Patents by Inventor Gary A. Woodruff

Gary A. Woodruff 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: 5979841
    Abstract: A bag dispensing system for suspending and dispensing plastic bags such as T-shirt bags and merchandise bags comprises a bag dispenser constructed to be mounted underneath counters of checkouts. The bag dispensing system comprises relatively short bag engaging hooks which are inserted through apertures formed in T-shirt bags. The apertures are positioned to enable downward removal of the T-shirt bags from the bag dispenser by applying a small downward force. The bag dispensing system further comprises removably detachable bag supporting members to simultaneously support different sized merchandise bags. Merchandise bag engaging hooks provided on the bag dispenser, and slits formed through the merchandise bag panels and gussets, assist in the opening of the bags during dispensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Inventors: Carmelo Piraneo, Salim Bana, Gary A. Woodruff, Richard S. Petrie
  • Patent number: 5924573
    Abstract: A bag dispensing system for suspending and dispensing plastic bags such as T-shirt bags and merchandise bags comprises a bag dispenser constructed to be mounted underneath counters of checkouts. The bag dispensing system comprises relatively short bag engaging hooks which are inserted through apertures formed in T-shirt bags. The apertures are positioned to enable downward removal of the T-shirt bags from the bag dispenser by applying a small downward force. The bag dispensing system further comprises removably detachable bag supporting members to simultaneously support different sized merchandise bags. Merchandise bag engaging hooks provided on the bag dispenser, and slits formed through the merchandise bag panels and gussets, assist in the opening of the bags during dispensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: Orange Plastics, Inc.
    Inventors: Carmelo Piraneo, Salim Bana, Gary A. Woodruff, Richard S. Petrie
  • Patent number: 5651193
    Abstract: A grain dryer for providing a controlled drying process through a housing. The housing has a path for grain to be dried such that the grain is dried as the grain moves along the path. The grain dryer also has a fan and heater assembly for supplying heated air to the path for drying grain in the path. The grain dryer can control the flow of grain along said path and has sensors disposed in predetermined positions so as to detect different fault conditions. The sensors generating corresponding fault signals in response to the detection of fault conditions. The grain dryer also has a controller operatively connected to the sensors, the controller is responsive to fault signals to initiate a predetermined shutdown procedure upon receipt of any one of the fault signals. A memory is operatively connected to the controller for electronically recording and identifying information concerning shutdown procedures initiated by the controller. The grain dryer controller controls the start-up of in a predetermined manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 29, 1997
    Assignee: The GSI Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Virgil O. Rhodes, Timothy P. McDonough, Cloyce Newton, Victor D. Goeckner, Gary Woodruff
  • Patent number: 5626550
    Abstract: A bag pack comprises a plurality of easy open handle bags. The bags are easy to open because the exterior surfaces of the bags are cold-welded together so that when one bag is pulled from the pack, the adjacent next bag is at least partly open. The external surfaces of the bags are not welded to the internal surfaces of the bags during the pressure welding process, because the material that forms the external surface of the bag is treated with a corona discharge, which renders the external surface more susceptible to cold weldings. Optionally a static charge is induced on the bags so that each bag is at a different voltage than the adjacent bags so the bags attract each other, and the panels of each individual bag repel each other, to contribute to the easy open feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Assignee: Orange Plastics, Inc.
    Inventors: John S. Amero, Carmelo Piraneo, Gary A. Woodruff, John E. Alvey