Patents by Inventor Christopher G. Maines

Christopher G. Maines 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: 10479611
    Abstract: A material handling system includes a very high speed linear sortation conveyor that receives articles at an operating speed of 650 to 700 feet per second (fps) and up to 100 fps with gapping as small as one inch. In one or more embodiments, a recirculation sortation conveyor receives articles that are not diverted by the linear sortation conveyor with dynamic capacity sufficient to handle a high speed shutdown of the linear sortation conveyor. The recirculation sortation conveyor is itself a very high speed linear sortation conveyor having a pusher pre-sort feature that can distribute received articles at different lateral positions on an endless conveyor to align with more than one recirculation sortation conveyors that may be operating at a slower operating speed. In an exemplary embodiment, the recirculation sortation conveyor has a divert section for diverting articles to a divert target on a lateral side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: INTELLIGRATED HEADQUARTERS, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher G. Maines, Justin J. Zimmer, Jason Robert Meta, Ryan Artz, Brett Alan Hedges, Adam Stutz, Raymond R. Neiser
  • Publication number: 20190016539
    Abstract: A material handling system includes a very high speed linear sortation conveyor that receives articles at an operating speed of 650 to 700 feet per second (fps) and up to 100 fps with gapping as small as one inch. In one or more embodiments, a recirculation sortation conveyor receives articles that are not diverted by the linear sortation conveyor with dynamic capacity sufficient to handle a high speed shutdown of the linear sortation conveyor. The recirculation sortation conveyor is itself a very high speed linear sortation conveyor having a pusher pre-sort feature that can distribute received articles at different lateral positions on an endless conveyor to align with more than one recirculation sortation conveyors that may be operating at a slower operating speed. In an exemplary embodiment, the recirculation sortation conveyor has a divert section for diverting articles to a divert target on a lateral side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Inventors: Christopher G. MAINES, Justin J. ZIMMER, Jason Robert META, Ryan ARTZ, Brett Alan HEDGES, Adam STUTZ, Raymond R. NEISER
  • Patent number: 10106330
    Abstract: A material handling system includes a very high speed linear sortation conveyor that receives articles at an operating speed of 650 to 700 feet per second (fps) and up to 100 fps with gapping as small as one inch. In one or more embodiments, a recirculation sortation conveyor receives articles that are not diverted by the linear sortation conveyor with dynamic capacity sufficient to handle a high speed shutdown of the linear sortation conveyor. The recirculation sortation conveyor is itself a very high speed linear sortation conveyor having a pusher pre-sort feature that can distribute received articles at different lateral positions on an endless conveyor to align with more than one recirculation sortation conveyors that may be operating at a slower operating speed. In an exemplary embodiment, the recirculation sortation conveyor has a divert section for diverting articles to a divert target on a lateral side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: INTELLIGRATED HEADQUARTERS, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher G. Maines, Justin J. Zimmer, Jason Robert Meta, Ryan Artz, Brett Alan Hedges, Adam Stutz, Raymond R. Neiser
  • Publication number: 20180170683
    Abstract: A material handling system includes a very high speed linear sortation conveyor that receives articles at an operating speed of 650 to 700 feet per second (fps) and up to 100 fps with gapping as small as one inch. In one or more embodiments, a recirculation sortation conveyor receives articles that are not diverted by the linear sortation conveyor with dynamic capacity sufficient to handle a high speed shutdown of the linear sortation conveyor. The recirculation sortation conveyor is itself a very high speed linear sortation conveyor having a pusher pre-sort feature that can distribute received articles at different lateral positions on an endless conveyor to align with more than one recirculation sortation conveyors that may be operating at a slower operating speed. In an exemplary embodiment, the recirculation sortation conveyor has a divert section for diverting articles to a divert target on a lateral side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Christopher G. Maines, Justin J. Zimmer, Jason Robert Meta, Ryan Artz, Brett Alan Hedges, Adam Stutz, Raymond R. Neiser
  • Publication number: 20180022555
    Abstract: A material handling system includes a very high speed linear sortation conveyor that receives articles at an operating speed of 650 to 700 feet per second (fps) and up to 100 fps with gapping as small as one inch. In one or more embodiments, a recirculation sortation conveyor receives articles that are not diverted by the linear sortation conveyor with dynamic capacity sufficient to handle a high speed shutdown of the linear sortation conveyor. The recirculation sortation conveyor is itself a very high speed linear sortation conveyor having a pusher pre-sort feature that can distribute received articles at different lateral positions on an endless conveyor to align with more than one recirculation sortation conveyors that may be operating at a slower operating speed. In an exemplary embodiment, the recirculation sortation conveyor has a divert section for diverting articles to a divert target on a lateral side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Inventors: Christopher G. Maines, Justin J. Zimmer, Jason Robert Meta, Ryan Artz, Brett Alan Hedges, Adam Stutz, Raymond R. Neiser