Patents by Inventor Ralph S. Jenkins

Ralph S. Jenkins 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).

  • Automatic knot-tying machine
    Patent number: 6641181
    Abstract: A knot-tying machine, including a package support for holding a package having a supply of a strand material with an exposed free end wound onto an outer surface of the package, a strand gripper for releasably gripping and holding a length of the strand adjacent the exposed free end of the strand, a loop-forming assembly for forming a loop in the length of the strand adjacent the exposed free end of the strand and intermediate the gripper and the package, the package support and the loop-forming assembly mounted for rotational movement relative to each other for forming the loop in the strand, and a knot-forming assembly for forming a slip-knot in the loop of the strand formed by the loop-forming assembly adjacent the free end thereof, the slip-knot being adapted to be subsequently removed when desired by pulling on the free end of the strand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Belmont Textile Machinery Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Jay Dee Thomas, Ralph S. Jenkins
  • Automatic knot-tying machine
    Publication number: 20020171245
    Abstract: A knot-tying machine, including a package support for holding a package having a supply of a strand material with an exposed free end wound onto an outer surface of the package, a strand gripper for releasably gripping and holding a length of the strand adjacent the exposed free end of the strand, a loop-forming assembly for forming a loop in the length of the strand adjacent the exposed free end of the strand and intermediate the gripper and the package, the package support and the loop-forming assembly mounted for rotational movement relative to each other for forming the loop in the strand, and a knot-forming assembly for forming a slip-knot in the loop of the strand formed by the loop-forming assembly adjacent the free end thereof, the slip-knot being adapted to be subsequently removed when desired by pulling on the free end of the strand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2002
    Publication date: November 21, 2002
    Inventors: Jay Dee Thomas, Ralph S. Jenkins
  • Automatic knot-tying machine
    Patent number: 6419283
    Abstract: A knot-tying machine, including a package support for holding a package having a supply of a strand material with an exposed free end wound onto an outer surface of the package, a strand gripper for releasably gripping and holding a length of the strand adjacent the exposed free end of the strand, a loop-forming assembly for forming a loop in the length of the strand adjacent the exposed free end of the strand and intermediate the gripper and the package, the package support and the loop-forming assembly mounted for rotational movement relative to each other for forming the loop in the strand, and a knot-forming assembly for forming a slip-knot in the loop of the strand formed by the loop-forming assembly adjacent the free end thereof, the slip-knot being adapted to be subsequently removed when desired by pulling on the free end of the strand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Belmont Textile Machinery Company
    Inventors: Jay Dee Thomas, Ralph S. Jenkins
  • AUTOMATIC KNOT-TYING MACHINE
    Publication number: 20020060455
    Abstract: A knot-tying machine, including a package support for holding a package having a supply of a strand material with an exposed free end wound onto an outer surface of the package, a strand gripper for releasably gripping and holding a length of the strand adjacent the exposed free end of the strand, a loop-forming assembly for forming a loop in the length of the strand adjacent the exposed free end of the strand and intermediate the gripper and the package, the package support and the loop-forming assembly mounted for rotational movement relative to each other for forming the loop in the strand, and a knot-forming assembly for forming a slip-knot in the loop of the strand formed by the loop-forming assembly adjacent the free end thereof, the slip-knot being adapted to be subsequently removed when desired by pulling on the free end of the strand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2001
    Publication date: May 23, 2002
    Inventors: Jay Dee Thomas, Ralph S. Jenkins