Patents by Inventor John C. Julian
John C. Julian 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).
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Patent number: 10384364Abstract: A food cutter assembly can include a spindle body defining an interior passage for receiving a food product. The food cutter assembly can also include a thrust disc connected to the spindle body. The thrust disc can include opposing surfaces extending radially from the rotational axis of the spindle body and a circumferential surface between the opposing surfaces. A cutting tool can be connected to an end of the spindle body for cutting the food product. The food cutter assembly can also include a housing for rotationally mounting the spindle body, where the housing includes a radial bearing to be positioned proximate to the thrust disc. The spindle body and the housing can define fluid passages extending from a port in the housing through the radial bearing to the spindle body and across the opposing surfaces and the circumferential surface to the spindle body.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2017Date of Patent: August 20, 2019Assignee: Lamb Weston, Inc.Inventors: John C. Julian, Christopher M. Smith, Mark A. Fow
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Patent number: 10363679Abstract: A method for lubricating a radial bearing of a food cutter assembly is disclosed. The method can include receiving a supply of water at a housing for rotationally mounting a spindle body having a rotational axis, where the housing includes a radial bearing proximate to a thrust disc of the spindle body. The thrust disc can include opposing surfaces extending radially from the rotational axis of the spindle body and a circumferential surface between the opposing surfaces. The water can be directed through fluid passages extending from a port in the housing through the radial bearing to the spindle body and across the opposing surfaces and the circumferential surface to the spindle body. The spindle body may be rotated while the water is directed through the fluid passages to create a water film between the housing and the spindle body that reduces friction between the housing and the spindle body.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2017Date of Patent: July 30, 2019Assignee: Lamb Weston, Inc.Inventors: John C. Julian, Christopher M. Smith, Mark A. Fow
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Publication number: 20180222075Abstract: A food cutter assembly can include a spindle body defining an interior passage for receiving a food product. The food cutter assembly can also include a thrust disc connected to the spindle body. The thrust disc can include opposing surfaces extending radially from the rotational axis of the spindle body and a circumferential surface between the opposing surfaces. A cutting tool can be connected to an end of the spindle body for cutting the food product. The food cutter assembly can also include a housing for rotationally mounting the spindle body, where the housing includes a radial bearing to be positioned proximate to the thrust disc. The spindle body and the housing can define fluid passages extending from a port in the housing through the radial bearing to the spindle body and across the opposing surfaces and the circumferential surface to the spindle body.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 7, 2017Publication date: August 9, 2018Inventors: John C. Julian, Christopher M. Smith, Mark A. Fow
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Publication number: 20180222076Abstract: A method for lubricating a radial bearing of a food cutter assembly is disclosed. The method can include receiving a supply of water at a housing for rotationally mounting a spindle body having a rotational axis, where the housing includes a radial bearing proximate to a thrust disc of the spindle body. The thrust disc can include opposing surfaces extending radially from the rotational axis of the spindle body and a circumferential surface between the opposing surfaces. The water can be directed through fluid passages extending from a port in the housing through the radial bearing to the spindle body and across the opposing surfaces and the circumferential surface to the spindle body. The spindle body may be rotated while the water is directed through the fluid passages to create a water film between the housing and the spindle body that reduces friction between the housing and the spindle body.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 7, 2017Publication date: August 9, 2018Inventors: John C. Julian, Christopher M. Smith, Mark A. Fow
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Patent number: 9021940Abstract: A method of converting a conventional atmospheric frying device to a vacuum frying device is provided. The method includes positioning a hood on top of a conventional frying device to provide an enclosure for drawing a vacuum within the modified devices. In addition, the method can include strengthening the existing vat so that it is capable of withstanding the forces associated with vacuum frying.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2010Date of Patent: May 5, 2015Inventors: John C. Julian, Jerome James Glantz, Jeffrey Schneider, Jeffery J. DeLapp
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Patent number: 8156851Abstract: This invention includes a system for cutting food products, such as potatoes, into proportional length pieces. In a one embodiment, the system includes a cutting assembly, sensors upstream of the cutting assembly and a programmable logic controller. The cutting assembly preferably includes a housing defining a passageway, at least two separately actuatable stops extendable into the passageway to provide an abutment to hold the food product in place, and at least two separately actuatable blades for slicing the food product into pieces. The controller cooperates with the sensors to determine the length of each food product and, based on a length determinative algorithm, selectively actuate one of the stops and at least one of the blades to determine how many times the food product will be sliced and location of the cut(s) relative to the leading end of the food product.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2010Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston, Inc.Inventors: John C. Julian, Gary R. Brockman, Trent R. Wetherbee
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Publication number: 20110011223Abstract: This invention includes a system for cutting food products, such as potatoes, into proportional length pieces. In a one embodiment, the system includes a cutting assembly, sensors upstream of the cutting assembly and a programmable logic controller. The cutting assembly preferably includes a housing defining a passageway, at least two separately actuatable stops extendable into the passageway to provide an abutment to hold the food product in place, and at least two separately actuatable blades for slicing the food product into pieces. The controller cooperates with the sensors to determine the length of each food product and, based on a length determinative algorithm, selectively actuate one of the stops and at least one of the blades to determine how many times the food product will be sliced and location of the cut(s) relative to the leading end of the food product.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2010Publication date: January 20, 2011Inventors: John C. Julian, Gary R. Brockman, Trent R. Wetherbee
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Patent number: 7849771Abstract: This invention includes a system for cutting food products, such as potatoes, into proportional length pieces. In a one embodiment, the system includes a cutting assembly, sensors upstream of the cutting assembly and a programmable logic controller. The cutting assembly preferably includes a housing defining a passageway, at least two separately actuatable stops extendable into the passageway to provide an abutment to hold the food product in place, and at least two separately actuatable blades for slicing the food product into pieces. The controller cooperates with the sensors to determine the length of each food product and, based on a length determinative algorithm, selectively actuate one of the stops and at least one of the blades to determine how many times the food product will be sliced and location of the cut(s) relative to the leading end of the food product.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2008Date of Patent: December 14, 2010Assignee: ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston, Inc.Inventors: John C. Julian, Gary R. Brockman, Trent R. Wetherbee
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Patent number: 7789000Abstract: This invention includes a system for cutting food products, such as potatoes, into proportional length pieces. In a one embodiment, the system includes a cutting assembly, sensors upstream of the cutting assembly and a programmable logic controller. The cutting assembly preferably includes a housing defining a passageway, at least two separately actuatable stops extendable into the passageway to provide an abutment to hold the food product in place, and at least two separately actuatable blades for slicing the food product into pieces. The controller cooperates with the sensors to determine the length of each food product and, based on a length determinative algorithm, selectively actuate one of the stops and at least one of the blades to determine how many times the food product will be sliced and location of the cut(s) relative to the leading end of the food product.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2008Date of Patent: September 7, 2010Assignee: ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston, Inc.Inventors: John C. Julian, Gary R. Brockman, Trent R. Wetherbee
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Patent number: 7748303Abstract: This invention includes a system for cutting food products, such as potatoes, into proportional length pieces. In a one embodiment, the system includes a cutting assembly, sensors upstream of the cutting assembly and a programmable logic controller. The cutting assembly preferably includes a housing defining a passageway, at least two separately actuatable stops extendable into the passageway to provide an abutment to hold the food product in place, and at least two separately actuatable blades for slicing the food product into pieces. The controller cooperates with the sensors to determine the length of each food product and, based on a length determinative algorithm, selectively actuate one of the stops and at least one of the blades to determine how many times the food product will be sliced and location of the cut(s) relative to the leading end of the food product.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2008Date of Patent: July 6, 2010Assignee: ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston, Inc.Inventors: John C. Julian, Gary R. Brockman, Trent R. Wetherbee
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Publication number: 20090202694Abstract: A cutting apparatus for slicing potatoes includes an impeller hub block, impeller tubes radially extending from the impeller hub block, and a cutting assembly circumferentially surrounding at least a portion of the impeller hub block. The impeller hub block includes a potato holding area and an opening for receiving potatoes into the holding area. The impeller tubes have an entry aperture and an exit aperture, and a longitudinal length greater than about 5 inches. The impeller hub block is rotatable about a central vertical axis and each impeller tube is rotatable about its own longitudinal axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2009Publication date: August 13, 2009Inventors: John C. Julian, Christopher M. Smith
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Publication number: 20090056562Abstract: This invention includes a system for cutting food products, such as potatoes, into proportional length pieces. In a one embodiment, the system includes a cutting assembly, sensors upstream of the cutting assembly and a programmable logic controller. The cutting assembly preferably includes a housing defining a passageway, at least two separately actuatable stops extendable into the passageway to provide an abutment to hold the food product in place, and at least two separately actuatable blades for slicing the food product into pieces. The controller cooperates with the sensors to determine the length of each food product and, based on a length determinative algorithm, selectively actuate one of the stops and at least one of the blades to determine how many times the food product will be sliced and location of the cut(s) relative to the leading end of the food product.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2008Publication date: March 5, 2009Inventors: John C. Julian, Gary R. Brockman, Trent R. Wetherbee
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Publication number: 20090053377Abstract: This invention includes a system for cutting food products, such as potatoes, into proportional length pieces. In a one embodiment, the system includes a cutting assembly, sensors upstream of the cutting assembly and a programmable logic controller. The cutting assembly preferably includes a housing defining a passageway, at least two separately actuatable stops extendable into the passageway to provide an abutment to hold the food product in place, and at least two separately actuatable blades for slicing the food product into pieces. The controller cooperates with the sensors to determine the length of each food product and, based on a length determinative algorithm, selectively actuate one of the stops and at least one of the blades to determine how many times the food product will be sliced and location of the cut(s) relative to the leading end of the food product.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 18, 2008Publication date: February 26, 2009Inventors: John C. Julian, Gary R. Brockman, Trent R. Wetherbee
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Publication number: 20090049966Abstract: This invention includes a system for cutting food products, such as potatoes, into proportional length pieces. In a one embodiment, the system includes a cutting assembly, sensors upstream of the cutting assembly and a programmable logic controller. The cutting assembly preferably includes a housing defining a passageway, at least two separately actuatable stops extendable into the passageway to provide an abutment to hold the food product in place, and at least two separately actuatable blades for slicing the food product into pieces. The controller cooperates with the sensors to determine the length of each food product and, based on a length determinative algorithm, selectively actuate one of the stops and at least one of the blades to determine how many times the food product will be sliced and location of the cut(s) relative to the leading end of the food product.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 18, 2008Publication date: February 26, 2009Inventors: John C. Julian, Gary R. Brockman, Trent R. Wetherbee
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Patent number: 7430947Abstract: This invention includes a system for cutting food products, such as potatoes, into proportional length pieces. In a one embodiment, the system includes a cutting assembly, sensors upstream of the cutting assembly and a programmable logic controller. The cutting assembly preferably includes a housing defining a passageway, at least two separately actuatable stops extendable into the passageway to provide an abutment to hold the food product in place, and at least two separately actuatable blades for slicing the food product into pieces. The controller cooperates with the sensors to determine the length of each food product and, based on a length determinative algorithm, selectively actuate one of the stops and at least one of the blades to determine how many times the food product will be sliced and location of the cut(s) relative to the leading end of the food product.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2004Date of Patent: October 7, 2008Assignee: ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston, Inc.Inventors: John C. Julian, Gary R. Brockman, Trent R. Wetherbee
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Patent number: 5394793Abstract: A rotary cutting apparatus for slicing food products into pieces such as helical strips includes a rotatable cutter head assembly having a radially extending thrust runner and discharge sleeve through which sliced food pieces are discharged. The cutter head assembly is supported by a plurality of radial motionless ring bearings in bearing contact with an outer periphery of the sleeve and by a plurality of motionless thrust bearings in supportive contact with the thrust runner. Bearing surfaces at the interfaces between the radial and thrust bearings and rotatable cutter head assembly are lubricated by circulating water. The rotatable cutter head assembly and belt drive system which drives the assembly are mounted as a unit on a pivotable frame to allow the combined structure to be pivoted away from a water feed inlet tube which delivers food products to the rotatable cutter head assembly.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 1993Date of Patent: March 7, 1995Assignee: Lamb-Weston, Inc.Inventors: John C. Julian, Kenneth J. Stanley
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Patent number: 5343791Abstract: The present invention discloses an apparatus for slicing a food product such as a potato into helical strips such as curlicue potato fries. The potatoes are pumped with water by a centrifugal food pump to a tapered elastic tubular delivery tube. The tube expands as the potato progresses along the tube. The delivery tube allows the potato to be gently forced against a circular rotating cutting head assembly. The cutting head assembly cores the potato, scores concentric cuts and then slices the potato to produce helical cut segments.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 1992Date of Patent: September 6, 1994Assignee: Lamb-Weston, Inc.Inventors: John C. Julian, Gary D. Cuddeford, Kenneth J. Stanley
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Patent number: 5201259Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for efficiently cutting food items, such as potatoes, into helical strips. The food items are provided seriatim to the cutting assembly from a conveyor system fed by a trough shaker or other singulator device. Food items on the conveyor are aligned longitudinally and are then impaled on small spikes protruding from the conveyor so that they maintain the longitudinal orientation during their travel to a feed roller portion of the system. The feed rollers firmly grip the food items by their peripheries and advance them into the rotary cutting assembly. This assembly includes a helically shaped cutting member defining at a leading edge thereof a slicing blade and supporting on its front surface a plurality of perpendicularly extending scoring blades. The helically shaped cutting member is mounted at its periphery by being threadedly received in a helical thread cut in an annular holder.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 1990Date of Patent: April 13, 1993Assignee: Lamb-Weston, Inc.Inventors: Darrell L. Covert, Gary D. Cuddeford, Kenneth J. Stanley, John C. Julian
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Patent number: 5196217Abstract: A knife assembly for a potato slicing machine used in slicing potatoes into waffle or lattice cut sections includes an elongated, corrugated knife and inner and outer clamping members for clamping the knife therebetween. The inner and outer clamping members each have a plurality of parallel, tapered fingers which extend toward a cutting edge of the knife along grooves in one side of the knife, thereby to support both sides of the knife and lift potato surfaces away from such side and any potential interfering edges which might shear away portions of the cut potato surfaces. A unique potato product formed using such knife assembly is a potato section having a peak to peak thickness of about 4/16 to 10/16 inch. The section has opposite sides, each with longitudinal ridges and grooves therebetween. The ridges and grooves of one side are disposed at an angle to those of the other. The section also has a grid of openings formed therein.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 1991Date of Patent: March 23, 1993Assignee: Lamb-Weston, Inc.Inventors: John C. Julian, Jerry L. Sloan, Lee A. Wheeler
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Patent number: 5174181Abstract: The present invention discloses an apparatus for slicing a food product such as a potato into helical strips such as curlicue potato fries. The potatoes are pumped with water by a centrifugal food pump to a tapered elastic tubular delivery tube. The tube expands as the potato progresses along the tube. The delivery tube allows the potato to be gently forced against a circular rotating cutting head assembly. The cutting head assembly cores the potato, scores concentric cuts and then slices the potato to produce helical cut segments.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 1991Date of Patent: December 29, 1992Assignee: Lamb-Weston, Inc.Inventors: John C. Julian, Gary D. Cuddeford, Kenneth J. Stanley