Patents by Inventor Andrew Ervin McLeod
Andrew Ervin McLeod 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).
-
Publication number: 20160379528Abstract: Disclosed are fibers comprising one or more branded fibers which exhibit surface markings in a repeated pattern along the length of the branded fibers. The branded fibers can be incorporated into yarns or fiber bands to represent supply chain information of the yarns, fiber bands, and/or articles made from the yards or fiber bands. In a specific example, branded fibers can be incorporated into an acetate tow band The branded fibers can be recovered from a cigarette filter, the repeated pattern decoded, and supply chain information associated with the acetate tow used to make the cigarette filter, such as manufacturer, customer, ship to location, and even the acetate tow bale, can be obtained.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2016Publication date: December 29, 2016Applicant: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Andrew Ervin McLeod, Brian Douglas Seiler, Scott Gregory Gaynor, Michael Joseph Pearce, Kevin Todd Barham, James Andrew Dickenson, Clarissa Tatum
-
Patent number: 9442074Abstract: Disclosed are fibers comprising one or more branded fibers which exhibit surface markings in a repeated pattern along the length of the branded fibers. The branded fibers can be incorporated into yarns or fiber bands to represent supply chain information of the yarns, fiber bands, and/or articles made from the yards or fiber bands. In a specific example, branded fibers can be incorporated into an acetate tow band. The branded fibers can be recovered from a cigarette filter, the repeated pattern decoded, and supply chain information associated with the acetate tow used to make the cigarette filter, such as manufacturer, customer, ship to location, and even the acetate tow bale, can be obtained.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2015Date of Patent: September 13, 2016Assignee: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Andrew Ervin McLeod, Brian Douglas Seiler, Scott Gregory Gaynor, Michael Joseph Pearce, Kevin Todd Barham, James Andrew Dickenson, Clarissa Tatum
-
Patent number: 9358486Abstract: Disclosed is a method of characterizing a fiber sample comprising standard fibers and identification fibers which can be used for tracking and tracing fibers through at least part of the supply chain. Each identification fiber exhibits at least one distinct feature. Each group of distinguishable identification fibers can exhibit a taggant cross-section shape, a taggant cross-section size, or combination of the same taggant cross-section shape and same taggant cross-section size. The distinct features and the number of fibers in each group of distinguishable identification fibers can represent at least one supply chain component of the fibers. The fiber sample can include a portion of an acetate tow band or a filter made from the acetate tow band, and the supply chain information can include the manufacturer of the acetate tow band and the customer of the acetate tow band.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2015Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Andrew Ervin McLeod, Scott Gregory Gaynor, Steven Anthony Wilson, Humberto Collazo, Larry Wayne Renfro, Brian Douglas Seiler
-
Patent number: 9320994Abstract: Disclosed is a method of making an acetate tow bands comprising identification fibers which can be used for tracking and tracing the acetate tow band through at least part of the supply chain. Each identification fiber exhibits at least one distinct feature. Each group of distinguishable identification fibers can exhibit a taggant cross-section shape, a taggant cross-section size, or combination of the same taggant cross-section shape and same taggant cross-section size. The distinct features and the number of fibers in each group of distinguishable identification fibers can represent at least one supply chain component of the acetate tow band, including the manufacturer of the acetate tow band and the customer of the acetate tow band. The identification fibers can be produced on a cellulose acetate tow line using one or more spinnerets with spinneret holes to produce the taggant cross-section shapes and/or taggant cross-section sizes.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2015Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Andrew Ervin McLeod, Scott Gregory Gaynor, Lydia J. Salyer, Steven Anthony Wilson, Humberto Collazo, Larry Wayne Renfro
-
Publication number: 20150376818Abstract: Disclosed is a method of making an acetate tow bands comprising identification fibers which can be used for tracking and tracing the acetate tow band through at least part of the supply chain. Each identification fiber exhibits at least one distinct feature. Each group of distinguishable identification fibers can exhibit a taggant cross-section shape, a taggant cross-section size, or combination of the same taggant cross-section shape and same taggant cross-section size. The distinct features and the number of fibers in each group of distinguishable identification fibers can represent at least one supply chain component of the acetate tow band, including the manufacturer of the acetate tow band and the customer of the acetate tow band. The identification fibers can be produced on a cellulose acetate tow line using one or more spinnerets with spinneret holes to produce the taggant cross-section shapes and/or taggant cross-section sizes.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2015Publication date: December 31, 2015Applicant: EASTMAN CHEMICAL COMPANYInventors: Andrew Ervin McLeod, Scott Gregory Gaynor, Lydia J. Salyer, Steven Anthony Wilson, Humberto Collazo, Larry Wayne Renfro
-
Publication number: 20150375149Abstract: Disclosed are acetate tow bands comprising identification fibers which can be used for tracking and tracing the acetate tow band through at least part of the supply chain. Each identification fiber exhibits at least one distinct feature. Each group of distinguishable identification fibers can exhibit a taggant cross-section shape, a taggant cross-section size, or combination of the same taggant cross-section shape and same taggant cross-section size. The distinct features and the number of fibers in each group of distinguishable identification fibers can represent at least one supply chain component of the acetate tow band, including the manufacturer of the acetate tow band and the customer of the acetate tow band. The distinct features are detectable in a filter comprising the acetate tow band.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2015Publication date: December 31, 2015Applicant: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Andrew Ervin McLeod, Scott Gregory Gaynor, Steven Anthony Wilson, Lydia J. Salyer, Humberto Collazo, Larry Wayne Renfro, Jeremy Kenneth Steach
-
Publication number: 20150377841Abstract: Disclosed are fibers which contain identification fibers. The identification fibers can contain a one or more of chemical markers and one or more distinct features, or taggants, which may vary among the fibers or be incorporated throughout all of the fibers. The chemical markers and distinct features can be representative of specific supply chain information. The supply chain information can be used to track the fibers from manufacturing through intermediaries, conversion to final product, and/or the consumer. The disclosed embodiments also relate to the method for making and characterizing the fibers. Characterization of the fibers can include identifying chemical markers and distinct features and correlating the chemical markers and distinct features to manufacturer-specific taggants to determine supply chain information.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2015Publication date: December 31, 2015Applicant: EASTMAN CHEMICAL COMPANYInventors: Scott Gregory Gaynor, Andrew Ervin McLeod, Steven Anthony Wilson, Humberto Collazo, Larry Wayne Renfro, Lydia Juanita Salyer, Jeremy Kenneth Steach, Michael John Rodig, Brian Douglas Seiler, Jonathan Horton, Clarissa Tatum
-
Publication number: 20150377854Abstract: Disclosed are fibers which contain identification fibers. The identification fibers can comprise one or more chemical markers, or taggants, which may vary among the fibers or be incorporated throughout all of the fibers. The disclosure also relates to the method for making and characterizing the fibers. Characterization of the fibers can include identifying chemical markers and correlating the chemical markers and a taggant chemical marker amounts of at least one of the chemical markers to manufacturer-specific taggants to determine supply chain information. The supply chain information can be used to track the fibers from manufacturing through intermediaries, conversion to final product, and/or the consumer.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2015Publication date: December 31, 2015Applicant: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Scott Gregory Gaynor, Andrew Ervin McLeod, Michael John Rodig, Jeremy Kenneth Steach, Humberto Collazo, Steven Anthony Wilson, Lydia J. Salyer, Brian Douglas Seiler, Jonathan Horton
-
Publication number: 20150376819Abstract: Disclosed are fibers comprising identification fibers which can be used for tracking and tracing fibers, yarns, fiber bands, and/or articles comprising the fibers through at least part of the supply chain. Each identification fiber exhibits at least one distinct feature. Each group of distinguishable identification fibers can exhibit a taggant cross-section shape, a taggant cross-section size, or combination of the same taggant cross-section shape and same taggant cross-section size. The distinct features and the number of fibers in each group of distinguishable identification fibers can represent at least one supply chain component of the fibers. The distinct features can be detectable in an article comprising the fibers.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2015Publication date: December 31, 2015Applicant: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Andrew Ervin McLeod, Scott Gregory Gaynor, Steven Anthony Wilson, Lydia J. Salyer, Humberto Collazo, Larry Wayne Renfro, Jeremy Kenneth Steach, Brian Douglas Seiler
-
Publication number: 20150377792Abstract: Disclosed are fibers which contains identification fibers. The identification fibers can contain a plurality of distinct features, or taggants, which vary among the fibers and/or along the length of the identification fibers of the fibers, a fiber band, or. The disclosed embodiments also relate to the method for making and characterizing the fibers. Characterization of the fibers can include identifying distinct features, combinations of distinct features, and number of fibers with various combinations of distinct features to supply chain information. The supply chain information can be used to track the fibers, fiber band, or yarn from manufacturing through intermediaries, conversion to final product, and/or the consumer.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2015Publication date: December 31, 2015Applicant: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Larry Wayne Renfro, Andrew Ervin McLeod, Humberto Collazo, Ernest Phillip Smith
-
Publication number: 20150379703Abstract: Disclosed is a method of characterizing a fiber sample comprising standard fibers and identification fibers which can be used for tracking and tracing fibers through at least part of the supply chain. Each identification fiber exhibits at least one distinct feature. Each group of distinguishable identification fibers can exhibit a taggant cross-section shape, a taggant cross-section size, or combination of the same taggant cross-section shape and same taggant cross-section size. The distinct features and the number of fibers in each group of distinguishable identification fibers can represent at least one supply chain component of the fibers. The fiber sample can include a portion of an acetate tow band or a filter made from the acetate tow band, and the supply chain information can include the manufacturer of the acetate tow band and the customer of the acetate tow band.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2015Publication date: December 31, 2015Applicant: EASTMAN CHEMICAL COMPANYInventors: Andrew Ervin McLeod, Scott Gregory Gaynor, Steven Anthony Wilson, Humberto Collazo, Larry Wayne Renfro, Brian Douglas Seiler
-
Publication number: 20150379903Abstract: Disclosed are fibers comprising one or more branded fibers which exhibit surface markings in a repeated pattern along the length of the branded fibers. The branded fibers can be incorporated into yarns or fiber bands to represent supply chain information of the yarns, fiber bands, and/or articles made from the yards or fiber bands. In a specific example, branded fibers can be incorporated into an acetate tow band. The branded fibers can be recovered from a cigarette filter, the repeated pattern decoded, and supply chain information associated with the acetate tow used to make the cigarette filter, such as manufacturer, customer, ship to location, and even the acetate tow bale, can be obtained.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2015Publication date: December 31, 2015Applicant: EASTMAN CHEMICAL COMPANYInventors: Andrew Ervin McLeod, Brian Douglas Seiler, Scott Gregory Gaynor, Michael Joseph Pearce, Kevin Todd Barham, James Andrew Dickenson, Clarissa Tatum
-
Publication number: 20150379312Abstract: Disclosed are fibers which contains identification fibers. The identification fibers can contain a plurality of distinct features, or taggants, which vary among the fibers and/or along the length of the identification fibers, a fiber band, or yarn. The disclosed embodiments also relate to the method for making and characterizing the fibers. Characterization of the fibers can include identifying distinct features, combinations of distinct features, and number of fibers with various combinations of distinct features and correlating the distinct features to supply chain information. The supply chain information can be used to track the fibers, fiber band, or yarn from manufacturing through intermediaries, conversion to final product, and/or the consumer.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2015Publication date: December 31, 2015Applicant: EASTMAN CHEMICAL COMPANYInventors: Andrew Ervin McLeod, Scott Gregory Gaynor, Steven Anthony Wilson, Lydia Juanita Salyer, Humberto Collazo, Larry Wayne Renfro, Jeremy Kenneth Steach, Brian Douglas Seiler, Clarissa Tatum
-
Patent number: 5928596Abstract: A process and apparatus for distributing molten thermoplastic material supplied directly from melt polymerization to a plurality of molding machines operating in timed sequence is disclosed. The invention is particularly applicable to transferring molten polyester (normally polyethylene terephthalate or a copolymer thereof) directly from a melt polymerization reactor to injection molding machines for producing molded plastic articles.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 1997Date of Patent: July 27, 1999Assignee: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Andrew Ervin McLeod, Douglas Mark Haseltine, Larry Cates Windes, Marc Alan Strand