Patents by Inventor Gregory James Merz

Gregory James Merz 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: 7182288
    Abstract: A dispenser for rolled absorbent web material is disclosed. A carriage is rotatable between at least two orientations. The carriage includes a first roll holder, which holds a first roll of absorbent web material in a primary position when the carriage is in a first orientation and in a secondary position when the carriage is in a second orientation, and a second roll holder, which holds a second roll of absorbent web material in the secondary position when the carriage is in the first orientation and in the primary position when the carriage is in the second orientation. A roll sensor senses the amount of absorbent web material remaining on the roll in the primary position. A feed mechanism dispenses absorbent web material from at least one of the rolls. A transfer mechanism feeds absorbent web material from the roll in the secondary position into the feed mechanism when the absorbent web material on the roll in the primary position is nearly depleted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Georgia-Pacific Corporation
    Inventors: Dennis Joseph Denen, Craig D. Yardley, Joshua Michael Broehl, Robert James Hayes, John Joseph Knittle, Brian Kenneth Linstedt, Gregory James Merz, John R. Moody
  • Patent number: 6793170
    Abstract: A paper dispenser including a carriage that is rotatable between at least a first orientation and a second orientation. The carriage holds at least two rolls of paper. In the first orientation, the first roll is in a primary position and the second roll is in a secondary position. In the second orientation, the first roll is in the secondary position and the second roll is in the primary position. A roll sensor senses the amount of paper remaining on the roll held in the primary position. Paper from at least one of the two rolls is fed into a feed mechanism for dispensation. A transfer mechanism feeds paper from the roll held in the secondary position into the feed mechanism when the roll sensor senses that the paper on the roll held in the primary position is depleted to less than a predetermined diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Georgia-Pacific Corporation
    Inventors: Dennis Joseph Denen, Craig D. Yardley, Joshua Michael Broehl, Robert James Hayes, John Joseph Knittle, Brian Kenneth Linstedt, Gregory James Merz, John R. Moody
  • Publication number: 20030197086
    Abstract: A paper dispenser including a carriage that is rotatable between at least a first orientation and a second orientation. The carriage holds at least two rolls of paper. In the first orientation, the first roll is in a primary position and the second roll is in a secondary position. In the second orientation, the first roll is in the secondary position and the second roll is in the primary position. A roll sensor senses the amount of paper remaining on the roll held in the primary position. Paper from at least one of the two rolls is fed into a feed mechanism for dispensation. A transfer mechanism feeds paper from the roll held in the secondary position into the feed, mechanism when the roll sensor senses that the paper on the roll held in the primary position is depleted to less than a predetermined diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2003
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Applicant: GEORGIA-PACIFIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dennis Joseph Denen, Craig D. Yardley, Joshua Michael Broehl, Robert James Hayes, John Joseph Knittle, Brian Kenneth Linstedt, Gregory James Merz, John R. Moody
  • Patent number: 6592067
    Abstract: Apparatus for dispensing paper from rolls which feeds continuously, roll to roll, and does not require extra procedure to bring stub roll into position. The apparatus has a device for holding and positioning at least first and second rolls of paper with respect to each other; a device for dispensing paper from the first roll; a device for dispensing paper from the first and second rolls simultaneously when the first roll reduces to a predetermined diameter of paper, a device for positioning the depleted first roll for replacement without the necessity of removing the second roll; and a device for dispensing from the second and replacement rolls simultaneously when the second roll reduces to a predetermined diameter of paper. The apparatus also has a capacity-change based proximity sensor comprising a circuit according to a balanced bridge principle where detection is based on detecting a phase difference, which depends upon the amount of detected capacitance difference or change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Georgia-Pacific Corporation
    Inventors: Dennis Joseph Denen, Craig D. Yardley, Joshua Michael Broehl, Robert James Hayes, John Joseph Knittle, Brian Kenneth Linstedt, Gregory James Merz, John R. Moody
  • Publication number: 20020109036
    Abstract: Apparatus for dispensing paper from rolls which feeds continuously, roll to roll, and does not require extra procedure to bring stub roll into position. The apparatus has means for holding and positioning at least first and second rolls of paper with respect to each other; means for dispensing paper from the first roll; means for dispensing paper from the first and second rolls simultaneously when the first roll reduces to a predetermined diameter of paper, means for positioning the depleted first roll for replacement without the necessity of removing the second roll; and means for dispensing from the second and replacement rolls simultaneously when the second roll reduces to a predetermined diameter of paper. The apparatus also has a capacity-change based proximity sensor comprising a circuit according to a balanced bridge principle where detection is based on detecting a phase difference, which depends upon the amount of detected capacitance difference or change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Publication date: August 15, 2002
    Inventors: Dennis Joseph Denen, Craig D. Yardley, Joshua Michael Broehl, Robert James Hayes, John Joseph Knittle, Brian Kenneth Linstedt, Gregory James Merz, John R. Moody