Patents by Inventor Richard Magill

Richard Magill 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: 8104190
    Abstract: A moisture metering calibration method and system for, e.g., determining the moisture lumber within a lumber drying kiln is disclosed. Calibration of moisture indicative electrical signals obtained from, e.g., moisture sensing capacitive plates spaced apart within a stack of drying lumber is performed, wherein long lengths (e.g., up to 1000 linear feet or more) of coaxial cable can be used for transmitting the signals, and effectively removing signal anomalies induced in such cabling so that accurate lumber moisture measurements result. Such extended cable lengths provides flexibility with respect to placement of electronic moisture metering equipment. This flexibility allows such equipment to be placed in an environmentally-controlled enclosure, rather than on the weather exposed exterior of a kiln whose lumber is being monitored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Signature Control Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Magill
  • Publication number: 20100171513
    Abstract: A moisture metering calibration method and system for, e.g., determining the moisture lumber within a lumber drying kiln is disclosed. Calibration of moisture indicative electrical signals obtained from, e.g., moisture sensing capacitive plates spaced apart within a stack of drying lumber is performed, wherein long lengths (e.g., up to 1000 linear feet or more) of coaxial cable can be used for transmitting the signals, and effectively removing signal anomalies induced in such cabling so that accurate lumber moisture measurements result. Such extended cable lengths provides flexibility with respect to placement of electronic moisture metering equipment. This flexibility allows such equipment to be placed in an environmentally-controlled enclosure, rather than on the weather exposed exterior of a kiln whose lumber is being monitored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: Signature Control Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Magill
  • Patent number: 7676953
    Abstract: A moisture metering calibration method and system for, e.g., determining the moisture lumber within a lumber drying kiln is disclosed. Calibration of moisture indicative electrical signals obtained from, e.g., moisture sensing capacitive plates spaced apart within a stack of drying lumber is performed, wherein long lengths (e.g., up to 1000 linear feet or more) of coaxial cable can be used for transmitting the signals, and effectively removing signal anomalies induced in such cabling so that accurate lumber moisture measurements result. Such extended cable lengths provides flexibility with respect to placement of electronic moisture metering equipment. This flexibility allows such equipment to be placed in an environmentally-controlled enclosure, rather than on the weather exposed exterior of a kiln whose lumber is being monitored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Signature Control Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Magill
  • Patent number: 7433755
    Abstract: A process for curing a natural or synthetic rubber compound under a plurality of curing conditions by: (1) obtaining time dependent data streams of dielectric or impedance values from a non-bridged impedance sensing circuit and a capacitor having the rubber compound being cured as a dialectric; (2) determining impedance related measurements from the obtained data streams; (3) determining a predictive curing equation by performing a multiple regression between: (a) reheometric data obtained from a plurality of different rubber compound samples cured in a rheometer at various environmental curing conditions, and (b) corresponding samples cured in a production mold at the same environmental conditions; (4) adjusting the curing equation to obtain cured parts having one or more desired properties; and (5) controlling the mass producing cured parts with a controller that uses the curing equation for predicting a cure time for each part, wherein the predictions are effective over variations in the rubber compound, a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Signature Control Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Magill, John C. Van Doren, Bruce Sellers, Tim Erickson, Scott Schnieder, Steve Courington, Lance Bethel
  • Publication number: 20080161972
    Abstract: A moisture metering calibration method and system for, e.g., determining the moisture lumber within a lumber drying kiln is disclosed. Calibration of moisture indicative electrical signals obtained from, e.g., moisture sensing capacitive plates spaced apart within a stack of drying lumber is performed, wherein long lengths (e.g., up to 1000 linear feet or more) of coaxial cable can be used for transmitting the signals, and effectively removing signal anomalies induced in such cabling so that accurate lumber moisture measurements result. Such extended cable lengths provides flexibility with respect to placement of electronic moisture metering equipment. This flexibility allows such equipment to be placed in an environmentally-controlled enclosure, rather than on the weather exposed exterior of a kiln whose lumber is being monitored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: SIGNATURE CONTROL SYSTEMS
    Inventor: Richard Magill
  • Publication number: 20070185611
    Abstract: A process for curing a natural or synthetic rubber compound under a plurality of curing conditions by: (1) obtaining time dependent data streams of dielectric or impedance values from a non-bridged impedance sensing circuit and a capacitor having the rubber compound being cured as a dialectric; (2) determining impedance related measurements from the obtained data streams; (3) determining a predictive curing equation by performing a multiple regression between: (a) reheometric data obtained from a plurality of different rubber compound samples cured in a rheometer at various environmental curing conditions, and (b) corresponding samples cured in a production mold at the same environmental conditions; (4) adjusting the curing equation to obtain cured parts having one or more desired properties; and (5) controlling the mass producing cured parts with a controller that uses the curing equation for predicting a cure time for each part, wherein the predictions are effective over variations in the rubber compound, a
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: SIGNATURE CONTROL SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Richard Magill, John Van Doren, Bruce Sellers, Tim Erickson, Scott Schneider, Steve Courington, Lance Bethel
  • Patent number: 7245985
    Abstract: A process for curing a natural or synthetic rubber compound under a plurality of curing conditions by: (1) obtaining time dependent data streams of dielectric or impedance values from a non-bridged impedance sensing circuit and a capacitor having the rubber compound being cured as a dialectric; (2) determining impedance related measurements from the obtained data streams; (3) determining a predictive curing equation by performing a multiple regression between: (a) reheometric data obtained from a plurality of different rubber compound samples cured in a rheometer at various environmental curing conditions, and (b) corresponding samples cured in a production mold at the same environmental conditions; (4) adjusting the curing equation to obtain cured parts having one or more desired properties; and (5) controlling the mass producing cured parts with a controller that uses the curing equation for predicting a cure time for each part, wherein the predictions are effective over variations in the rubber compound, a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Signature Control Systems
    Inventors: Richard Magill, John C. Van Doren, Bruce Sellers, Tim Erickson, Scott Schneider, Steve Courington, Lance Bethel
  • Patent number: 7167773
    Abstract: A process for curing a moldable compound under a plurality of curing conditions by: (1) obtaining time dependent data streams of dielectric or impedance values from a plurality of sensors distributed within a curing mold, wherein the moldable compound is a dialectric for each of the sensors; (2) determining impedance related measurements from the data streams for the plurality of sensors; (3) determining predictive and/or corrective curing actions for enhancing the curing process using the impedance related measurements for the plurality of sensors; and (4) controlling the mass production curing of parts to obtain cured parts having one or more desired properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Signature Control Systems
    Inventors: Scott Schneider, Richard Magill
  • Publication number: 20050173820
    Abstract: A process for curing a moldable compound under a plurality of curing conditions by: (1) obtaining time dependent data streams of dielectric or impedance values from a plurality of sensors distributed within a curing mold, wherein the moldable compound is a dialectric for each of the sensors; (2) determining impedance related measurements from the data streams for the plurality of sensors; (3) determining predictive and/or corrective curing actions for enhancing the curing process using the impedance related measurements for the plurality of sensors; and (4) controlling the mass production curing of parts to obtain cured parts having one or more desired properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2005
    Publication date: August 11, 2005
    Applicant: Signature Control Systems
    Inventors: Scott Schneider, Richard Magill
  • Publication number: 20050119785
    Abstract: A process for curing a natural or synthetic rubber compound under a plurality of curing conditions by: (1) obtaining time dependent data streams of dielectric or impedance values from a non-bridged impedance sensing circuit and a capacitor having the rubber compound being cured as a dialectric; (2) determining impedance related measurements from the obtained data streams; (3) determining a predictive curing equation by performing a multiple regression between: (a) reheometric data obtained from a plurality of different rubber compound samples cured in a rheometer at various environmental curing conditions, and (b) corresponding samples cured in a production mold at the same environmental conditions; (4) adjusting the curing equation to obtain cured parts having one or more desired properties; and (5) controlling the mass producing cured parts with a controller that uses the curing equation for predicting a cure time for each part, wherein the predictions are effective over variations in the rubber compound, a
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Applicant: Signature Control Systems
    Inventors: Richard Magill, John Van Doren, Bruce Sellers, Tim Erickson, Scott Schneider, Steve Courington, Lance Bethel
  • Patent number: 6855791
    Abstract: A process for curing a natural or synthetic rubber includes the measuring of curing conditions by dielectric or impedance means to produce a process curve (impedance property data versus time) followed by analyzing the process curve with a software algorithm which defines and statistically quantifies the correlation between the process curve and the desired part properties. The correlation relationship is applied in real time to end the curing process at the optimum time and to produce rubber parts of uniform quality and with reduced process cycle time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Signature Control Systems
    Inventors: John C. Van Doren, Richard Magill, Bruce Sellers, Tim Erickson, Scott Schnieder, Steve Courington, Lance Bethel
  • Publication number: 20040133301
    Abstract: A process for curing a natural or synthetic rubber includes the measuring of curing conditions by dielectric or impedance means to produce a process curve (impedance property data versus time) followed by analyzing the process curve with a software algorithm which defines and statistically quantifies the correlation between the process curve and the desired part properties. The correlation relationship is applied in real time to end the curing process at the optimum time and to produce rubber parts of uniform quality and with reduced process cycle time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Applicant: Signature Control Systems
    Inventors: John C. Van Doren, Richard Magill, Bruce Sellers, Tim Erickson, Scott Schneider, Steve Courington, Lance Bethel
  • Publication number: 20040010068
    Abstract: A process for curing a natural or synthetic rubber includes the measuring of curing conditions by dielectric or impedance means to produce a process curve (impedance property data versus time) followed by analyzing the process curve with a software algorithm which defines and statistically quantifies the correlation between the process curve and the desired part properties. The correlation relationship is applied in real time to end the curing process at the optimum time and to produce rubber parts of uniform quality and with reduced process cycle time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2002
    Publication date: January 15, 2004
    Applicant: Signature Control Systems
    Inventors: John C. Van Doren, Richard Magill, Bruce Sellers, Tim Erickson, Scott Schnieder, Steve Courington, Lance Bethel