Patents by Inventor Larry Wayne Shepherd

Larry Wayne Shepherd 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).

  • Stack-height sensor
    Patent number: 6065358
    Abstract: An arrangement determines the height of a multilayer stream of articles such as the rod-shaped cigarettes of the tobacco industry. The arrangement includes a flexible elongate member connected to move up and down with the uppermost articles in the multilayer stream as the height thereof varies. The flexible elongate member has a first end fixed in place and an opposite end connected to a weight which moves in a vertical direction as the flexible elongate member moves up and down in response to the height of the multilayer stream of articles. The flexible elongate member is trained around an idler roller, and a sensor is spaced directly below the weight for determining the elevation thereof. Such elevation is directly related to the height of the multilayer stream of articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventor: Larry Wayne Shepherd