Patents by Inventor Dennis J. Murdock

Dennis J. Murdock has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6997341
    Abstract: A vacuum driven pill counter having a counter housing with a pill discharge aperture formed therein. vacuum disk is rotatably positioned in the housing and has a front wall including a pill aperture and an agitating finger extending outwardly from the front wall. A vacuum source is positioned in communication with the housing and is capable of drawing a vacuum through the pill aperture in the vacuum disk. A torque source is operatively connected to the vacuum disk in order to rotate the vacuum disk. A pill shelf is positioned adjacent to the front wall of the vacuum disk and a pill separator for removing pills retained on the pill apertures by the vacuum source is connected to the pill shelf. Finally, a pill sensor is positioned to detect pills which will exit the discharge aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Pearson Research & Development, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Walter G. Pearson, Dennis J. Murdock, Todd R. Funderburk
  • Publication number: 20030111484
    Abstract: A vacuum driven pill counter having a counter housing with a pill discharge aperture formed therein. vacuum disk is rotatably positioned in the housing and has a front wall including a pill aperture and an agitating finger extending outwardly from the front wall. A vacuum source is positioned in communication with the housing and is capable of drawing a vacuum through the pill aperture in the vacuum disk. A torque source is operatively connected to the vacuum disk in order to rotate the vacuum disk. A pill shelf is positioned adjacent to the front wall of the vacuum disk and a pill separator for removing pills retained on the pill apertures by the vacuum source is connected to the pill shelf. Finally, a pill sensor is positioned to detect pills which will exit the discharge aperture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2002
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Inventors: Walter G. Pearson, Dennis J. Murdock, Todd R. Funderburk
  • Patent number: 6561377
    Abstract: A vacuum driven pill counter includes a counter housing with a pill discharge aperture formed therein. An integrally formed vacuum drum is rotatably positioned in the housing and the vacuum drum includes a front wall, a rear wall, and a perimeter wall. The front wall of the vacuum drum has a plurality of pill apertures formed therein. A vacuum source communicates with the housing such that the vacuum sources is capable of drawing a vacuum through the pill apertures formed in the vacuum drum and a torque source is operatively connected to the vacuum drum in order to rotate the vacuum drum. A pill shelf is positioned adjacent to the front wall of the vacuum drum and a pill separator removes pills retained on the pill apertures while a pill sensor detects pills which are removed by the pill separator and exit the discharge aperture. Additionally, the pill counter may include a pill feeder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Pearson Research & Development, LLC
    Inventors: Walter G. Pearson, Dennis J. Murdock
  • Patent number: 6286714
    Abstract: A pill dispensing system which includes a container constructed to hold a plurality of pills and that container includes a lower aperture and an upper portion. A pill lifting assembly located below the pill container includes a pill platform which lifts a pill into the upper portion of the container. A pill ejector is connected to the pill platform and the pill ejector places the pill into motion as the pill platform approaches the upper portion of the container. An exit passage communicates with the upper portion of the pill container and the exit passage is configured to receive a pill placed into motion by the ejector. A sensor is operatively connected to the exit passage such that the sensor is capable of detecting a pill moving through the exit passage. Finally, a micro-controller is operatively connected to the pill lifting assembly and the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Pearson Ventures, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Walter G. Pearson, Dennis J. Murdock
  • Patent number: 6250497
    Abstract: A pill dispensing system which includes a container constructed to old a plurality of pills and that container includes a lower aperture and an upper portion. A pill lifting assembly located below the pill container includes a pill platform which lifts a pill into the upper portion of the container. A pill ejector is connected to the pill platform and the pill ejector places the pill into motion as the pill platform approaches the upper portion of the container. An exit passage communicates with the upper portion of the pill container and the exit passage is configured to receive a pill placed into motion by the ejector. A sensor is operatively connected to the exit passage such that the sensor is capable of detecting a pill moving through the exit passage. Finally, a micro-controller is operatively connected to the pill lifting assembly and the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Pearson Ventures, LLC
    Inventors: Walter G. Pearson, Dennis J. Murdock