Patents by Inventor John W. Foster

John W. Foster 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: 6803061
    Abstract: An animal digestible chewing gum composition is provided comprising a water soluble gum portion and water insoluble gum base portion including an animal digestible elastomer. Additionally, a method for creating an animal digestible chew gum is provided comprising the steps of creating a chewing gum base that includes a sufficient amount of an animal digestible elastomer to create a resultant chewing gum that is more digestible by an animal than a chewing gum without such an elastomer, and adding to the chewing gum base a water soluble portion to create a resultant chewing gum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
    Inventors: John W. Foster, Weisheng Li, Jingping Liu, Leonard Haring, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6343543
    Abstract: A low cost toaster having a metal body and plastic end panels. The end panels have cooling inlet vents near their lower ends and the top wall of the metal body has air outlet vents. Ambient air admitted through the inlet vents flows upwardly through the toaster and outwardly through the outlet vents to provide a cooling effect sufficient to allow the use of inexpensive plastic material for molding the end panels. The toaster has a bread lifter made entirely from a wire rod, a bread lifter extension made entirely from a wire rod, and a toast color cam made entirely from a single piece of sheet metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2002
    Assignee: Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex, Inc.
    Inventors: Lee J. Belknap, John W. Foster
  • Patent number: 6194008
    Abstract: Chewing gum bases, and resultant chewing gums, that are environmentally friendly are provided. The chewing gum base comprising approximately 1 to about 99% by weight polyhydroxyalkanoates having side chain lengths of C4 to C30.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
    Inventors: Weisheng Li, Charles P. Orfan, Jingping Liu, John W. Foster
  • Patent number: 6105486
    Abstract: A low cost toaster having a metal body and plastic end panels. The end panels have cooling inlet vents near their lower ends and the top wall of the metal body has air outlet vents. Ambient air admitted through the inlet vents flows upwardly through the toaster and outwardly through the outlet vents to provide a cooling effect sufficient to allow the use of inexpensive plastic material for molding the end panels. The toaster has a bread lifter made entirely from a wire rod, a bread lifter extension made entirely from a wire rod, and a toast color cam made entirely from a single piece of sheet metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex, Inc.
    Inventors: Lee J. Belknap, John W. Foster
  • Patent number: 5924355
    Abstract: A low cost toaster having a metal body and plastic end panels. The end panels have cooling inlet vents near their lower ends and the top wall of the metal body has air outlet vents. Ambient air admitted through the inlet vents flows upwardly through the toaster and outwardly through the outlet vents to provide a cooling effect sufficient to allow the use of inexpensive plastic material for molding the end panels. The toaster has a bread lifter made entirely from a wire rod, a bread lifter extension made entirely from a wire rod, and a toast color cam made entirely from a single piece of sheet metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex, Inc.
    Inventors: Lee J. Belknap, John W. Foster
  • Patent number: 5424080
    Abstract: A gum base, as well as methods for making same, is provided which is free of wax, but has an increased glass transition temperature. It has been found by removing or reducing gum base vinyl polymer softeners that the glass transition temperature of the gum base can be raised to a temperature wherein even at elevated ambient temperatures, blocking (agglomeration) does not occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1995
    Assignee: Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
    Inventors: Steven P. Synosky, Jayant C. Dave, John W. Foster, Gerard Mey, Michael A. Reed, Scott E. Hartman
  • Patent number: 5270060
    Abstract: A chewing gum elastomer is stabilized with a specific mixture of tocopherol homologs, thereby eliminating the need for synthetic antioxidants. The mixture of tocopherol homologs falls within the range of 7-20% by weight alpha tocopherol, 45-75% by weight gamma tocopherol, 18-32% by weight delta tocopherol and, optionally, 0-3% by weight beta tocopherol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1993
    Assignee: Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
    Inventors: John W. Foster, Charles P. Orfan, Daniel A. Vento, Archie L. Hightower, Scott E. Hartman
  • Patent number: 5175009
    Abstract: Aspartame in chewing gum is stabilized by acidifying the humectant which is then added to the chewing gum. Enough food acid is added to the humectant to cause the pH of the humectant to remain between about 3.0-5.0, in order to create the most stable environment for the aspartame. Because the acidified humectant is dispersed substantially uniformly throughout the chewing gum, aspartame located anywhere in the gum is stabilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1992
    Assignee: Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
    Inventors: Steven P. Synosky, Charles P. Orfan, John W. Foster
  • Patent number: 4963019
    Abstract: An apparatus detects the azimuth of the migration of groundwater containing suspended microscopic particles. The apparatus comprises a probe consisting of a light source which emits light in a vertical orientation and a photodigitizer which faces the light source and is separated from the light source to permit the flow of groundwater between the light source and the photodigitizer. When the probe is submerged in migrating groundwater, the eclipses of light created by the suspended microscopic particles as the groundwater passes between the light source and the photodigitizer are detected by the photodigitizer. Information from the photodigitizer is processed and then visually displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 16, 1990
    Assignee: Illinois State University
    Inventors: John W. Foster, Lawrence J. Fryda
  • Patent number: 4929370
    Abstract: Thru-holes are drilled in a printed circuit board panel having alternating dielectric layers and electrically conductive layers. A water soluble dry film lubricant sheet is placed adjacent an electrically conductive outer layer of the panel prior to drilling thru-holes through the panel with a rotary drill. The drill surface is lubricated while forming a clean thru-hole from contact between the drill and the lubricant. The dry film lubricant generally may comprise a water soluble lubricant hardened to a solid or semi-solid dry film-form and impregnated in a carrier such as a porous paper sheet. In one embodiment, the dry film lubricant includes a water soluble lubricant such as dipropylene glycol, a non-ionic surfactant, and a wax-like hardener. Following drilling of the thru-holes, the dry film lubricant sheet is removed, and the thru-holes can be rinsed in an aqueous alkaline solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1990
    Assignee: Lubra Sheet Corporation
    Inventors: William R. Hatch, John W. Foster
  • Patent number: 4807201
    Abstract: An apparatus measures changes in groundwater pressure in a borehole. The apparatus comprises: a probe consisting of a hollow tube having a smooth interior surface, an ultrasonic transmitter which emits ultrasonic waves down the interior of the tube, and an ultrasonic receiver which receives and registers the reflected ultrasonic waves; a means to raise and lower the probe so the tube is partially submerged in the groundwater; a means to control the emission of ultrasonic waves; a means to convert the time interval into a distance or pressure measurement; and a means to store or transmit the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1989
    Assignee: Illinois State University
    Inventors: Lawrence J. Fryda, John W. Foster
  • Patent number: 4781495
    Abstract: Thru-holes are drilled in a printed circuit board panel having alternating dielectric layers and electrically conductive layers. A water soluble dry film lubricant sheet is placed adjacent an electrically conductive outer layer of the panel prior to drilling thru-holes through the panel with a rotary drill. The drill surface is lubricated while forming a clean thru-hole from contact between the drill and the lubricant. The dry film lubricant generally may comprise a water soluble lubricant hardened to a solid or semi-solid dry film-form and impregnated in a carrier such as a porous paper sheet. In one embodiment, the dry film lubricant includes a water soluble lubricant such as dipropylene glycol, a non-ionic surfactant, and a wax-like hardener. Following drilling of the thru-holes, the dry film lubricant sheet is removed, and the thru-holes can be rinsed in an aqueous alkaline solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Assignee: Lubra Sheet Corp.
    Inventors: William R. Hatch, John W. Foster
  • Patent number: 4223729
    Abstract: A process for creating a hot dry rock oven for the extraction of heat energy is disclosed wherein the geothermal fluid injection and withdrawal wells are brought into positive hydraulic communication during the creation of the hot dry rock oven. The oven complex is produced by fracturing the formation from a plurality of bore holes simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1980
    Inventor: John W. Foster
  • Patent number: 4200152
    Abstract: A process for creating a hot dry rock oven for the extraction of heat energy is disclosed wherein the geothermal fluid injection and withdrawal wells are brought into positive hydraulic communication during the creation of the hot dry rock oven. The oven complex is produced by fracturing the formation from a plurality of bore holes simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1979
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1980
    Inventors: John W. Foster, Clarence R. Jones
  • Patent number: RE34265
    Abstract: An apparatus detects the azimuth of the migration of groundwater containing suspended microscopic particles. The apparatus comprises a probe consisting of a light source which emits light in a vertical orientation and a photodigitizer which faces the light source and is separated from the light source to permit the flow of groundwater between the light source and the photodigitizer. When the probe is submerged in migrating groundwater, the eclipses of light created by the suspended microscopic particles as the groundwater passes between the light source and the photodigitizer are detected by the photodigitizer. Information from the photodigitizer is processed and then visually displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: Illinois State University
    Inventors: John W. Foster, Lawrence J. Fryda