Patents by Inventor Chris Vandenbroek

Chris Vandenbroek 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: 7001261
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for a meat cut classification and fat trimming for sensing the thickness of a layer of fat of a cut of meat and the various contours thereof as it travels along a conveyance and providing the fat thickness or classification information to a downstream system for performing a fat trimming operation. The meat cut classification system comprises a split/multi-belt conveyor having split/multi-belts proximately spaced apart extending in the same direction and having a uniform equidistant gap there between and said conveyor having a drive for conveying the meat cut through the classification system and a multi-probe mechanism assembly operable to position the probes between the multi-belts of the conveyor and extend the probes upward between the multi-belts to penetrate the meat cut for measuring the fat thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. Johnson, Chris Vandenbroek
  • Patent number: 6929540
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for a meat cut classification and fat trimming for sensing the thickness of a layer of fat of a cut of meat and the various contours thereof as it travels along a conveyance and providing the fat thickness or classification information to a downstream system for performing a fat trimming operation. The meat cut classification system comprises a split/multi-belt conveyor having split/multi-belts proximately spaced apart extending in the same direction and having a uniform equidistant gap there between and said conveyor having a drive for conveying the meat cut through the classification system and a multi-probe mechanism assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. Johnson, Chris Vandenbroek
  • Publication number: 20050079814
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for a meat cut classification and fat trimming for sensing the thickness of a layer of fat of a cut of meat and the various contours thereof as it travels along a conveyance and providing the fat thickness or classification information to a downstream system for performing a fat trimming operation. The meat cut classification system comprises a split/multi-belt conveyor having split/multi-belts proximately spaced apart extending in the same direction and having a uniform equidistant gap there between and said conveyor having a drive for conveying the meat cut through the classification system and a multi-probe mechanism assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Publication date: April 14, 2005
    Applicant: TYSON FRESH MEATS, INC.
    Inventors: John Johnson, Chris Vandenbroek
  • Publication number: 20050079815
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for a meat cut classification and fat trimming for sensing the thickness of a layer of fat of a cut of meat and the various contours thereof as it travels along a conveyance and providing the fat thickness or classification information to a downstream system for performing a fat trimming operation. The meat cut classification system comprises a split/multi-belt conveyor having split/multi-belts proximately spaced apart extending in the same direction and having a uniform equidistant gap there between and said conveyor having a drive for conveying the meat cut through the classification system and a multi-probe mechanism assembly operable to position the probes between the multi-belts of the conveyor and extend the probes upward between the multi-belts to penetrate the meat cut for measuring the fat thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Publication date: April 14, 2005
    Applicant: TYSON FRESH MEATS, INC.
    Inventors: John Johnson, Chris Vandenbroek