Patents by Inventor Mark A. Fow

Mark A. Fow 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: 11485037
    Abstract: A vegetable knife includes a pulverizing coring pin for pulverizing a core of a vegetable, where the pulverizing coring pin can be a generally cylindrical tube. The pulverizing coring pin can define one or more pulverizing tubes that extend from a first end of the pulverizing coring pin to a second end of the pulverizing coring pin opposite the first end. The vegetable knife also includes at least one vegetable shaping blade that extends radially outwardly from the pulverizing coring pin, where the at least one vegetable shaping blade supports the pulverizing coring pin at a location generally central with respect to the vegetable knife. The vegetable knife may also include an outer flange for coupling the vegetable knife to a rotatable cutting assembly. The vegetable shaping blade can be connected between the outer flange and the pulverizing coring pin for supporting the pulverizing coring pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Lamb Weston, Inc.
    Inventors: John Julian, Mark A. Fow, Samuel Monk, Christopher M. Smith
  • Publication number: 20210245386
    Abstract: A food cutter assembly can include a spindle body defining an interior passage for receiving a food product. A cutting tool can be connected to an end of the spindle body for cutting the food product. The food cutter assembly can also include a housing for rotationally mounting the spindle body. Rotation of the spindle body can be controlled by one or more magnets mounted to the spindle body and by a stator and/or pulley magnetically or electromagnetically coupled with the magnet to drive the one or more magnets about a rotational axis, which in turn spins the spindle body about the rotational axis, driving the rotational cutting motion of the cutting tool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Samuel Monk, Tayler Wonders, Grayden Howard, Mark Fow
  • Publication number: 20200147824
    Abstract: A vegetable knife includes a pulverizing coring pin for pulverizing a core of a vegetable, where the pulverizing coring pin can be a generally cylindrical tube. The pulverizing coring pin can define one or more pulverizing tubes that extend from a first end of the pulverizing coring pin to a second end of the pulverizing coring pin opposite the first end. The vegetable knife also includes at least one vegetable shaping blade that extends radially outwardly from the pulverizing coring pin, where the at least one vegetable shaping blade supports the pulverizing coring pin at a location generally central with respect to the vegetable knife. The vegetable knife may also include an outer flange for coupling the vegetable knife to a rotatable cutting assembly. The vegetable shaping blade can be connected between the outer flange and the pulverizing coring pin for supporting the pulverizing coring pin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2018
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: John Julian, Mark A. Fow, Samuel Monk, Christopher M. Smith
  • Patent number: 10384364
    Abstract: A food cutter assembly can include a spindle body defining an interior passage for receiving a food product. The food cutter assembly can also include a thrust disc connected to the spindle body. The thrust disc can include opposing surfaces extending radially from the rotational axis of the spindle body and a circumferential surface between the opposing surfaces. A cutting tool can be connected to an end of the spindle body for cutting the food product. The food cutter assembly can also include a housing for rotationally mounting the spindle body, where the housing includes a radial bearing to be positioned proximate to the thrust disc. The spindle body and the housing can define fluid passages extending from a port in the housing through the radial bearing to the spindle body and across the opposing surfaces and the circumferential surface to the spindle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Lamb Weston, Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Julian, Christopher M. Smith, Mark A. Fow
  • Patent number: 10363679
    Abstract: A method for lubricating a radial bearing of a food cutter assembly is disclosed. The method can include receiving a supply of water at a housing for rotationally mounting a spindle body having a rotational axis, where the housing includes a radial bearing proximate to a thrust disc of the spindle body. The thrust disc can include opposing surfaces extending radially from the rotational axis of the spindle body and a circumferential surface between the opposing surfaces. The water can be directed through fluid passages extending from a port in the housing through the radial bearing to the spindle body and across the opposing surfaces and the circumferential surface to the spindle body. The spindle body may be rotated while the water is directed through the fluid passages to create a water film between the housing and the spindle body that reduces friction between the housing and the spindle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Lamb Weston, Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Julian, Christopher M. Smith, Mark A. Fow
  • Publication number: 20180222076
    Abstract: A method for lubricating a radial bearing of a food cutter assembly is disclosed. The method can include receiving a supply of water at a housing for rotationally mounting a spindle body having a rotational axis, where the housing includes a radial bearing proximate to a thrust disc of the spindle body. The thrust disc can include opposing surfaces extending radially from the rotational axis of the spindle body and a circumferential surface between the opposing surfaces. The water can be directed through fluid passages extending from a port in the housing through the radial bearing to the spindle body and across the opposing surfaces and the circumferential surface to the spindle body. The spindle body may be rotated while the water is directed through the fluid passages to create a water film between the housing and the spindle body that reduces friction between the housing and the spindle body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventors: John C. Julian, Christopher M. Smith, Mark A. Fow
  • Publication number: 20180222075
    Abstract: A food cutter assembly can include a spindle body defining an interior passage for receiving a food product. The food cutter assembly can also include a thrust disc connected to the spindle body. The thrust disc can include opposing surfaces extending radially from the rotational axis of the spindle body and a circumferential surface between the opposing surfaces. A cutting tool can be connected to an end of the spindle body for cutting the food product. The food cutter assembly can also include a housing for rotationally mounting the spindle body, where the housing includes a radial bearing to be positioned proximate to the thrust disc. The spindle body and the housing can define fluid passages extending from a port in the housing through the radial bearing to the spindle body and across the opposing surfaces and the circumferential surface to the spindle body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventors: John C. Julian, Christopher M. Smith, Mark A. Fow
  • Patent number: D896031
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Lamb Weston, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel Monk, Grayden Howard, Mark Fow
  • Patent number: D896032
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Lamb Weston, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel Monk, Grayden Howard, Mark Fow
  • Patent number: D896033
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Lamb Weston, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel Monk, Mark Fow
  • Patent number: D901127
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Lamb Weston, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel Monk, Mark Fow, Jake Fischer, Roger Samoray
  • Patent number: D953112
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: LAMB WESTON, INC.
    Inventors: Samuel Monk, Grayden Howard, Mark Fow
  • Patent number: D957880
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: LAMB WESTON, INC.
    Inventors: Samuel Monk, Grayden Howard, Mark Fow