Patents by Inventor John D. Wolverton

John D. Wolverton 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: 6230437
    Abstract: Plant stand which consists of a planter 21, a water reservoir 15 and an elastic seal 24, air intake pipes 16, an air pipe 9 with a fan 18. The planter has water holes 25 on the bottom, and air holes 26 on the side. The reservoir has an opening to hold the planter, and once the planter is in place a space is made between the reservoir and planter. The seal is flexible making it airtight between the reservoir and planter. The air intake pipes have their inlets at the upper part of the water reservoir. The air pipe is connected to the air intake pipe and has a fan to circulate air. It is effective for the plant stand to be equipped with a light source for illuminating plant and promoting photosynthesis. The light source also serves as a sterilizer of indoor air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Inventors: John D. Wolverton, Billy C. Wolverton, Hiroharu Mizukoshi
  • Patent number: 5433923
    Abstract: A room humidifier and air purifier withdraws air from ambient room atmosphere into a region having a living plant with its roots in a growing media of highly adsorbent activated carbon and zeolite; passing air preferably downward through such media and back into the air over hot light bulbs which destroy undesirable airborne mold spores. The light bulbs are also used to supply sufficient light for plant growth and aesthetics through indirect lighting on the plant leaves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1995
    Inventors: Billy C. Wolverton, John D. Wolverton
  • Patent number: 5351438
    Abstract: A planter container for growing a house plant in soil or a growth medium which contains multiple vent pipes extending vertically from the bottom to the top of the container. Air convection occasioned by the natural water transpiration processes of the growing plant is sufficient to cause polluted air flow through the vent pipes, and the vent pipes then enhance air flow throughout the root growth medium, exposing the air to large surface areas of plant root and biologically active growth medium for enhanced microorganism removal of volatile organic chemicals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1994
    Inventors: Billy C. Wolverton, John D. Wolverton
  • Patent number: 5269094
    Abstract: An apparatus for purifying waste water in an indoor environment is a container for holding the waste water to be treated together with at least one liner for receiving and holding an individual removable pot in which grows a house plant in a planting medium, typically expanded clay particles. The design of the container sets a constant interior water level. The support for the pots and the design of the pots then established the depth into this water level to which the growing medium and root structure of the chosen purification plants is immersed. INterlocking lips between the pot and the apparatus seal against the escape of odor producing gasses. The apparatus thus permits a wide variety of chosen house or office plants to be used for biological water purification, providing optimum growth conditions for any chosen plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1993
    Inventors: Billy C. Wolverton, John D. Wolverton
  • Patent number: 5217696
    Abstract: A lamp structure includes a base, with the base including an apertured periphery in communication with a support conduit chimney, with the support conduit chimney directed into a plant container, with the plant container further including a plurality of pneumatic feed conduits in pneumatic communication with the conduit chimney, and each feed conduit includes a matrix of apertures directed coextensively therethrough to direct air through a quantity of plant soil containing the pneumatic feed conduits for purification of the air as the air is by convection directed through the soil by an overlying lamp positioned within a reflective housing, with the reflective housing including a chimney coaxially aligned relative to the underlying plant container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1993
    Inventors: Billy C. Wolverton, John D. Wolverton