 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
THE HUMBLE BEGINNINGS: In May 1993, InventionMakers™ was started in Gainesville, Florida by Gary Ragner with the goal to assist private inventors with engineering, prototyping, manufacturing and marketing their inventions. InventionMakers™ worked with many inventors to develop their inventions and also to co-invent with them. Soon after starting business the 5-Function Nozzle was co-invented by Gary Ragner and Robert deRochemont, Jr. and patented on April 2, 1996, the companies second patent US Patent No. 5,502,870. Back at that time the nozzle was called the “5-Function Vacuum Nozzle.” In the following years the 5-Function Nozzle went through many changes and prototypes until twelve functions were provided by the Nozzle and InventionMakers™ proceeded to further develop the 5-Function Nozzle, as it looked for a manufacturer to provide cost sharing. In 1999, Invention Makers™ began talks with Tacony Corporation, which manufacture the Riccar and Simplicity lines of vacuums. InventionMakers™ track record is one of the highest in the industry with 50% of all patents secured by InventionMakers™ have been Sold or Licensed to other companies.
On July 6, 2000, Invention Makers™ entered into contract with Tacony Corporation to manufacture the 5-Funtion Vacuum Nozzle. By this time it was realized that the nozzle actually had more functions and the nozzle was being called the “8-Function vacuum Cleaner Nozzle.” Over the next 18 months Tacony and Invention Makers™ developed the nozzle even further, adding more functions until the T-12 was developed.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE START OF RAGNER MANUFACTURING, LLC:
During this time Ragner Manufacturing, LLC was founded on August 31, 2001, by Gary Ragner and Robert deRochemont, Jr., as a spin-off from Invention Makers™. The rights to the Nozzle patent was transferred to Ragner Manufacturing while InventionMakers™ continued to provide assistances with development, and manufacturing of the T-12 until Ragner Manufacturing was able to support its own operating costs. Ragner Manufacturing, LLC has quickly moved into the marketplace with the Transformer 12-in-1 vacuum nozzle (T-12) and has two OEMs using the nozzle on their machines.
Also during 2001, Ragner and deRochemont were working together on developing a self-retracting vacuum hose for a vacuum cleaner. After finishing this vacuum hose design, Mr. Ragner set out to preparing the patent documents. While writing the patent application, Mr. Ragner realized that if the biasing of the spring was reversed and the hose were redesigned to handle pressure instead of a vacuum, he would have a self-extending hose that could be used as a garden hose. Mr. Ragner proceeded to add this version of the “Hose” to the patent application as an alternate version of a controllable hose. After finishing the patent application, Mr. deRochemont received a copy of the application for signing, and wondered what this new hose was (the Microhosetm). Mr. Ragner attempted to explain the physics of this new garden hose design, but as Mr. deRochemont later explained, “At the time I didn’t quite understand how the hose would work, but Mr. Ragner seemed quite excited about it”. The hose application was filed and the Patent and Trademark Office later separated the vacuum hose and pressure hose versions into two distinct inventions, with the vacuum hose invention becoming US Patent No. 6,948,527 and the pressure hose invention (Microhosetm) becoming US Patent No. 7,549,448.
By 2004, the “Extendable Pressure Hose” had been pushed to the side by other projects, and Ragner Manufacturing was working on a novel vacuum cleaner and vacuum nozzle design that they were going to present to EuroProtm. The executives at EuroPro had asked for a quick presentation of some of our technologies. Mr. Ragner had decided before hand to at least describe the Extendible Garden Hose invention if there was time. Mr. deRochemont gave the presentation, and the President of EuroPro listened attentively to the different technologies. Some he liked, and some he didn’t appear very interested. After finishing the planned presentation there was one last call for any other inventions. Mr. Ragner decided to present the “Extendable Pressure Hose” concept and proceeded to explain how the hose would extend by itself when water pressure was introduced into the hose and then retract by itself by when the water pressure was removed. The President of EuroPro had been relatively quiet until this point, but when he heard about this hose, “his eyes lit up”, as Mr. deRochemont described it. Mr. Ragner was questioned as to how we knew this “hose” would work since no prototypes had been made yet. Mr. Ragner’s response was simply, “physics”. With a little more explanation EuroPro became interested in seeing a prototype. It was also at this time that Mr. deRochemont became very interested in understanding how this “Garden Hose” worked, and Mr. Ragner and Mr. deRochemont talked about the Extendible Hose all the way back to Florida.
Toward the end of December 2004 prototypes of the Extendible Pressure Hose had been made and testing began in early January 2005. While EuroPro never followed through with their interest in the Extendible Pressure Hose, they had started the fire that would drive the creation of MicroHose, LLC in 2009.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE BEGINNING OF MICROHOSE, LLC:
On January 1, 2010, MicroHose, LLC was incorporated becoming MicroHose, Inc. and is presently working on production equipment and organizing suppliers. The estimated start date for production is June 2010.
MicroHose, LLC has a diverse staff, with decades of experience in Engineering, Business Management, Marketing, and Production operations. In 2009 MicroHose’s purchased a 48,000 square foot manufacturing building, which is in the process of being fitted for production.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
