Patents by Inventor Robert E. Hoffman

Robert E. Hoffman 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: 10163068
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical filling system for a high volume pharmacy is described. The system can include a manual pick/pack device and method. The system may include a rotation assembly, a left door and a right door, both positioned below the rotation assembly, a left divider positioned below the left door, and a right divider positioned below the right door, and a left gathering table positioned below the left divider, and a right gathering table positioned below the right divider. The system may also include a control device in electronic communication with the rotation assembly, the doors and the dividers for control of same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Hoffman, Jonathan W. Joplin
  • Patent number: 10102460
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical filling system for a high volume pharmacy is described. The system can include a paper feed device and method. The system may include a paper collator with at one selectively openable shelf. A control device may monitor the capacity of the selectively openable shelf, and instruct a printer to hold printing additional print jobs. The selectively openable shelf may then be opened to allow the printed literature resting thereon to fall to a lower shelf, and the printer can then be restarted. Sheets of printed literature may be drawn from the paper collator, collected with any other sheets of printed literature associated with a prescription order, and mated with the prescription order for shipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 10095963
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical filling system for a high volume pharmacy is described. The system can include a paper feed device and method. The system may include a paper collator with at one selectively openable shelf. A control device may monitor the capacity of the selectively openable shelf, and instruct a printer to hold printing additional print jobs. The selectively openable shelf may then be opened to allow the printed literature resting thereon to fall to a lower shelf, and the printer can then be restarted. Sheets of printed literature may be drawn from the paper collator, collected with any other sheets of printed literature associated with a prescription order, and mated with the prescription order for shipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Hoffman
  • Publication number: 20180229872
    Abstract: A system comprising a staging area and a packing area. The staging area may include a plurality of staging bins and a shuttle moveable along the plurality of staging bins. A staging bin of the plurality of staging bins may be configured to selectively retain a component of an order therein. Such staging bin may be configured to selectively release the component to the shuttle. The packing area may include a slide, a scanner, and a wrap seal conveyor. The shuttle may be configured to release the component onto the slide, and the scanner may be operable to scan and verify the component during placement of the component onto the wrap seal conveyor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Inventors: Jonathan W. Joplin, Robert E. Hoffman
  • Publication number: 20180150730
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical filling system for a high volume pharmacy is described. The system can include a paper feed device and method. The system may include a paper collator with at one selectively openable shelf. A control device may monitor the capacity of the selectively openable shelf, and instruct a printer to hold printing additional print jobs. The selectively openable shelf may then be opened to allow the printed literature resting thereon to fall to a lower shelf, and the printer can then be restarted. Sheets of printed literature may be drawn from the paper collator, collected with any other sheets of printed literature associated with a prescription order, and mated with the prescription order for shipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Inventor: Robert E. Hoffman
  • Publication number: 20180144284
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical filling system for a high volume pharmacy is described. The system can include an outflow conveyor, and an injection conveyor to inject a package located thereon onto the outflow conveyor. The injection conveyor can be adjacent to the outflow conveyor and oriented substantially perpendicular to the outflow conveyor. The system can also include a monitoring system positioned to perform package monitoring of the outflow conveyor and to image the package on the outflow conveyor after the package has been injected onto the outflow conveyor. The monitoring system can be further configured to determine an intended destination of the package based on an identifier detected on the package in the image captured by the monitoring system. A routing device can be positioned to perform package routing of the package to an accumulation area for packages based on the determination of the intended destination of the package.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Inventors: Robert E. Hoffman, Jonathan W. Joplin
  • Publication number: 20180144285
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical filling system for a high volume pharmacy is described. The system can include a manual pick/pack device and method. The system may include a rotation assembly, a left door and a right door, both positioned below the rotation assembly, a left divider positioned below the left door, and a right divider positioned below the right door, and a left gathering table positioned below the left divider, and a right gathering table positioned below the right divider. The system may also include a control device in electronic communication with the rotation assembly, the doors and the dividers for control of same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Inventors: Robert E. Hoffman, Jonathan W. Joplin
  • Patent number: 9944419
    Abstract: A system comprising a staging area and a packing area. The staging area may include a plurality of staging bins and a shuttle moveable along the plurality of staging bins. A staging bin of the plurality of staging bins may be configured to selectively retain a component of an order therein. Such staging bin may be configured to selectively release the component to the shuttle. The packing area may include a slide, a scanner, and a wrap seal conveyor. The shuttle may be configured to release the component onto the slide, and the scanner may be operable to scan and verify the component during placement of the component onto the wrap seal conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan W. Joplin, Robert E. Hoffman
  • Publication number: 20170270394
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical filling system for a high volume pharmacy is described. The system can include a paper feed device and method. The system may include a paper collator with at one selectively openable shelf. A control device may monitor the capacity of the selectively openable shelf, and instruct a printer to hold printing additional print jobs. The selectively openable shelf may then be opened to allow the printed literature resting thereon to fall to a lower shelf, and the printer can then be restarted. Sheets of printed literature may be drawn from the paper collator, collected with any other sheets of printed literature associated with a prescription order, and mated with the prescription order for shipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventor: Robert E. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 9710739
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical filling system for a high volume pharmacy is described. The system can include a paper feed device and method. The system may include a paper collator with at one selectively openable shelf. A control device may monitor the capacity of the selectively openable shelf, and instruct a printer to hold printing additional print jobs. The selectively openable shelf may then be opened to allow the printed literature resting thereon to fall to a lower shelf, and the printer can then be restarted. Sheets of printed literature may be drawn from the paper collator, collected with any other sheets of printed literature associated with a prescription order, and mated with the prescription order for shipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Express Scripts, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Hoffman
  • Publication number: 20170011285
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical filling system for a high volume pharmacy is described. The system can include a paper feed device and method. The system may include a paper collator with at one selectively openable shelf. A control device may monitor the capacity of the selectively openable shelf, and instruct a printer to hold printing additional print jobs. The selectively openable shelf may then be opened to allow the printed literature resting thereon to fall to a lower shelf, and the printer can then be restarted. Sheets of printed literature may be drawn from the paper collator, collected with any other sheets of printed literature associated with a prescription order, and mated with the prescription order for shipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventor: Robert E. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 9373065
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical filling system for a high volume pharmacy is described. The system can include a paper feed device and method. The system may include a paper collator with at one selectively openable shelf. A control device may monitor the capacity of the selectively openable shelf, and instruct a printer to hold printing additional print jobs. The selectively openable shelf may then be opened to allow the printed literature resting thereon to fall to a lower shelf, and the printer can then be restarted. Sheets of printed literature may be drawn from the paper collator, collected with any other sheets of printed literature associated with a prescription order, and mated with the prescription order for shipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Express Scripts, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Hoffman
  • Publication number: 20160023790
    Abstract: A system comprising a staging area and a packing area. The staging area may include a plurality of staging bins and a shuttle moveable along the plurality of staging bins. A staging bin of the plurality of staging bins may be configured to selectively retain a component of an order therein. Such staging bin may be configured to selectively release the component to the shuttle. The packing area may include a slide, a scanner, and a wrap seal conveyor. The shuttle may be configured to release the component onto the slide, and the scanner may be operable to scan and verify the component during placement of the component onto the wrap seal conveyor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Jonathan W. Joplin, Robert E. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 6363669
    Abstract: A framed storm window construction having a relatively thick, impact and penetration resistant panel surrounded by a frame for mounting either over or within an opening formed in a wall. The peripheral edges of the panel fit within interior channels formed in the frame members. The frame members each have exterior channels on its exterior peripheral edges which define outwardly opening channels. Connector members having tongue portions fitted and held within said channels extend outwardly of the channels and terminate in connector strip flanges which are adapted to be secured, by mechanical fasteners, to the edge portions defining a window opening in a building wall. The framed window resists penetration by forcefully applied objects, such as wind hurled debris.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Inventor: Robert E. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 5855099
    Abstract: A sectional storm panel for covering an opening in a building is formed of a plurality of vertically elongated, narrow, corrugated panel sections that are manually assembled, in edge to edge relationship, from the interior of the building, from each side edge of the opening towards the opposite side edge to form a pair of co-planar panel portions that are spaced apart. The space between the panels is covered by a separate cover section that is inserted through the space, from the interior of the building to the outside of the building, and then positioned manually so that its vertical edges overlap the adjacent panel section vertical edges that define the space between the panel sections. The sections extend between a lower rail and an upper rail secured to the lower and upper edges of the opening, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Inventor: Robert E. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 5740850
    Abstract: The opposite vertically elongated edges of a series of pivotly connected slats forming an accordion type folding shutter are provided with integral tubelike connector members. The slat integrally joins its outer member along a plane which is tangent to the outer surface of the outer member so that the extended adjacent pair of slats form a roughly ninety (90.degree.) degree angle when the shutter is extended. Thus, the forces of impact applied against the shutter is absorbed by the crushing of the outer member towards and against and then with the inner member, in engagement between the adjacent inner and outer member beads and the partial transmission of forces through the adjacent portions of the slats for resisting separation of the adjacent slats and penetration of the force applying object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1998
    Inventor: Robert E. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 5614296
    Abstract: A method of producing self-texturing filaments that exhibit a desirable tendency to coil rather than to bend sharply or zig zag. The method includes directing a quenching fluid at extruded hollow filaments of a liquid polymer predominantly from one side of the hollow filaments to thereby produce hollow filaments with different orientations on each side. Thereafter the temperature of the hollow filaments is raised to a temperature sufficient for the filaments to relax, but less than the temperature at which the filaments would shrink. When the relaxed filaments are cut into staple lengths, they tend to assume a form that provides a favorable degree of mechanical entanglement that is useful in forming resilient solid structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: Wellman, Inc.
    Inventors: Fred L. Travelute, Robert E. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 5611383
    Abstract: A roll-up shutter is formed of numerous, identical, horizontally elongated slats each having a pair of oppositely and downwardly extended hooks formed on its upper edge and a downwardly opening groove on its lower edge for receiving the hooks of the next adjacent slat. The lower edges of the walls forming the groove in each slat are bent inwardly and upwardly to provide inner channels. The pair of hooks of one slat are normally engaged within the corresponding pair of channels of the next adjacent slat. The hook and channel on one side of each slat are arranged at a higher level than the corresponding hook and channel on the other side of each slat. When the shutter is opened, to cover a window or doorway opening, the engaged hooks and slats, which extend substantially along the full width of the shutter, form horizontally arranged, bar-like reinforcements for the shutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Inventor: Robert E. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 5601918
    Abstract: A process for producing industrial denier filaments of a thermoplastic polymer at higher rates of production than those using liquid quenching media is disclosed. Liquid polymer is extruded in the form of hollow filaments at a throughput and rate of take up that produces individual filaments of greater than about 30 denier. A flow of gas is then directed at the liquid filaments at a flow rate and temperature that are sufficient to quench and solidify the individual filaments in the absence of any other quenching fluid. The filaments formed by the disclosed process have larger diameters than solid filaments of the same denier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Assignee: Wellman, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick L. Travelute, Robert E. Hoffman, Mendel L. Poston, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5593629
    Abstract: A process for producing industrial denier filaments of a thermoplastic polymer at higher rates of production than those using liquid quenching media is disclosed. Liquid polymer is extruded in the form of hollow filaments at a throughput and rate of take up that produces individual filaments of greater than about 30 denier. A flow of gas is then directed at the liquid filaments at a flow rate and temperature that are sufficient to quench and solidify the individual filaments in the absence of any other quenching fluid. The filaments formed by the disclosed process have larger diameters than solid filaments of the same denier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1997
    Assignee: Wellman, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick L. Travelute, Robert E. Hoffman, Mendel L. Poston, Jr.