Patents by Inventor Dennis K. Scates

Dennis K. Scates 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: 9527671
    Abstract: A platform member for a knuckle-linked conveyor belt includes a stabilizer for pushing a conveyed product towards a side rail to stabilize the product during conveyance. The platform member may include an upper portion forming a conveying surface and a lower portion stepped down from the upper port for receiving the forward end of an adjacent platform member. A connector on the lower portion connects the platform member to a corresponding body member in the conveyor belt. The upper portion overlies and protrudes forward from the front of the lower portion. Shaped side rails on the platform member are configured to allow overlapping between adjacent side rails to minimize gaps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Laitram, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Angela L. Marshall, Nicholas J. Judice, R. Scott Dailey, John F. Landrum, Jorge E. Nagel, Gilbert J. MacLachlan, Glenn R. McCall, Jr., Dennis K. Scates
  • Patent number: 9309054
    Abstract: A small-diameter-roller conveyor converted from a large-diameter-roller conveyor and a method for the conversion. One or more belts are trained around the power-driven rollers of a roller conveyor. A stationary array of smaller-diameter article-supporting rollers is positioned atop the belts. The article-supporting rollers are in frictional contact with the belts. The rotation of the power-driven rollers advances the belts, which rotate the article-supporting rollers and convey articles supported atop the article-supporting rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Laitram, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Dennis K. Scates
  • Patent number: 9108801
    Abstract: A conveyor belt and a belt module having multiple roller sets, each roller set including a bottom roller in contact with an axially elongated top roller. Driving the bottom roller in a first direction causes rotation of the top roller in an opposite angular direction. The bottom rollers in first longitudinal lanes are arranged to rotate obliquely toward one side of the belt, and the bottom rollers in second lanes are arranged to rotate toward the other side of the belt. Either the first lanes of roller sets or the second lanes can be selectively actuated to direct articles conveyed atop the top rollers rearward and toward one side of the belt or the other or to receive articles fed onto the belt from either side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Laitram, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Mark Constanzo, Dennis K. Scates, David H. Myers, Glenn R. McCall, Jr., Matthew L. Fourney
  • Publication number: 20150183584
    Abstract: A platform member for a knuckle-linked conveyor belt includes a stabilizer for pushing a conveyed product towards a side rail to stabilize the product during conveyance. The platform member may include an upper portion forming a conveying surface and a lower portion stepped down from the upper port for receiving the forward end of an adjacent platform member. A connector on the lower portion connects the platform member to a corresponding body member in the conveyor belt. The upper portion overlies and protrudes forward from the front of the lower portion. Shaped side rails on the platform member are configured to allow overlapping between adjacent side rails to minimize gaps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Inventors: Angela L. Marshall, Nicholas J. Judice, R. Scott Dailey, John F. Landrum, Jorge E. Nagel, Gilbert J. MacLachlan, Glenn R. McCall, JR., Dennis K. Scates
  • Publication number: 20140090961
    Abstract: A conveyor belt and a belt module having multiple roller sets, each roller set including a bottom roller in contact with an axially elongated top roller. Driving the bottom roller in a first direction causes rotation of the top roller in an opposite angular direction. The bottom rollers in first longitudinal lanes are arranged to rotate obliquely toward one side of the belt, and the bottom rollers in second lanes are arranged to rotate toward the other side of the belt. Either the first lanes of roller sets or the second lanes can be selectively actuated to direct articles conveyed atop the top rollers rearward and toward one side of the belt or the other or to receive articles fed onto the belt from either side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: Laitram, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Mark Costanzo, Dennis K. Scates, David H. Myers, Glenn R. McCall, Jr., Matthew L. Fourney
  • Publication number: 20130299319
    Abstract: A small-diameter-roller conveyor converted from a large-diameter-roller conveyor and a method for the conversion. One or more belts are trained around the power-driven rollers of a roller conveyor. A stationary array of smaller-diameter article-supporting rollers is positioned atop the belts. The article-supporting rollers are in frictional contact with the belts. The rotation of the power-driven rollers advances the belts, which rotate the article-supporting rollers and convey articles supported atop the article-supporting rollers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: LAITRAM, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Dennis K. Scates
  • Patent number: 8210341
    Abstract: A conveyor transfer system and a transfer platform for transferring articles from an upstream conveyor to a downstream conveyor across a gap. The transfer platform fits in the gap between two conveyors arranged end to end. At least one of the conveyors includes a conveyor belt that reverses direction around a reversing element at the gap. The transfer platform floats in the gap supported by the conveyor belt or its reversing element without a direct connection to the conveyor frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Laitram, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Angela L. Marshall, Ross Doyle, Glenn R. McCall, Ed J. Pointer, Brien G. Rau, Dennis K. Scates
  • Publication number: 20110132725
    Abstract: A conveyor transfer system and a transfer platform for transferring articles from an upstream conveyor to a downstream conveyor across a gap. The transfer platform fits in the gap between two conveyors arranged end to end. At least one of the conveyors includes a conveyor belt that reverses direction around a reversing element at the gap. The transfer platform floats in the gap supported by the conveyor belt or its reversing element without a direct connection to the conveyor frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: Laitram, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Angela L. Marshall, Ross Doyle, Glenn R. McCall, Ed J. Pointer, Brien G. Rau, Dennis K. Scates