Patents by Inventor Rick L. Tennessen

Rick L. Tennessen 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: 8779709
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for controlling operation of an electric motor through use of an additional power storage arrangement connected across the DC busses of a motor drive and controlling the speed of the motor. The additional power storage arrangement includes an additional capacitor arrangement and a rate limiting arrangement in a series circuit relationship with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Unico, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael O. Lucas, Rick L. Tennessen, Harry W. Schulz, William S. Hammel, James J. Sewell
  • Publication number: 20130043813
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for controlling operation of an electric motor through use of an additional power storage arrangement connected across the DC busses of a motor drive and controlling the speed of the motor. The additional power storage arrangement includes an additional capacitor arrangement and a rate limiting arrangement in a series circuit relationship with one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Inventors: Michael O. Lucas, Rick L. Tennessen, Harry W. Schulz, William S. Hammel, James J. Sewell
  • Patent number: 4627253
    Abstract: A continuously running mechanical transfer press includes a workpiece transfer system in which electric motors are used to provide reciprocating movements in the clamp, lift and transfer axes. An independent backup tracking system including a fault detection sensing control is provided which utilizes independent measures of the position of the workpiece transfer system in all three axes along with an independent measure of the position of the press die in its cycle to monitor proper synchronization and operation of the workpiece transfer system. The fault detection system indicates a fault in the event the transfer system loses synchronization with the moving die, in the event two separate measures of die position are not in agreement, or in the event the transfer system fails to maintain parallelism of the two transfer rails included in the system. The press is stopped in response to detection of a fault to protect the press and the transfer system from damage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1986
    Assignee: Verson Allsteel Press Co.
    Inventors: Rick L. Tennessen, Harry W. Schulz, Allen J. Vanderzee
  • Patent number: 4287462
    Abstract: A control system for a veneer lathe feeds a knife into a rotating log to peel off a continuous sheet of veneer. When the knife is retracted, the orientation of the log is established and stored so that when the peeling operation is resumed, the knife motion is calculated to engage the log at the discontinuity in the log surface produced during retraction. In addition, when the knife engages the rotating log a compensation factor is momentarily added to the knife motion feed command to alleviate variations in veneer thickness caused by the mechanics of the lathe during impact. A considerable savings of veneer is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1981
    Assignee: Unico, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas L. Beck, Rick L. Tennessen