Patents Issued the Week of December 30-January 3

1.2.25

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 15 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. 12,179,535 entitled “Automotive Construction Machine, as well as Lifting Column for a Construction Machine” issued December 31, 2024 to Wirtgen America, Inc. of Antioch, Tennessee. Invented by Peter Busley of Linz/Rhein, Germany and Gunter Tewes of Unkel/Rhein, Germany. Abstract: Disclosed is an automotive road construction machine, particularly a recycler or a cold stripping machine, comprising an engine frame that is supported by a chassis, a working roller which is stationarily or pivotally mounted on the engine frame and is used for machining a ground surface or road surface. The chassis is provided with wheels or tracked running gears which are connected to the engine frame via lifting column and are vertically adjustable relative to the engine frame. Each individually vertically adjustable lifting column is equipped with a device for measuring the actual vertical state of the lifting column.

U.S. Patent No. 12,185,516 entitled “Apparatuses, Systems, and Methods for Protection Against the Effects of an Electromagnetic Pulse” issued December 31, 2024 to Jacob Weber of Nashville, Tennessee. Also invented by Jacob Weber. Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods for protection against the effects of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP). A system for protecting against an EMP may include an electronic device, a conductive element, and a connector apparatus coupleable between the electronic device and the conductive element. The conductive element may include a housing having a first end and a second end, the first end coupleable to the electronic device and the second end coupleable to the conductive element, a signal wire extending at least partially through the housing which conveys at least one signal between the first end and the second end, a grounding wire coupleable to the signal wire, and at least one suppression element coupleable to at least one of the signal wire and the grounding wire. A casing may receive at least a portion of the electronic device.

U.S. Patent No. 12,179,209 entitled “Crushing Plant” issued December 31, 2024 to Kleemann GmbH of Göppingen, Germany. Invented by Till Krauss of Rechberghausen, Germany and Jochen Meier of Hülben, Germany. Abstract: The invention relates to a crusher plant, in particular a jaw crusher, including a crushing unit for crushing mineral material, the crushing unit comprising a crushing chamber, to which a crusher outlet is assigned, via which crushed material exits the crushing chamber, at least one actuator being provided, by which the opening size of the crusher outlet is adjustable in the event of an overload situation in the crushing unit, in order to discharge faulty material from the crushing chamber, a belt conveyor being provided after the crusher outlet in the material conveying direction, faulty material being transportable by the belt conveyor from the crusher outlet, following an overload situation, toward a transfer end of the belt conveyor, a detection device being provided, by which the overload situation of the crushing unit or an operating change of the crushing unit brought about as a consequence of the overload situation is detected and an overload signal is then generated, and a control device controlling the belt conveyor and/or monitoring the faulty material transported on the belt conveyor by taking into account the overload signal. According to the invention, it is thus possible to restore the operational readiness of the crushing plant quickly and in a simple manner following the occurrence of an overload situation.

U.S. Patent No. 12,108,686 entitled “Paramagnetic Hexagonal Metal Phase Coupling Spacer” issued December 31, 2024 to International Business Machines Corporation of Armonk, New York. Invented by Alexander Reznicek of Troy, New York; Matthias Georg Gottwalk and Stephen L. Brown of Carmel, New York. Abstract: A top pinned SAF-containing magnetic tunnel junction structure is provided that contains a coupling spacer composed of a paramagnetic hexagonal metal phase material that has a stoichiometric ratio of Me.sub.3X or Me.sub.2X, wherein Me is a magnetic metal having a magnetic moment and X is a metal that alloys with Me in a hexagonal phase and dilutes the magnetic moment of Me. In embodiments in which a Me.sub.3X coupling spacer is present, Me is cobalt, and X is vanadium, niobium, tantalum, molybdenum or tungsten. In embodiments in which a Me.sub.2X coupling spacer is present, Me is iron and X is tantalum or tungsten. The coupling spacer is formed by providing a material stack including at least a precursor paramagnetic hexagonal metal phase material forming multilayered structure that includes alternating layers of magnetic metal, Me, and metal, X, and then thermally soaking the material stack.