Patents by Inventor Paul Hearn

Paul Hearn 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: 10485242
    Abstract: The invention provides a sensor-guided, automated system that is capable of intelligently cutting crustaceans, such as crab and lobster, into a plurality of portions, as directed. More particularly, the present system is capable of effectively butchering each individual crustacean in response to how the system's sensor(s) assess the physical characteristics of each crustacean as it arrives via a conveyor belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Canadian Centre For Fisheries Innovation (CCFI)
    Inventors: Stephen King, Paul Hearn
  • Publication number: 20190166856
    Abstract: The invention provides a sensor-guided, automated system that is capable of intelligently cutting crustaceans, such as crab and lobster, into a plurality of portions, as directed. More particularly, the present system is capable of effectively butchering each individual crustacean in response to how the system's sensor(s) assess the physical characteristics of each crustacean as it arrives via a conveyor belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: Stephen King, Paul Hearn
  • Patent number: 10264799
    Abstract: The invention provides a sensor-guided, automated system that is capable of intelligently cutting crustaceans, such as crab and lobster, into a plurality of portions, as directed. More particularly, the present system is capable of effectively butchering each individual crustacean in response to how the system's sensor(s) assess the physical characteristics of each crustacean as it arrives via a conveyor belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Canadian Centre For Fisheries Innovation (CCFI)
    Inventors: Stephen King, Paul Hearn
  • Publication number: 20180263249
    Abstract: The invention provides a sensor-guided, automated system that is capable of intelligently cutting crustaceans, such as crab and lobster, into a plurality of portions, as directed. More particularly, the present system is capable of effectively butchering each individual crustacean in response to how the system's sensor(s) assess the physical characteristics of each crustacean as it arrives via a conveyor belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Stephen King, Paul Hearn
  • Patent number: 6190247
    Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning the shells of crabs and other crustacean and shellfish for removal of barnacles and other encrusted debris. A conveyor carries the shells through a cleaning station. The cleaning station features a rotating flail, having chains or other like flexible members for impacting against the shells with hard, smooth members for selectively shattering the barnacle shells while permitting the relatively softer crustacean shells to remain intact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Canpolar East Inc.
    Inventors: Ernest M. Reimer, Paul Hearn
  • Patent number: 6099399
    Abstract: An automated crustacean processing apparatus provides a scrubbing of crustacean leg portions at high speed and volume and additionally maximizes the amount of leg processable. A cutting arrangement is provided to sever the legs from the body portions with minimum wastage of usable leg material. Asymmetric scrubbing of the upper and lower leg surfaces means that the upper surfaces, which are less debris-laden and feature a commercially significant layer of red colouring receive a less vigorous scrubbing then the leg undersides, which are more debris-laden and do not feature a red layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: Canpolar East Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Hearn, Leslie E. Samson, Ernie Reimer, Stephen King
  • Patent number: 6061086
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for the automated inspection of objects for the presence of visual anomalies. The apparatus includes a first wide angle camera for acquiring an image of the object, a processor for detecting targets and generating target location from the image of the object, a two axis post-objective scanner associated with a high resolution camera for directing target image to the high resolution camera. The scanner provides a mechanism for saccadic emulation in combination with a high resolution video camera, which can be synchronized to the frame rate of the video camera for rapid high resolution examination of an object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Canopular East Inc.
    Inventors: Ernest M. Reimer, Paul Hearn, Ivi Hermanto