Patents by Inventor Dwain K. Butler

Dwain K. Butler 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: 6028270
    Abstract: The mass of stockpiled materials is determined from detailed measurements of the elevation of the pile surface at many points and the measurement of the gravitational field along several profile lines across the surface of the stockpiled material. The elevation measurements allow the calculation of the pile volume. Measured gravity values are adjusted using standard gravity corrections in such a manner as to imply all gravity data are collected along the same reference datum. Variations in the corrected gravity values are assumed to be caused solely by the pile material. The gravity measurements are interpreted using analytical and statistical methods to determine the volume-average bulk density value of the pile material. The pile volume is multiplied by the volume-average bulk density to obtain the weight of the stockpiled material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Army Corps of Engineers
    Inventors: Keith J. Sjostrom, Dwain K. Butler