[NA] Looking for an entrepreneur . . .

dbahn

dbahn

Pattern Altitude
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Aug 28, 2007
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Vermont
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Display name:
Dave Bahnson
I've been working on a patent for a year and a half which has been finalized by the USPTO. I wanted to be sure it would be approved before I shared it with anyone, as the concept could have more easily have been infringed upon while it was in the "pending" stage. The next phase is engineering and manufacturing. As some of you know I was diagnosed with a highly malignant brain tumor in June and I had planned to move to the engineering/manufacturing phase but won't have nearly enough time to complete that. I'm looking for someone to take that process on in exchange for royalties on the device patent, which would be put into a trust for my heirs.

I've just uploaded an old video I made to explain it to the patent attorneys - before the patent was accepted by the USPTO. Here's the link to that video, and a photo of it is below. It's a very effective solution to the ever-present wobbling pedestal table in restaurants, homes, etc.


Demo jpg.jpg



Any serious takers? According to two attorneys I've worked with it at least has the potential to generate millions . . .









.
 
The video is not working for me. But there are a number of manufacturers who currently make supposedly self-leveling restaurant tables. If your design is superior, you might approach one of them to either take a license or just buy your patents. That would be a faster path to monetization than trying to commercialize it yourself.
 
I'll try to upload the video some other way. It's 111 Mb and too large to upload here. Right now I'm too mentally and physically exhausted waiting for side effects of radiation/chemo to wear off, which they say will still take a few weeks.

I've looked for an avenue to a list of table manufactures via Google but got overwhelmed with restaurant and furniture advertising sites, but that would certainly be a good start.
 
dbahn said:
According to two attorneys I've worked with it at least has the potential to generate millions . . .
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Have known several people who went the licensing/sale route to monetize their oil industry patents the quickest. As I recall they had their IP attorney initiate the contact to potential licensors/buyers.
 
Lindberg said:
What's the patent number?
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Here's what I have at this point. The attorney has been notified that it has been accepted and the formal patent number will be issued shortly. I don't know if any of these other numbers access the application or not. I should have the patent number very soon.

Patent conf.jpg
 
Different way to skin the cat.

Many of these style tables already have screw in adjustable pads on each foot. PITA to adjust, but does the trick.

Likely need one wedge on each foot. Usually the patent attorney can the legwork for licensing, just arrange his cut to either be a one-time up front fee for lead generation or contingent on lead generation turning to actual revenue from the license.
 
The device makes it unnecessary to adjust any of the other feet. It's sufficient to have the wedge be capable to move the height of its own leg go above or below the plane for the other three legs. In rare situations if that range is exceeded, you might need to adjust one of the other glides to compensate, but that would be very unlikely.
 
While it's not really what I primarily do as a business and management consultant, some of my consulting clients have patents for all sorts of things and they ask me to help them monetize them. Trying to sell the license is the faster, easier and safer way to do it vs. going to market with a product. Hardware (which this is) is, as the name suggests, hard (compared to launching a software product). Plus, there is lots of upfront capital needed, not just for the manufacturing but then as well distribution, marketing, sales, etc. If the patent has legs to stand on (no pun intended), you should be able to license it by putting in the legwork (puns everywhere here). If you really think it can sell for millions, and if you have the $$$ to pay someone for their time and effort, don't offer them royalties. It'll be cheaper in the long run for you (or your heirs) to pay once for services rendered vs. lifetime royalties. If you don't have the $$$ to pay someone upfront, you'll have to "sell" it to someone who will take on it for a royalty. That might be as hard (or harder) than selling the license in the first place.
 
Chrisgoesflying said:
While it's not really what I primarily do as a business and management consultant, some of my consulting clients have patents for all sorts of things and they ask me to help them monetize them. Trying to sell the license is the faster, easier and safer way to do it vs. going to market with a product. Hardware (which this is) is, as the name suggests, hard (compared to launching a software product). Plus, there is lots of upfront capital needed, not just for the manufacturing but then as well distribution, marketing, sales, etc. If the patent has legs to stand on (no pun intended), you should be able to license it by putting in the legwork (puns everywhere here). If you really think it can sell for millions, and if you have the $$$ to pay someone for their time and effort, don't offer them royalties. It'll be cheaper in the long run for you (or your heirs) to pay once for services rendered vs. lifetime royalties. If you don't have the $$$ to pay someone upfront, you'll have to "sell" it to someone who will take on it for a royalty. That might be as hard (or harder) than selling the license in the first place.
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I've been working on the royalties option all along but haven't found the right avenue(s) yet. The patent itself may end up being passed to my heirs to see if they can find a way.
 
eman1200 said:
https://www.tablejacks.com/

https://www.housedigest.com/1418368...k-table-stabilizer-after-shark-tank-season-6/
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I'm well aware of that device, which was patented about 10 years ago (and that I had seen in the patent search) but their web site apparently was started after I had already started working on mine, so I figured "why not?" It's been fun to develop and I think would be superior to the table jack but at this point I need to turn this version over to someone.
 
@dbahn - I'm interested. I'll DM you for more details and my credentials if you're still searching for a taker.

To the others...
It seems the natural reaction whenever someone proposes a new idea/device is someone saying: "but it already exists!"
Just because something exists doesn't mean it's been implemented and marketed well.
Hell, I went into aircraft spruce yesterday and they have 5 different brands of safety-wire pliers on the shelf. One of them existed first. I wonder why the 4 others even bothered making a product? Yet somehow they're apparently making enough money to justify doing it.
And for this issue, some solutions exist. And yet I'm sure I'll go a bar patio this weekend that has a wobbly table. There is still opportunity to build a better/cheaper mouse-trap that gets more adoption.
 
It looks like this is something that would be built into the table at the factory, not a retro fit / add on for existing tables.

Unless you want to manufacture tables yourself, seems like the best option would be to sell the rights to an existing table manufacturer. You could go to the local Waffle House, Texas Road House, whatever and look at their tables - might be able to see who makes them.

You could also make a few prototypes and have them field tested by a cooperative local restaurant. That would provide real world testimonials, as well as sort out any remaining durability, operator use issues, etc.
 
ArrowFlyer86 said:
@dbahn …..To the others...
It seems the natural reaction whenever someone proposes a new idea/device is someone saying: "but it already exists!"….
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my apologies for disseminating factual information. I didn’t mean to offend anyone. I wish dbahn the best of luck.
 
Because of this I've always wondered why 3 legged tables are not standard.
 
Lindberg said:
Because at a four-top, everyone would have a leg in their way.
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A center pole table having a 3 legged base at the bottom of the pole would reduce or eliminate that problem.
 
Didn't I see this on Shark Tank?
 
eman1200 said:
my apologies for disseminating factual information. I didn’t mean to offend anyone. I wish dbahn the best of luck.
Click to expand...
I don't know whom you offended, but it certainly wasn't me.
 
While waiting for @dbahn's device to come on-stream it might be worth noting that wobbly, square based, 4 legged tables can always be stabilized by turning them round about a vertical axis through the centre of the square base. Turn the table while testing the wobble here and there. I don't know about rectangular based ones. There may be exceptions when the floor is stepped but with a smoothly varying floor (no vertical steps) it always works.

It has worked immediately every time I have applied it. In practice no great precision is required. It seems (see video) that a turn of less than 90 degrees is always sufficient.

Obviously not applicable in all environments, say a formal restaurant with square or rectangular table tops. Take care not to upset the proprietor.

1724600697514.png

More on it below.



Strange but True: Turning a Wobbly Table Will Make It Steady

For every table—turn, turn, turn... there is a proof
www.scientificamerican.com www.scientificamerican.com
 
Where that approach will NOT work is with a smooth, level floor and a table with one leg shorter or longer than the others. This can and does happen quite often when a threaded leg adjusting pad gets tweaked, sometimes by someone just sliding the table across the floor.
 
If nothing else, the physical patent document is impressive! Much like how few people own aircraft, how many people own a patent?
 
GaryM said:
I have a few, but all owned by the companies that employed me

Owning one as an individual is both rarer and more impressive, I think
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I remember at Boeing, one of the engineers got a patent, which of course, Boeing owned. However he insisted on retaining the physical patent document.
 
Spring Ford said:
Obviously not applicable in all environments, say a formal restaurant with square or rectangular table tops. Take care not to upset the proprietor.
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That applies to most restaurants, particularly with outdoor seating. But most all restaurants don't have the leeway to rotate rectangular tables without creating more disorder.
 
murphey said:
I remember at Boeing, one of the engineers got a patent, which of course, Boeing owned. However he insisted on retaining the physical patent document.
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Boeing, at least the part I worked for, gives the inventors a nice plaque with the patent abstract screen printed on it. There are other benefits as well ;)

Nauga,
and his FIGJAM wall
 
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