Patents Issued the Week of March 31-April 4

4.7.25

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. D1,068,439 entitled “Utility Enclosure Locking Mechanism” issued April 01, 2025 to Hydrocowl, Inc. d/b/a Safe-T-Cover of Nashville, Tennessee. Invented by Cary Eugene Wiley of Marietta,, Georgia. Claims: The ornamental design for a utility enclosure locking mechanism as shown and described.

U.S. Patent No. 12,264,443 entitled “Removing Earth Working Method with a Removing Tool Offset Obliquely with Respect to the Propulsion Direction, and Earth Working Machine Embodied to Execute the Method” issued April 01, 2025 to Wirtgen GmbH of Windhagen, Germany. Invented by Sebastian Winkels of Windeck, Germany. Abstract: The present invention relates to an earth working method for removing earth material by means of a tool (14) rotating around a working axis (R); the rotating tool (14) being carried by a machine frame (20) of an earth working machine (10); the machine frame (20) standing on a substrate (U) by way of a rollable propelling unit (13) and being driven by a propulsion drive apparatus (25, HM) to perform a propelled motion relative to the substrate (U) in a propulsion direction (VR); the propulsion direction (VR) enclosing with the working axis (R) an angle (β) different from 90°; and the present invention further relates to an earth working machine embodied to execute the earth working method.

U.S. Patent No. 12,262,814 entitled “Storage Shelf Moving Device and System issued April 01, 2025 to Ingram Book Group LLC of LaVergne, Tennessee. Invented by Zoran Belevski also of LaVergne, Tennessee. Abstract: A storage shelf moving device is disclosed herein and may include a plurality of moving devices. Each of the plurality of moving devices includes a main body and a wheel assembly. The main body includes an elongate portion and an end plate oriented substantially perpendicular to the elongate portion. The elongate portion may be operable to selectively couple to the storage shelf. The wheel assembly may be coupled to the main body and include an extendable support and a wheel rotatably mounted at a lower end of the extendable support. The storage shelf moving system may be operable to lift the storage shelf from the ground surface when the extendable supports of each of the plurality of moving devices are extended.