Excerpts from The Elkharttruth.com
A Chicago firefighter is taking legal action against Elkhart Brass and two of its top executives, claiming the company has breached their contract by failing to properly manufacture, market, and sell a fire-fighting device he invented. He also accuses them of trying to falsely claim ownership of the invention.
The HERO (High-rise Emergency Response Offensive) Pipe is designed to be mounted on a window sill or floor below a fire that occurs above the 12th floor—too high for traditional ladder trucks to reach. It features a telescoping arm that extends upward, delivering water directly to the affected floor.
The lawsuit states that Michael Wielgat, now a captain, came up with the idea in 2004 after battling a massive fire at Chicago’s LaSalle Bank building, a 45-story structure where dozens of people were trapped above the 29th floor for hours. Firefighters struggled to access the upper floors, which inspired Wielgat to develop a new solution.
In 2007, the U.S. Patent Office issued Wielgat a patent for his invention. By 2010, after extensive testing with both the Chicago and New York fire departments, the FDNY requested modifications to the HERO Pipe, including a remote-controlled nozzle to better direct the water spray. Wielgat asked Elkhart Brass to provide such a monitor, and the tests proved successful, leading the FDNY to order four units.
In April 2010, Wielgat founded Hero Systems Inc. Later that year, Elkhart Brass's COO, Don Sjolin, approached him with an offer to manufacture the product, projecting sales exceeding $1 million in the first year and growing rapidly. In April 2011, the two parties signed a licensing and manufacturing agreement.
However, just a month before the agreement was finalized, Elkhart Brass reportedly filed patent applications for the HERO Pipe in both the U.S. and China, listing their own employees as inventors. This happened without Wielgat's knowledge, despite having shared all his design plans and engineering data with the company.
The lawsuit accuses Elkhart Brass, Sjolin, and CEO Hans Ashbaugh of conspiring to sabotage the product's success. They allegedly failed to promote the device, eventually terminated the agreement under false pretenses, and then began marketing it as their own invention. The relationship officially ended in December when Elkhart Brass stopped reimbursing Wielgat for expenses.
Hero Systems Inc. filed the lawsuit on January 9 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana in South Bend.
Thanks Dan
Brass Siphon,Brass Basin Bottle Trap,Luxury Basin Bottle Trap,Luxury Brass Bottle Trap
KAIPING LIPU SANITARY WARE CO.LTD , https://www.ebt-pro.com