Patents by Inventor H. Douglas Flom

H. Douglas Flom 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).

  • System for use in an assembly line
    Patent number: 6830145
    Abstract: A transfer system comprised of an air conveyor, a servo conveyor, and a fan feeder. In a typical configuration, the air conveyor is located at a first location where it receives packaged articles from a bagger system or a conveyor system. The servo conveyor abuts the air conveyor and extends to a second location adjacent to a destination point. The fan feeder is located adjacent to the servo conveyor at an end opposite the air conveyor. The fan feeder lies over a bucket conveyor for a cartoner system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: General Mills, Inc.
    Inventor: H. Douglas Flom
  • System for use in an assembly line
    Publication number: 20040050664
    Abstract: A transfer system comprised of an air conveyor, a servo conveyor, and a fan feeder. In a typical configuration, the air conveyor is located at a first location where it receives packaged articles from a bagger system or a conveyor system. The servo conveyor abuts the air conveyor and extends to a second location adjacent to a destination point. The fan feeder is located adjacent to the servo conveyor at an end opposite the air conveyor. The fan feeder lies over a bucket conveyor for a cartoner system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventor: H. Douglas Flom
  • System for use in an assembly line
    Patent number: 6612418
    Abstract: A transfer system comprised of an air conveyor, a servo conveyor, and a fan feeder. In a typical configuration, the air conveyor is located at a first location where it receives packaged articles from a bagger system or a conveyor system. The servo conveyor abuts the air conveyor and extends to a second location adjacent to a destination point. The fan feeder is located adjacent to the servo conveyor at an end opposite the air conveyor. The fan feeder lies over a bucket conveyor for a cartoner system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: General Mills, Inc.
    Inventor: H. Douglas Flom
  • Apparatus and methods for inserting premium items
    Patent number: 5752365
    Abstract: A bandolier (20) of serially connected premium items (18) are fed by a vacuum conveyor (26) to a rotary cutter (14), with the bandolier (20) being sandwiched against the vacuum conveyor (26) by an overhead conveyor (32). The shaft (40) of the rotary cutter (14) is rotated by a servo-motor (42) such that its blade (46) engages the bandolier (20) with a linear speed which cuts the initial item (18) from the bandolier (20) and pushes and accelerates the cut item (18) into a carton (52) moving in a carton path (53). The linear speed of the bandolier (20) in the feed path (27) is tied to the linear speed of the cartons (52) in the carton path (53) while rotation of the shaft (40) is controlled by an optical sensor (38) which senses movement of the bandolier (20) by the vacuum conveyor (26).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: General Mills, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce R. Johnson, H. Douglas Flom