Patents by Inventor Edward B. Willey

Edward B. Willey 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: 5368431
    Abstract: A trash bag opener and removal apparatus has a feed conveyor, a housing assembly and a discharge conveyor for opening and removing plastic and paper bags filled with material and discharging the material at a chute end of the discharge conveyor. The bags are routed by the feed conveyor into the housing assembly, which has a separate input conveyor, a slicer assembly, a slitter assembly, a bag stripper assembly and first and second paddle wheels. The input conveyor is located proximate to the feed conveyor and travels faster than the feed conveyor to upset the bags and ensure that the bag bottoms are exposed for the slicer assembly. The slicer assembly has a rotating, cylindrical drum with three serrated blades along its length and oscillates to tear the bags open. The paddle wheels retard and assist in moving the bags and refuse from the slicer assembly to the slitter assembly, which has rotating notched disk blades to rip the bags open, and then to the discharge conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1994
    Inventors: Edward B. Willey, J. Wayne Willey, deceased, by Jack H. Willey, executor