Patents by Inventor Gage Goodspeed Coffin
Gage Goodspeed Coffin 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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Vertical grow tower conveyance system for controlled environment agriculture including tower shuttle
Patent number: 11944049Abstract: A vertical farming structure having vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, while being exposed to controlled conditions, such as lighting, airflow, humidity and nutritional support. The present disclosure describes a reciprocating cam mechanism that provides a cost-efficient mechanism for conveying vertical grow towers in the controlled environment. The reciprocating cam mechanism can be arranged to increase the spacing of the grow towers as they are conveyed through the controlled environment to index the crops growing on the towers. The present disclosure also describes a tower shuttle mechanism that provides operational flexibility by decoupling the loading and unloading operations of the grow towers from the vertical farming structure and, therefore, allowing multiple grow towers to be extracted for harvesting in a batch process before loading new grow towers into the vertical farming structure in a separate process.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2020Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: MJNN LLCInventors: Gage Goodspeed Coffin, Alexandre Le Roux, Tamara Tahir Hasoon, Michael Peter Flynn, Andrew Dubel, Roger Lee -
Publication number: 20240090394Abstract: Facility layouts and configurations for an automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture. In particular implementations, the core of the facility comprises a controlled growth environment and a central processing system. The controlled growth environment includes systems for exposing crops housed in modules, such as grow towers, to controlled environmental conditions. The central processing system may include various stations and functionality both for preparing crop-bearing modules to be inserted in the controlled growth environment, for harvesting crops from the crop-bearing modules after they have been extracted from the controlled growth environment, and for cleaning or washing crop-bearing modules for re-use. The controlled growth environment may include vertical farming structure having vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers along one or more grow lines.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2023Publication date: March 21, 2024Applicant: MJNN LLCInventors: Gage Goodspeed Coffin, Michael Peter Flynn, Nicholas Kalayjian, Alan Colbrie Schoen, Andrew Keith James, Arvind Sankaran, Alexandre Le Roux, Nadav Sahar Hendel, Anna Olson, Michael Bennett Hamilton, Theodore Howe St. George, Loren Raymond Pilorin
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Publication number: 20240023501Abstract: A controlled environment agriculture system including multiple environmental grow zones through which plants and/or lighting or other equipment that influence environmental equipment are cycled during the growth phase of farm production. In one implementation, the system includes multiple grow zones through which plants are cycled during the growth phase of farm production. The system may include a first environmentally-controlled growing chamber, a second environmentally-controlled growing chamber, and one or more interfaces to allow a conveyance mechanism to transfer grow containers between the chambers. Each growth chamber may include environmental control systems, and associated sensors, for regulating at least one environmental condition, such as air temperature, airflow speed, relative air humidity, and ambient carbon dioxide gas content.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2021Publication date: January 25, 2024Applicant: MJNN LLCInventors: Andrew Keith James, Michael Ryan Baldwin, Alan Colbrie Schoen, Nathaniel R. Storey, Gage Goodspeed Coffin, Michael Peter Flynn, Paul Bryan Kreiner
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Patent number: 11856902Abstract: Facility layouts and configurations for an automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture. In particular implementations, the core of the facility comprises a controlled growth environment and a central processing system. The controlled growth environment includes systems for exposing crops housed in modules, such as grow towers, to controlled environmental conditions. The central processing system may include various stations and functionality both for preparing crop-bearing modules to be inserted in the controlled growth environment, for harvesting crops from the crop-bearing modules after they have been extracted from the controlled growth environment, and for cleaning or washing crop-bearing modules for re-use. The controlled growth environment may include vertical farming structure having vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers along one or more grow lines.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2020Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: MJNN LLCInventors: Gage Goodspeed Coffin, Michael Peter Flynn, Nicholas Kalayjian, Alan Colbrie Schoen, Andrew Keith James, Arvind Sankaran, Alexandre Le Roux, Nadav Sahar Hendel, Anna Olson, Michael Bennett Hamilton, Theodore Howe St. George, Loren Raymond Pilorin
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Publication number: 20230389494Abstract: Facility layouts and configurations for an automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture. In particular implementations the core of the facility comprises a controlled growth environment and a central processing system. The controlled growth environment includes systems for exposing crops housed in modules, such as grow towers, to Controlled environmental conditions. The central processing system may include various stations and functionality both for preparing crop-bearing modules to be inserted in the controlled growth environment, for harvesting crops from the crop-bearing modules after they have been extracted from the controlled growth environment, and for cleaning or washing crop-hearing modules for re-use.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 27, 2023Publication date: December 7, 2023Applicant: MJNN LLCInventors: Gage Goodspeed Coffin, Michael Peter Flynn, Brice Leon Klein, Alexandre Le Roux, Nathaniel R. Storey, Tamara Tahir Hasoon, Merritt Jonathan Jenkins, Maria Alexandria Malone, Matthew James Matera, Kelly Catherine Casie LaBuff, Alan Colbrie Schoen
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Patent number: 11832569Abstract: An automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture that includes a horizontal-to-vertical grow tower interface between a vertical grow structure that includes vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, and a processing system that performs one or more processing operations—such as harvesting, cleaning and/or transplanting—on the grow towers in a substantially horizontal orientation. The present disclosure also describes an automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture that selectively routes grow towers through various processing stages of an automated crop production system.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2019Date of Patent: December 5, 2023Assignee: MJNN LLCInventors: Gage Goodspeed Coffin, Michael Peter Flynn, Brice Leon Klein, Alexandre Le Roux, Nathaniel R. Storey, Tamara Tahir Hasoon, Merritt Jonathan Jenkins, Maria Alexandria Malone, Matthew James Matera, Anna Olson, Nadav Sahar Hendel
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Patent number: 11700804Abstract: Facility layouts and configurations for an automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture. In particular implementations, the core of the facility comprises a controlled growth environment and a central processing system. The controlled growth environment includes systems for exposing crops housed in modules, such as grow towers, to controlled environmental conditions. The central processing system may include various stations and functionality both for preparing crop-bearing modules to be inserted in the controlled growth environment for harvesting crops from the crop-bearing modules after they have been extracted from the controlled growth environment, and for cleaning or washing crop-hearing modules for re-use.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2019Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: MJNN LLCInventors: Gage Goodspeed Coffin, Michael Peter Flynn, Brice Leon Klein, Alexandre Le Roux, Nathaniel R. Storey, Tamara Tahir Hasoon, Merritt Jonathan Jenkins, Maria Alexandria Malone, Matthew James Matera, Kelly Catherine Casie LaBuff, Alan Colbrie Schoen
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Patent number: 11690326Abstract: A vertical farming structure having vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, while being exposed to controlled lighting, airflow, humidity and nutritional support. The present disclosure describes a reciprocating cam mechanism that provides a cost-efficient mechanism for conveying vertical grow towers in the controlled environment. The reciprocating cam mechanism can be arranged to increase the spacing of the grow towers as they are conveyed through the controlled environment to index the crops growing on the towers. The present disclosure also describes an irrigation system that provides aqueous nutrient solution to the grow towers.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2021Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Inventors: Gage Goodspeed Coffin, Michael Peter Flynn, Brice Leon Klein, Alexandre Le Roux, Timothy Michael Murcko, Nathaniel R. Storey
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Patent number: 11612112Abstract: A vertical farming structure having vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, while being exposed to controlled lighting, airflow, humidity and nutritional support. The present disclosure describes a reciprocating cam mechanism that provides a cost-efficient mechanism for conveying vertical grow towers in the controlled environment. The reciprocating cam mechanism can be arranged to increase the spacing of the grow towers as they are conveyed through the controlled environment to index the crops growing on the towers. The present disclosure also describes an irrigation system that provides aqueous nutrient solution to the grow towers.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2021Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: MJNN LLCInventors: Gage Goodspeed Coffin, Michael Peter Flynn, Brice Leon Klein, Alexandre Le Roux, Timothy Michael Murcko, Nathaniel R. Storey
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Patent number: 11570958Abstract: A tower catch mechanism that facilitates loading of vertical grow towers in a vertical farming structure having associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, while being exposed to controlled conditions, such as lighting, airflow, humidity and nutritional support. The present disclosure describes a load conveyance mechanism that transfers grow towers to a loading position where grow towers are loaded onto a select grow line. Each grow line may include a grow tower conveyance system that moves vertically-oriented grow towers to select positions along a grow line. The system may include a tower catch mechanism that registers grow towers in position at the loading position for insertion into a select grow line. In some implementations, the tower catch mechanism can be integrated into other structures of the vertical farming system, such as a gutter basin corresponding to a select grow line.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2020Date of Patent: February 7, 2023Assignee: MJNN LLCInventors: Gage Goodspeed Coffin, Brice Leon Klein
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Publication number: 20220338431Abstract: Facility layouts and configurations for an automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture. In particular implementations, the core of the facility comprises a controlled growth environment and a central processing system. The controlled growth environment includes systems for exposing crops housed in modules, such as grow towers, to controlled environmental conditions. The central processing system may include various stations and functionality both for preparing crop-bearing modules to be inserted in the controlled growth environment, for harvesting crops from the crop-bearing modules after they have been extracted from the controlled growth environment, and for cleaning or washing crop-bearing modules for re-use. The controlled growth environment may include vertical farming structure having vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers along one or more grow lines.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2020Publication date: October 27, 2022Applicant: MJNN LLCInventors: Gage Goodspeed Coffin, Michael Peter Flynn, Nicholas Kalayjian, Alan Colbrie Schoen, Andrew Keith James, Arvind Sankaran, Alexandre Le Roux, Nadav Sahar Hendel, Anna Olson, Michael Bennett Hamilton, Theodore Howe St. George, Loren Raymond Pilorin
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VERTICAL GROW TOWER CONVEYANCE SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE INCLUDING TOWER SHUTTLE
Publication number: 20220330503Abstract: A vertical farming structure having vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, while being exposed to controlled conditions, such as lighting, airflow, humidity and nutritional support. The present disclosure describes a reciprocating cam mechanism that provides a cost-efficient mechanism for conveying vertical grow towers in the controlled environment. The reciprocating cam mechanism can be arranged to increase the spacing of the grow towers as they are conveyed through the controlled environment to index the crops growing on the towers. The present disclosure also describes a tower shuttle mechanism that provides operational flexibility by decoupling the loading and unloading operations of the grow towers from the vertical farming structure and, therefore, allowing multiple grow towers to be extracted for harvesting in a batch process before loading new grow towers into the vertical farming structure in a separate process.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2020Publication date: October 20, 2022Applicant: MJNN LLCInventors: Gage Goodspeed Coffin, Alexandre Le Roux, Tamara Tahir Hasoon, Michael Peter Flynn, Andrew Dubel, Roger Lee -
Publication number: 20220227007Abstract: Automated pickup and laydown systems for an automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture that includes vertical grow towers. Some implementations of the invention can be used to create a horizontal-to-vertical interface between a vertical grow structure that includes vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, and a central processing system that processes (for example, harvests, cleans, transplants, etc.) the grow towers.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 4, 2020Publication date: July 21, 2022Applicant: MJNN LLCInventors: Michael Peter Flynn, Merritt Jonathan Jenkins, Gage Goodspeed Coffin, Alexandre Le Roux, Charles Dylan Karr, Nadav Sahar Hendel
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Publication number: 20220221328Abstract: An arrangement and method are provided for weighing plant support structures that are travel along a conveyance line. A load bar includes connections to couple the load bar to a carrier, which is moveable along the conveyance line. The load bar receives ends of plant support structure hooks, and exerts a lateral force on the hooks as the load bar travels. A load cell includes a leading portion that is lower in height than a weighing portion of the load cell. Each hook raises as it travels onto the load cell. The relationship of the height of the weighing portion and the length of the hook end are arranged such that, as the hook end is raised, it remains engaged with the load bar so that the load bar continues to exert a lateral force on the hook as the load bar moves in the direction of travel.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2022Publication date: July 14, 2022Applicant: MJNN LLCInventor: Gage Goodspeed Coffin
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Publication number: 20220007601Abstract: Facility layouts and configurations for an automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture. In particular implementations, the core of the facility comprises a controlled growth environment and a central processing system. The controlled growth environment includes systems for exposing crops housed in modules, such as grow towers, to controlled environmental conditions. The central processing system may include various stations and functionality both for preparing crop-bearing modules to he inserted in the controlled growth environment for harvesting crops from the crop-bearing modules after they have been extracted from the controlled growth environment, and for cleaning or washing crop-hearing modules for re-use.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2019Publication date: January 13, 2022Applicant: MJNN LLCInventors: Gage Goodspeed Coffin, Michael Peter Flynn, Brice Leon Klein, Alexandre Le Roux, Nathaniel R. Storey, Tamara Tahir Hasoon, Merritt Jonathan Jenkins, Maria Alexandria Malone, Matthew James Matera, Kelly Catherine Casie LaBuff, Alan Colbrie Schoen
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Publication number: 20220000043Abstract: An automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture that includes a horizontal-to-vertical grow tower interface between a vertical grow structure that includes vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, and a processing system that performs one or more processing operations—such as harvesting, cleaning and/or transplanting—on the grow towers in a substantially horizontal orientation. The present disclosure also describes an automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture that selectively routes grow towers through various processing stages of an automated crop production system.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2019Publication date: January 6, 2022Applicant: MJNN LLCInventors: Gage Goodspeed Coffin, Michael Peter Flynn, Brice Leon Klein, Alexandre Le Roux, Nathaniel R. Storey, Tamara Tahir Hasoon, Merritt Jonathan Jenkins, Maria Alexandria Malone, Matthew James Matera, Anna Olson, Nadav Sahar Hendel
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Publication number: 20210337742Abstract: A vertical farming structure having vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, while being exposed to controlled lighting, airflow, humidity and nutritional support. The present disclosure describes a reciprocating cam mechanism that provides a cost-efficient mechanism for conveying vertical grow towers in the controlled environment. The reciprocating cam mechanism can be arranged to increase the spacing of the grow towers as they are conveyed through the controlled environment to index the crops growing on the towers. The present disclosure also describes an irrigation system that provides aqueous nutrient solution to the grow towers.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2021Publication date: November 4, 2021Applicant: MJNN LLCInventors: Gage Goodspeed Coffin, Michael Peter Flynn, Brice Leon Klein, Alexandre Le Roux, Timothy Michael Murcko, Nathaniel R. Storey
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Publication number: 20210337741Abstract: A vertical farming structure having vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, while being exposed to controlled lighting, airflow, humidity and nutritional support. The present disclosure describes a reciprocating cam mechanism that provides a cost-efficient mechanism for conveying vertical grow towers in the controlled environment. The reciprocating cam mechanism can be arranged to increase the spacing of the grow towers as they are conveyed through the controlled environment to index the crops growing on the towers. The present disclosure also describes an irrigation system that provides aqueous nutrient solution to the grow towers.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2021Publication date: November 4, 2021Applicant: MJNN LLCInventors: Gage Goodspeed Coffin, Michael Peter Flynn, Brice Leon Klein, Alexandre Le Roux, Timothy Michael Murcko, Nathaniel R. Storey
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Patent number: 11089741Abstract: A vertical farming structure having vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, while being exposed to controlled lighting, airflow, humidity and nutritional support. The present disclosure describes a reciprocating cam mechanism that provides a cost-efficient mechanism for conveying vertical grow towers in the controlled environment. The reciprocating cam mechanism can be arranged to increase the spacing of the grow towers as they are conveyed through the controlled environment to index the crops growing on the towers. The present disclosure also describes an irrigation system that provides aqueous nutrient solution to the grow towers.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2019Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: MJNN LLCInventors: Gage Goodspeed Coffin, Michael Peter Flynn, Brice Leon Klein, Alexandre Le Roux, Timothy Michael Murcko, Nathaniel R. Storey
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Publication number: 20210084849Abstract: A tower catch mechanism that facilitates loading of vertical grow towers in a vertical farming structure having associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, while being exposed to controlled conditions, such as lighting, airflow, humidity and nutritional support. The present disclosure describes a load conveyance mechanism that transfers grow towers to a loading position where grow towers are loaded onto a select grow line. Each grow line may include a grow tower conveyance system that moves vertically-oriented grow towers to select positions along a grow line. The system may include a tower catch mechanism that registers grow towers in position at the loading position for insertion into a select grow line. In some implementations, the tower catch mechanism can be integrated into other structures of the vertical farming system, such as a gutter basin corresponding to a select grow line.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2020Publication date: March 25, 2021Applicant: MJNN LLCInventors: Gage Goodspeed Coffin, Brice Leon Klein