Patents by Inventor Scott R. Culler

Scott R. Culler 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: 8142891
    Abstract: Abrasive particles comprising dish-shaped abrasive particles each having a sidewall; each of the shaped abrasive particles comprising alpha alumina and having a first face and a second face separated by a thickness, t; and wherein either the first face or the second face is recessed or concave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Scott R. Culler, Dwight D. Erickson, Negus B. Adefris, John T. Boden, John D. Haas
  • Patent number: 8142532
    Abstract: Abrasive particles which are shaped abrasive particles each with an opening is disclosed. The shaped abrasive particles are formed from alpha alumina and have a first face and a second face separated by a thickness t. The opening in each of the shaped abrasive particles can improve grinding performance by reducing the size of a resulting wear flat, can provide a reservoir for grinding aid, and can improve adhesion to a backing in a coated abrasive article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Dwight D. Erickson, Scott R. Culler, Negus B. Adefris, John T. Boden, John D. Haas
  • Patent number: 8123828
    Abstract: By controlling the process parameters and by using a polymeric production tooling having a plurality of mold cavities, different types of shaped abrasive particles selected from the group consisting of abrasive shards, dish-shaped abrasive particles, and shaped abrasive particles with an opening can be produced from the exact same mold. In one embodiment, the mold comprised a plurality of equilateral triangles and fractured precursor abrasive particles, dish-shaped precursor abrasive particles, or precursor shaped abrasive particles with an opening were produced from the same mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Scott R. Culler, Dwight D. Erickson, Negus B. Adefris, John T. Boden, John D. Haas
  • Publication number: 20110314746
    Abstract: Precursor alpha alumina abrasive particles in a mold are subjected to a drying process that cracks or fractures at least a majority of the precursor abrasive particles into at least two pieces thereby producing abrasive shards having a smaller size than the mold cavity from which they were made. The smaller abrasive shards, once formed, could be reassembled like jigsaw puzzle pieces to reproduce the original cavity shape of the mold from which they were made. The cracking or fracturing of the precursor abrasive particles is believed to occur by ensuring that the surface tension of the abrasive dispersion to the walls of the mold is greater than the internal attractive forces of the abrasive dispersion as the abrasive dispersion is dried within the mold cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Inventors: Dwight D. Erickson, Scott R. Culler, Negus B. Adefris, John T. Boden, John D. Haas
  • Patent number: 8080073
    Abstract: A method of making an abrasive article including the steps of treating a plurality of cavities in a contacting surface of a production tool by plasma deposition of a thin film thereby forming a plurality of plasma treated cavities. Filling the plurality of plasma treated cavities in the production tool with an abrasive slurry, and at least partially curing the abrasive slurry while residing in the plurality of cavities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Moses M. David, Scott R. Culler, John T. Boden
  • Patent number: 8034137
    Abstract: Precursor alpha alumina abrasive particles in a mold are subjected to a drying process that cracks or fractures at least a majority of the precursor abrasive particles into at least two pieces thereby producing abrasive shards having a smaller size than the mold cavity from which they were made. The smaller abrasive shards, once formed, could be reassembled like jigsaw puzzle pieces to reproduce the original cavity shape of the mold from which they were made. The cracking or fracturing of the precursor abrasive particles is believed to occur by ensuring that the surface tension of the abrasive dispersion to the walls of the mold is greater than the internal attractive forces of the abrasive dispersion as the abrasive dispersion is dried within the mold cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Dwight D. Erickson, Scott R. Culler, Negus B. Adefris, John T. Boden, John D. Haas
  • Publication number: 20110244769
    Abstract: A method of making an abrasive article including the steps of treating a plurality of cavities in a contacting surface of a production tool by plasma deposition of a thin film thereby forming a plurality of plasma treated cavities. Filling the plurality of plasma treated cavities in the production tool with an abrasive slurry, and at least partially curing the abrasive slurry while residing in the plurality of cavities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventors: Moses M. David, Scott R. Culler, John T. Boden
  • Publication number: 20110065362
    Abstract: A structured abrasive article includes a backing having a structured abrasive layer disposed on and secured thereto. The structured abrasive layer includes shaped abrasive composites that comprise abrasive particles and nonionic polyether surfactant dispersed in a crosslinked polymeric binder. The abrasive particles have a mean particle size of less than 10 micrometers. The nonionic polyether surfactant is not covalently bound to the crosslinked polymeric binder and is present in an amount of from 2.5 to 3.2 percent by weight based on a total weight of the shaped abrasive composites. The structured abrasive articles are useful for abrading a workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Inventors: Edward J. Woo, Jimmie R. Baran, JR., Scott R. Culler, Paul D. Graham
  • Publication number: 20110053460
    Abstract: A structured abrasive article comprises a backing, and an abrasive layer disposed on and secured to the backing. The abrasive layer comprises shaped abrasive composites, each comprising abrasive particles dispersed in a binder. Each the shaped abrasive composites independently comprises: a base disposed on the backing; a plurality of walls extending away from the base, and a grinding surface not contacting the base. Adjacent walls share a common edge. Each wall independently forms a dihedral angle with the base of less than or equal to 90 degrees. The grinding surface has a plurality of: cusps, and facets that contact a recessed feature. At least a portion of the recessed feature is disposed closer to the base than each of the cusps. Each cusp is formed by an intersection of two of the walls and at least one of the facets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Scott R. Culler, John D. Haas, Chaodi Li
  • Patent number: 7845409
    Abstract: Composite proppant particles each of which comprises a plurality of microbubbles and a resin binder are disclosed. Also disclosed are a method of using such composite proppant particles to prop fractures in wells formed in underground formations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Madeline P. Shinbach, Scott R. Culler, Ernest L. Thurber, John T. Wallace
  • Publication number: 20100266847
    Abstract: Precisely-shaped composites and methods for making these composites are disclosed. The method of this disclosure comprises introducing a precursor composition onto a production tool having at least one continuous surface and a plurality of cavities so as to fill at least a portion of the cavities with the precursor composition and wherein the precursor composition, upon curing, forms a composition having a shape corresponding to the cavities thereby resulting in a plurality of discrete, precisely-shaped particles having a porosity comprising one of the following: (a) 10 m2/g or greater or (b) 5 kdalton or greater. The precisely-shaped particles have at least one essentially flat side. The precisely-shaped particles can be confined in a vessel and used for chromatographic applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Inventors: Peter D. Wickert, Scott R. Culler, Jerald K. Rasmussen
  • Publication number: 20100255254
    Abstract: An abrasive article, such as a structured abrasive article, can be treated by subjecting it to plasma whereby the outer surface can be eroded exposing at least a portion of the abrasive particles dispersed within a cross-linked binder forming the abrasive composites. Depending on the process conditions for the plasma treatment, it is possible to erode only a small portion or substantially all of the cross-linked binder from the outer surface. Thus, the initial cut-rate of the abrasive article can be controlled since it is possible to precisely control the degree, height, or area of the exposed abrasive particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Inventors: Scott R. Culler, Moses M. David, William C. Quade, Brian J. Brinkmeier
  • Publication number: 20100151201
    Abstract: An abrasive comprising shaped abrasive particles each with an opening. The shaped abrasive particles are formed from alpha alumina and have a first face and a second face separated by a thickness t. The opening in each of the shaped abrasive particles can improve grinding performance by reducing the size of a resulting wear flat, can provide a reservoir for grinding aid, and can improve adhesion to a backing in a coated abrasive article.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Inventors: Dwight D. Erickson, Scott R. Culler, Negus B. Adefris, John T. Boden, John D. Haas
  • Publication number: 20100151195
    Abstract: Abrasive particles comprising dish-shaped abrasive particles each having a sidewall; each of the shaped abrasive particles comprising alpha alumina and having a first face and a second face separated by a thickness, t; and wherein either the first face or the second face is recessed or concave.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Inventors: Scott R. Culler, Dwight D. Erickson, Negus B. Adefris, John T. Boden, John D. Haas
  • Publication number: 20100146867
    Abstract: Abrasive particles comprising shaped abrasive particles each having a sidewall, each of the shaped abrasive particles comprising alpha alumina and having a first face and a second face separated by a sidewall and having a maximum thickness, T; and the shaped abrasive particles further comprising a plurality of grooves on the second face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Inventors: John T. Boden, Dwight D. Erickson, Scott R. Culler, Negus B. Adefris, John D. Haas
  • Publication number: 20100151196
    Abstract: Abrasive particles comprising shaped abrasive particles each having a sloping sidewall, each of the shaped abrasive particles comprising alpha alumina and having a first face and a second face separated by a thickness, t. The shaped abrasive particles further comprising either: a draft angle ? between the second face and the sloping sidewall, and the draft angle ? is between about 95 degrees to about 130 degrees, or the sloping sidewall having a radius, R, between the first face and the second face and the radius, R, is between about 0.5 to about 2 times the thickness, t.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Inventors: NEGUS B. ADEFRIS, DWIGHT D. ERICKSON, SCOTT R. CULLER, JOHN T. BODEN, JOHN D. HAAS
  • Publication number: 20090165394
    Abstract: By controlling the process parameters and by using a polymeric production tooling having a plurality of mold cavities, different types of shaped abrasive particles selected from the group consisting of abrasive shards, dish-shaped abrasive particles, and shaped abrasive particles with an opening can be produced from the exact same mold. In one embodiment, the mold comprised a plurality of equilateral triangles and fractured precursor abrasive particles, dish-shaped precursor abrasive particles, or precursor shaped abrasive particles with an opening were produced from the same mold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Inventors: Scott R. Culler, Dwight D. Erickson, Negus B. Adefris, John T. Boden, John D. Haas
  • Publication number: 20090169816
    Abstract: Precursor alpha alumina abrasive particles in a mold are subjected to a drying process that cracks or fractures at least a majority of the precursor abrasive particles into at least two pieces thereby producing abrasive shards having a smaller size than the mold cavity from which they were made. The smaller abrasive shards, once formed, could be reassembled like jigsaw puzzle pieces to reproduce the original cavity shape of the mold from which they were made. The cracking or fracturing of the precursor abrasive particles is believed to occur by ensuring that the surface tension of the abrasive dispersion to the walls of the mold is greater than the internal attractive forces of the abrasive dispersion as the abrasive dispersion is dried within the mold cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Inventors: Dwight D. Erickson, Scott R. Culler, Negus B. Adefris, John T. Boden, John D. Haas
  • Publication number: 20090163127
    Abstract: An abrasive article comprising a sheet-like structure having a major surface and having deployed in a fixed position thereon a plurality of precisely-shaped abrasive composites in an area spacing. Each of the precisely-shaped abrasive composites comprising a plurality of abrasive particles dispersed in a binder and wherein the abrasive article has a Precisely-Shaped Abrasive Composite Defect Rate of between 0 percent to about 30 percent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: Moses M. David, Scott R. Culler, John T. Boden
  • Publication number: 20080155904
    Abstract: A method of abrading a metal workpiece including contacting a metal workpiece with an abrasive article, wherein the abrasive article includes a flexible waterproof backing having a first surface bearing a cured primer coating; and a plurality of shaped structures, each structure having a distal end spaced from said backing and an attachment end attached to the primer coating on the backing, said shaped structures including a mixture of abrasive particles and cured particulate binder, wherein the metal workpiece is contacted with the distal ends of the shaped structures to form an abrading interface; moving the abrasive article relative to the metal workpiece while providing sufficient force between the metal workpiece and the distal ends of the shaped structures of the abrasive article to abrade the metal workpiece; and applying liquid coolant proximate the abrading interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Scott W. Peterson, Dennis G. Welygan, Louis S. Moren, Scott R. Culler, Dean H. Mewes