Patents by Inventor John Stephen Morton

John Stephen Morton 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: 10183306
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of preparing and coating a large structure such as a ship's hull while in a dry dock wherein a plurality of spray guns disposed in an array are positioned by a robotic arm in a spaced relationship along the surface to be treated so that their spray patterns overlap. The array of spray guns is traversed downwardly and thus painting a strip whereupon the spray guns are secured, move horizontally and then are activated to be moved upwardly until another strip adjacent to and overlapping the first strip is painted. These steps are repeated until the surface area is substantially entirely painted. A shroud is provided for collecting paint oversprays and other excess paint is mounted in the array assemblage. An auxiliary spray gun may be positioned and its spray pattern adjusted to apply paint to area which were missed by the original spray pattern emanating from the array of spray guns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Inventor: John Stephen Morton
  • Publication number: 20180178239
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of preparing and coating a large structure such as a ship's hull while in a dry dock wherein a plurality of spray guns disposed in an array are positioned by a robotic arm in a spaced relationship along the surface to be treated so that their spray patterns overlap. The array of spray guns is traversed downwardly and thus painting a strip whereupon the spray guns are secured, move horizontally and then are activated to be moved upwardly until another strip adjacent to and overlapping the first strip is painted. These steps are repeated until the surface area is substantially entirely painted. A shroud is provided for collecting paint oversprays and other excess paint is mounted in the array assemblage. An auxiliary spray gun may be positioned and its spray pattern adjusted to apply paint to area which were missed by the original spray pattern emanating from the array of spray guns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventor: John Stephen Morton
  • Patent number: 9889459
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of preparing and coating a large structure such as a ship's hull while in a dry dock wherein a plurality of spray guns disposed in an array are positioned by a robotic arm in a spaced relationship along the surface to be treated so that their spray patterns overlap. The array of spray guns is traversed downwardly and thus painting a strip whereupon the spray guns are secured, move horizontally and then are activated to be moved upwardly until another strip adjacent to and overlapping the first strip is painted. These steps are repeated until the surface area is substantially entirely painted. A shroud is provided for collecting paint oversprays and other excess paint is mounted in the array assemblage. An auxiliary spray gun may be positioned and its spray pattern adjusted to apply paint to area which were missed by the original spray pattern emanating from the array of spray guns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Inventor: John Stephen Morton
  • Publication number: 20160214132
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of preparing and coating a large structure such as a ship's hull while in a dry dock wherein a plurality of spray guns disposed in an array are positioned by a robotic arm in a spaced relationship along the surface to be treated so that their spray patterns overlap. The array of spray guns is traversed downwardly and thus painting a strip whereupon the spray guns are secured, move horizontally and then are activated to be moved upwardly until another strip adjacent to and overlapping the first strip is painted. These steps are repeated until the surface area is substantially entirely painted. A shroud is provided for collecting paint oversprays and other excess paint is mounted in the array assemblage. An auxiliary spray gun may be positioned and its spray pattern adjusted to apply paint to area which were missed by the original spray pattern emanating from the array of spray guns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2016
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventor: John Stephen Morton
  • Patent number: 9302286
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of preparing and coating a large structure such as a ship's hull while in a dry dock wherein a plurality of spray guns disposed in an array are positioned by a robotic arm in a spaced relationship along the surface to be treated so that their spray patterns overlap. The array of spray guns is traversed downwardly and thus painting a strip whereupon the spray guns are secured, move horizontally and then are activated to be moved upwardly until another strip adjacent to and overlapping the first strip is painted. These steps are repeated until the surface area is substantially entirely painted. A shroud is provided for collecting paint oversprays and other excess paint is mounted in the array assemblage. An auxiliary spray gun may be positioned and its spray pattern adjusted to apply paint to area which were missed by the original spray pattern emanating from the array of spray guns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Inventor: John Stephen Morton
  • Publication number: 20110212254
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of preparing and coating a large structure such as a ship's hull while in a dry dock wherein a plurality of spray guns disposed in an array are positioned by a robotic arm in a spaced relationship along the surface to be treated so that their spray patterns overlap. The array of spray guns is traversed downwardly and thus painting a strip whereupon the spray guns are secured, move horizontally and then are activated to be moved upwardly until another strip adjacent to and overlapping the first strip is painted. These steps are repeated until the surface area is substantially entirely painted. A shroud is provided for collecting paint oversprays and other excess paint is mounted in the array assemblage. An auxiliary spray gun may be positioned and its spray pattern adjusted to apply paint to area which were missed by the original spray pattern emanating from the array of spray guns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventor: John Stephen Morton
  • Patent number: 7934467
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of preparing and coating a large structure such as a ship's hull while in a dry dock wherein a plurality of spray guns disposed in an array are positioned by a robotic arm in a spaced relationship along the surface to be treated so that their spray patterns overlap. The array of spray guns is traversed downwardly a thus painting a strip whereupon the spray guns are secured, move horizontally and then activated to be moved upwardly until another strip adjacent to and overlapping the first strip is painted. These steps are repeated until the surface area is substantially entirely painted. A shroud is provided for collecting paint oversprays and other excess paint is mounted in the array assemblage. An auxiliary spray gun may be positioned and its spray pattern adjusted to apply paint to areas which were missed by the original spray pattern emanating from the array of spray guns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Inventor: John Stephen Morton
  • Patent number: 6562139
    Abstract: An apparatus for finishing marine vessel surfaces including track-mounted robots, movable relative to the vessel being finished. The robots are controlled by a computer, with each robot having a plurality of tools attachable to the robots both for mapping the surface contours of the vessel and for painting or otherwise finishing the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Visions East, Inc.
    Inventor: John Stephen Morton
  • Publication number: 20020064596
    Abstract: An apparatus for finishing marine vessel surfaces including track-mounted robots, movable relative to the vessel being finished. The robots are controlled by a computer, with each robot having a plurality of tools attachable to the robots both for mapping the surface contours of the vessel and for painting or otherwise finishing the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2002
    Publication date: May 30, 2002
    Inventor: John Stephen Morton
  • Patent number: 6365221
    Abstract: A computer controlled method utilizing robots for the fairing and painting of marine vessel surfaces comprising the steps of analyzing the vessel hull and/or superstructure for imperfections; applying a fairing compound to the imperfections; smoothing the imperfections into alignment with the hull and/or superstructure; and applying a final paint finish to the hull and/or superstructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Visions East, Inc.
    Inventor: John Stephen Morton