Patents by Inventor Rachell L. Slovik

Rachell L. Slovik 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: 11897679
    Abstract: A flexible container carrier and related method for unitizing a plurality of containers that includes a plurality of flexible bands forming an array of container receiving apertures, the array arranged in longitudinal rows and transverse ranks. A series of frangible lines of separation are provided between each container receiving opening so that removing a container from the package results in the separation of the frangible lines of separation defining the respective container receiving opening and thus the container and a respective band of the plurality of bands are removed from the package together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Rachell L. Slovik, Patrick R. Van Tholen, Robert C. Olsen, Christopher J. Samaras
  • Patent number: 11845599
    Abstract: A flexible carrier for carrying a plurality of containers, such as soft drink and other beverage containers, is formed from a polymer composition which provides the carrier with improved recovery, tensile strength and tear resistance. The polymer composition includes about 40-60% by weight of a low density ethylene polymer having a density of about 0.910-0.950 grams/cm3 and about 40-60% by weight of a post-consumer recycled product blend of low density polyethylene polymer and linear low density polyethylene polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Peter L. Samaras, Rachell L. Slovik, Patrick R. Van Tholen
  • Patent number: 11834241
    Abstract: A container carrier with a uniform pitch applicating feature for applying container carriers onto containers to form a multipackage. A uniform series of apertures is formed on the container carrier in the machine direction of a multipack carrier. Application machines may use the apertures for synchronizing the container carrier material to the containers, thereby making it container pitch independent. The resulting internal features of the carrier that would receive the containers can then be varied to best match the containers with little to no impact to the application machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Samaras, Rachell L. Slovik
  • Publication number: 20230382620
    Abstract: A container carrier for unitizing a plurality of containers. The carrier includes a planar sheet of a material and a plurality of container receiving apertures within the planar sheet and arranged in longitudinal rows and transverse ranks. Each of the plurality of container receiving apertures includes a central opening shape and a plurality of clefts radially extending in the planar sheet outward from the central shape to form a plurality of container friction flaps each adapted to extend along a side wall of a corresponding container of the plurality of containers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Applicant: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Rachell L. Slovik, Christopher J. SAMARAS, Robert C. OLSEN, Michael P. CZARNECKI
  • Patent number: 11623804
    Abstract: A container carrier for unitizing a plurality of containers. The carrier includes a planar sheet of a material and a plurality of container receiving apertures within the planar sheet and arranged in longitudinal rows and transverse ranks. Each of the plurality of container receiving apertures includes a central opening shape and a plurality of clefts radially extending in the planar sheet outward from the central shape to form a plurality of container friction flaps each adapted to extend along a side wall of a corresponding container of the plurality of containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Rachell L. Slovik, Christopher J. Samaras, Robert C. Olsen, Michael P. Czarnecki, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20220274754
    Abstract: A container carrier (100) with a uniform pitch applicating feature for applying container carriers onto containers to form a multipackage. A uniform series of apertures (112) is formed on the container carrier in the machine direction of a multipack carrier. Application machines may use the apertures for synchronizing the container carrier material to the containers, thereby making it container pitch independent. The resulting internal features of the carrier that would receive the containers can then be varied to best match the containers with little to no impact to the application machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Applicant: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Christopher J. SAMARAS, Rachell L. SLOVIK
  • Publication number: 20220127052
    Abstract: A container carrier for unitizing a plurality of containers. The carrier includes a planar sheet of a material and a plurality of container receiving apertures within the planar sheet and arranged in longitudinal rows and transverse ranks. Each of the plurality of container receiving apertures includes a central opening shape and a plurality of clefts radially extending in the planar sheet outward from the central shape to form a plurality of container friction flaps each adapted to extend along a side wall of a corresponding container of the plurality of containers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Applicant: ILLNOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Rachell L. SLOVIK, Christopher J. SAMARAS, Robert C. OLSEN, Michael P. CZARNECKI, JR.
  • Publication number: 20220017278
    Abstract: A flexible container carrier and related method for unitizing a plurality of containers that includes a plurality of flexible bands forming an array of container receiving apertures, the array arranged in longitudinal rows and transverse ranks. A series of frangible lines of separation are provided between each container receiving opening so that removing a container from the package results in the separation of the frangible lines of separation defining the respective container receiving opening and thus the container and a respective band of the plurality of bands are removed from the package together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Applicant: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Rachell L. SLOVIK, Patrick R. Van Tholen, Robert C. Olsen, Christopher J. Samaras
  • Publication number: 20210214537
    Abstract: A flexible carrier for carrying a plurality of containers, such as soft drink and other beverage containers, is formed from a polymer composition which provides the carrier with improved elastic recovery following installation of the containers, along with tensile strength and tear resistance. The polymer composition includes about 10% to about 95% by weight of a post-consumer recycled plastic that includes recycled branched low-density polyethylene and recycled linear low-density polyethylene polymers, zero to about 90% by weight of a branched low-density polyethylene polymer having a density of about 0.910 to about 0.950 grams/cm3, and greater than zero to about 65% by weight of an elastomeric ethylene copolymer that includes about 60% by weight to less than 100% by weight ethylene and greater than zero to about 40% by weight of a vinyl acetate comonomer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Samaras, Rachell L. Slovik, Patrick R. Van Tholen
  • Publication number: 20200223608
    Abstract: A flexible carrier for carrying a plurality of containers, such as soft drink and other beverage containers, is formed from a polymer composition which provides the carrier with improved recovery, tensile strength and tear resistance. The polymer composition includes about 40-60% by weight of a low density ethylene polymer having a density of about 0.910-0.950 grams/cm3 and about 40-60% by weight of a post-consumer recycled product blend of low density polyethylene polymer and linear low density polyethylene polymer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Applicant: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Peter L. SAMARAS, Rachell L. Slovik, Patrick R. Van Tholen
  • Publication number: 20160016351
    Abstract: A flexible carrier for carrying a plurality of containers within a plurality of corresponding container receiving apertures is formed using a rotary die within a rotary die press resulting in carriers having complex configurations including close tolerance cuts and complex perforation patterns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Paul S. Siewert, Rachell L. SLOVIK, Christopher J. LUDWIG
  • Patent number: 7637077
    Abstract: An applicating machine for applying a flexible carrier to a plurality of containers provided from an infeed includes a jaw drum moveable between an operating position and a storage position away from the operating position. In the operating position the jaw drum is positioned with respect to the infeed to accept the plurality of containers and apply the flexible carrier to the plurality of containers. A second jaw drum may be moveable into the operating position to enable packaging of containers having different dimensions and/or packages having different configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Rachell L. Slovik, Christopher J. Ludwig
  • Publication number: 20070261373
    Abstract: An applicating machine for applying a flexible carrier to a plurality of containers provided from an infeed includes a jaw drum moveable between an operating position and a storage position away from the operating position. In the operating position the jaw drum is positioned with respect to the infeed to accept the plurality of containers and apply the flexible carrier to the plurality of containers. A second jaw drum may be moveable into the operating position to enable packaging of containers having different dimensions and/or packages having different configurations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Publication date: November 15, 2007
    Inventors: Rachell L. Slovik, Christopher J. Ludwig