Patents by Inventor Forrest SLOAN
Forrest SLOAN 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).
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Patent number: 12102320Abstract: A cord comprises a braided sheath of strands having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a central hollow portion defined by the inner surface and having a volume and a core within the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath, such that when the cord is in a relaxed state the tubular braided sheath has a cylindrical shape and a relaxed volume of the central hollow portion wherein the core does not fill the relaxed volume of the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath; when the cord is in a longitudinal tensioned state, the tubular braided sheath elongates under the longitudinal tension such that a tensioned volume of at least a part of the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath is less than the relaxed volume; and the inner surface of the tubular braided sheath of tensioned volume contacts and cinches a surface of the core.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2021Date of Patent: October 1, 2024Assignee: KURARAY CO., LTD.Inventors: Patrick Coffey, Forrest Sloan
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Patent number: 12077908Abstract: Disclosed herein are ropes containing bundles of filaments, where each bundle includes at least 70% by volume of liquid crystal polymer filaments, and where at least one bundle includes liquid crystal polymer filaments of at least 10 denier per filament in size. Also disclosed herein are methods of pulling or lifting an object by applying tension to such a rope connected to the object, where the rope is arranged over a sheave or a non-rotating guide surface, and a ratio of a diameter of the sheave or an effective diameter of the non-rotating guide surface, D, to a diameter of the rope, d, is at least 20:1.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2023Date of Patent: September 3, 2024Assignee: KURARAY CO., LTD.Inventor: Forrest Sloan
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Publication number: 20240076814Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for producing core-sheath structures by shaping at least one filament bundle containing a plurality of filaments to form at least one shaped strand of filaments, and braiding a plurality of strands, including the at least one shaped strand of filaments, over a core to form the core-sheath structure containing a braided sheath of the strands surrounding the core, wherein the shaped strand of filaments is an untwisted strand having a twist level of less than 1 turn per meter, a cross-sectional aspect ratio of the shaped strand of filaments is at least 3:1, as measured in the braided sheath, a thickness of at least a portion of the braided sheath ranges from about 10 to about 200 ?m, and the braided sheath comprises a synthetic fiber having a tensile strength of greater than 12 cN/dtex. Also disclosed herein are core-sheath structures formed by such methods.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2023Publication date: March 7, 2024Applicant: KURARAY CO., LTD.Inventors: Forrest SLOAN, Patrick Coffey
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Publication number: 20230323596Abstract: Disclosed herein are ropes containing bundles of filaments, where each bundle includes at least 70% by volume of liquid crystal polymer filaments, and where at least one bundle includes liquid crystal polymer filaments of at least 10 denier per filament in size. Also disclosed herein are methods of pulling or lifting an object by applying tension to such a rope connected to the object, where the rope is arranged over a sheave or a non-rotating guide surface, and a ratio of a diameter of the sheave or an effective diameter of the non-rotating guide surface, D, to a diameter of the rope, d, is at least 20:1.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2023Publication date: October 12, 2023Applicant: KURARAY CO., LTD.Inventor: Forrest SLOAN
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Patent number: 11767620Abstract: This application describes a braided cord containing a braided sheath and optionally a core surrounded by the braided sheath. The braided cord has changing cross-sectional area ranging from 0.0004 mm2 to 30 mm2 and contains one or more sections having a tapering angle ranging from 1° to 60° when observed in one direction along the cord axis. The change in the cross-sectional area of the cord can be achieved by changing the thickness of the braided sheath and/or changing the cross-sectional area of the core when the core is present. The thickness of the braided sheath can be adjusted by changing the size and/or twist level of one or more sheath strands, changing the pick count of the braided sheath, and/or using one or more shaped sheath strands. This application also describes a process of producing the braided cord with changing cross-sectional area.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2021Date of Patent: September 26, 2023Assignee: KURARAY CO., LTD.Inventors: Forrest Sloan, Patrick Coffey
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Patent number: 11713545Abstract: Disclosed herein are ropes containing bundles of filaments, where each bundle includes at least 70% by volume of liquid crystal polymer filaments, and where at least one bundle includes liquid crystal polymer filaments of at least 10 denier per filament in size. Also disclosed herein are methods of pulling or lifting an object by applying tension to such a rope connected to the object, where the rope is arranged over a sheave or a non-rotating guide surface, and a ratio of a diameter of the sheave or an effective diameter of the non-rotating guide surface, D, to a diameter of the rope, d, is at least 20:1.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2021Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: KURARAY CO., LTD.Inventor: Forrest Sloan
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Patent number: 11674246Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for producing core-sheath structures by shaping at least one filament bundle containing a plurality of filaments to form at least one shaped strand of filaments, and braiding a plurality of strands, including the at least one shaped strand of filaments, over a core to form the core-sheath structure containing a braided sheath of the strands surrounding the core, wherein the shaped strand of filaments is an untwisted strand having a twist level of less than 1 turn per meter, a cross-sectional aspect ratio of the shaped strand of filaments is at least 3:1, as measured in the braided sheath, a thickness of at least a portion of the braided sheath ranges from about 10 to about 200 ?m, and the braided sheath comprises a synthetic fiber having a tensile strength of greater than 12 cN/dtex. Also disclosed herein are core-sheath structures formed by such methods.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2021Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: KURARAY CO., LTD.Inventors: Forrest Sloan, Patrick Coffey
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Publication number: 20230149015Abstract: A cord comprises a braided sheath of strands having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a central hollow portion defined by the inner surface and having a volume and a core within the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath, such that when the cord is in a relaxed state the tubular braided sheath has a cylindrical shape and a relaxed volume of the central hollow portion wherein the core does not fill the relaxed volume of the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath; when the cord is in a longitudinal tensioned state, the tubular braided sheath elongates under the longitudinal tension such that a tensioned volume of at least a part of the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath is less than the relaxed volume; and the inner surface of the tubular braided sheath of tensioned volume contacts and cinches a surface of the core.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 3, 2023Publication date: May 18, 2023Applicant: KURARAY CO., LTD.Inventors: Patrick COFFEY, Forrest Sloan
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Publication number: 20220167976Abstract: A cord comprises a braided sheath of strands having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a central hollow portion defined by the inner surface and having a volume and a core within the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath, such that when the cord is in a relaxed state the tubular braided sheath has a cylindrical shape and a relaxed volume of the central hollow portion wherein the core does not fill the relaxed volume of the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath; when the cord is in a longitudinal tensioned state, the tubular braided sheath elongates under the longitudinal tension such that a tensioned volume of at least a part of the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath is less than the relaxed volume; and the inner surface of the tubular braided sheath of tensioned volume contacts and cinches a surface of the core.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2021Publication date: June 2, 2022Applicant: KURARAY CO., LTD.Inventors: Patrick COFFEY, Forrest Sloan
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Publication number: 20220056622Abstract: This application describes a braided cord containing a braided sheath and optionally a core surrounded by the braided sheath. The braided cord has changing cross-sectional area ranging from 0.0004 mm2 to 30 mm2 and contains one or more sections having a tapering angle ranging from 1° to 60° when observed in one direction along the cord axis. The change in the cross-sectional area of the cord can be achieved by changing the thickness of the braided sheath and/or changing the cross-sectional area of the core when the core is present. The thickness of the braided sheath can be adjusted by changing the size and/or twist level of one or more sheath strands, changing the pick count of the braided sheath, and/or using one or more shaped sheath strands. This application also describes a process of producing the braided cord with changing cross-sectional area.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2021Publication date: February 24, 2022Applicant: KURARAY CO., LTD.Inventors: Forrest Sloan, Patrick Coffey
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Publication number: 20220025577Abstract: Disclosed herein are ropes containing bundles of filaments, where each bundle includes at least 70% by volume of liquid crystal polymer filaments, and where at least one bundle includes liquid crystal polymer filaments of at least 10 denier per filament in size. Also disclosed herein are methods of pulling or lifting an object by applying tension to such a rope connected to the object, where the rope is arranged over a sheave or a non-rotating guide surface, and a ratio of a diameter of the sheave or an effective diameter of the non-rotating guide surface, D, to a diameter of the rope, d, is at least 20:1.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2021Publication date: January 27, 2022Applicant: KURARAY CO., LTD.Inventor: Forrest Sloan
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Patent number: 11229432Abstract: A cord comprises a braided sheath of strands having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a central hollow portion defined by the inner surface and having a volume and a core within the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath, such that when the cord is in a relaxed state the tubular braided sheath has a cylindrical shape and a relaxed volume of the central hollow portion wherein the core does not fill the relaxed volume of the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath; when the cord is in a longitudinal tensioned state, the tubular braided sheath elongates under the longitudinal tension such that a tensioned volume of at least a part of the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath is less than the relaxed volume; and the inner surface of the tubular braided sheath of tensioned volume contacts and cinches a surface of the core.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2019Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignee: Kuraray Co., Ltd.Inventors: Patrick Coffey, Forrest Sloan
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Publication number: 20220002943Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for producing core-sheath structures by shaping at least one filament bundle containing a plurality of filaments to form at least one shaped strand of filaments, and braiding a plurality of strands, including the at least one shaped strand of filaments, over a core to form the core-sheath structure containing a braided sheath of the strands surrounding the core, wherein the shaped strand of filaments is an untwisted strand having a twist level of less than 1 turn per meter, a cross-sectional aspect ratio of the shaped strand of filaments is at least 3:1, as measured in the braided sheath, a thickness of at least a portion of the braided sheath ranges from about 10 to about 200 ?m, and the braided sheath comprises a synthetic fiber having a tensile strength of greater than 12 cN/dtex. Also disclosed herein are core-sheath structures formed by such methods.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2021Publication date: January 6, 2022Applicant: KURARAY CO., LTD.Inventors: Forrest SLOAN, Patrick COFFEY
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Publication number: 20190223868Abstract: A cord comprises a braided sheath of strands having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a central hollow portion defined by the inner surface and having a volume and a core within the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath, such that when the cord is in a relaxed state the tubular braided sheath has a cylindrical shape and a relaxed volume of the central hollow portion wherein the core does not fill the relaxed volume of the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath; when the cord is in a longitudinal tensioned state, the tubular braided sheath elongates under the longitudinal tension such that a tensioned volume of at least a part of the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath is less than the relaxed volume; and the inner surface of the tubular braided sheath of tensioned volume contacts and cinches a surface of the core.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 17, 2019Publication date: July 25, 2019Applicant: KURARAY AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Patrick COFFEY, Forrest SLOAN