Patents by Inventor Michael S. Thornton

Michael S. Thornton 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: 7693648
    Abstract: A method of detecting an assembly condition, such as, for example, a misassembly, of an exhaust aftertreatment system of a machine includes a step of executing an aftertreatment assembly diagnostic algorithm. The executing step includes detecting an electronic identification feature of an aftertreatment component of the exhaust aftertreatment system, and comparing the electronic identification feature to an expected value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Klein, Richard Thompson, Timothy Davis, Clayton Walenta, Michael S. Thornton
  • Publication number: 20090138185
    Abstract: A method of detecting an assembly condition, such as, for example, a misassembly, of an exhaust aftertreatment system of a machine includes a step of executing an aftertreatment assembly diagnostic algorithm. The executing step includes detecting an electronic identification feature of an aftertreatment component of the exhaust aftertreatment system, and comparing the electronic identification feature to an expected value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Klein, Richard Thompson, Timothy Davis, Clayton Walenta, Michael S. Thornton
  • Patent number: 5136826
    Abstract: A stacked container handling system includes an input section having an input conveyor onto which a box, containing a multiplicity of empty stacked containers arranged in a matrix of rows and columns of vertical stacks of containers, is manually or automatically placed in upside down position. Following removal of the box to expose the matrix of vertical stacks of containers, the vertical stacks of containers are moved forward by the input conveyor to a hinged lay-down table that rotates from an upright position in which one row at a time of the stacked containers is received to a horizontal position from which the received row of stacked containers is unloaded. The stacked container handling system may also include an output section having an output accumulation conveyor that serves to move a desired number of horizontal stacks of containers onto a lift table having a hinged bed that rotates from a horizontal position to an upright position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1992
    Assignee: CBW Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: David E. Carson, Curtis D. Guinn, Torsten H. Lindbom, Michael S. Thornton