Patents by Inventor Joseph A. Thornton

Joseph A. Thornton 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: 11933021
    Abstract: This description provides an autonomous or semi-autonomous excavation vehicle that is capable of navigating through a dig site and carrying an excavation routine using a system of sensors physically mounted to the excavation vehicle. The sensors collect one or more of spatial, imaging, measurement, and location data representing the status of the excavation vehicle and its surrounding environment. Based on the collected data, the excavation vehicle executes instructions to perform an excavation routine by excavating earth from a hole using an excavation tool positioned at a single location within the site. The excavation vehicle is also able to carry out numerous other tasks, such as checking the volume of excavated earth in an excavation tool, navigating the excavation vehicle over a distance while continuously excavating earth from a below surface depth, and preparing a digital terrain model of the site as part of a process for creating the excavation routine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: BUILT ROBOTICS INC.
    Inventors: Noah Austen Ready-Campbell, Gaurav Jitendra Kikani, Andrew Liang, Pradeesh Suganthan, James Alan Emerick, Sarah Marie Thornton, Ammar Idris Kothari, Edward Joseph Garza
  • Publication number: 20240066542
    Abstract: An aerosol delivery system has an aerosol generator with a vibrating aperture plate (10) and an actuator (11, 16, 17, 19), a controller (18, 19). The controller in real time monitors (201) the aerosol generator as it is driven for vibration of the aperture plate, and detects (202) a change in an electrical characteristic in response to a transition from a wet state to a dry state of the aperture plate. It automatically modifies (203, 205, 206), during the transition, operation of the aerosol generator in response to the detected change. The modification includes reducing applied power (203). The controller continues (204) to monitor during the transition, including monitoring the aperture plate for presence of residual liquid on the aperture plate first surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: STAMFORD DEVICES LIMITED
    Inventors: Joseph GREHAN, Noel COYLE, Russell GREANEY, Stephen THORNTON
  • Publication number: 20190383086
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for an electrically powered hand tool which can be used to install a spline into the groove on a frame member of a screened-in porch or window screen wherein the tool uses a reciprocating roller to press the screen and spline into the groove of the frame member so that the screen can be secured to the frame member. The hand tool has a handle serving as a housing for an electric motor with a rotating output shaft connecting to a transmission for creating reciprocating motion of a drive shaft having a distal end supporting a rotatable wheel adapted to compress the spline in the groove containing a portion of the screen while the handle is moved along the spline in the groove by a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Charles Jeffery Estes, Guin Joseph Thornton
  • Patent number: 10443297
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for an electrically powered hand tool which can be used to install a spline into the groove on a frame member of a screened-in porch or window screen wherein the tool uses a reciprocating roller to press the screen and spline into the groove of the frame member so that the screen can be secured to the frame member. The hand tool has a handle serving as a housing for an electric motor with a rotating output shaft connecting to a transmission for creating reciprocating motion of a drive shaft having a distal end supporting a rotatable wheel adapted to compress the spline in the groove containing a portion of the screen while the handle is moved along the spline in the groove by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Inventors: Charles Jeffery Estes, Guin Joseph Thornton
  • Publication number: 20130104279
    Abstract: A repositioning garment. The garment may include garment portion for enclosing a portion of a wearer's body, and a panel, coupled to the garment portion, defining at least two compartments between the garment portion and the panel, wherein the at least two compartments are adapted to be expanded and collapsed independently of each other, and wherein the at least two compartments are disposed proximate a wearer's back when the garment is worn.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Inventors: Anthony Galli, JR., Joseph A. Thornton
  • Publication number: 20070086272
    Abstract: The use of a pressure compensation system and composite polymer materials results in a new type of outboard sensor assembly, of the type used to monitor the status and location of towed array systems from boats. The inventive system is lower in cost, easier to manufacture in quantity, lighter weight, less likely to leak, and with a lower failure rate than conventional systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Inventors: Joseph Thornton, Christopher Thornton, Shawn Arnett
  • Publication number: 20060262647
    Abstract: The use of a pressure compensation system and composite polymer materials results in a new type of outboard sensor assembly, of the type used to monitor the status and location of towed array systems from boats. The inventive system is lower in cost, easier to manufacture in quantity, lighter weight, less likely to leak, and with a lower failure rate than conventional systems. The pressure compensation system makes use of a two (or more) phase slurry system to provide temperature compensation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Publication date: November 23, 2006
    Inventors: Joseph Thornton, Christopher Thornton, Shawn Arnett
  • Patent number: 3950229
    Abstract: Adiponitrile is separated from impurities of boiling point close to that of adiponitrile, especially 5-cyanovaleric acid and 2-cyanocyclopenten-(1)-ylamine, by reacting the impurities with a primary or secondary amine to give compounds of higher boiling point and then fractionally distilling to separate the adiponitrile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1974
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1976
    Assignee: Imperial Chemical Industries Limited
    Inventors: Colin Moore, Michael Joseph Thornton