Patents by Inventor Craig Propert

Craig Propert 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: 20240158190
    Abstract: A method is provided for supplying a corrugated board article or a paperboard sheet article from a feeder apparatus for receipt by an article processing host machine. The method includes feeding the article to a feeder apparatus including a sheet supporting feed table surface having a feed end and a delivery end, feed elements, and a control surface selectively movable between a covering state and an exposing state. In the exposing state the feed elements are exposed to contact and drive the article along the sheet supporting feed table. The control surface is selectively movable to an angled state to selectively angle the control surface to consecutively conceal the respective feed elements as the article moves over the feed elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2024
    Publication date: May 16, 2024
    Applicant: Sun Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Schlothauer, Ryan Garis, Craig Propert, Terry Hartlaub
  • Patent number: 11897716
    Abstract: A self-contained no-feed-roll computer controlled corrugated board or paperboard sheet feeder apparatus 200 is configured to upgrade an installed corrugated board processing machine (e.g., 10) and includes a feed table surface 210 for boards (e.g., 2) having drive wheels (222W, 224W, 226W) in an initial variable velocity zone 220 which drives the board in a first motion profile through a first vacuum zone, and a second velocity zone 230 which then drives the board in a second motion profile through a second vacuum zone Retrofittable sheet feeder 200 also includes a controller 300 configured to receive predetermined velocity signals from the host machine 10 and generate (i) a first initial variable velocity control signal for initial variable velocity zone 220 and (ii) a second velocity control signal for second velocity zone 230 in response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Inventors: Aaron Schlothauer, Ryan Garis, Craig Propert, Terry Hartlaub
  • Publication number: 20240002177
    Abstract: A self-contained no-feed-roll computer controlled corrugated board or paperboard sheet feeder apparatus 200 is configured to upgrade an installed corrugated board processing machine (e.g., 10) and includes a feed table surface 210 for boards (e.g., 2) having drive wheels (222W, 224W, 226W) in an initial variable velocity zone 220 which drives the board in a first motion profile through a first vacuum zone, and a second velocity zone 230 which then drives the board in a second motion profile through a second vacuum zone Retrofittable sheet feeder 200 also includes a controller 300 configured to receive predetermined velocity signals from the host machine 10 and generate (i) a first initial variable velocity control signal for initial variable velocity zone 220 and (ii) a second velocity control signal for second velocity zone 230 in response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: Sun Automation, INC.
    Inventors: Aaron Schlothauer, Ryan Garis, Craig Propert, Terry Hartlaub
  • Publication number: 20220063938
    Abstract: A self-contained no-feed-roll computer controlled corrugated board or paperboard sheet feeder apparatus 200 is configured to upgrade an installed corrugated board processing machine (e.g., 10) and includes a feed table surface 210 for boards (e.g., 2) having drive wheels (222W, 224W, 226W) in an initial variable velocity zone 220 which drives the board in a first motion profile through a first vacuum zone, and a second velocity zone 230 which then drives the board in a second motion profile through a second vacuum zone Retrofittable sheet feeder 200 also includes a controller 300 configured to receive predetermined velocity signals from the host machine 10 and generate (i) a first initial variable velocity control signal for initial variable velocity zone 220 and (ii) a second velocity control signal for second velocity zone 230 in response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Applicant: Sun Automation, INC.
    Inventors: Aaron Schlothauer, Ryan Garis, Craig Propert, Terry Hartlaub
  • Publication number: 20160023420
    Abstract: Plastic sheets are fed along a horizontal path from the bottom of a stack to a box making machine by a conveyor. The rear end of the stack rests on a metering bar located above the path at the rear end of the stack so that when the lowermost sheet is fed by the conveyor, its rear end drops and air jets from an air knife are introduced in the space between the stack and the lowermost sheet at the rear end of the stack to overcome friction forces and separate the lower most sheet from the stack as the sheet is conveyed along the path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Michael P. Loos, John W. Rogers, Jeffrey D. Thomas, Craig Propert