Patents by Inventor James M. Thomas

James M. Thomas 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: 11027330
    Abstract: An apparatus for continuous casting a metal strip and reducing snake eggs in the metal strip. A pair of counter rotating casting rolls through which a thin strip can be cast are provided. A metal delivery system is disposed above the nip for discharging molten metal into a casting pool supported on the rolls. A pair of side dam holders and a pair of side dams are assembled adjacent each end portion of the rolls. Each side dam holder is tapered and dovetails with an adjacent side dam to confine the casting pool of molten metal supported on casting surfaces of the rolls. An oscillation mechanism provides lateral oscillation to each side dam and side dam holder at a frequency 2-50 hertz and with an amplitude 100-2000 ?m during casting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Schlichting, Volus McKenna, Alan Deno, James M. Thomas, Philippe Maurice Fettig, Harold Bradley Rees, Nick Corea, Michael Ponder
  • Patent number: 10963277
    Abstract: The device that includes a normalization engine configured to populate data fields in a normalized data structure with network information in accordance with normalization rules. The device further includes a virtualization engine configured to generate virtual data defining one or more virtual objects in accordance with virtualization rules that map data fields from the normalized data structure to physical attributes of virtual objects and to transmit the virtual data defining the one or more virtual objects for display on a user device. The virtualization engine is further configured to receive user feedback that identifies a selected virtual object, to identify data field values in the normalized data structure for the physical attributes of the selected virtual object, and to generate an error report comprising at least a portion of the identified data fields values. The virtualization engine is further configured to send the error report to the user device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: James M. Thomas, Alan W. Shields
  • Publication number: 20210001396
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of continuously casting thin strip by controlling roll crown is provided. The apparatus for continuously casting thin strip by controlling roll crown includes at least two expansion rings positioned within and adjacent a cylindrical tube and spaced within 450 mm of edge portions of the cast strip formed on opposite end portions of casting rolls during a casting campaign. Alternatively or in addition, the apparatus includes at least one expansion ring within the cylindrical tube at a position corresponding to center portions of the cast strip formed on the casting rolls during a casting campaign. Each expansion ring has at least one heating element and an insulating coating thereon and is adapted to increase in radial dimension causing the cylindrical tube to expand changing roll crown of the casting surfaces of the casting rolls and thickness profile of the cast strip during casting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventors: Robert Gerard NOONING, JR., James M. THOMAS, Mike PONDER, Bradley REES
  • Publication number: 20200218555
    Abstract: The device that includes a normalization engine configured to populate data fields in a normalized data structure with network information in accordance with normalization rules. The device further includes a virtualization engine configured to generate virtual data defining one or more virtual objects in accordance with virtualization rules that map data fields from the normalized data structure to physical attributes of virtual objects and to transmit the virtual data defining the one or more virtual objects for display on a user device. The virtualization engine is further configured to receive user feedback that identifies a selected virtual object, to identify data field values in the normalized data structure for the physical attributes of the selected virtual object, and to generate an error report comprising at least a portion of the identified data fields values. The virtualization engine is further configured to send the error report to the user device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventors: James M. Thomas, Alan W. Shields
  • Patent number: 10620981
    Abstract: The device that includes a normalization engine configured to populate data fields in a normalized data structure with network information in accordance with normalization rules. The device further includes a virtualization engine configured to generate virtual data defining one or more virtual objects in accordance with virtualization rules that map data fields from the normalized data structure to physical attributes of virtual objects and to transmit the virtual data defining the one or more virtual objects for display on a user device. The virtualization engine is further configured to receive user feedback that identifies a selected virtual object, to identify data field values in the normalized data structure for the physical attributes of the selected virtual object, and to generate an error report comprising at least a portion of the identified data fields values. The virtualization engine is further configured to send the error report to the user device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: James M. Thomas, Alan W. Shields
  • Publication number: 20190278621
    Abstract: The device that includes a normalization engine configured to populate data fields in a normalized data structure with network information in accordance with normalization rules. The device further includes a virtualization engine configured to generate virtual data defining one or more virtual objects in accordance with virtualization rules that map data fields from the normalized data structure to physical attributes of virtual objects and to transmit the virtual data defining the one or more virtual objects for display on a user device. The virtualization engine is further configured to receive user feedback that identifies a selected virtual object, to identify data field values in the normalized data structure for the physical attributes of the selected virtual object, and to generate an error report comprising at least a portion of the identified data fields values. The virtualization engine is further configured to send the error report to the user device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventors: James M. Thomas, Alan W. Shields
  • Publication number: 20190244174
    Abstract: A system for analyzing vendor interactions by inspecting message logs is disclosed. The system is configured to identify a plurality of messages logs associated with an attachment comprising an indication of an accepted invitation to a calendar event. The system further identifies a sender and a recipient associated with each of the message logs, and determines that one of the sender and the recipient is identified as an employee and the other one is identified as a vendor. Next, the system extracts personal information about the identified employee and public information about the identified vendor, and stores the extracted information in an interaction data entry. Additionally, the system creates an index associated with the interaction data entry to facilitate query of the data stored in the interaction data entry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Inventors: Michael E. Ogrinz, Varadharajan Candhadai Ramaswamy, James M. Thomas, Kathleen D. Schaumburg, Raghav Ramakrishnan, Pankaj Panging
  • Publication number: 20190244175
    Abstract: A system for categorizing vendor interactions by inspecting messages is disclosed. The system is configured to scan a plurality of messages and identify keywords from the body of the messages. Based on the identified keywords, the system determines a topic for each of the messages. The system further performs a sentiment analysis to determine an overall contextual polarity for each of the messages and categorizes the messages based on the determined overall contextual polarity. Additionally, the system stores the determined overall contextual polarity and the category of the messages in interaction data entries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Inventors: Michael E. Ogrinz, James M. Thomas, Varadharajan Candhadai Ramaswamy, Kathleen D. Schaumburg
  • Publication number: 20190210098
    Abstract: An apparatus for continuous casting metal strip reducing snake eggs comprising a pair of counter rotating casting rolls, each roll less than 800 millimeters in diameter and positioned to form a nip there between through which thin strip can be cast; a metal delivery system disposed above the nip and capable of discharging molten metal to form a casting pool supported on the rolls; a pair of side dam holders and a pair of side dams assembled adjacent each end portion of the rolls, each side dam holder tapered along edge portions to dovetail with an adjacent side dam, and each side dam adapted to confine the casting pool of molten metal supported on casting surfaces of the rolls; an oscillation mechanism adapted to cause lateral oscillation of each side dam and side dam holder at a frequency 2-50 hertz and with an amplitude 100-2000 ?m during a casting campaign.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Mark SCHLICHTING, Volus MCKENNA, Alan DENO, James M. THOMAS, Philippe Maurice FETTIG, Harold Bradley REES, Nick COREA, Michael PONDER
  • Publication number: 20170144218
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of continuously casting thin strip by controlling roll crown is provided. The apparatus for continuously casting thin strip by controlling roll crown includes at least two expansion rings positioned within and adjacent a cylindrical tube and spaced within 450 mm of edge portions of the cast strip formed on opposite end portions of casting rolls during a casting campaign. Alternatively or in addition, the apparatus includes at least one expansion ring within the cylindrical tube at a position corresponding to center portions of the cast strip formed on the casting rolls during a casting campaign. Each expansion ring has at least one heating element and an insulating coating thereon and is adapted to increase in radial dimension causing the cylindrical tube to expand changing roll crown of the casting surfaces of the casting rolls and thickness profile of the cast strip during casting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Inventors: Robert Gerard NOONING, JR., James M. THOMAS, Mike PONDER, Bradley REES
  • Patent number: 6892431
    Abstract: A hand held spin-pull tool for securing a hollow threaded insert into a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: Meikle NY, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Campbell, James M. Thomas, Jeffrey S. Clough, Jesse J. Diehl
  • Publication number: 20030150093
    Abstract: A hand held spin-pull tool for securing a hollow threaded insert into a substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Inventors: Frederick A. Campbell, James M. Thomas, Jeffrey S. Clough, Jesse J. Diehl
  • Patent number: 5418597
    Abstract: A clamping arrangement essentially comprising two lever arms driven at one end by a solenoid and having a resilient clamp pad mounted on a flexure member at the other end thereof. The clamp pad is made of a resilient material such as, for example, urethane and has four non-parallel side walls defining an upper face which is complementary to the radial face of the scanning apparatus gate. The sloping side walls of the clamp pad act as a light baffle to prevent reflected light from entering the imaging lens, and the pad is gimballed so that any variations between the upper surface of the clamp pad and the radial surface of the gate will be eliminated attain as perfect a match therebetween as is possible. In another embodiment of the clamping arrangement, a single arm can be utilized in place of the dual arm arrangement described above. The single arm has a Y-shape in which the clamp pad is supported on the branched end of the arm and the solenoid drives the single member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Tomi Lahcanski, Eric P. Hochreiter, James M. Thomas, D. Mathew Dobbins
  • Patent number: 4929367
    Abstract: An antistatic and fabric softening laundry wash cycle additive article includes an antistatic and fabric softening composition in a filtering container, from which a complex of cationic surfactant and anionic surfactant is released into the wash water through the filtering walls of the container. The particles of the released complex, the size of which are controlled by the sizes of the filtering openings in the container walls, are small enough so that they do not form objectionable greasy deposits on the laundry, such as often results when antistatic and fabric softening cationic surfactant is present with anionic surfactant in a detergent composition, or is added to the wash water with such detergent composition. The cationic surfactant may be present in the filtering container as a complex with anionic surfactant or in mixture with anionic surfactant, in particulate form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1990
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Co.
    Inventors: James M. Thomas, Ronald D. Kern