Patents by Inventor Norman E. NOVOTNEY

Norman E. NOVOTNEY 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).

  • Publication number: 20220008889
    Abstract: A change of state of weed seeds to having reduced germination viability in one minute by illuminating a seed in a processing theater to achieve at least one of 0.66 J/cm2 cumulative illumination energy, and 0.06 W/cm2 irradiance, of at least one of an Indigo Region Illumination Distribution (IRID), and Medium Wavelength Infrared (MWIR) radiation, preferably 2-8 microns, with no high energy transfers, scalding, heat shock, cooking or incineration. The MWIR radiation from heated borosilicate glass or glass powder at just under 500 C offered a peak MWIR emission of 3.75 microns, and was unexpectedly effective, and can be used in a radiant and transmissive weed seed accumulator transport belt. The process can be incorporated into a harvester combine to convert a tailings flow prior to discharge on an agricultural field. An illuminated harvest combine using an illuminator according to the invention allows reduction of the weed seed bank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: Jonathan A. JACKSON, Christopher J. HOFFMAN, Norman E. NOVOTNEY, Joseph M. CARROLL, Patrick A. JACKSON, Remigio PERALES, Mark J. ELTING