Patents by Inventor James E. Thixton, Jr.

James E. Thixton, Jr. 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: 6920909
    Abstract: A core assembly apparatus includes a rotating table having a plurality of operation positions. A plurality of fixtures for assembling cores are carried by the rotating table adjacent its periphery, preferably one core assembly fixture for each operation position. The core assembly fixtures are inclined toward the central portion of the rotating table. In one of the operation positions, a completed core assembly is transferred from a core assembly fixture to a horizontal conveyor. A pick-and-place assembly engages a core assembly and removes it from an inclined core assembly fixture of a rotating table and placement on a horizontal conveyor. Alternatively, the fixtures may be pivotally attached to the rotating table and include core assembly gripping mechanisms so that the core assembly fixtures can pivot to lower assembled cores onto a horizontal conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher J. Colon, James E. Thixton, Jr.