Patents by Inventor Rich Ketcham

Rich Ketcham 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).

  • Corn stalk strength measuring device
    Patent number: 8215191
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring stalk strength of a plant is disclosed. A force sensor is mounted to a harvester in a position to measure the resistance to crushing of the plant stalk by a stalk roll of the harvester. The apparatus may include a pair of counter rotating stalk rolls that pull and crush the plant stalk between them and a pair of stain gauges attached on either side of a mounting apparatus of the stalk rolls to sense both the tension and compression forces induced in the mounting apparatus by each of the rolls in response to the resistance to crushing of the plant stalk. Data collected by the invention can be advantageously used in a breeding program wherein breeding decisions are made based at least in part on stalk strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Syngenta Participations AG
    Inventors: Scott Tragesser, Rich Ketcham
  • Corn Stalk strength measuring device
    Publication number: 20100089178
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring stalk strength of a plant is disclosed. A force sensor is mounted to a harvester in a position to measure the resistance to crushing of the plant stalk by a stalk roll of the harvester. The apparatus may include a pair of counter rotating stalk rolls that pull and crush the plant stalk between them and a pair of stain gauges attached on either side of a mounting apparatus of the stalk rolls to sense both the tension and compression forces induced in the mounting apparatus by each of the rolls in response to the resistance to crushing of the plant stalk. Data collected by the invention can be advantageously used in a breeding program wherein breeding decisions are made based at least in part on stalk strength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Applicant: Syngenta Participations AG
    Inventors: Scott Tragesser, Rich Ketcham