Patents by Inventor Ronald James Hougen

Ronald James Hougen 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).

  • Lumber diverters, lumber sorters and related methods
    Patent number: 9751113
    Abstract: A lumber sorter includes a plurality of bins. A conveyor carries lumber (e.g. boards) along a path extending above the plurality of bins. A diverter is selectively operable to allow the conveyor to carry the boards past one or more bins or to divert a selected board into a selected bin. The diverter may comprise an upstream gate and a downstream gate, each operable to move between respective closed positions and open positions. In the closed positions, the top surfaces of the upstream and downstream gates are substantially level and allow boards to travel along the path as directed by the conveyor. The diverter may be actuated to the open position in which the upstream and downstream gates are separated, thereby providing a path for a board to fall into a bin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Mill Tech Industries
    Inventors: Ronald James Hougen, Robert B. Van Varseveld
  • LUMBER DIVERTERS, LUMBER SORTERS AND RELATED METHODS
    Publication number: 20170157650
    Abstract: A lumber sorter includes a plurality of bins. A conveyor carries lumber (e.g. boards) along a path extending above the plurality of bins. A diverter is selectively operable to allow the conveyor to carry the boards past one or more bins or to divert a selected board into a selected bin. The diverter may comprise an upstream gate and a downstream gate, each operable to move between respective closed positions and open positions. In the closed positions, the top surfaces of the upstream and downstream gates are substantially level and allow boards to travel along the path as directed by the conveyor. The diverter may be actuated to the open position in which the upstream and downstream gates are separated, thereby providing a path for a board to fall into a bin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventors: Ronald James HOUGEN, Robert B. VAN VARSEVELD
  • Continuous breakdown hoists
    Patent number: 7740440
    Abstract: A breakdown hoist has a secondary stage that permits continuous operation. The breakdown hoist may be run with the secondary stage disabled. In some embodiments a primary and secondary stage can discharge lumber simultaneously onto two conveyors. Providing two conveyors can increase surge capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Mill Tech Industries
    Inventors: James Bruce Hannebauer, Ronald James Hougen
  • CONTINUOUS BREAKDOWN HOISTS
    Publication number: 20090081018
    Abstract: A breakdown hoist has a secondary stage that permits continuous operation. The breakdown hoist may be run with the secondary stage disabled. In some embodiments a primary and secondary stage can discharge lumber simultaneously onto two conveyors. Providing two conveyors can increase surge capacity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Inventors: James Bruce HANNEBAUER, Ronald James HOUGEN