Recently Issued Patents

3.18.22

Patent Protection & Registration

Patents grant property rights on new and useful inventions, allowing the patent holder to prevent others from using, making, or selling that invention without permission for a limited time. U.S. patents are permitted by the U.S. Constitution and are designed to promote scientific progress and invention. By allowing inventors to profit from licensing or selling their patent rights, inventors can recoup their research and development costs and benefit financially from their inventing efforts. There are three main types of patents utility, plant, and design. Utility and plant patents can last up to 20 years, while design patents can last up to 14 years. When a patent expires, the patented material enters the public domain, making it free to use by anyone without a license. U.S. patents are issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

U.S. Patent No. 11,273,502 entitled “Apparatus for Metal-Cutting Maching of Wear-Affected Bit Holders of Road Milling Machines and Use of an Apparatus for Overhauling Such Wear-Affected Bit Holders” issued March 15, 2022 to Wirtgen GmbH of Windhagen, Germany. Invented by Stefan Abresch of Dierdorf, Germany; Thomas Lehnert of Oberraden, Germany; Markus Reindorf of Aachen, Germany and Cyrus Barimani of Konigswinter, Germany. Abstract: An apparatus for metal-cutting machining of wear-affected bit-head-proximal end regions of bit holders of road milling machines encompasses: a rotary actuator having an output member rotating around an actuator rotation axis; at least one material-removing tool, rotatable around a tool rotation axis, which is coupled or couplable to the output member so as to rotate together; a positioning arbor, extending along an arbor axis, which is embodied for introduction into a bit receptacle opening of a bit holder and which comprises an abutment segment, located radially remotely from the arbor axis and facing away from the arbor axis in a direction having a radial component, which is embodied for abutment against an inner wall of the bit receptacle opening. A material-removing region, populated with cutting edges, of the material removing tool is arranged between the positioning arbor and the output member.

U.S. Patent No. 11,274,401 “Earth Working Machine” issued March 15, 2022 to Wirtgen GmbH of Windhagen, Germany. Invented by Sebastian Botius of Siegburg, Germany; Axel Mahlberg of Hennef, Germany; Stefan Scheer of Asbach/Hussen, Germany and Bjorn Buchholz of Koln, Germany. Abstract: The invention relates to an earth working machine (10), in particular a road milling machine, a stabilizer, or the like, having a milling drum (30) that is mounted rotatably on a machine frame (11) and is populated or populatable on its outer circumference with working tools (31); the working tools (31) being provided so as to come into contact, during working operation, with the ground that is to be worked in order to remove it; a drive unit (20) being provided which drives the milling drum (30) by means of a drive motor (21); an input drive shaft (33) that is couplable to the drive motor (21) being attached to the milling drum (30); and a ballast element, constituting a kinetic mass (57), being provided in order to increase the kinetic energy of the milling drum (30). In order to allow an earth working machine of this kind to be adapted in simple fashion to different milling applications, provision is made according to the present invention that the kinetic mass (57) is couplable to or decouplable from the rotatable milling drum (30), or a rotational member indirectly or directly coupled to the milling drum (30), via a shiftable coupling (55).

U.S. Patent No. 11,276,487 entitled “Systems and Methods for Providing Prescription Medication Delivery and Reminder Services” issued March 15, 2022 to ScriptDrop, Inc., of Nashville, Tennessee. Invented by Nicholas Potts also of Nashville, Tennessee. Abstract: Novel systems, methods, and devices for implementing prescription delivery and for providing medication reminders are provided. One system for providing a prescription medication delivery service operates by a server configured to receive a requested delivery signal including delivery coordinator information and prescription medication information. A physician device receives input relating to a selection of a prescription delivery option within a pharmacy dispensing system and transmits a corresponding request message associated with the prescription delivery option via the communication network. A prescription delivery service server configured receives the request message via the communication network and coordinates delivery of the prescription medication based at least in part upon the delivery coordinator and the prescription medication information.