Patents by Inventor Donald Maynard

Donald Maynard 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: 11628447
    Abstract: A plastic granulator apparatus stationary cutting segment includes a segment rail having multiple arcuate spaced teeth. Each tooth of the plurality of arcuate spaced teeth has a tooth surface and is spaced to be complementary to a rotary cutter segments as a rotary cutter is rotated. The segment rail is adapted to be mounted to a granulator housing. The rail segment has a shoulder with a shoulder surface, the shoulder is adjacent to each of a set of arcuate spaced teeth. The shoulder has a shoulder surface height of between 0 and 10 mm, and a stepback distance of between 0 and 2 mm between the shoulder surface and the arcuate tooth surface. The shoulder and the arcuate tooth surface define an angle therebetween of 90° and 130°, and the shoulder surface defines an angle between 90° and 130°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: SIZE REDUCTION SPECIALISTS CORP.
    Inventor: Donald Maynard
  • Patent number: 11539104
    Abstract: A system for reducing the likelihood of a battery short during a collision of a vehicle includes a metallic structure coupled to a portion of the vehicle. The system further includes a battery located proximate to the metallic structure and having a positive terminal. The system further includes an insulator coupled to the metallic structure such that it is located between the metallic structure and the positive terminal of the battery and configured to resist contact between the metallic structure and the positive terminal of the battery in response to the collision of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Matthew C. Tier, Valerie Schnabelrauch, Ziwei Zeng, Ryan A. Mikolaizik, Donald Maynard
  • Patent number: 11446705
    Abstract: A particle separator is provided for separating small particles from large particles from material. The particle separator includes a conical shaped separator housing that forms a cyclonic separator enclosure, a cover attached at a top portion of the cyclonic separator enclosure, and an opening at a bottom portion of the cyclonic separator enclosure. The cyclonic separator enclosure has an inlet tube with a tangential entry opening along an inner wall of the cyclonic separator enclosure, where the inlet tube projects horizontally outward from an upper portion of the cyclonic separator enclosure. An outlet tube extends upward from a center of the cover with a vacuum unit connected to the outlet tube that creates a vortex in the cyclonic separator enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Inventor: Donald Maynard
  • Publication number: 20210328205
    Abstract: A system for reducing the likelihood of a battery short during a collision of a vehicle includes a metallic structure coupled to a portion of the vehicle. The system further includes a battery located proximate to the metallic structure and having a positive terminal. The system further includes an insulator coupled to the metallic structure such that it is located between the metallic structure and the positive terminal of the battery and configured to resist contact between the metallic structure and the positive terminal of the battery in response to the collision of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Inventors: Matthew C. Tier, Valerie Schnabelrauch, Ziwei Zeng, Ryan A. Mikolaizik, Donald Maynard
  • Publication number: 20210008595
    Abstract: A particle separator is provided for separating small particles from large particles from material. The particle separator includes a conical shaped separator housing that forms a cyclonic separator enclosure, a cover attached at a top portion of the cyclonic separator enclosure, and an opening at a bottom portion of the cyclonic separator enclosure. The cyclonic separator enclosure has an inlet tube with a tangential entry opening along an inner wall of the cyclonic separator enclosure, where the inlet tube projects horizontally outward from an upper portion of the cyclonic separator enclosure. An outlet tube extends upward from a center of the cover with a vacuum unit connected to the outlet tube that creates a vortex in the cyclonic separator enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Inventor: Donald Maynard
  • Publication number: 20200246802
    Abstract: A plastic granulator apparatus stationary cutting segment includes a segment rail having multiple arcuate spaced teeth. Each tooth of the plurality of arcuate spaced teeth has a tooth surface and is spaced to be complementary to a rotary cutter segments as a rotary cutter is rotated. The segment rail is adapted to be mounted to a granulator housing. The rail segment has a shoulder with a shoulder surface, the shoulder is adjacent to each of a set of arcuate spaced teeth. The shoulder has a shoulder surface height of between 0 and 10 mm, and a stepback distance of between 0 and 2 mm between the shoulder surface and the arcuate tooth surface. The shoulder and the arcuate tooth surface define an angle therebetween of 90° and 130°, and the shoulder surface defines an angle between 90° and 130°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: SIZE REDUCTION SPECIALISTS CORP.
    Inventor: Donald Maynard
  • Patent number: 10156370
    Abstract: An air conditioning (A/C) cover is provided that includes a mesh material configured as a cone. The cone has a lower base circumference that is designed to cover an exhaust fan opening of an A/C unit. The cover can be formed from metal or plastic mesh. In some embodiments a breathable material on a frame is configured as a cone with a lower base circumference that is designed to cover an exhaust fan opening of an A/C unit. A process of protecting an exhaust fan from debris infiltration includes the provision of a flat sheet of a mesh material to an end-user with instructions how to form a cone from the mesh material and how to use fasteners to retain the shape of the cone; and coupling the cone to a housing around the exhaust fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Inventor: Donald Maynard
  • Publication number: 20170209867
    Abstract: A plastic granulator apparatus stationary cutting segment includes a segment rail having multiple arcuate spaced teeth. Each tooth of the plurality of arcuate spaced teeth has a tooth surface and is spaced to be complementary to a rotary cutter segments as a rotary cutter is rotated. The segment rail is adapted to be mounted to a granulator housing. The rail segment has a shoulder with a shoulder surface, the shoulder is adjacent to each of a set of arcuate spaced teeth. The shoulder has a shoulder surface height of between 0 and 10 mm, and a stepback distance of between 0 and 2 mm between the shoulder surface and the arcuate tooth surface. The shoulder and the arcuate tooth surface define an angle therebetween of 90° and 135°, and the shoulder surface defines an angle between 90° and 135°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventor: Donald Maynard
  • Patent number: 9370796
    Abstract: A particle separator is provided that separates small particulate from large particulate from an intermixed material feed. The separator finds particular utility in the field of separation of thermoplastic regrind particulate from intermixed debris which constitutes a smaller particulate relative to the thermoplastic regrind. Embodiments of the separator use a rotary shaft for mounting an spiral blade fed by a material feeder bin that meters material into the separator. The spiral blade is configured so that the material moves along a peripheral mesh screen to separate any smaller particulate that passes through the mesh screen leaving the large particulate to traverse though the separator, while small particulate is sieved therefrom the surrounding mesh and into a separate collection stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Size Reduction Specialists Corp.
    Inventor: Donald Maynard
  • Publication number: 20160025359
    Abstract: An air conditioning (A/C) cover is provided that includes a mesh material configured as a cone. The cone has a lower base circumference that is designed to cover an exhaust fan opening of an A/C unit. The cover can be formed from metal or plastic mesh. In some embodiments a breathable material on a frame is configured as a cone with a lower base circumference that is designed to cover an exhaust fan opening of an A/C unit. A process of protecting an exhaust fan from debris infiltration includes the provision of a flat sheet of a mesh material to an end-user with instructions how to form a cone from the mesh material and how to use fasteners to retain the shape of the cone; and coupling the cone to a housing around the exhaust fan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventor: Donald Maynard
  • Publication number: 20150101964
    Abstract: A particle separator is provided that separates small particulate from large particulate from an intermixed material feed. The separator finds particular utility in the field of separation of thermoplastic regrind particulate from intermixed debris which constitutes a smaller particulate relative to the thermoplastic regrind. Embodiments of the separator use a rotary shaft for mounting an spiral blade fed by a material feeder bin that meters material into the separator. The spiral blade is configured so that the material moves along a peripheral mesh screen to separate any smaller particulate that passes through the mesh screen leaving the large particulate to traverse though the separator, while small particulate is sieved therefrom the surrounding mesh and into a separate collection stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: SIZE REDUCTION SPECIALISTS CORP.
    Inventor: Donald Maynard
  • Patent number: 8656647
    Abstract: A gutter protector is provided that has a top surface defining a front edge and a back edge. The protector also has a first side extending from the front edge to the back edge and extending at an angle ? from the top surface and having a gutter contacting first edge, a second side extending from the front edge to the back edge and extending at an angle ? from the top surface and having a gutter contacting second edge. A notch is provided in the front edge adapted to engage a complementary notch in an article to couple the gutter protector to the article, thereby allowing protectors to be engaged and pushed collectively down a gutter course to facilitate installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: GutterFlow LLC
    Inventors: David J. Bath, Donald Maynard
  • Patent number: 8556082
    Abstract: A rotary particle separator for separating small particles from large particles is provided and includes an inclined rotary shaft having a first end and a second end. A particle bend is coupled to the elevated first end of the shaft. The particle bend has a bottom surface with a hole therethrough for gravity feed of material including the large particles and small particles from the bend along the shaft towards the second end. Annulae are spaced along the shaft with each of the annulae having a central aperture bounded by a ring that terminates in an annulae outer diameter. At least one paddle is interspersed between two adjacent annulae with at least one paddle positioned to rotate around the shaft. A screen mesh having a mesh size surrounds the annulae with a mesh size such that the small particles within the material are able to pass through the mesh and thereby leave larger particles preferentially segregated within the volume defined by the annulae spaced along the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Size Reduction Specialists Corp.
    Inventors: Donald Maynard, Scott T. Merchant
  • Publication number: 20120298563
    Abstract: A rotary particle separator for separating small particles from large particles is provided and includes an inclined rotary shaft having a first end and a second end. A particle bend is coupled to the elevated first end of the shaft. The particle bend has a bottom surface with a hole therethrough for gravity feed of material including the large particles and small particles from the bend along the shaft towards the second end. Annulae are spaced along the shaft with each of the annulae having a central aperture bounded by a ring that terminates in an annulae outer diameter. At least one paddle is interspersed between two adjacent annulae with at least one paddle positioned to rotate around the shaft. A screen mesh having a mesh size surrounds the annulae with a mesh size such that the small particles within the material are able to pass through the mesh and thereby leave larger particles preferentially segregated within the volume defined by the annulae spaced along the shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: Size Reduction Specialists, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald Maynard, Scott T. Merchant
  • Publication number: 20110283631
    Abstract: A gutter protector is provided that has a top surface defining a front edge and a back edge. The protector also has a first side extending from the front edge to the back edge and extending at an angle ? from the top surface and having a gutter contacting first edge, a second side extending from the front edge to the back edge and extending at an angle ? from the top surface and having a gutter contacting second edge. A notch is provided in the front edge adapted to engage a complementary notch in an article to couple the gutter protector to the article, thereby allowing protectors to be engaged and pushed collectively down a gutter course to facilitate installation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: Gutter Flow LLC
    Inventors: David S. Bath, Donald Maynard
  • Publication number: 20060102761
    Abstract: A granulator has a first coarse cutting stage operating at between 5 and 45 rotations per minute and a second fine cutting stage operating at two to ten times the speed of the first stage. Since granulate exiting the second stage is uniformly divided, the granulator operates independent of a screen. A first cutter stage has cutting segments having blades interspersed with deflector segments about a shaft. Rotation of the shaft urges the blades past a spaced stationary cutter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Publication date: May 18, 2006
    Inventor: Donald Maynard