Patents by Inventor Christopher J. Ludwig
Christopher J. Ludwig 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).
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Patent number: 11434058Abstract: A flexible carrier for carrying a plurality of containers includes a flexible sheet having two or more rows and multiple ranks of container apertures formed therein. The plurality of containers are each placed into a respective container receiving aperture and are thus unitized in a package. The flexible carrier further includes a plurality of handles corresponding with the multiple ranks, each handle formed at a periphery of the flexible sheet and a line of weakness formed between the transverse ranks. As a result of the described configuration, the flexible carrier is divisible into multiple sub-carriers, each unitizing a set of containers and each including a handle along a respective transverse edge of the resulting sub-carrier.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2016Date of Patent: September 6, 2022Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.Inventors: Robert C. Olsen, Christopher J. Ludwig
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Patent number: 10913560Abstract: A device for applying a flexible carrier to a plurality of containers includes a base with a plurality of pockets and an indexing means and a carrier having a series of indexing features that correspond with the indexing means for placement of the carrier relative to the base, wherein a container may be inserted into one of the plurality of pockets of the base for desired alignment within the carrier.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2015Date of Patent: February 9, 2021Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.Inventor: Christopher J. Ludwig
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Patent number: 10611539Abstract: A package of containers within an array of corresponding container receiving apertures wherein a handle slides between a static position at least partially between the containers and a lifting position at least partially above the containers.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2016Date of Patent: April 7, 2020Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.Inventor: Christopher J. Ludwig
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Publication number: 20170158403Abstract: A flexible carrier for carrying a plurality of containers includes a flexible sheet having two or more rows and multiple ranks of container apertures formed therein. The plurality of containers are each placed into a respective container receiving aperture and are thus unitized in a package. The flexible carrier further includes a plurality of handles corresponding with the multiple ranks, each handle formed at a periphery of the flexible sheet and a line of weakness formed between the transverse ranks. As a result of the described configuration, the flexible carrier is divisible into multiple sub-carriers, each unitizing a set of containers and each including a handle along a respective transverse edge of the resulting sub-carrier.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2016Publication date: June 8, 2017Applicant: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.Inventors: Robert C. OLSEN, Christopher J. LUDWIG
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Publication number: 20170113370Abstract: An applicating machine for applying a flexible carrier to a plurality of containers provided from an infeed includes a jaw drum for applying a flexible carrier to a plurality of containers provided and a cutoff device for cutting the carrier into a desired size. The cutoff device includes an adjustable beam positionable into multiple angular positions relative to a flow of the plurality of containers depending on the desired size of the multipack.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 3, 2017Publication date: April 27, 2017Applicant: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.Inventors: Rachell SLOVIK, Christopher J. LUDWIG, Christopher J. SAMARAS, Jonathan GREGERSEN
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Patent number: 9630729Abstract: A system for packaging containers within a flexible container carrier includes a generally continuous string of container carriers arranged with divisible weakened connections between adjacent individual container carriers that is fed through an applicating machine for applying the container carriers to individual containers. A cut-off device is arranged downstream of the applicating machine to selectively accelerate or decelerate the containers to separate the generally continuous string into individual container carriers.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2012Date of Patent: April 25, 2017Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.Inventors: Christopher J. Samaras, Christopher J. Ludwig
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Patent number: 9533782Abstract: An applicating machine for applying a flexible carrier to a plurality of containers provided from an infeed includes a jaw drum for applying a flexible carrier to a plurality of containers provided and a cutoff device for cutting the carrier into a desired size. The cutoff device includes an adjustable beam positionable into multiple angular positions relative to a flow of the plurality of containers depending on the desired size of the multipack.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2012Date of Patent: January 3, 2017Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.Inventors: Rachell Slovik, Christopher J. Ludwig, Christopher J. Samaras, Jonathan Gregersen
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Publication number: 20160257469Abstract: A package of containers within an array of corresponding container receiving apertures wherein a handle slides between a static position at least partially between the containers and a lifting position at least partially above the containers.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2016Publication date: September 8, 2016Applicant: Illinois Tool Works Inc.Inventor: Christopher J. Ludwig
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Publication number: 20160016351Abstract: A flexible carrier for carrying a plurality of containers within a plurality of corresponding container receiving apertures is formed using a rotary die within a rotary die press resulting in carriers having complex configurations including close tolerance cuts and complex perforation patterns.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2015Publication date: January 21, 2016Inventors: Paul S. Siewert, Rachell L. SLOVIK, Christopher J. LUDWIG
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Publication number: 20150197357Abstract: A device for applying a flexible carrier to a plurality of containers includes a base with a plurality of pockets and an indexing means and a carrier having a series of indexing features that correspond with the indexing means for placement of the carrier relative to the base, wherein a container may be inserted into one of the plurality of pockets of the base for desired alignment within the carrier.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 7, 2015Publication date: July 16, 2015Inventor: Christopher J. LUDWIG
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Publication number: 20130292272Abstract: This invention relates to a package of a plurality of containers unitized with a flexible carrier. The carrier is constructed from a plastic planar sheet having a plurality of container receiving apertures and a panel or handle positioned with respect to the planar sheet. The panel or handle are die cut to form at least one of a product name, a product property, a promotional shape, a trademark, a tradename, alpha-numeric characters, symbols and a fanciful design.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2013Publication date: November 7, 2013Applicant: Illinois Tool Works Inc.Inventors: George E. Waldo, II, Christopher J. Ludwig, Leslie S. Marco
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Publication number: 20130186041Abstract: A system for packaging containers within a flexible container carrier includes a generally continuous string of container carriers arranged with divisible weakened connections between adjacent individual container carriers that is fed through an applicating machine for applying the container carriers to individual containers. A cut-off device is arranged downstream of the applicating machine to selectively accelerate or decelerate the containers to separate the generally continuous string into individual container carriers.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2012Publication date: July 25, 2013Inventors: Christopher J. Samaras, Christopher J. Ludwig
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Publication number: 20130036881Abstract: An applicating machine for applying a flexible carrier to a plurality of containers provided from an infeed includes a jaw drum for applying a flexible carrier to a plurality of containers provided and a cutoff device for cutting the carrier into a desired size. The cutoff device includes an adjustable beam positionable into multiple angular positions relative to a flow of the plurality of containers depending on the desired size of the multipack.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2012Publication date: February 14, 2013Applicant: Illinois Tool Works Inc.Inventors: Rachell SLOVIK, Christopher J. LUDWIG, Christopher J. SAMARAS, Jonathan GREGERSEN
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Patent number: 7637077Abstract: An applicating machine for applying a flexible carrier to a plurality of containers provided from an infeed includes a jaw drum moveable between an operating position and a storage position away from the operating position. In the operating position the jaw drum is positioned with respect to the infeed to accept the plurality of containers and apply the flexible carrier to the plurality of containers. A second jaw drum may be moveable into the operating position to enable packaging of containers having different dimensions and/or packages having different configurations.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2007Date of Patent: December 29, 2009Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.Inventors: Rachell L. Slovik, Christopher J. Ludwig
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Patent number: 7510075Abstract: A flexible carrier for carrying a plurality of containers includes a flexible sheet having a row of container receiving apertures formed therein. The flexible carrier further includes a handle integrated with respect to the flexible sheet and may further include a panel integrated with respect to at least one row of the container receiving apertures on an opposite side of the row of container receiving apertures from the handle. A package is formed by fanning out the two rows of container receiving apertures and inserting a plurality of containers, each within a respective container receiving aperture.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2005Date of Patent: March 31, 2009Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.Inventors: Robert Olsen, Christopher J. Ludwig
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Publication number: 20070261373Abstract: An applicating machine for applying a flexible carrier to a plurality of containers provided from an infeed includes a jaw drum moveable between an operating position and a storage position away from the operating position. In the operating position the jaw drum is positioned with respect to the infeed to accept the plurality of containers and apply the flexible carrier to the plurality of containers. A second jaw drum may be moveable into the operating position to enable packaging of containers having different dimensions and/or packages having different configurations.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 24, 2007Publication date: November 15, 2007Inventors: Rachell L. Slovik, Christopher J. Ludwig
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Patent number: 6622523Abstract: The present invention provides a two stage process of thermal separation of CFCs and HCFCs followed by vitrification of the waste into a commercially viable glass. In the first stage, the hydrogenated compounds are reacted at elevated temperature with water and a metal oxide such as calcium oxide to form a halide salt and carbon dioxide. In the second stage of the process, the brine slag is reacted at elevated temperature with the carbon dioxide from stage one and glass-forming raw materials such as silicon dioxide to produce a glass. The final glass product incorporates the halide into the glass.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2001Date of Patent: September 23, 2003Inventors: Christopher J. Ludwig, Frederic M. Schwartz
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Publication number: 20010045106Abstract: The present invention provides a two stage process of thermal separation of CFCs and HCFCs followed by vitrification of the waste into a commercially viable glass. In the first stage, the hydrogenated compounds are reacted at elevated temperature with water and a metal oxide such as calcium oxide to form a halide salt and carbon dioxide. In the second stage of the process, the brine slag is reacted at elevated temperature with the carbon dioxide from stage one and glass-forming raw materials such as silicon dioxide to produce a glass. The final glass product incorporates the halide into the glass.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 20, 2001Publication date: November 29, 2001Inventors: Christopher J. Ludwig, Frederic M. Schwartz