Patents by Inventor Michael Allen Hoffman

Michael Allen Hoffman 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).

  • Method and apparatus for filling tuna cans with consistent premium tuna cake appearance
    Patent number: 7735303
    Abstract: A tuna fish canning apparatus is provided wherein each can has a premium cake appearance. The machine has first and second turrets adjacent each other which rotate around a common axis. Fish slugs loaded into a shared pocket by the adjacent turrets are severed along a plane between the turrets to produce first and second cakes with each cake having a cut surface and each cake adapted to be transferred into a can. The present invention provides first and second knock-out plungers for ejecting the first and second cakes into cans, wherein the first and second knock-out plungers are positioned on opposite sides of the plane between the first and second turrets so that each cake has its freshly cut surface at the top of the can to provide a premium appearance. A method for achieving the same result is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Atlas Pacific Engineering Company
    Inventor: Michael Allen Hoffman
  • Method and apparatus for filling tuna cans with consistent premium tuna cake appearance
    Publication number: 20090061036
    Abstract: A tuna fish canning apparatus is provided wherein each can has a premium cake appearance. The machine has first and second turrets adjacent each other which rotate around a common axis. Fish slugs loaded into a shared pocket by the adjacent turrets are severed along a plane between the turrets to produce first and second cakes with each cake having a cut surface and each cake adapted to be transferred into a can. The present invention provides first and second knock-out plungers for ejecting the first and second cakes into cans, wherein the first and second knock-out plungers are positioned on opposite sides of the plane between the first and second turrets so that each cake has its freshly cut surface at the top of the can to provide a premium appearance. A method for achieving the same result is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventor: Michael Allen Hoffman