Patents by Inventor Leonard J. Starks

Leonard J. Starks 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).

  • Publication number: 20090286709
    Abstract: This invention relates to novel whitening agents for cellulosic substrates. The whitening agents are comprised of at least two components: at least one chromophore component and at least one polymeric component. Suitable chromophore components generally fluoresce blue, red, violet, or purple color when exposed to ultraviolet light, or they may absorb light to reflect these same shades. The whitening agents are further characterized by having a dispersion component value of the Hansen Solubility Parameter of less than or equal to about 17 MPa0.5. This invention also relates to laundry care compositions including but not limited to liquid and/or powder laundry detergent formulations and rinse added fabric softening (RAFS) compositions that comprise such whitening agents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Inventors: Eugene Steven Sadlowski, Mark Robert Sivik, Michael David Cummings, Donna D' Angelo Morrall, Kevin Lee Kott, Keith Homer Baker, Brian Joseph Loughnane, Michael A. Valenti, Laurent D. Kieken, Xiayong Michael Hong, Eduardo Torres, Dominick J. Valenti, Patrick D. Moore, Leonard J. Starks
  • Publication number: 20080235884
    Abstract: This invention relates to novel whitening agents for cellulosic substrates. The whitening agents are comprised of at least two components: at least one chromophore component and at least one polymeric component. Suitable chromophore components generally fluoresce blue, red, violet, or purple color when exposed to ultraviolet light, or they may absorb light to reflect these same shades. The whitening agents are further characterized by having a dispersion component value of the Hansen Solubility Parameter of less than or equal to about 17 MPa0.5. This invention also relates to laundry care compositions including but not limited to liquid and/or powder laundry detergent formulations and rinse added fabric softening (RAFS) compositions that comprise such whitening agents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Eugene Steven Sadlowski, Mark Robert Sivik, Michael David Cummings, Donna D'Angelo Morrall, Kevin Lee Kott, Keith Homer Baker, Brian Joseph Loughnane, Michael A. Valenti, Laurent D. Kieken, Xiayong Michael Hong, Eduardo Torres, Dominick J. Valenti, Patrick D. Moore, Leonard J. Starks
  • Publication number: 20080177089
    Abstract: This invention relates to novel whitening agents for cellulosic substrates. The whitening agents are comprised of at least two components: at least one chromophore component and at least one polymeric component. Suitable chromophore components generally fluoresce blue, red, violet, or purple color when exposed to ultraviolet light, or they may absorb light to reflect these same shades. The whitening agents are further characterized by having a dispersion component value of the Hansen Solubility Parameter of less than or equal to about 17 MPa0.5. This invention also relates to laundry care compositions including but not limited to liquid and/or powder laundry detergent formulations and rinse added fabric softening (RAFS) compositions that comprise such whitening agents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Inventors: Eugene Steven Sadlowski, Mark Robert Sivik, Michael David Cummings, Donna D'Angelo Morrall, Kevin Lee Kott, Keith Homer Baker, Brian Joseph Loughnane, Michael A. Valenti, Laurent D. Kieken, Xiayong Michael Hong, Eduardo Torres, Dominick J. Valenti, Patrick D. Moore, Leonard J. Starks
  • Publication number: 20080177090
    Abstract: This invention relates to novel whitening agents for cellulosic substrates. The whitening agents are comprised of at least two components: at least one chromophore component and at least one polymeric component. Suitable chromophore components generally fluoresce blue, red, violet, or purple color when exposed to ultraviolet light, or they may absorb light to reflect these same shades. The whitening agents are further characterized by having a dispersion component value of the Hansen Solubility Parameter of less than or equal to about 17 MPa0.5. This invention also relates to laundry care compositions including but not limited to liquid and/or powder laundry detergent formulations and rinse added fabric softening (RAFS) compositions that comprise such whitening agents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Inventors: Michael A. Valenti, Laurent D. Kieken, Xiaoyong Michael Hong, Eduardo Torres, Dominick J. Valenti, Patrick D. Moore, Leonard J. Starks, Eugene Steven Sadlowski, Mark Robert Sivik, Kevin Lee Kott, Keith Homer Baker
  • Patent number: 6667392
    Abstract: This invention relates to colorants comprising a chromophore having a single azo acetoacetanilide moiety, wherein said moiety each have at least one poly(oxyalkylene) chain. Such colorants exhibit extremely good base stability and lightfastness, particularly when incoporated within certain media and/or on the surface of certain substrates. These poly(oxyalkylene) chains provide solubility in different solvents or resins thereby permitting the introduction of such excellent coloring chromophores within diverse media and/or or diverse substrates. Compositions and articles comprising such colorants are provided as are methods for producing such inventive colorants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Jusong Xia, Eric B. Stephens, Mary G. Mason, John W. Miley, Leonard J. Starks, Eugene K. Stephenson
  • Publication number: 20020177640
    Abstract: This invention relates to colorants comprising a chromophore having a single azo acetoacetanilide moiety, wherein said moiety each have at least one poly(oxyalkylene) chain. Such colorants exhibit extremely good base stability and lightfastness, particularly when incoporated within certain media and/or on the surface of certain substrates. These poly(oxyalkylene) chains provide solubility in different solvents or resins thereby permitting the introduction of such excellent coloring chromophores within diverse media and/or or diverse substrates. Compositions and articles comprising such colorants are provided as are methods for producing such inventive colorants.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Publication date: November 28, 2002
    Inventors: Jusong Xia, Eric B. Stephens, Mary G. Mason, John W. Miley, Leonard J. Starks, Eugene K. Stephenson
  • Patent number: 6486248
    Abstract: A solvent free, diluent free, hydrocarbon soluble liquid polymeric colorant. Also disclosed is a method for applying a liquid colorant to solid granular substrates, such as fertilizer, to provide a colored substrate where the colorant exhibits a reduced tendency to bleed or migrate from the surface of the colored substrate onto other surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: David E. Ashley, Leonard J. Starks, Paul D. Halphen
  • Patent number: 6479648
    Abstract: This invention relates to colorants comprising a chromophore having two azo acetoacetanilide moieties, wherein said moieties each have at least one poly(oxyalkylene) chain, preferably at least two such chains. Such colorants exhibit extremely good base stability and lightfastness, particularly when incorporated within certain media and/or on the surface of certain substrates. These poly(oxyalkylene) chains provide solubility in different solvents or resins thereby permitting the introduction of such excellent coloring chromophores within diverse media and/or or diverse substrates. Compositions and articles comprising such colorants are provided as are methods for producing such inventive colorants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Jusong Xia, Eric B. Stephens, Mary G. Mason, John W. Miley, Leonard J. Starks
  • Publication number: 20020157194
    Abstract: This invention relates to colorants comprising a chromophore having two azo acetoacetanilide moieties, wherein said moieties each have at least one poly(oxyalkylene) chain, preferably at least two such chains. Such colorants exhibit extremely good base stability and lightfastness, particularly when incorporated within certain media and/or on the surface of certain substrates. These poly(oxyalkylene) chains provide solubility in different solvents or resins thereby permitting the introduction of such excellent coloring chromophores within diverse media and/or or diverse substrates. Compositions and articles comprising such colorants are provided as are methods for producing such inventive colorants.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Inventors: Jusong Xia, Eric B. Stephens, Mary G. Mason, John W. Miley, Leonard J. Starks
  • Publication number: 20020091183
    Abstract: A solvent free, diluent free, hydrocarbon soluble liquid polymeric colorant. Also disclosed is a method for applying a liquid colorant to solid granular substrates, such as fertilizer, to provide a colored substrate where the colorant exhibits a reduced tendency to bleed or migrate from the surface of the colored substrate onto other surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2001
    Publication date: July 11, 2002
    Inventors: David E. Ashley, Leonard J. Starks, Paul D. Halphen
  • Patent number: 6106597
    Abstract: This invention relates to wax formulations comprised of specific poly(oxyalkylenated) colorants having fatty ester terminal groups. Preferably the wax formulation is a candle. Such polymeric ester capped colorants provide excellent coloring, decreased migratory properties, and improved balanced burning characteristics over traditional candle colorants and dyestuffs. This invention also concerns methods of making the aforementioned colored candle formulations as well as other colored wax articles, such as crayons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Leonard J. Starks, E. Kyle Stephenson, Robert L. Mahaffey, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6022402
    Abstract: This invention relates to wax formulations comprised of specific poly(oxyalkylenated) colorants having alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA) terminal groups. Preferably the wax formulation is a crayon. Such polymeric ASA-capped colorants provide excellent coloring, decreased migratory properties, and improved balanced burning characteristics over traditional crayon colorants, pigments, and dyestuffs. This invention also concerns methods of making the aforementioned colored crayon formulations as well as other colored wax articles, such as candles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Inventors: Eugene Kyle Stephenson, Leonard J. Starks