Patents by Inventor Zachary Shepard

Zachary Shepard 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: 10506822
    Abstract: A system for cooking pieces of protein may include a batter applicator that receives a batter made from high-gluten flour and coats the batter on pieces of protein, a thermoforming packaging machine that receives the pieces of protein coated with the batter from the batter applicator and seals the pieces of protein in plastic pouches, and a heating unit that receives the plastic pouches from the thermoforming packaging machine and cooks the battered protein in the plastic pouches. A method for cooking pieces of protein may include coating a batter made from high-gluten flour on the pieces of protein; sealing the pieces of protein coated with the batter in plastic pouches; and cooking the battered protein in the plastic pouches to make cooked, battered protein pieces in which the batter is tacky after cooking. The cooked protein pieces may be removed from the plastic pouches, breaded, and flash fried.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: SUGAR CREEK PACKING CO.
    Inventors: Mark Auernheimer, Zachary Shepard, Jeffrey D. Cowles
  • Publication number: 20190289883
    Abstract: A system for cooking a food product, in particular pieces of protein, includes a first station that receives uncooked pieces and applies an effective amount of a spoilage inhibitor to the pieces to delay growth of toxigenic bacteria; a batter applicator that receives the pieces of uncooked protein and applies a high-gluten batter to the outer surfaces of the pieces of uncooked protein; a packaging machine that receives the pieces of uncooked protein coated with the batter from the batter applicator and seals the pieces of protein in plastic pouches; and a heating unit that receives the sealed plastic pouches containing the uncooked protein coated with the batter from the packaging machine and cooks the battered protein pieces in the plastic pouches at a time and temperature below which the batter hardens, whereby the batter is sufficiently tacky such that breading can adhere thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Mark AUERNHEIMER, Zachary SHEPARD, Jeffrey D. COWLES
  • Publication number: 20190281881
    Abstract: A system for processing pieces of protein includes an optional flour applicator that applies a coating of flour, and optionally seasoning, to uncooked protein pieces; an optional seasoning applicator that applies a coating of seasoning on the uncooked protein pieces; a packaging machine that receives uncooked protein pieces, optionally coated with flour and/or seasoning, and retains the optionally coated, uncooked protein pieces in pouches; a batter applicator that deposits a batter made from flour containing gluten directly into the cooking pouches; the packaging machine programmed to vacuum seal the cooking pouches, thereby coating the uncooked protein pieces with the batter in the cooking pouches to make batter-coated uncooked protein pieces; and a heating unit programmed to completely cook the batter-coated protein pieces in the pouches for a time and temperature selected to completely cook the protein pieces and leave the batter sufficiently tacky to adhere to breading.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Applicant: Sugar Creek Packing Co.
    Inventors: Daniel B. Stauft, III, Oliver D. Gildersleeve, III, Mark Edward Auernheimer, Jeffrey D. Cowles, Zachary Shepard, Jeffrey H. Shutte
  • Patent number: 10292409
    Abstract: A system for cooking pieces of protein may include a flour applicator that receives the pieces of protein in an uncooked state and applies a coating of flour to outer surfaces thereof; a batter applicator that receives the pieces of uncooked protein coated with the flour from the flour applicator and applies a batter made from high-gluten flour to the coated outer surfaces thereof; a packaging machine that receives the pieces of uncooked protein coated with the batter made from the high-gluten flour from the batter applicator and seals the pieces of protein in plastic pouches; and a heating unit that receives the sealed plastic pouches containing the uncooked protein coated with the batter from the packaging machine and cooks the battered protein pieces in the plastic pouches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: SUGAR CREEK PACKING CO.
    Inventors: Mark Auernheimer, Zachary Shepard, Jeffrey D. Cowles
  • Publication number: 20180289045
    Abstract: A system for processing pieces of protein includes a freezer unit that receives the protein pieces in an uncooked state and retains the uncooked protein pieces at a temperature and for a time interval to crust freeze the protein pieces to a depth sufficient to impart dimensional stability to the uncooked protein pieces; a packaging machine that receives the protein pieces from the freezer unit and retains the protein pieces in cooking pouches; a batter applicator that deposits a batter made from high-gluten flour in the cooking pouches to coat the outer surfaces of the protein pieces; the packaging machine programmed to vacuum seal the batter-coated protein pieces in the cooking pouches; and a heating unit programmed to sous vide cook the protein pieces in the cooking pouches for a time and temperature selected to completely cook the protein pieces and leave the batter sufficiently tacky to adhere to breading.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Applicant: Sugar Creek Packing Co.
    Inventors: Daniel B. Stauft, III, Oliver D. Gildersleeve, III, Mark Auernheimer, Jeffrey Cowles, Zachary Shepard, Jeffrey H. Shutte
  • Patent number: 9997258
    Abstract: A system for using bad blocks in a memory system is proposed. The system includes accessing an identification of a plurality of bad blocks and corresponding error codes which, for example, were generated during a manufacturing test and stored on the memory integrated circuit. The system determines which blocks of the plurality of bad blocks to test for being still usable and which blocks of the plurality of bad blocks not to test for being still usable based on corresponding error codes. For each bad block that should be tested, a test from a plurality of tests is chosen based on the corresponding error code in order to determine if the bad block is still usable. Those blocks determined to be still usable are subsequently used to store non-mission critical information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Zachary Shepard, Rohit Sehgal
  • Publication number: 20170330635
    Abstract: A system for using bad blocks in a memory system is proposed. The system includes accessing an identification of a plurality of bad blocks and corresponding error codes which, for example, were generated during a manufacturing test and stored on the memory integrated circuit. The system determines which blocks of the plurality of bad blocks to test for being still usable and which blocks of the plurality of bad blocks not to test for being still usable based on corresponding error codes. For each bad block that should be tested, a test from a plurality of tests is chosen based on the corresponding error code in order to determine if the bad block is still usable. Those blocks determined to be still usable are subsequently used to store non-mission critical information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Applicant: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Zachary Shepard, Rohit Sehgal
  • Publication number: 20170188611
    Abstract: A system for cooking pieces of protein may include a flour applicator that receives the pieces of protein in an uncooked state and applies a coating of flour to outer surfaces thereof; a batter applicator that receives the pieces of uncooked protein coated with the flour from the flour applicator and applies a batter made from high-gluten flour to the coated outer surfaces thereof; a packaging machine that receives the pieces of uncooked protein coated with the batter made from the high-gluten flour from the batter applicator and seals the pieces of protein in plastic pouches; and a heating unit that receives the sealed plastic pouches containing the uncooked protein coated with the batter from the packaging machine and cooks the battered protein pieces in the plastic pouches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Applicant: Sugar Creek Packing Co.
    Inventors: Mark Auernheimer, Zachary Shepard, Jeffrey D. Cowles
  • Publication number: 20170156377
    Abstract: A system for cooking pieces of protein may include a batter applicator that receives a batter made from high-gluten flour and coats the batter on pieces of protein, a thermoforming packaging machine that receives the pieces of protein coated with the batter from the batter applicator and seals the pieces of protein in plastic pouches, and a heating unit that receives the plastic pouches from the thermoforming packaging machine and cooks the battered protein in the plastic pouches. A method for cooking pieces of protein may include coating a batter made from high-gluten flour on the pieces of protein; sealing the pieces of protein coated with the batter in plastic pouches; and cooking the battered protein in the plastic pouches to make cooked, battered protein pieces in which the batter is tacky after cooking. The cooked protein pieces may be removed from the plastic pouches, breaded, and flash fried.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2017
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Applicant: Sugar Creek Packing Co.
    Inventors: Mark Auernheimer, Zachary Shepard, Jeffrey D. Cowles