ROBERT W HOFFMAN, D.O.
Osteopathic Medicine at 12 Ave, Miami, FL

5522445, Jun 4, 1996

Aug 31, 1994

8/298657

Robert E. Hoffman - Coral Gables FL

E05D 1500, E06B 348, A47H 1300

160183

An accordion fold panel closure, formed of numerous, vertically extending, narrow, hingedly connected blades is suspended from an upper track and has its lower edge engaged within a lower guide track. An extruded channel is formed to function either as an upper or lower track. The channel includes a base, integral side walls, and opposing flanges which partially cover the mouth of the channel. One of the flanges is provided with a laterally opening groove. The lower edges of the panel, at the hinge points, are provided with guide pins that extend into the lower track. The guide pins have laterally extending washers which fit into the groove of one of the flanges and are overlapped by the opposite flange. The track also includes interior wheels receiving channels so that support members having a pair of wheels may be arranged within the upper track for suspending the panel therefrom. The lower pins and their washers may be moved laterally into and out of the groove but always overlapped by the opposite flange, to prevent the panel lower edge from being blown in one direction or sucked in the opposite direction by corresponding positive or negative high wind velocity forces such as that caused by a gale or a hurricane.

5515902, May 14, 1996

Nov 4, 1994

8/334140

Robert E. Hoffman - Coral Gables FL

E06B 312

160235

A shutter is formed of a number of horizontally elongated slats which are pivotally connected together along their adjacent elongated edges so that shutter may be rolled up to expose, or rolled down, to form a panel covering an opening in a building wall. The slats are formed of roughly rectangular in cross-section hollow extrusions having upper and lower edges. Notches are formed in the upper and lower edges to provide upperwardly and downwardly extending tongues on each of the slats. The tongues fit into the notches of the next adjacent slat for overlapping the adjacent tongues. An upwardly extending flange having a hook formation on its end, is formed on the upper edge of each slat and fits into the notch of the lower edge of the next upper slat and pivotally engages a corresponding hook formed on the upper slat. A rigid, elongated insert, formed of a substantially stronger material than the slat material, is snugly fitted within the hollow interior of the slat. The insert is formed in the shape of the interior of the slat and has flange portions that extend into the upper and lower tongues of the slat.

5474118, Dec 12, 1995

May 31, 1994

8/251291

Robert E. Hoffman - Coral Gables FL

E06B 306

160235

A roll-type shutter is formed of a number of horizontally elongated shutters, arranged one above the other, hingedly connected together along their adjacent edges for rolling the shutter up or extending it downwardly to form a panel. Each shutter is provided with an upper and lower cavity or channel within which a separate connector member is inserted. The connector members in each cavity are provided with generally L-shaped or hook-like internal portions which engage correspondingly shaped projections formed integrally within the interior of the respective channels so that the connectors are snugly fitted within and engaged against the interior walls of their channels. Each connector has an outer, that is, an upwardly or downwardly, respectively, arranged bent hook portion for engaging the corresponding hook portion of the next connector. The separate connectors extend substantially the full length of each of the slats and reinforce and rigidify the upper and lower edges of each of the slats. Since the slats are narrow, in effect, the shutter panel is divided with a series of horizontal lines of stiffening or reinforcement, which are relatively close together, formed by the connectors so as to resist penetration of the panel by forcefully applied objects.

5426893, Jun 27, 1995

May 26, 1994

8/249713

Robert E. Hoffman - Coral Gables FL

E06B 332

49464

A storm panel is formed of a large number of elongated, narrow, thin panel sections that are arranged along a common plane and are connected together edge-to-edge. Each section has an integral flange forming a tongue extending along one of its longitudinal edges. Also, each panel has a pair of approximately parallel spaced apart flanges formed integral with its opposite edge to provide a channel of a depth and width for tightly receiving a tongue. The tongue of each section is manually fitted within and tightly held within the channel of the next adjacent section. The overlapping, narrow flanges forming the tongues and grooves at each adjacent pair of section edges provide a three-layer, narrow, bar-like reinforcement strip extending the full length of the panel. The series of reinforcement strips formed along the assembled panel, stiffen, strengthen and increase the resistance of the panel to penetration by forcefully applied objects, such as wind hurled debris during storms.

5855099, Jan 5, 1999

Mar 14, 1997

8/818302

Robert E. Hoffman - Coral Gables FL

E06B 902

52202

A sectional storm panel for covering an opening in a building is formed of a plurality of vertically elongated, narrow, corrugated panel sections that are manually assembled, in edge to edge relationship, from the interior of the building, from each side edge of the opening towards the opposite side edge to form a pair of co-planar panel portions that are spaced apart. The space between the panels is covered by a separate cover section that is inserted through the space, from the interior of the building to the outside of the building, and then positioned manually so that its vertical edges overlap the adjacent panel section vertical edges that define the space between the panel sections. The sections extend between a lower rail and an upper rail secured to the lower and upper edges of the opening, respectively. Removable mechanical fasteners are manually applied, from the interior of the building, to fasten the sections to the lower rail as they are assembled to form the panel portions and to secure the cover section in its place.

5611383, Mar 18, 1997

Apr 5, 1996

8/630938

Robert E. Hoffman - Coral Gables FL

E06B 908

160133

A roll-up shutter is formed of numerous, identical, horizontally elongated slats each having a pair of oppositely and downwardly extended hooks formed on its upper edge and a downwardly opening groove on its lower edge for receiving the hooks of the next adjacent slat. The lower edges of the walls forming the groove in each slat are bent inwardly and upwardly to provide inner channels. The pair of hooks of one slat are normally engaged within the corresponding pair of channels of the next adjacent slat. The hook and channel on one side of each slat are arranged at a higher level than the corresponding hook and channel on the other side of each slat. When the shutter is opened, to cover a window or doorway opening, the engaged hooks and slats, which extend substantially along the full width of the shutter, form horizontally arranged, bar-like reinforcements for the shutter. When the shutter is rolled-up, the slats pivot about the hook and channel engagements located at the inner curvature of the rolled shutter while the hooks and channels located on the outer curvature of the rolled shutters move apart to permit pivoting.

5322108, Jun 21, 1994

Oct 4, 1993

8/131001

Robert E. Hoffman - Coral Gables FL

E06B 306

160236

A two-section slat for use in a roll-type shutter is formed of a channel-shaped extrusion section having a hook formation at its upper end and a receiving channel for the next slat hook along its lower edge. The channel is overlapped by a cover section which is engaged and interlocked with the channel section at the upper edge, lower edge and in the central portion of the cover section. The two sections are formed with interlocking means which hold the two sections together under resilient pressure to form a hollow, substantially rigid, flat bar. The cover section may have a preselected color or texture which differs from the color and texture of the channel section. Thus, the slat, having two different colors or textures can match the decor of a interior room of a dwelling while also matching the appearances of numerous shutters exposed to view on the exterior of the building.

5343924, Sep 6, 1994

Nov 24, 1993

8/158017

Robert E. Hoffman - Coral Gables FL

E06B 916

160235

A roll-up, horizontally elongated, slat-type blind is formed of elongated slats which are hingedly connected together along their longitudinal edges. The slats are formed with upper flanges that are bent into downwardly opening flange hooks which extend into channels formed on the lower edges of the next adjacent slats. Each channel has an upwardly opening hook formed on one wall of the channel, and an opposite wall portion adjacent the hook. The flange hooks are notched at their opposite ends and the portions of the channel wall which overlap the notches are bent into tabs which extend inwardly to close the channel and to engage the opposite ends of the notches of the hook portions. Thus, the flange hooks are precluded from shifting endwise by the tabs to, thereby, maintain the slats in alignment at all times.

5740850, Apr 21, 1998

Aug 6, 1996

8/693364

Robert E. Hoffman - Coral Gables FL

E05D 1526

160183

The opposite vertically elongated edges of a series of pivotly connected slats forming an accordion type folding shutter are provided with integral tubelike connector members. The slat integrally joins its outer member along a plane which is tangent to the outer surface of the outer member so that the extended adjacent pair of slats form a roughly ninety (90. degree. ) degree angle when the shutter is extended. Thus, the forces of impact applied against the shutter is absorbed by the crushing of the outer member towards and against and then with the inner member, in engagement between the adjacent inner and outer member beads and the partial transmission of forces through the adjacent portions of the slats for resisting separation of the adjacent slats and penetration of the force applying object.