Patents by Inventor Larry G. Offutt

Larry G. Offutt 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).

  • Electrical control system for apparatus and method for continuous underground mining
    Patent number: 5967616
    Abstract: Apparatus for controlling the operation of an underground mining system including a continuous miner, a roof bolting machine, a tramming conveyor and a control cab operatively connected to the tramming conveyor. The apparatus includes a master computer processor on the continuous miner and at least one slave computer processor under the direction of the master computer processor for controlling elements of the mining system other than the continuous miner. A pair of parallel data communication highways connect the master computer processor and the slave computer processor and the functional status of the data communication highways is monitored. A radio communication path is provided between the master computer processor and the mining system. The master computer processor operates the mining system in an automatic mining mode of operation when both data communication highways are functional and operates the mining system in a reverse mode of operation if either data communication highway fails to function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Arch Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Larry G. Offutt, David A. Christopher
  • Apparatus and method for continuous mining
    Patent number: 5810447
    Abstract: Apparatus for controlling the operation of a mining system including a continuous miner, a tramming conveyor and a load-out vehicle operatively connected to the tramming conveyor. The apparatus includes a master computer processor on the continuous miner and at least one slave computer processor under the direction of the master computer processor for controlling elements of the mining system other than the continuous miner. A pair of parallel data communication highways connect the master computer processor and the slave computer processor and the functional status of the data communication highways is monitored. A radio communication path is provided between the master computer processor and the mining system. The master computer processor operates the mining system in an automatic mining mode of operation when both data communication highways are functional and operates the mining system in a reverse mode of operation if either data communication highway fails to function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Arch Mineral Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Christopher, Larry G. Offutt
  • Apparatus for continuous mining
    Patent number: 5709433
    Abstract: Apparatus for controlling the operation of a mining system including a continuous miner, a tramming conveyor and a load-out vehicle operatively connected to the tramming conveyor. The apparatus includes a master computer processor on the continuous miner and at least one slave computer processor under the direction of the master computer processor for controlling elements of the mining system other than the continuous miner. A pair of parallel data communication highways connect the master computer processor and the slave computer processor and the functional status of the data communication highways is monitored. A radio communication path is provided between the master computer processor and the mining system. The master computer processor operates the mining system in an automatic mining mode of operation when both data communication highways are functional and operates the mining system in a reverse mode of operation if either data communication highway fails to function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1998
    Assignee: Arch Mineral Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Christopher, Larry G. Offutt
  • Apparatus and method for continuous mining
    Patent number: 5667279
    Abstract: Apparatus for controlling the operation of a mining system including a continuous miner, a tramming conveyor and a load-out vehicle operatively connected to the tramming conveyor. The apparatus includes a master computer processor on the continuous miner and at least one slave computer processor under the direction of the master computer processor for controlling elements of the mining system other than the continuous miner. A pair of parallel data communication highways connect the master computer processor and the slave computer processor and the functional status of the data communication highways is monitored. A radio communication path is provided between the master computer processor and the mining system. The master computer processor operates the mining system in an automatic mining mode of operation when both data communication highways are functional and operates the mining system in a reverse mode of operation if either data communication highway fails to function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: Arch Mineral Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Christopher, Larry G. Offutt