Patents by Inventor Gary Mercer

Gary Mercer 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).

  • Publication number: 20150129509
    Abstract: Methods and systems disclosed herein may be methods for rapidly increasing pressure in a pressure fryer cooking vessel during a cooking cycle. Such methods and systems may comprise determining whether a pressure output in the cooking vessel is closed. Such methods and system may also include determining a pressure of the cooking vessel, comparing the pressure of the cooking vessel to a predetermined optimal pressure to determine whether the pressure of the cooking vessel is less than the optimal pressure, and activating a filter pump configured to supply air from a drain pan into the cooking vessel in response to determining that the pressure output is closed and the pressure of the cooking vessel is less than the optimal pressure. Such methods and systems may further include deactivating the filter pump when the pressure within the cooking vessel is equal to or greater than the optimal pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: HENNY PENNY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David WINTER, Gary MERCER, Tim A. LANDWEHR, Keith LAMBERT
  • Patent number: 8505443
    Abstract: A cooking apparatus includes a first and second cooking vessel, a drain manifold connecting the first and second cooking vessel to a drain container for storing cooking medium, a first drain valve and second drain valve configured to connect the first and second cooking vessel with the drain container. A first drain lever selectively opens and closes the first drain valve, and a second drain lever selectively opens and closes the second drain valve. A first and second drain lever indicator indicate an operational status of the first and second drain valves, respectively. A controller monitors the first and second drain valve. When the first drain valve is open, the second drain lever indicator indicates a warning when the second drain lever is operated. When the second drain valve is open, the first drain lever indicator indicates a warning when the first drain lever is operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Henny Penny Corporation
    Inventors: Trent Abney, Steve Werts, Tim Landwehr, Gary Summons, Gary Mercer
  • Publication number: 20110168032
    Abstract: A cooking apparatus includes a first and second cooking vessel, a drain manifold connecting the first and second cooking vessel to a drain container for storing cooking medium, a first drain valve and second drain valve configured to connect the first and second cooking vessel with the drain container. A first drain lever selectively opens and closes the first drain valve, and a second drain lever selectively opens and closes the second drain valve. A first and second drain lever indicator indicate an operational status of the first and second drain valves, respectively. A controller monitors the first and second drain valve. When the first drain valve is open, the second drain lever indicator indicates a warning when the second drain lever is operated. When the second drain valve is open, the first drain lever indicator indicates a warning when the first drain lever is operated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Inventors: Trent ABNEY, Steve WERTS, Tim LANDWEHR, Gary SUMMONS, Gary MERCER
  • Publication number: 20070099057
    Abstract: A fuel cell system for driving a pipeline transmission device. The fuel cell system may include a fuel cell stack in communication with the pipeline, a turbine engine in communication with the fuel cell stack, and a DC motor in communication with the transmission device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2005
    Publication date: May 3, 2007
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Joe Ferrall, Rajiv Doshi, Chellappa Balan, David DeAngelis, Gary Mercer
  • Patent number: 6268668
    Abstract: A new stator core cooling concept is provided that can be implemented with a conventional core structure having cooling ducts interspersed at intervals along the axial length of the stator core. To enhance cooling of the stator coils, the cooling ducts are radially closed off so that cooling air is forced to flow circumferentially, preferably through small holes, channels, or slots, to impinge directly on the armature bar surface. Accordingly, rather than flowing cooling gas through the cooling ducts and immediately discharging it into the annular gap between the rotor and stator, cooled gas flows radially down through the cooling duct and then must flow circumferentially whereupon it impinges directly on the armature bar surface itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: Emil Donald Jarczynski, Christopher Charles Glynn, Kenneth E. Seitzer, Gary Mercer, Christian Lee Vandervort
  • Patent number: 5317130
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed which automatically adjusts the on-time of preferably quartz lamp heating elements in an oven having both quartz lamp and electric heating elements. In such an oven having dual heating elements, the temperature of the oven's cavity increases when numerous food items (loads) are rapidly cooked in succession. The present invention allows a dual heating element oven to automatically compensate for these increases in temperature by preferably shortening a predetermined on-time of the quartz bulbs. The on-time is continuously compensated using a microcomputer, dependent upon the current oven temperature. The microcomputer preferably uses at least two clocks to shorten the predetermined on-time of the quartz bulbs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Assignee: Henny Penny Corporation
    Inventors: Doug Burkett, Gary Mercer