8770954B2]

References

Kickstart International Inc.

http://kickstart.org/

UNFAO (United Nations Food & Argriculture Organization) Kay, M. & T. Brabben (Oct. 1, 2000) Treadle Pumps for Irrigation in Africa. IPTRID - International Programme for Technology and Research in Irrigation and Drainage - Knowledge Synthesis Report.
h ttp://www.fao.org/3/X8293E/X8293E00.htm

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Oh, patents! Elissabide’s espadrille improvements (2)

JRB Elissabide filed many improvements for the rope-soled and canvas espadrille. This footwear, considered casual or summer shoes, is one of the Basque region’s flagship products, worn and loved in many places worldwide.

The improvement disclosed in 1948, in FR972184, titled Semelle de corde à épaisseur constante, concerns manufacture and composition of espadrille rope soles.

According to the disclosure of the invention, the prior art of rope soles was such that espadrille soles flattened out very swiftly under the repeated pressure of impact with the ground. That is, an unworn espadrille sole might measure 1 centimeter and flatten down to 4 or 5 millimeters within a few days. The soles lost their thickness because the strands of the rope were braided with a core consisting of textile alfa or jute fibers, which offered no resilience upon repeated impact with the ground.

The invention disclosed in FR927184 thus consists in replacing the core of textile materials within the braid with natural or synthetic rubber strands, or in some variations of the invention, using just the rubber strands.

Following statement of the above identified wear problem, and a brief description of how the proposed invention remediates, the patent further discloses a 4-step manufacturing process The 4-step process claims patenting rights on: (1) the formula of the rubber mixture for the new rubber core, (2) the process of manufacturing the core rubber strands of various diameters out of the rubber mixture produced, (3) the production of the braiding using both the rubber core and outer textile strands, and finally (4) the manufacture of the soles, using the rubber core strands, with or without outer textile braiding.

The resulting product of the invention is then purported to be an espadrille with an unprecedented soft or cushy sole, whose wear or thickness remains constant across time --at least well until the rest of the espadrille falls apart.

This patent does not include any drawings of the manufacturing processes.

Friday, September 4, 2015

Oh, patents! Perugia's sandals

Perugia filed many design patents for sandals (e.g.; USD91728, USD92201, USD92020, USD95776, USD 103594) and mules (e.g.; USD92204, USD 96127, USD 96128). Perugia also filed utility patents for sandals, improvements to sandals and sandal strap inventions.

In FR1169315, for example, titled Perfectionnements apportées aux chaussures feminines dites nus-pieds, Perugia’s improvement invention for sandals consisted in a small bumper, placed at the tip of the shoe, to prevent the foot from slipping past the end of the sole, while avoiding to cover the foot with much more shoe material.

The included patent Figure, extracted from FR1169315, shows the small bumper positioned at the tip of the sandal, against which the big toe is resting. This sandal improvement utility patent was awarded on September 8, 1958.

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Oh, patents! Perugia’s improved fasteners

To fasten shoes with laces, bows or cords of any sort, the state of the art in 1930 was small metal eyelets or hooks, through which the laces, bows or cords were threaded or hooked. This caused the laces to wear out quite fast and consisted in an additional manufactured part.

Perugia offered to improve the state of the art with tabs cut out of the shoe vamp that were then folded back and sewn in place. This was deemed far more aesthetic, and it caused less wear and was easier to produce. The tabs could be folded back on top of the shoe or tucked in on the inside the shoe.

To the right, a Figure drawing extracted from FR680710, that shows the tabs folded back and sewn in place. This was a French improvement patent, titled “Perfectionennements à la fabrication des chaussures”, awarded to Perugia on Jan 3, 1930.

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Oh, Patents! Perugia’s heel construction

FR595482 - Fig. 1

Many of Perugia’s patents are heel-related. This is probably because in 1925 Perugia actually changed the way women's heels were previously constructed.

FR595482 - Fig. 4

In the 1925 French patent, FR 595482, Perugia disclosed the sheet metal housing of a shoe heel (Fig. 1), designed to receive two parts of a heel made of wood and assembled in a "T" shape (Fig. 4). This invention replaced the former method of heel construction consisting in nailing or gluing leather around a single block of wood, carved into the shape of a heel. The problematic situation consisted in the expense and time it took to carve the single piece of wood-block heel, and then to wrap it in leather, and to attach part of the shoe sole at the connection point with the rest of the shoe.

Perugia changed the former art, by designing a metal housing for two blocks of wood assembled as an angled “T” shaped heel (Fig 4). The metal housing could additionally be fashionably enameled to bypass covering it with leather. The empty spaces inside the housing could be filled with cork or other materials, and the metal housing was held together with metal threads or fasteners.

The invention thus afforded both a much lighter heel than single-block wooden heels. And, compared to a housing heel with no wood blocks inside, it also offered a more resistant heel as it still enclosed the wooden T-shaped blocks. The scope of the invention also extended to all sorts of heels, beyond women’s high heels.

FR608988 - Fig 4

A year later, Perugia filed an improvement to his novel heel construction invention. This improvement, disclosed in FR608988, consisted in changing the ergonomic shape of the two pieces of wood, assembled as a “T” within the metal housing (Figure 4]. Essentially, the horizontal block of wood was fabricated in an augmented size, to provide more anchoring when attached to the heel part of the shoe, and the vertical block was more beveled to better accommodate the increased surface of the horizontal block and it's shape.

Both of these two early patents awarded in France to Perugia, in 1925 and 1926, were almost concurrently re-filed in the USA (as US1809918 and US1642889), in Switzerland (as CH124341 and CH118696), in Canada (as CA274538 and CA264938) and in Austria (AT108548 and AT106112), which suggests how important they were to the manufacture of shoe heels.

From then on, Perugia filed many more heel patents: design patents draping the metal housing “turban-style” (USD111857, USD112086 USD111858), and many additional utility patents such as the whimsical “music box heel” patent (FR625731) or a new heel height patent (US2465817), and a famous heel customization (US2795866) patent.

Friday, July 17, 2015

Oh patents! The 21st century Peugeot pepper mill

Many, though not all of the 21^st century condiment, salt and pepper mills look and work exactly like the original 1878 Peugeot patented improvement on pepper mills, that is, without a crank handle, using an integrated spindle with a cross-bar and nut, which is battery or manually operated. And, most importantly, the condiment mills that spice our fare stand vertical and perpendicular to a tabletop.

In the tradition of the 1878 patented Peugeot peppermill improvement, a new Peugeot peppermill patent was granted in 2014, and this pepper mill lies horizontal and parallel to the tabletop! Indeed, almost 150 years after the original 1878 patent, Peugeot, having merged with Citroen (and acquired Chrysler!), the company now called Peugeot Citroen Automobiles, S.A. applied for the French patent FR2995514 titled Condiment Mill.

FR2995514, the 21^st century Peugeot patent, addresses two issues in condiment dispensing: the grinds that spill and soil a countertop after grinding, and control over the amount of condiment dispensed from the mill. Indeed, when grinding pepper or other condiments with a vertical mill, there is really no way to control the amount of the condiments dispensed. Even with a small built-in light that is included in many battery-operated mills, designed both to illuminate the area that is sprinkled and to provide some feedback on the amount of the output, it is impossible to measure the amount dispensed, for example in ¼ teaspoons.

So the new 21st century Peugeot mill dispenses pepper horizontally on an attached spoon-like receptacle or extension, enabling users to then sprinkle and control the amount of pepper or other condiments dispensed, ounce ground.

In another aspect of the 21st century Peugeot invention, the horizontal design also specifically addresses the issue of spilt grinds soiling a counter top, since all of the grinds are captured onto the receptacle (spoon-like) extension.

1878 upside down embodiment

The horizontal take on spilt grinds actually also comes as an alternative solution to the one designed 150 years earlier. Indeed, the 1878 Peugeot solution to spilt grinds then consisted in provisions for the mill to be designed with the grinder on the top of the mill. Thus, when the pepper mill was designed with the spindle-crossbar and nut mechanism on the bottom of the mill, and the grinder on the top, it was provided in the 19^th century patent that one embodiment of the1878 improved peppermill would be stored vertically on its head, and flipped upside down when used, thus resolving the issue of spilt grinds, as shown just above in the1878 figure drawing. A solution, which is, in fact and incidentally, retained in 21st century electric Trudeau pepper mills, for example!

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Below, you will find included the English Abstract for FR2995514, the 21^st century Peugeot Citroen Automobile S.A. patent, titled Condiment Mill, as well as one of the patent figure drawings, and an image of the manufactured horizontal product marketed by the Peugeot Design Lab.

The assembly has a grain tank and an electric crushing mechanism (2) placed in a hollow tubular body (1). A receptacle (5) is located in an extension of the tubular body for collection of grinds. A condiment mill rests on a base (6) in a lying position. The receptacle is obtained by a scalp of the tubular body. The condiment mill comprises a wheel (3) for controlling the crushing mechanism that closes the grain tank at an end, which is opposite to that of an exit surface of the crushing mechanism. The mill is provided with a cap carrying a control button. [Abstract FR2995514]

2014 horizontal condiment mill embodiment

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Pepper anyone?

References

Condiment Mill - Applicant Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA, inventor Damien Deberdt
FR2995514 granted 2 – 21 – 2014 (horizontal pepper mill)

Peugeot Mills and Grinders

http://www.peugeot.com/en/design/concept-peugeot-design-lab/peugeot-mills-and-grinders

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Oh, patents! A perfect wedding gift…

Which belated wedding gift for a pair of 30-something lovebird design-professionals, nesting in NYC’s village…?

How about a pair of electric Peugeot Citroen Pepper and Salt Mills! Yes, patented and manufactured by Peugeot Citroen Automobile SA, the famous French car manufacturer with the lion coat of arms -- second largest car manufacturer of Europe, and also boasting 200 years of design experience in pepper mills and coffee grinders!

The original Peugeot pepper grinder dates back to the end of the 19^th century! According to US 210837 A, titled Improvement in combined pepper mill and caster, corresponding to the French Letters Patent No. 210837, granted on Dec. 17, 1878, the original Peugeot pepper mill was designed as an improvement on existing pepper mills operated with a small crank handle rotating the grinding cone. The inventor was Pierre Chalas, who assigned his invention to Peugeot Frères, all residing in Valentigney, France, known as the birthplace of the Peugeot company in 19^th century France.

The patented improvement of the pepper mill consisted in connecting the grinding cone to the body of the pepper mill, with a spindle, crossbar and nut, on the top, or bottom, of the mill (depending on the configuration), so that instead of cranking the mill, with a crank handle, to grind the pepper (which is not the easiest manipulation). the user just needs to twist the top, or the bottom of the mill, to actuate the grinding cone.

To date, this inventive improvement in the operation of the grinding mechanism still informs the design of Peugeot pepper, salt and condiment mills (as well as many replicas). Some of the mills today are also still made of wood, others are lacquered or made of plastic and other materials, just as envisioned in the specifications of variation, cited as “glass, wood, porcelain or other suitable material” in the original 1878 patent.

A century plus more later, the Peugeot spindle is sometimes electrically driven, which makes it even easier to grind pepper, salt and other condiments, in the spirit of the 1878 inventive improvement in user-friendliness.

Incidentally too, the Peugeot pepper mill invention serves as a fantastic example of an improvement counting as an invention -- despite the apparent contradiction of terms. That is, an improvement that has successfully passed all three criteria of patentability, namely novelty, inventive step and usefulness.

Below, you will see two of the original 1878 patent drawings for the Letters Patent No. 210837, granting a patent to P. Chalas, on Dec. 17, 1878, Assignor to Peugeot Frères.

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With a lifetime warranty on the grinding mechanism, the Peugeot salt and pepper mills could drive the salt and pepper in all the happy couple’s recipes… Truly a perfect gift to accompany a beautiful lifetime of sprinkles and happiness! Xox

Reference

Improvement in combined pepper mill and caster

US 210837 A – Letter Patent No. 210837 granted Dec. 17, 1878 to Pierre CHALAS (Valentigney France) and assigned to Peugeot Frères (of same place) – Original of Peugeot manufacturer

Peugeot Mills and Grinders
http://www.peugeot.com/en/design/concept-peugeot-design-lab/peugeot-mills-and-grinders