Patents by Inventor Karl R. Skinner

Karl R. Skinner 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: 5964354
    Abstract: A garment sorting apparatus has a screw conveyor, a flexible chain, a steel frame and a garment identifier. The screw conveyor supplies hanger-supported shirts and pants to the chain which moves the garments to sorting and receiving stations. Each shirt and pant has a visibly coded label which provides customer and routing information. The garment identifier has two visual readers, one above the other, which provide information read from the labels to a computer. The readers may comprise conventional optical character recognition devices or digital bar code scanners, depending upon the code contained in the labels. The garment identifier also comprises two sensors for determining the presence and type of garment on the screw conveyor. If the garment is a shirt, the first sensor signals the computer to prepare the upper reader. If the garment is a pant, the computer prepares the lower reader. A stabilizer restrains swinging motion while the garment is in the field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Inventor: Karl R. Skinner
  • Patent number: 5441158
    Abstract: A feeding system for a sorting conveyor is provided which includes a feeder having a tubular support member upon which a plurality of unordered hangers is supported. The tubular support member is inclined and is joined to an inclined slide rail which allows the hangers to slide downward along the tubular support and inclined slide rail to a collection station. The feeder has a retractable first stop member which prevents the downward movement of the plurality of unordered hangers from moving downward along the tubular support member. While the plurality of unordered hangers is prevented from downward movement by the first stop member, a separating member is interposed between a forward hanger of the plurality of hangers. The separating member prevents downward movement of the remaining plurality of unordered hangers after the first stop member releases the forward hanger so that the forward hanger can slide along the inclined slide rail to the sorting conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1995
    Assignee: Star Uniform Rental Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Karl R. Skinner