Patents by Inventor Kevin B. McNeil

Kevin B. McNeil 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: 11779981
    Abstract: A process for winding a convolutely wound tubular structure having a machine direction, a cross-machine direction coplanar thereto, and a Z-direction orthogonal to both the machine- and cross-machine directions is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Inventor: Kevin B. McNeil
  • Publication number: 20220381374
    Abstract: A tubular structure is disclosed. The tubular structure has an elongate pre-fabricated tube having a longitudinal axis, a machine direction and a first width, and a first sheet metal having a leading edge, a machine direction and a second width. The leading edge of the first sheet metal is bonded to an outer surface of the elongate pre-fabricated tube and is continuously and convolutely wound about the longitudinal axis forming a plurality of at least three convolutions coaxially disposed about the outer surface of the pre-fabricated tube. The first sheet metal has a tail portion. The tail portion of the first sheet metal is disposed upon and bonded to an immediately subjacent convolution of the first sheet metal along the width.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Kevin B. McNeil, Gregory V. McNeil, Wayne R. Fisher
  • Publication number: 20200282440
    Abstract: A process for winding a convolutely wound tubular structure having a machine direction, a cross-machine direction coplanar thereto, and a Z-direction orthogonal to both the machine- and cross-machine directions is disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventor: Kevin B. McNeil
  • Publication number: 20200263812
    Abstract: A helically wound tubular structure is disclosed. The tubular structure has a first sheet metal helically wound about a longitudinal axis, a second sheet metal having voids disposed therein helically wound about the longitudinal axis and coaxially about the first sheet metal, and a third sheet metal helically wound about the longitudinal axis and coaxially about the first sheet metal and the second sheet metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventors: Kevin B. McNeil, Gregory V. McNeil, Wayne R. Fisher, Thomas T. Byrne
  • Publication number: 20200256485
    Abstract: A tubular structure is disclosed. The tubular structure has a first sheet metal having a machine direction. The first sheet metal is convolutely wound about a longitudinal axis and has a tail portion. The tail portion of the first sheet metal is disposed upon and bonded to an immediately subjacent convolution of the first sheet metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventors: Kevin B. McNeil, Gregory V. McNeil, Wayne R. Fisher
  • Publication number: 20200256486
    Abstract: An elongate tubular structure is disclosed. The elongate tubular structure has a first and second tubular structure wherein a first end of the first tubular structure is matingly and fasteningly engaged to a first end of the second tubular structure. The first and second tubular structures each have a first sheet metal having a machine direction being convolutely wound about a first longitudinal axis. The first sheet metal has a tail portion that is disposed upon and bonded to an immediately subjacent convolution of the first sheet metal to form the respective first and second tubular structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventors: Kevin B. McNeil, Gregory V. McNeil, Wayne R. Fisher
  • Patent number: 7000864
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for controlling the winding of a sheet of material such as paper and film finished consumer products into a log using an adjustable reference profile. The apparatus and method may provide improved process control, product quality, manufacturing production rate and/or process repeatability. The apparatus and method provide more consistent finished log properties by measuring at least one process parameter during the manufacturing process. The process parameter is then correlated with the desired finished product characteristics and an appropriate correction is made to the reference profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Kevin B. McNeil, Michael Joseph Guyant, Thomas Timothy Byrne, James Fred Johnson
  • Patent number: 6846172
    Abstract: Disclosed is an embossing method and material made by the method, including at least a pair of embossing rolls having unmatched embossing patterns engraved independently from each other, and having enlarged sidewall clearances between adjacent, inter-engaged protrusions and recessions of the embossing patterns. The sidewall clearances can range from about 0.002? (about 0.050 mm) to about 0.050? (about 1.27 mm). The width of the protrusions can be greater than about 0.002? or about 0.050 mm. The peripheral surface of at least one of the embossing rolls can comprise a metal, a plastic, a ceramic, or a rubber. Also disclosed is an embossed web material capable of being used as a wrap material for food products, made by the above process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey Moss Vaughn, Kevin B. McNeil
  • Publication number: 20030228445
    Abstract: Disclosed is an embossing method and material made by the method, including at least a pair of embossing rolls having unmatched embossing patterns engraved independently from each other, and having enlarged sidewall clearances between adjacent, inter-engaged protrusions and recessions of the embossing patterns. The sidewall clearances can range from about 0.002″ (about 0.050 mm) to about 0.050″ (about 1.27 mm). The width of the protrusions can be greater than about 0.002″ or about 0.050 mm. The peripheral surface of at least one of the embossing rolls can comprise a metal, a plastic, a ceramic, or a rubber. Also disclosed is an embossed web material capable of being used as a wrap material for food products, made by the above process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2002
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Applicant: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey Moss Vaughn, Kevin B. McNeil
  • Publication number: 20030226928
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for controlling the winding of a sheet of material such as paper and film finished consumer products into a log using an adjustable reference profile. The apparatus and method may provide improved process control, product quality, manufacturing production rate and/or process repeatability. The apparatus and method provide more consistent finished log properties by measuring at least one process parameter during the manufacturing process. The process parameter is then correlated with the desired finished product characteristics and an appropriate correction is made to the reference profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Applicant: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Kevin B. McNeil, Michael Joseph Guyant, Thomas Timothy Byrne, James Fred Johnson
  • Patent number: 5468323
    Abstract: An embossed paper laminate having two laminae. The laminae are embossed so that each embossed site of one lamina is adhesively joined to the nonembossed region of the other lamina. The laminate is made by two close tolerance pattern rolls juxtaposed to form a nip. Each pattern roll has radially extending protuberances which contact the periphery of the other pattern roll intermediate its protuberances. The laminae are fed through the nip in face-to-face relationship and are embossed and adhesively joined to the other lamina by the radially extending protuberances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Kevin B. McNeil
  • Patent number: 5356506
    Abstract: The invention comprises a modular pattern roll for embossing a cellulosic fibrous structure. The pattern roll is made by assembling separate components, rather than being one piece and chemically etched according to the prior art. The pattern roll comprises a cylindrically perforate outer shell having radially extending protuberances inserted through the holes in the cylindrical shell. The protuberances are provided with an interference fit and/or, if desired, a shoulder at the proximal end to prevent the protuberances from being extruded and expelled through the hole and creating a missile hazard during operation. The center of the hollow cylindrically perforate shell is filled with a base roll and a radially expanding internal locking assembly, to prevent the protuberances from moving radially inwardly under the compressive forces which occur during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1994
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Kevin B. McNeil, Donald D. Culver, James R. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5294475
    Abstract: An embossed paper laminate having two laminae. The laminae are embossed so that each embossed site of one lamina is adhesively joined to the nonembossed region of the other lamina. The laminate is made by two close tolerance pattern rolls juxtaposed to form a nip. Each pattern roll has radially extending protuberances which contact the periphery of the other pattern roll intermediate its protuberances. The laminae are fed through the nip in face-to-face relationship and are embossed and adhesively joined to the other lamina by the radially extending protuberances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1994
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Kevin B. McNeil
  • Patent number: 4919351
    Abstract: An improvement in web converting rewinders of the type which include a perforator cylinder, and a bedroll/chop-off roll combination comprising a set of chop-off blades, some of which chop-off blades are disposed on the bed roll, and some of which are disposed on the chop-off roll; and in which a running web is forwarded from an unwinding parent roll, and is converted into consumer product rolls such as, for example, tear-separable multi-sheet rolls of toilet tissue or paper towels. The improvement comprises parallel-motion chop-off blades which can be more closely spaced than in prior art chop-off blades, and thus induce greater stretching and more positive breaking of the web; and, preferably, the chop-off blades are disposed to act on a longer machine-direction-length of the running web than contemporary rewinders to enable more positively inducing roll endings by breaking along transverse lines of weakening rather than by inducing ragged transverse tears of the web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1990
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Kevin B. McNeil
  • Patent number: 4687153
    Abstract: An improvement in paper converting rewinders in which bulk rolls of paper are converted into consumer product rolls of paper such as tear-separable multi-sheet rolls of toilet tissue or paper towels. In such rewinders of the type which include a perforator cylinder, and a bedroll/chop-off roll combination, changes in sheet length and/or sheet count commonly require changing one or more of such rotating, paper contacting machine elements. The present invention enables broad changes in both sheet length and sheet count in such rewinders without changing either the perforator cylinder or the bedroll or the chop-off roll. The invention also enables adjustments to assure true cross machine direction orientation of inter-sheet lines of perforation throughout the range of adjusting sheet length and/or sheet count per product roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1987
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Kevin B. McNeil