Patents by Inventor James E. McDowell

James E. McDowell 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: 5160013
    Abstract: An automatic bottle-turning machine is described in which filled water bottles are conveyed through an automatic turning apparatus that rotates them from an upright position onto their sides, and discharges them. Bottles enter a turning station which is laterally rotatable about a longitudinal axis, and is blocked at its distal end by an exit stop. Bottles are counted as they enter. When a predetermined count number is reached, bottle entry is stopped and the station rotates 90 degrees from its initial position to a second position. The exit stop is then deactuated and the turned bottles discharge. Bottles are counted as they exit. When the predetermined count number is reached, the station rerotates from the second position to the initial position, and the exit stop is reactuated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1992
    Assignee: McDowell International Packaging Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: James E. McDowell
  • Patent number: 5074103
    Abstract: An automatic bottle-loading machine is described in which filled water bottles are conveyed through an automatic turning apparatus to a loading station where the bottles rest on their sides. At the same time, an empty bottle rack is loaded into an elevator and automatically delivered to the loading station. A pusher mechanism automatically pushes bottles onto a shelf of the rack. The automatic procedure is repeated with successive shelves of the rack until the rack is filled. The filled rack is then discharged from the machine and the machine is ready for the next rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1991
    Assignee: Dowell International Packaging Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: James E. McDowell
  • Patent number: 4771743
    Abstract: A spark plug wire loom is described in which an axially rotatable support routes the wiring and keeps the wires separated. A tapered head mounts a separator to a T-nut mount so that the separator pops into place into a recess in the T-nut mount and is kept there.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1988
    Assignee: McDowell International Packaging Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: James E. McDowell
  • Patent number: 4170929
    Abstract: An apparatus for setting up folded cartons in which a frame has a folded carton magazine attached thereto adjacent a carton conveyor. A carton set-up station is mounted at one end of the conveyor adjacent the magazine, and the bottom carton in the magazine is grasped by suction cups and moved to the set-up station. The carton is set-up in the set-up station and fed to the conveyor as the minor flaps are folded, glued, and the major flaps folded, and finally, the major and minor flaps compressed for the glue to dry and the carton discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1977
    Date of Patent: October 16, 1979
    Inventor: James E. McDowell
  • Patent number: RE30921
    Abstract: An apparatus for setting up folded cartons in which a frame has a folded carton magazine attached thereto adjacent a carton conveyor. A carton set-up station is mounted at one end of the conveyor adjacent the magazine, and the bottom carton in the magazine is grasped by suction cups and moved to the set-up station. The carton is set-up in the set-up station and fed to the conveyor as the minor flaps are folded, glued, and the major flaps folded, and finally, the major and minor flaps compressed for the glue to dry and the carton discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1982
    Inventor: James E. McDowell