Patents by Inventor David R. Seaward

David R. Seaward 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).

  • Handling partly completed containers
    Patent number: 5613828
    Abstract: Successive flat skillets (S) are picked from a stack (12) and fed to a conveyor (2) by a mechanism which has devices gripping adjacent side faces to a fold line of a skillet to open the skillets to their tubular form during the transfer movement. The gripping devices (22,24) pivot on an axis coincident with the skillet fold line to allow the skillet to be opened to its full tubular form without distortion. The mechanism is so arranged that the skillet reservoir stack (12) can be oriented in a plane substantially parallel to the conveyor path for the opened skillets, in order to minimize space requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: Thomas J. Lipton Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip G. Haddow, Roderick L. Mitchell, David R. Seaward, Geoffrey W. Vernon
  • Apparatus and method for producing packets
    Patent number: 5548947
    Abstract: Packets are produced by forming a continuous web (W) of packaging material into a tubular form around a tube (4) through which the packet filling material is delivered, the individual packets being sealed and severed from the web as each dose of filling material is delivered. A valve (24) to control the dosing is provided at the exit end of the delivery tube. The sealing and severing of the packets is performed by mutually transverse pairs of rotors (36, 38) the arms (92) of which interdigitate to make successive seals in mutually transverse directions, so forming tetrahedral packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: Thomas J. Lipton Co.
    Inventors: Kevin R. Fincham, David R. Seaward, Graham L. Shirley, Geoffrey W. Vernon
  • Article wrapping apparatus
    Patent number: 5179815
    Abstract: Article wrapping apparatus, particularly for wrapping cigarette packets in wrapper film, includes separate cutters (34A,14) respectively for severing a wrapper web into separate sections and for cutting the leading end of a tear strip attached to each section. Drive means (24) is provided for varying the path length of the web between the cutters. Separate drives (12,30) are provided respectively for the cutters and for the web, these being synchronized with a further separate drive for the articles. An air mover (32) assists feeding of the web towards the main cutter (34A); a further air mover (50) assists feeding of wrapper sections across and beyond the path of an article to be wrapped. Opposed belt conveyors (43,44) may be clamped together under action of air cylinders for feeding of wrapper sections without loss of timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1993
    Assignee: Molins PLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Cahill, Jeffrey J. Patchett, David R. Seaward, Graham L. Shirley, Geoffrey W. Vernon