Patents by Inventor Kevin A. Fee

Kevin A. Fee 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: 11410118
    Abstract: A system for securely delivering packages of at least two different sizes by a sender to a receiver is disclosed comprising, installing an array of lockers of at least two different sizes with the number of lockers of each size based on a predetermined installed ratio, a central control unit for controlling the locking portions on the array of lockers having a locker optimization unit adapted to use data collected on the frequency of use of each size of lockers to recommend a ratio of lockers of each size to maximize usage of lockers of appropriate size in the array, wherein if the recommended ratio is different from the installed ratio, changing the sizes of selected lockers after installation of the array to better match the recommended ratio by replacing doors without removing hinge pins and moving and re-fastening the top and bottom walls of the lockers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Florence Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin A. Fee, Michael R. Molt, Dennis Brox, Maroof Choudhury, Lowell Scott
  • Patent number: 11270251
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a system for delivering purchased items, with each item having an item identifier that includes the price, size and possibly a shape coefficient of the item, to customers by a service provider or store employee comprising, a plurality of lockers, each having a locking portion, a delivery code that associates one or more items with a transaction and a customer, a central control unit comprising an input device for reading a delivery code and open the number of lockers needed to accommodate the items designated in the delivery code. The central control unit communicates with a store management system to provide the customer an authentication code to subsequently retrieve the items. A method and system for picking and placing items in a locker bank for retrieval by a customer is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Florence Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin A. Fee, Zachary A. Williams
  • Patent number: 11210889
    Abstract: Systems, methods and software are provided for providing visual marketing content with a locker system to customers in a retail store environment. The locker system includes an array of lockers, each locker of the array including a door having a flat exterior facing surface. All flat exterior facing surfaces of all lockers of the array are co-planar in their closed positions. The locker system includes a locker central control unit in communication with one or more memory devices. The system includes one or more electronic devices in communication with the locker central control unit for displaying the visual marketing content on one or more of the flat exterior surfaces. In practice, the disclosed systems, methods and software advantageously provide operators the ability to identify customers proximal the locker system, and deliver the visual marketing content in both a generic fashion and in a manner targeted to identified customers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Florence Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin A. Fee, Penny D. Lasater
  • Patent number: 11144873
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for delivering packages by a delivery person in a location with multiple recipients comprising a plurality of lockers, each locker having an interior space and a door that when opened allows access to the interior space, a locking portion associated with each door, a central control unit comprising an identifier to allow the delivery person to specify a recipient, an input device to allow the delivery person to specify the number of packages to be delivered to the recipient, and a controller configured to deactivate the locking portions on the individual lockers, wherein upon identification of a recipient and input of the number of packages to be delivered to the recipient, the controller deactivates the number of locking portions equal to the number of packages to be delivered to the recipient, and the delivery person places a package in each locker opened and closes the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Florence Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin A. Fee, Zachary A. Williams
  • Publication number: 20210142277
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a system for delivering purchased items, with each item having an item identifier that includes the price, size and possibly a shape coefficient of the item, to customers by a service provider or store employee comprising, a plurality of lockers, each having a locking portion, a delivery code that associates one or more items with a transaction and a customer, a central control unit comprising an input device for reading a delivery code and open the number of lockers needed to accommodate the items designated in the delivery code. The central control unit communicates with a store management system to provide the customer an authentication code to subsequently retrieve the items. A method and system for picking and placing items in a locker bank for retrieval by a customer is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Applicant: Florence Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin A. Fee, Zachary A. Williams
  • Patent number: 10915856
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a system for delivering packages in a location to multiple recipients by a service provider comprising, a plurality of lockers, each having a locking portion, a delivery code that associates one or more packages with a designated recipient and designates the number of lockers to be opened for that designated recipient, a central control unit comprising a first input device for reading a delivery code and open the number of lockers designated in the delivery code, a second input device adapted to read each package identifier. When the first input device reads the delivery code, the number of designated lockers is unlocked, and when the second input device reads a package, the package information is transmitted to the central control unit, and the service provider places the read package in the interior space of an unlocked locker and closes the associated door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Florence Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin A. Fee, Zachary A. Williams
  • Publication number: 20200250615
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a system for delivering packages in a location to multiple recipients by a service provider comprising, a plurality of lockers, each having a locking portion, a delivery code that associates one or more packages with a designated recipient and designates the number of lockers to be opened for that designated recipient, a central control unit comprising a first input device for reading a delivery code and open the number of lockers designated in the delivery code, a second input device adapted to read each package identifier. When the first input device reads the delivery code, the number of designated lockers is unlocked, and when the second input device reads a package, the package information is transmitted to the central control unit, and the service provider places the read package in the interior space of an unlocked locker and closes the associated door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Florence Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin A. Fee, Zachary A. Williams
  • Patent number: 10643415
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a system for delivering packages by a delivery person in a location with multiple recipients comprising a plurality of lockers, each locker having an interior space, a door, a locker identifier, and a locking portion associated with each door. A central control unit comprises a first input device configured to allow the delivery person to designate the number of lockers to be opened, a second input device adapted to read the package identifier and a locker identifier, and a controller configured to deactivate the locking portions on the designated lockers. Upon delivery, the controller deactivates the number of locking portions equal to the number of designated lockers, and at a location remote from the central control unit, the second input device reads a package and a locker identifier for a designated locker and transmits the package and locker information to the central control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Florence Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin A. Fee, Zachary A. Williams
  • Publication number: 20200066086
    Abstract: Systems, methods and software are provided for providing visual marketing content with a locker system to customers in a retail store environment. The locker system includes an array of lockers, each locker of the array including a door having a flat exterior facing surface. All flat exterior facing surfaces of all lockers of the array are co-planar in their closed positions. The locker system includes a locker central control unit in communication with one or more memory devices. The system includes one or more electronic devices in communication with the locker central control unit for displaying the visual marketing content on one or more of the flat exterior surfaces. In practice, the disclosed systems, methods and software advantageously provide operators the ability to identify customers proximal the locker system, and deliver the visual marketing content in both a generic fashion and in a manner targeted to identified customers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Applicant: Florence Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin A. Fee, Penny D. Lasater
  • Publication number: 20190370744
    Abstract: A system for securely delivering packages of at least two different sizes by a sender to a receiver is disclosed comprising, installing an array of lockers of at least two different sizes with the number of lockers of each size based on a predetermined installed ratio, a central control unit for controlling the locking portions on the array of lockers having a locker optimization unit adapted to use data collected on the frequency of use of each size of lockers to recommend a ratio of lockers of each size to maximize usage of lockers of appropriate size in the array, wherein if the recommended ratio is different from the installed ratio, changing the sizes of selected lockers after installation of the array to better match the recommended ratio by replacing doors without removing hinge pins and moving and re-fastening the top and bottom walls of the lockers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicant: Florence Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin A. Fee, Michael R. Molt, Dennis Brox, Maroof Choudhury, Lowell Scott
  • Publication number: 20190114859
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a system for delivering packages by a delivery person in a location with multiple recipients comprising a plurality of lockers, each locker having an interior space, a door, a locker identifier, and a locking portion associated with each door. A central control unit comprises a first input device configured to allow the delivery person to designate the number of lockers to be opened, a second input device adapted to read the package identifier and a locker identifier, and a controller configured to deactivate the locking portions on the designated lockers. Upon delivery, the controller deactivates the number of locking portions equal to the number of designated lockers, and at a location remote from the central control unit, the second input device reads a package and a locker identifier for a designated locker and transmits the package and locker information to the central control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: Florence Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin A. Fee, Zachary A. Williams
  • Publication number: 20190114585
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for delivering packages by a delivery person in a location with multiple recipients comprising a plurality of lockers, each locker having an interior space and a door that when opened allows access to the interior space, a locking portion associated with each door, a central control unit comprising an identifier to allow the delivery person to specify a recipient, an input device to allow the delivery person to specify the number of packages to be delivered to the recipient, and a controller configured to deactivate the locking portions on the individual lockers, wherein upon identification of a recipient and input of the number of packages to be delivered to the recipient, the controller deactivates the number of locking portions equal to the number of packages to be delivered to the recipient, and the delivery person places a package in each locker opened and closes the door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: Florence Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin A. Fee, Zachary A. Williams
  • Publication number: 20150120601
    Abstract: A parcel delivery system includes a parcel locker system for receiving and storing parcels; a portable electronic device used by a person who delivers parcels to the parcel locker; a portable electronic device operated by an intended recipient of a parcel; and encoded tags to be affixed to parcels to be delivered to the parcel locker system. The parcel locker system may comprise a number of individual parcel lockers and a control device for controlling access to the lockers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: Florence Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Kevin A. Fee
  • Publication number: 20090283963
    Abstract: The present application relates generally to a method and system for the processing of mail items within a document processing system. More specifically, described herein is a method and system for automatically adjusting the feeding of mail items based on a stack pressure for minimizing jams and improving the overall system efficiency. Stack pressure is monitored as mail items are fed to a transport path and mail item feeding behavior is adjusted according to the stack pressure to minimize the mail item jams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Inventors: Kevin FEE, David D. Filicicchia, Tomasz Bednarek, Brian Bowers
  • Patent number: 5427036
    Abstract: A cashier's console includes in a vertically stacked arrangement a safe or secure deposit base, a security box and a cash drawer. The security box includes a number of currency bill insertion slots which are arranged parallel to an upper front edge of the security box but are recessed inward from the upper front edge of the security box. A face plate of the cash drawer is sloped toward the currency insertion slots to function as a guide surface for inserted bills. The guide surface raises in effect the height from which bills may be conveniently inserted into the insertion slots. The effective upward positioning of the insertion heights makes it easier for a cashier to sort money into the slots on a daily basis, thereby raising the efficiency of the insertion operation. Vertical guides provide lateral guiding action to further increase the efficiency of the operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Assignee: Lefebure Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin A. Fee, Daniel J. Banyas
  • Patent number: 4918900
    Abstract: A light-weight wall panel for a protective enclosure includes a shell of sheet metal which encases a filler structure of a combination of penetration resisting or hard wood and metal members. The filler structure includes first and second wall structures which differ from one another by the orientation of hard wood and sheets of expanded metal which are interleaved between adjacent ones of the boards. In the first wall structure adajcent one of the major surfaces of the wall panel, the hard wood boards and interleaved metal sheets have their major surfaces oriented perpendicular to the major surfaces of the wall panel. The second wall structure adjacent the other of the major surfaces of the wall panel has layers of hard wood boards and sheets of expanded sheet metal which extend with their major surfaces parallel to the major surfaces of the wall panel. The two wall structures are fastened to each other and hence into a single structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1990
    Assignee: Inter Innovation LeFebure Manufacturing Corp.
    Inventors: Kevin A. Fee, Mark S. Hollinrake
  • Patent number: 4753387
    Abstract: A bag depository for a drive-up type of automatic teller machine features a drum having a deposit receiving cavity. The drum rotates about its axis between deposit receiving and deposit dump positions. As the drum rotates from its dump to its receiving position the drum also moves forwardly from the rear to the front of its housing to receive a deposit and then retreats to the rear of the housing to dump the deposit. At an intermediate position in its forward movement the drum engages a drawer and pushes the latter forward to an open position at which point the drawer forms a forwardly extending shelf upon which the customer places his deposit and from which the deposit slides into the drum cavity. When the drum retreats it pulls the drawer closed and then alone continues on rearwardly to dump the deposit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1988
    Assignee: LeFebure Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin A. Fee, Daniel J. Banyas
  • Patent number: 4747354
    Abstract: An envelope depository includes an envelope conveyor having return belting traveling in a downward direction at the rear end of the conveyor. To prevent "fishing" and "trapping" of an envelope an envelope receiver is disposed at the rear of the conveyor above the return belting and directs an envelope discharged from the conveyor in an upward direction. The envelope then slides forwardly from the receiver and downwardly from the receiver against the return belting, the belting directing the envelope downwardly into a narrow chute disposed between the rear of the conveyor and the receiver and leading to a collector bin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1988
    Assignee: LeFebure Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin A. Fee, Mark W. Ellis