Patents by Inventor William B. Avery

William B. Avery 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).

  • Chopped fiber composite sorting and molding systems and methods
    Patent number: 9731455
    Abstract: Chopped fiber composite systems and methods are disclosed. Sorting systems include a conveyor, an imager, a plurality of receptacles, a pneumatic device, and controller. Molding systems include a conveyor, an imager, a mold, a pneumatic device, and a controller. The controller directs the pneumatic device to alter the freefall of chopped fiber composite pieces based on characteristics of the chopped fiber composite pieces as they drop from the conveyor and into a receptacle or a mold. Sorting and molding methods include dropping chopped fiber composite pieces, detecting characteristics of the dropping pieces, and directing the pieces based on the detected characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Kimberly D. Meredith, Morteza Safai, Sahrudine Apdalhaliem, William B. Avery
  • CHOPPED FIBER COMPOSITE SORTING AND MOLDING SYSTEMS AND METHODS
    Publication number: 20160059450
    Abstract: Chopped fiber composite systems and methods are disclosed. Sorting systems include a conveyor, an imager, a plurality of receptacles, a pneumatic device, and controller. Molding systems include a conveyor, an imager, a mold, a pneumatic device, and a controller. The controller directs the pneumatic device to alter the freefall of chopped fiber composite pieces based on characteristics of the chopped fiber composite pieces as they drop from the conveyor and into a receptacle or a mold. Sorting and molding methods include dropping chopped fiber composite pieces, detecting characteristics of the dropping pieces, and directing the pieces based on the detected characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Kimberly D. Meredith, Morteza Safai, Sahrudine Apdalhaliem, William B. Avery