Patents by Inventor Nathan A. Blum

Nathan A. Blum 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: 12357442
    Abstract: Beak opening apparatus and methods of using the same are described herein. The beak opening apparatus includes a beak splitter and beak opening actuator along with a control unit used to operate the beak opening actuator to move the beak splitter between a home position and an opening position to open the beak of a bird.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: Nova-Tech Engineering, LLC
    Inventors: Nathan A. Blum, Jeff Deming, Matthew H. Erickson, Scott C. Johnson, James Kleven, Greg R. Swenson
  • Publication number: 20240415100
    Abstract: Poultry cradles and methods of restraining birds are disclosed. Each poultry cradle may include a torso support, one or more shank clamps, one or more optional shank guides, and a head support. Restraining the shanks of birds using separate shank clamps and optional shank guides can provide additional control over the shanks and, therefore, the toes, of the restrained birds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Publication date: December 19, 2024
    Inventors: Dominic Oerter, Matthew H. Erickson, Nathan A. Blum
  • Publication number: 20240415091
    Abstract: The poultry cradle unloading systems and methods described herein provide for the unloading of birds and, in some cases, placement of the birds in a selected location among two or more possible selected locations. The unloading may be accomplished in a manner that promotes safety for the birds by releasing the birds such that they are predisposed to landing in an upright orientation after release from a cradle. The unloading may involve releasing the head before releasing the legs of the bird. The cradle and/or bird retained in the cradle may be oriented such that the bird is held at an angle such that the head of the bird is located forward of the hock joints.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Publication date: December 19, 2024
    Inventors: Scott C. Johnson, Nathan A. Blum
  • Patent number: 12089605
    Abstract: Shrimp processing apparatus to head and optionally sever the mud veins of shrimp, along with methods for heading and mud vein severing are described herein. The shrimp processing apparatus may be provided in systems may include one or more processing stations configured to perform one or more of the following functions on each shrimp: measurement of individual shrimp, severing the mud vein of individual shrimp, and heading of individual shrimp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: Nova-Tech Engineering, LLC
    Inventors: Elliot D. Eid, Matthew R. Biel, Nathan A. Blum, Jeff Deming, Roger Harkess, Jeremy Imdieke, Robert Johnson, Dana Mathew Molenaar, Jacob Rooney, Shaun Remmel, Marc Zinda
  • Publication number: 20240276996
    Abstract: Shrimp processing apparatus to sever the mud veins of shrimp, along with methods for heading and mud vein severing are described herein. The shrimp processing apparatus may be provided in systems may include one or more processing stations configured to perform one or more of the following functions on each shrimp: measurement of individual shrimp, severing the mud vein of individual shrimp, and remove of pleopods of individual shrimp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2024
    Publication date: August 22, 2024
    Inventors: Elliot D. Eid, Matthew R. Biel, Nathan A. Blum, Jeff Deming, Roger Harkess, Jeremy Imdieke, Robert Johnson, Dana Mathew Molenaar, Jacob Rooney, Shaun Remmel, Marc Zinda
  • Patent number: 12029222
    Abstract: A shrimp processing method and system, the system comprising a plurality of clamps, wherein each clamp is configured to hold a shrimp proximate a tail of the shrimp, a plurality of processing stations comprising at least one data collection station capable of collecting data regarding a shrimp held in a clamp and at least one functional station capable of changing the shrimp held in a clamp, a conveying system connecting the plurality of processing stations, the conveying system configured to move the plurality of clamps between the processing stations, and a controller operably connected to the conveying system and the processing stations, the controller configured to operate the conveying system and to selectively activate each processing station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Nova-Tech Engineering, LLC
    Inventors: Elliot D. Eid, Matthew R. Biel, Nathan A. Blum, Jeff Deming, Roger Harkess, Derek Gramstad, Jeremy Imdieke, Robert Johnson, Dana Mathew Molenaar, Jacob Rooney, Shaun Remmel, Christopher J. Stark, John Steckelberg, Joseph Thiel, Marc Zinda
  • Publication number: 20240207029
    Abstract: Beak opening apparatus and methods of using the same are described herein. The beak opening apparatus includes a beak splitter and beak opening actuator along with a control unit used to operate the beak opening actuator to move the beak splitter between a home position and an opening position to open the beak of a bird.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2024
    Publication date: June 27, 2024
    Inventors: Nathan A. Blum, Jeff Deming, Matthew H. Erickson, Scott C. Johnson, James Kleven, Greg R. Swenson
  • Patent number: 11937997
    Abstract: Systems for delivering material through an open beak to a digestive tract of a bird and methods of using the same are described herein. Beak opening apparatus and methods of using the same are also described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Nova-Tech Engineering, LLC
    Inventors: Nathan A. Blum, Jeff Deming, Matthew H. Erickson, Scott C. Johnson, James Kleven, Greg R. Swenson
  • Publication number: 20230138989
    Abstract: Shrimp processing apparatus to head and optionally sever the mud veins of shrimp, along with methods for heading and mud vein severing are described herein. The shrimp processing apparatus may be provided in systems may include one or more processing stations configured to perform one or more of the following functions on each shrimp: measurement of individual shrimp, severing the mud vein of individual shrimp, and heading of individual shrimp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: Elliot D. Eid, Matthew R. Biel, Nathan A. Blum, Jeff Deming, Roger Harkess, Jeremy Imdieke, Robert Johnson, Dana Mathew Molenaar, Jacob Rooney, Shaun Remmel, Marc Zinda
  • Publication number: 20230076498
    Abstract: A shrimp processing method and system, the system comprising a plurality of clamps, wherein each clamp is configured to hold a shrimp proximate a tail of the shrimp, a plurality of processing stations comprising at least one data collection station capable of collecting data regarding a shrimp held in a clamp and at least one functional station capable of changing the shrimp held in a clamp, a conveying system connecting the plurality of processing stations, the conveying system configured to move the plurality of clamps between the processing stations, and a controller operably connected to the conveying system and the processing stations, the controller configured to operate the conveying system and to selectively activate each processing station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Elliot D. Eid, Matthew R. Biel, Nathan A. Blum, Jeff Deming, Roger Harkess, Derek Gramstad, Jeremy Imdieke, Robert Johnson, Dana Mathew Molenaar, Jacob Rooney, Shaun Remmel, Christopher J. Stark, John Steckelberg, Joseph Thiel, Marc Zinda
  • Publication number: 20210068937
    Abstract: Systems for delivering material through an open beak to a digestive tract of a bird and methods of using the same are described herein. Beak opening apparatus and methods of using the same are also described herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventors: Nathan A. Blum, Jeff Deming, Matthew H. Erickson, Scott C. Johnson, James Kleven, Greg R. Swenson