Patents by Inventor Darren Thornton

Darren Thornton 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: 20070169542
    Abstract: A blast movement monitor for measuring the movement of material within a body of material as a result of a blasting operation, the monitor including: a housing having an interior chamber defining an inner surface; and an internal communication device that is received immediately within the interior chamber of the housing and which is adapted to transmit a signal to an external communication device and/or to detect a signal transmitted by the external communication device; wherein the internal communication device includes a body portion and opposing end portions, the end portions being configured such that they are complementary with the inner surface of the interior chamber and the internal communication device being biased to facilitate self-righting of the internal communication device to a desired orientation within the interior chamber independent of the orientation of the monitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Inventors: Darren Thornton, Graham Sheridan
  • Publication number: 20070151345
    Abstract: A blast movement monitor for measuring the movement of material within a body of material as a result of a blasting operation, the monitor including: a housing having an interior chamber defining an inner surface; and an internal communication device that is received immediately within the interior chamber of the housing, the internal communication device including: a body portion; an electric coil wound around the body portion; a circuit board electrically connected to the coil; a battery electrically connected to the circuit board; an end portion associated with one end of the body portion; and a cap associated with an opposing end of the body portion that encapsulates the body portion and sealingly houses the body portion; wherein the internal communication device is biased to facilitate self-righting of the internal communication device to a desired orientation within the interior chamber independent of the orientation of the monitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Publication date: July 5, 2007
    Applicant: THORNCORP PTY LTD
    Inventor: Darren Thornton
  • Publication number: 20070151471
    Abstract: A method for measuring the movement of boundaries between different portions of a heterogeneous rock body is disclosed. The method comprises placing a plurality of blast movement monitors 109 in a rock body prior to blasting and noting the position of each blast movement monitor. The rock body is then blasted to break it up into a plurality of pieces. Thereafter the position of the blast movement monitors 109 is located and based on this the boundaries of rock portions can be adjusted to account for the blast. This leads to a more accurate reporting of different ore bodies to the appropriate processor in a heterogeneous rock body. An apparatus for carrying out the method is also disclosed. The apparatus comprises broadly a said monitor 109 and a receiver. The monitor 1 comprises a transmitter 109 received within a casing 111 that in turn is received within a housing 126. Further the casing 111 can move within the housing 126 and self right so that it always transmits its signal in an upright direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Publication date: July 5, 2007
    Inventors: David La Rosa, Darren Thornton, Michael Wortley
  • Publication number: 20050012499
    Abstract: A method for measuring the movement of boundaries between different portions of a heterogeneous rock body is disclosed. The method comprises placing a plurality of blast movement monitors 109 in a rock body prior to blasting and noting the position of each blast movement monitor. The rock body is then blasted to break it up into a plurality of pieces. Thereafter the position of the blast movement monitors 109 is located and based on this the boundaries of rock portions can be adjusted to account for the blast. This leads to a more accurate reporting of different ore bodies to the appropriate processor in a heterogeneous rock body. An apparatus for carrying out the method is also disclosed. The apparatus comprises broadly a said monitor 109 and a receiver. The monitor 1 comprises a transmitter 109 received within a casing 111 that in turn is received within a housing 126. Further the casing 111 can move within the housing 126 and self right so that it always transmits its signal in an upright direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Publication date: January 20, 2005
    Inventors: David La Rosa, Darren Thornton, Michael Wortley