Patents by Inventor Frank H. Erdman

Frank H. Erdman 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: 5542421
    Abstract: A non-invasive method and apparatus for sensing relative blood conditions in extremities, such as using photoelectric dermachromography to measure differential blood flow and/or pooling between extremities, for the purpose of diagnosing cardiovascular conditions. Reflective colorimeters are employed for performing comparative light reflection rheology (LRR). The resting, steady-state LRR for both the left and right palms are simultaneously measured when both arms are in a raised, steady-state condition, and again when both arms are in a lowered, steady-state condition, thereby providing a repeatable measurement of overall vasomotor tone, the tone of the smooth muscles of the arterial walls. Two portable light gauges are used, each including a plurality of light sources such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged around at least one light detector. Each gauge is removably attachable to the palms of the hands of the patient whose vasomotor tone is to be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1996
    Assignee: Frederick Erdman Association
    Inventor: Frank H. Erdman
  • Patent number: 5365924
    Abstract: A non-invasive method and apparatus for sensing relative blood flow to extremities, such as using photoelectric dermachromography to measure differential blood flow between extremities, for the purpose of diagnosing cardiovascular conditions, employs reflective colorimeters for performing comparative light reflection rheology (LRR) on blood flow to the extremities. The resting, steady-state LRR for both the left and right palms are simultaneously measured when both arms are in a raised, steady-state condition, and again when both arms are in a lowered, steady-state condition, thereby providing a repeatable measurement of overall vasomotor tone, the tone of the smooth muscles of the arterial walls. Two portable light gauges are used, each including a plurality of light sources such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged around at least one light detector. Each gauge is removably attachable to the palms of the hands of the patient whose vasomotor tone is to be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1994
    Assignee: Frederick Erdman Association
    Inventor: Frank H. Erdman
  • Patent number: 4355724
    Abstract: Apparatus for detecting whether the top panel of a container cap is properly depressed as capped containers are conveyed along a travel path. The apparatus is of the type comprising a floating shoe disposed over the travel path and carrying a proximity sensor. The shoe includes a reference portion arranged to be contacted by the caps to conform the shoe to the orientation of the cap. The floating shoe is mounted for lateral movement and includes guide flanges. The flanges extend generally fore-to-aft and are arranged to be contacted by the caps to shift the shoe laterally so as to position the proximity sensor over the same portions of successive caps. If caps of non-metallic material are being sensed, a metal spring member is carried by the shoe and is arranged to be contacted by the top panel of each cap and assume a spacing from the proximity sensor in accordance with the degree of depression of the top panel. The proximity sensor is directed toward the spring member to sense the latter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1982
    Assignee: Tropicana Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank H. Erdman, William Ellis
  • Patent number: 4037734
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for unloading a pallet stacked with inverted, bottom-open cases of bottles to be filled. The loaded pallet is placed on a pivotable support frame which embraces the top, bottom, and one or three sides of the loaded pallet, and the support frame and pallet are rotated through approximately ninety degrees. A hinged, fingered, platform on the pivotable support frame that embraces the top layer of cases of the pallet load is next rotated together with that layer through another 90.degree. arc, transferring the case to a succeeding hinged, fingered platform which, in turn, rotates the layer another 180.degree. (back to its original orientation). The transposed layer is then pushed onto a conveyor, the covering cartons removed, and the bottles conveyed to a filling machine. The fingered platforms return for another layer, repeating the cycle until all of the cases have been removed from the pallet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1977
    Assignee: Tropicana Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Frank H. Erdman
  • Patent number: 4020949
    Abstract: A bottle check detector is disclosed which detects both vertical and horizontal checks in the neck portion of a transparent glass bottle that may be of a rectangular half-gallon size, a circular half-gallon size, a round quart size or a square quart size. The check detector includes a continuously rotating head having infrared light emitters and receivers for detecting a wide range of horizontal and vertical checks. The emitters and receivers are pulsed and coupled to detect any checks. The head also includes downwardly extending fingers having reflecting surfaces thereon positioned below the plane of the bottle mouth to reflect the light reflected by generally vertical cracks upwardly to light receivers. Bottles are singularly advanced into an inspection position directly below the rotating head by an intermittently advancing conveyor having opposed lugs to space bottles from one another and to push them forwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1975
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1977
    Assignee: Tropicana Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Frank H. Erdman