Patents by Inventor Bernard McPheely

Bernard McPheely 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: 9611102
    Abstract: A system creates streams of articles on a laning conveyor having differentiated lanes from groups of articles on a feed, the groups each including articles arranged in a grid including at least two rows. The system includes an end effector on a robot arm. The robot arm is configured to simultaneously lift all of the articles in all of the rows of one of the groups from the feed. The end effector has individually actuatable row portions corresponding to the locations of the articles in the groups. The end effector is configured to sequentially place the lifted articles of each of the rows on the laning conveyor in a given lane of the laning conveyor. Related end effectors and methods are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew A. Job, Christopher A. Ray, Roger T. Johnston, Gregory Bruns, Bernard McPheely
  • Publication number: 20140119875
    Abstract: A system creates streams of articles on a laning conveyor having differentiated lanes from groups of articles on a feed, the groups each including articles arranged in a grid including at least two rows. The system includes an end effector on a robot arm. The robot arm is configured to simultaneously lift all of the articles in all of the rows of one of the groups from the feed. The end effector has individually actuatable row portions corresponding to the locations of the articles in the groups. The end effector is configured to sequentially place the lifted articles of each of the rows on the laning conveyor in a given lane of the laning conveyor. Related end effectors and methods are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew A. Job, Christopher A. Ray, Roger T. Johnston, Gregory Bruns, Bernard McPheely
  • Publication number: 20060177119
    Abstract: A system for assisting in the diagnosis of errors in manufacturing machinery is disclosed wherein sensors are associated with the machinery at monitoring zones for detecting errors and generating sensor signals representing the errors. Video cameras are located at monitoring zones associated with specific sensors. A computer readable medium is in communication with the cameras for receiving video of the process. A set of computer readable instructions are embodied within the computer readable medium for receiving input selecting machine sensors and cameras, triggering, and producing the pre-event and post-event videos for the trigger signals. Operating instructions are for continuously storing video output in temporary memory, receiving sensor signals, and processing the sensor signals to determine if a trigger signal is required. After a trigger signal, video is copied from temporary memory into permanent memory to provide the pre-event video, and post-event video is recorded and stored in permanent memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Publication date: August 10, 2006
    Inventors: Bernard McPheely, J Cantrell, Michael O'Dea